{What an idiot! Even if he somehow pulls through, he is a vegetable for life.} - Kyon chuckled, skeptically looking at the pathetic attempts of the two guards. Somewhere deep inside, guilt had caught up with him, but he had a good point: «it was either him or me.» It made the voice of conscience shut up until better times.

No one in their right mind would think that the boy who hadn’t even connected with his spirit could kill an advanced phaser. It seemed rather weird that Martin had choked and couldn’t take the piece of bun with the energy. However, it was quite possible given the stroke. Kyon was not afraid of the autopsy.

Ten minutes after the call, Martha burst into the room with the medical equipment. When she saw the blue body, she gasped in shock then pulled herself together and started a check-up.

The guards explained the situation, interrupting each other, but the doctor raised her hand and made them stop:

«It’s too late. There’s nothing I can do…»

It was the sixth day of the week. In the evening, Bob and Mob would be distributing the currency of the mine according to the outperformed norm.

Each group of slaves had been bending backward just to earn an extra penny that could be spent on useful, valuable purchases: a can of cold beer for some, a thick slab of meat for others. Some needed essential medicine and potions of endurance. Some never spent their wages. They saved them, denying themselves everything to exchange for the currency of the outside world and send the money to their families.

Everyone was in joyful anticipation of payment, except, perhaps, Mike. He was feeling really bad and was planning to borrow some money to buy medicine. Unfortunately, everyone shook their heads when they saw his condition, including the warden of his group. He knew he would have to find a new miner for his group soon. Even Babil, the asshole with connections, who gave money at interest, had refused him. This heinous pawnbroker could determine the proximity of death by guesswork. According to him, Mike had another 3-4 days, tops.

Borya was preoccupied with worry: {Kyon will be back soon, and I’ll have to pay back.} Unfortunately, he hadn’t earn much, so he would have to borrow the rest of the sum from his friends. Borya wasn’t going to die anytime soon, therefore, he was hoping to get a loan. 

The rest of the slaves were at their workplaces, waiting meekly for the shift to end.

Mob was in high spirits. Yesterday, he noticed Martha’s face change when he gave Kyon the bun. Now he was trying to think of an excuse to get into her office without beating anyone. All his mind was totally and completely set on that.

Bob, his fat colleague, approached him and sat next to him, unusually silent. Suddenly, Bob's sound transmitter rang.

 «Supervisor Bob speaking.»

«Bob, it's Martha. Martin's dead!» - He could hear hysterical overtones in her voice.

«DEAD?» - Bob cried out in shock. His throat felt tight, his voice dropped to a whisper: - «How do you mean dead? Are you serious!?»

«I am. Come to the formation department...» - She hung up.

Bob was dumbfounded. Mob who had heard the conversation was no less stupefied.

«I'll go and see what's wrong. You stay here, Bob.» - Mob stood up resolutely. Now he had a perfectly legitimate excuse to visit Martha and find out what had happened there.

However, Bob ignored him. He understood his motive at once and just whistled loudly, calling the dog.

Later, on their way, Mob tried to reason with his colleague:

«Take it easy, buddy. I'll do it myself! We are forbidden to leave the post together at once.»

«My friend is probably dead, and all you think about is boobs! Get off me!» - At this moment, he couldn’t care less about any rules.

Bob, Rogash, and Mob ran into Martin’s office, panting. In the spacious room, they found the two miserable guards, Martha, Kyon, and Pink, Martin's servant, who was sobbing on his knees over his late master. Bob immediately bounced to the corpse. His legs turned to jelly at the sight of his dead friend. The doctor briefly explained that Martin had apparently choked to death on a piece of bun, and ordered in a flat voice:

«Bob, take Kyon to the hospital. I have to write a report...»

The atmosphere in the room tense. Even Rogash understood the graveness of the whole situation and quietly whined, his paws over his head. Kyon was the only one quiet in the room. He pretended to be scared, but he didn't feel sympathy or remorse. He hated greedy people who screwed others for their own benefit. And yet, Kyon had reason to apprehend danger. A careful investigation might raise some unwanted questions like “why did the crystal sphere crack?” or “why did Martin order his tools just before his death?” It was bad enough that suspicions would suggest the idea that Martin’s death wasn’t an accident, but what's more, they might examine Kyon more carefully and what then? Should he open a graveyard?

Bob took Kyon to the hospital without saying a word.

He was facing long disputes, reports, and so on. Even the highest levels of command might call around. Besides, there was an issue concerning Martin’s replacement. They had always lacked professionals like him.

*click*

The key turned in the lock, leaving Kyon alone in the ward.

Kyon was sitting on his bed and thinking about what he had done. He was completely detached from the guilt of his actions. Yet, something was bothering him: { I'm not supposed to be under suspicion. I've destroyed all the relevant evidence... Unless she notices the missing vial during the inspection but so what?}

Kyon took the wooden key out of the mattress and fiddled with it, wondering what’s the best way to get rid of it.

After Martin's death, he felt a strange tingling in the area of the formation. {Perhaps Martin's formation was dissipating after his death?} To test his assumption, he released some Synergy to the formation carefully, in small portions.

The energy came out of the formation like smoke from smoldering wood. To his astonishment, both the "smoke" and Synergy got mutually destroyed when they touched. It was like a joint annihilation of matter and antimatter.

Kyon thought hard: {Is it possible that Synergy is the opposite of the energy in this world, and they destroy each other when they meet? Then what will happen if I become a practitioner? How am I going to combine them?}

Kyon couldn't see it but when the opposites touched, they spread little ripples in the space. The energy had neither colour nor smell.

The formation would take time to dissipate by itself. Kyon directed Synergy to a huge bruise on his wrist as a memento from Martin’s grip. Most likely, it would take a day to heal it.

{I have to get down to the mine and test the waters... I'm not going to stay here forever.}

Late in the evening, Martha returned to the hospital and rushed to Kyon:

«You didn’t lie! I can't believe you have such incredible powers!»

«Yes... It's my curse.» - Kyon pretended to be upset.

«Um... It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself.» - The doctor whispered reassuringly, patting him on the shoulder.

{Of course, it's not my fault. Well, except for the fact that the flow of blood ceased to come to Martin's brain, hehe.} - Kyon smiled to himself.

Martha tried to encourage the boy and took his hand impulsively. Her eyes immediately noticed the huge bruise that Martin’s fingers had left. She pulled back his shirt sleeve:

«What is this!?»

Kyon was caught off guard and zoned out: {Damned bruise!... Damned bruise?} It wasn't the best excuse but he couldn’t come up with a better one:

«It’s is my curse.» - He whispered in sepulchral tones.

«What do you mean? It's a huge bruise! And it looks like a handprint!» - Martha closely examined the hematoma, clutching at his hand.

«It's a family curse.» - Kyon lied passionately to protect his lies. - «When spirits predict a death, I get a bruise in the shape of a hand. It was just like this before my grandmother died.»

«Oh... It’s unbelievable!» - Martha covered her mouth with her hand, frightened. - «Anyway, I have a perfect cure for your curse. I'll get you the ointment, and the wound will heal in a few hours.» - Martha did not spare the best quality ointment to treat his bruise, even if it was intended for staff only.

Kyon was touched by her concern. He wondered if she truly believed him. It scared him that there were holes in the story about the "curse."

Matha applied gently some golden-colored ointment to the bruise. The skin under her soft fingers tingled a little, but it was a pleasant feeling. Martha tried to get more information about his family curse, but he blundered out only some platitudes.

When the treatment was over, Kyon smiled at Martha:

«Thanks! By the way, I am more or less strong now and want to get back to work.»

«Get back to work? Oh, I see... You don't want to miss the day off.» - Of course, no one in their right mind would be eager to go back to the "galleys," but to be locked up on a day off and miss the market day was not the best prospect, either.

«Yeah. Besides, I want to meet Byron, and someone owes me something.»

Martha giggled:

«You're weird! Alright, when I see Byron, I'll tell him to keep an eye on you.»

Kyon was looking Martha straight in the eyes, which was slightly confusing.

«Cool! What could go wrong when he watches over me?»

Martha snorted:

«Oh, come on! I will ask him to pick you up after dinner. Your bruise will have healed by then.»

«That's a good idea.» - Kyon nodded gratefully.

Martha called Byron and asked him to drop by after dinner. The 1st ranking slave was responsible for many things. That’s why the management provided him with a personal sound transmitter.

If Kyon had designs on Martha, he would have acted somewhat different, more romantic, more audacious and daring. But he wanted her to treat him as a friend and help him at times. Basically, he had achieved his goal.

While Kyon was waiting for dinner, Martha was in her office, thinking. {What abilities might he have? Why is his bruise hand-shaped?} As far as she knew, the spirits or souls could not interact with physical bodies.

After deep thought, she considered that everything could happen in life, including weird boys.

After dinner, Kyon stared with astonishment at his hand that had recovered with no trace of the bruise. The local medicine turned out to be capable of something. Since Synergy was idle, Kyon directed it to clean his body, reduce energy consumption, and increase immunity.

Byron came soon. He was a tall muscular man with an aura of brutality. He gave an impression of a reliable, laconic man. When he entered, Martha changed completely: she straightened her shoulders, flirtatiously turned her hip, drawing attention to the white coat tightly wrapped around her bottom. She went with a little spring in her step to her beau and hugged him gently. She looked embarrassed, though.

{What a great relationship. He wants her and she pleases him.} - Kyon snickered to himself, watching the scene unfolding in front of him.

Martha had known Byron before she came to work at the mine, and they were destined to meet here again.

After a short conversation, Martha called Kyon and introduced him as her friend.

She said goodbye to both of them, wishing Kyon good luck.

«Be careful! Take care of yourself!»

They left the hospital in silence. Byron kept looking at Kyon up and down, which was slightly unnerving.