Under the gloomy sky, hundreds of water stormed the concrete and fancy ground, covered by a frosty mist, one extravagant building modeled after a weak 'X' shape from above vision.

It lit with few l.u.s.ter lights, just enough to make it shone for the hazy scene. White minivans parked on the nearby cemented hut, complete with a red 'plus' trademark on their right surface.

Moving inside, people in various clothes drifted within the wall of green and cream patterned ceramic floor. One middle-aged man with brandy clothes spoke with a pink uniform lady who stood behind a counter. An old man clad in a worn-out sweater, green mask covered his mouth and an old scarf wrapped around his neck, sitting on the comfortable bench among the people, waiting for his number to be called.

The smell of herbs and the sound of equipment painted the harmony of the environment.

Southeast section, white peahen area, third floor.

Within the room with a luminous door, a man sleeping above a white sheet bed. His face looked tranquil and the chest rose in a steady rhythm. A slender hand grasped the man's right hand, apricot eyes with crystal clear iris gazed upon the sleeping handsome figure, worry and concern played the tune for the fragile soul.

The woman had a beautiful appearance that couldn't compare to a mere thing within this mortal realm. Her figure? Even the curviest model in the world didn't qualify to stand on peer with her.

Her body wrapped in a one-piece blue cotton dress, complete with white silk jacket and a pair of black short heels.

'What happens to you?'

She meekly gazed the man, her lips curved in the sad way that even the stone heart unable to bear.

'Was father not enough?'

Her chest felt heavy, a light s.h.i.+ver playfully shook her pink lips. The man didn't appear to have wounds at all, in fact, his entire body cleaned from any scar and injuries. But why he yet to wake up? His peaceful manner could easily be mistaken as someone who just asleep, but no effort could be done in order to make him sober.

A drop of liquid and a beep from heartbeat monitor played the soundtrack of this calm room.

*Thud.*

The door toward the room swung open as a person not younger than her walk in, the person carried a stainless basin, "Pardon me, infusion check-up and washed up routine." The woman nodded without ever moved away from her vision.

The nurse walked in a slow gait, she pa.s.sed the woman from behind and observed the liquid, grabbed the transparent flask with her slim fingers. She faced the blonde man and traced the spot where the end of the hose stuck into the man's arm. Pulling the bandage, she used her finger to sense any inflammation on the man's skin.

Upon checking nothing's out of ordinary, the nurse took down the liquid, pulled the hose that strapped into it, she brought another liquid from the stainless basin, connected the hose and hook up the liquid. She went back to the basin and fished out a disposable washcloth. She noticed the woman still held onto the man's hand, her eyes expressed an awkward color, "Um, Miss... can I start was.h.i.+ng the patient now?"

"Oh," the woman startled, she wiped her finger toward her eyes and snuffled a little, "I'm sorry for bothering your work, I'll wait on the outside."

She grabbed her purse and strode toward the gate, the nurse sighed as she watched the beautiful figure disappeared behind the door. She glanced at the man, shaking her head in lamentation before she proceeded on her job.

Ruoxi leaned her head against the wall along with her right shoulder, it had been two days since the event in the Emerald Quaza hotel, finally public knew the truth behind the sudden change of Liu Corporation plan in regarding charity's fund but so far the authority just disclosed the attack as terrorist act and the fact that Iron Hand gang involvement, in this case, had been known. The government launched a sweep in the north side of Zhong Hai city and caught anyone who related with the Iron Hand gang, completely eradicating the gang from the face of the earth.

After receiving the information about the attack, Ruoxi couldn't help but felt anxious since she knew that Naruto went to the Emerald Quaza to meet with someone from the auction's management and tried to strike a deal in regard of an ancient dagger. She had called him many times, albeit the line managed to connect but Naruto didn't pick it up. Failing many times to contact him, she finally gave up and decided to just wait for him back in the house.

Time moved like a stream in the river.

She raced back home after canceled and rescheduled some meeting with her business relation, upon her arrival, she find no single presence inside the house aside from herself, w.a.n.g Ma already returned to the hospital to accompany Lin Kun after did some cooking and cleaning.

Wait... and wait...

She meandered in the house, pacing back and forth, waiting for the person she held dear to bring back the life into the desolate house. She checked for any new information regarding the attack, when the news about a few people didn't survive came out, her heart almost jumped out from her chest.

She bit her finger and called his number many times.

"The number you call..."

"The number you call..."

"The number you call..."

Hearing the voice she didn't expect to answer rose her fear to the high degree. Combined with the soundless environment where one couldn't even hear a single squeak, Ruoxi's senses became tense and gooseb.u.mp reigned over her body, She turned on the TV, hoping the insecurity and dread suggestion no longer haunted her while praying Naruto to come back sooner.

5 minutes... 10... 20...

No familiar male's voice greeted a warm into her heart, the TV no longer effective against her fear, she tried to change the channel and find her favorite Korean drama. But who knew, even the thing you love the most sometimes betrayed you, the drama displayed a scene with a hospital setting, where the female lead unable to arrive in time to meet the male lead for the last time. The scene depicted someone covered in a blanket while a woman wept beside it.

In fright, Ruoxi stood from the sofa, grabbed her purse and ran to outside. She got inside her Bentley and drove away from her house. She stopped her car to regain her bearing only after several kilometers away from the Dragon Villa. Managing and collecting her jumbled thought, instead of waiting for any information from Naruto, she decided to go after it. She went to the hospital where the police kept the bodies, asking someone in charge in case any of the bodies had Naruto feature on them which luckily no.

She contacted her relation in Liu Corporation and asked for a contact from people in auction's management.

Long story short, she got Master Liu's contact and finally knew the detail about Naruto where about. She immediately drove toward White Cross hospital.

(***)

Ruoxi strode toward the hospital gate, her eyes glanced around until she found an elder that looked familiar to her, she blinked her eyes for a while before approaching him.

"Emm, senior excuse me, are you possibly Master Liu?" Ruoxi bowed her head once then asked with a sincere expression.

"Ahaha, yes, people did call me that but please Miss, just call me Mr. Liu, I'm nowhere from being master," the elder laughed in temperament voice.

"How about... if I call you senior Liu? I feel disrespect toward an elder if I call you carelessly," Ruoxi's expression troubled a little.

"If that what makes you comfortable then I don't mind," Liu Fu nodded his head.

Ruoxi hesitated before she convinced herself, "Senior Liu, may I asked about Naruto's condition?"

The venerable smile on Liu Fu's face froze, he sighed in bitterness, "It will be best if you see it yourself."

The elder strode to their right, followed by Ruoxi in his tail. Along the way, neither of them spoke or initiated any chat, Ruoxi's heart thumped quite loud that even the person next to her could hear it. She had been praying, hoping what lay ahead wasn't a bad omen, expecting a miracle wasn't just some Santa Claus mythology.

They arrived in emergency and intensive care section but none of the room was their pit stop, Ruoxi became more anxious, she curled her hand and clenched it tightly. The elder and the beauty pa.s.sed through another double door, Ruoxi gasped at the obvious hazard sign on the numerous door along the path.

The elder stopped beside the wide window belong to the first room on her right. He faced her while sighing, his head turned toward his left. Ruoxi walked closer and halted before the elder, she absentmindedly glanced at the window, what she saw almost blew her mind.

The room painted in all green with one bed in the center and several types of equipment on both sides, a gloomy fog lingered in the air, trailed from a person who laid on the bed with white bandages all over his body.

That person precisely Naruto.

Ruoxi s.h.i.+vered on her spot, her eyes widened without any control, her mouth stuttery opened, "W-what happened to him? What is that fog?!"

"Based on my knowledge, if I'm not wrong, that is what we call the dark element," the elder nodded.

"Dark element? What is that?" Ruoxi glanced at Liu Fu.

"The universe that we live in consisted of many types of element.

Which cla.s.sified into 3 categories:

1. The anima, a term belonged to 5 primal elements; fire, water, wind, earth, and lightning.

2. The majestic, a term belonged to both dark and light element.

3. The divine, a term belonged to both yin and yang element.

What strike Mr. Naruto right now, is the dark element, the one with the capability to stop any healing treatment," Liu Fu narrowed his eyes.

"Are you saying, Naruto was unable to recover or get away from this thing?" Ruoxi's guts as if churned and turned upside down.

"No sickness without a cure, so don't worry Miss, regarding this ailment, we have a way to treating it," Liu Fu nodded.

Ruoxi let out a relieved breath, but noticing the grim face that glued to the elder's face, she raised her eyebrows, "is there... a problem?"

Liu Fu sighed, his tone turned deep, "although we do have the cure, I'm not sure we could make it... by the time he admitted here, Mr. Naruto already losing too much blood."

"Are you saying that the hospital run out of blood? What about the blood bank?!" Ruoxi's face became pale.

"No, it's not about that but because of the blood type..." The elder squinted his eyes and stared at the room with black fog.

"Was Naruto an O positive? I know that type of blood was extremely rare and exclusive..." Ruoxi bit her lips. a person with O positive blood type could only receive a donor from the same type or O negative, but supposedly because it's rareness, most hospital always had an emergy spare or the blood bank at least had few spare since not everyday people with this type of blood appeared.

But to her shock, Liu Fu shook his head, "Miss... Mr. Naruto blood type wasn't O positive, but... unrecognizable..."

Ruoxi wrinkled her eyebrows, her head turned confused, "What is unrecognizable mean?"

"It means that whatever type his blood belong, it's not yet discovered by the world, it couldn't mix with any other blood, it even rejected the O negative."

*Bom!*

As if a nuclear went off inside her brain and turned it into a mush, Ruoxi swaggered into the window, almost slumped down to the floor. Liu Fu about to help her but Ruoxi raised her hand, indicating she's fine.

"Are you saying there is no way to replace the blood he lost?" It wasn't the fact that Naruto's blood it's unique that shocked her, but the peril of his condition that plunged her into an abyss of desperation.

"No... because of the dark element, any medications would become useless, and sadly, Mr. Naruto also received some internal bleeding, this required an operation to fix it which ironically, couldn't be done without some blood transfusion."

"Is there... is there nothing the hospital can do... at least... at least to prolong his condition until the cure of this dark element arrives?" Her tone held a s.h.i.+ver, her eyeb.a.l.l.s already moist.

"I'm sorry Miss..." Liu Fu said in regret tone.

"Please... I'll pay as much as you want, please save him, please senior..." Ruoxi held her hand together, pleading with all of her might. Her tone filled with entreaty. If someone saw the CEO of Yu Lei International begged like this, maybe they already screamed in horror.

Liu Fu frowned a while, he didn't know how to answer the request of this young lady, in fact, regarding the heal for the dark element itself, he didn't have confidence since the item was Liu family treasury item, he wasn't sure whether Young Mistress succeed or not in retrieving it. He might have known some alchemist friend who perhaps capable of helping this, but the problem was none all of them within Zhong Hai city, thus the result just the same with Young Mistress.

Liu Fu sighed, he felt bad for these two young people, he's not clear about their relations.h.i.+p, but from the tone she let out and her honest care for the man, they probably in an intimate term. He lamented for the cruelness of the world, to be honest, Liu Fu liked this both youngster, while the woman was very polite to him not because his status or fame but simply age's difference, the man himself was very bright person that willing to burden other people's life on his shoulder albeit it's not entirely out of conscience.

Such a good couple must deserve a tragic life like this...

Ruoxi who saw the helpless expression on Liu Fu face felt her legs turned weak, pearl-like tears dripped to her cheek and unwilling expression fired up her face.

"No..."

"This not the end..."

"There is must be a way..."

She closed her eyes, rubbing her back palm where he planted the oath. Sensing his presence, asking for his blessing. In spite of moment, Lin Ruoxi snapped open her eyes, she glanced at the elder, "Senior Liu, do you have Naruto's stuff?"

"Yes I do," the elder startled, "I can pick it up if you need it."

"Yes, senior, please!" Ruoxi nodded her head.

Liu Fu strode from his spot, "Wait a moment."

A moment later, he came with a box in his hand, there were Naruto s.h.i.+rts, handphone, and wallet. Ruoxi showed her grat.i.tude while accepted the box, she looked somewhere to sit and grabbed Naruto's phone.

'Please not lock... please have a battery...' she constantly prayed within her mind.

She activated his phone and it turned on just fine, letting out a relieved breath, she accessed it and elated for the fact he's not even put any lock in it, she inwardly giggled, maybe because he didn't have any secret within his phone thus not even bother about its security, that's a dangerous idea, after all, if someone could have free access toward other phones, he or she capable to do anything with it, from playing prank to real criminality.

She'll properly berate him about this when he sobered later.

She checked his contact list, it's so few that she only needed three or four slid to reach the end of the list, she scrolled up and down but her face turned panic since the person she looking for wasn't in the list.

'That's strange, why she's not here...' Ruoxi t.i.tled her head with worry expression after several times circling her brain around, she glanced toward Naruto who laid beyond the window, 'Naruto, please forgive me...'

She tapped her finger and opened his message, after searching through one text to another, she finally figured it the reason why her name wasn't in the list, it's because Naruto called her with another name!

Ruoxi twitched her lips as a spark of jealousy incited with her heart but chose to disregard it since there was more important matter at stake, she tapped the person's contact and called her number.

She bit her lips, nervous about a lot of things such as what if the person's phone wasn't active... or she got a wrong person... or she unable to help Naruto...

After several seconds of 'tut-tut' sounds, finally, the line was picking up. A melodious young woman's voice came from the other line and Ruoxi could guess from this alone, the woman must be beautiful, perhaps only a slightly below her own beauty. Ruoxi cleared her throat, calming herself.

"You probably already know me, please, I need your help," Ruoxi's face paused for a while, she squinted her eyes.

"No..." She took a deep breath, "Naruto need your help."