Inova Fairfax Medical Campus

  The morning of December 16 arrived, the kind of winter day that made Seven feel alive. He had always preferred the bite of cold air to the stifling warmth of indoor heating. As he stepped out of his SUV, he welcomed the invigorating crispness that greeted him.

  The notifications from Etana and Nathan yesterday had been brief but informative: Eli Ehrlich had checked in. Seven texted back, promising to visit them today.

  As he walked through the hospital’s sliding doors, the sterile scent of antiseptic filled his nostrils, mingling with the faint hum of distant machinery.

  The door to Eli’s room was slightly ajar. Seven knocked and pushed it open quietly. Inside, he saw Etana bent over Eli, her hands moving with practiced precision as she inserted the acupuncture needles into his skin.

  The sight gave him pause. Her technique was unmistakable: ancient, deliberate, and eerily familiar. It mirrored the method Seven had learned from his master in traditional medicine. He wondered if Etana could be connected to him. Was she another disciple he had never met?

  He cleared his throat softly, and Etana glanced up, her light gray eyes meeting his ocean-blue ones. She gave a small nod but didn’t stop what she was doing. Seven stepped closer, his gaze flitting between her hands and Eli’s relaxed expression. When she finally paused to adjust her position, Seven seized the moment.

  “Do you remember or know of Master Ling?” he asked, his voice low but intent.

  Etana tilted her head, her blonde pixie cut catching the light. For a moment, her fingers hesitated, the needle trembling slightly. A flicker of something raw—frustration or something else—crossed her features. But it vanished just as quickly, replaced by her usual composed demeanor.

  “No,” she hummed. “The name doesn’t ring a bell. Maybe if you show me a picture?”

  Seven frowned. “I don’t have any, but I’ll try to get it. Or, if you aren’t opposed to it, I’d like to send a video of you performing your acupuncture.”

  She shrugged, her calm facade unshaken. “Sure, why not?”

  Seven pulled out his phone and began recording, his focus fixed on her movements. Every flick of her wrist, every precise insertion of the needles, mirrored what he had been taught. The similarities were too striking to ignore. When she finished, Seven reviewed the scans Eli had taken the day before.

  “The progress is excellent.” He praised Eli. “Etana can continue with the needling, but she’ll need to modify them as you heal.”

  He turned to Etana. “You’re doing remarkable work. Have you considered where you learned this?”

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  Her expression clouded, a trace of annoyance crossing her face. “I don’t remember,” she admitted. “It’s like the knowledge is there, but the source is… blank.”

  Seven nodded, his curiosity deepening. Still, he didn't forget to dish out the next steps. “When you return to Staten Island, you can start aqua therapy in a heated pool. And make sure to keep warm at all times. Coordinate with your therapists, nutritionist, and Etana as you go along.”

  Eli raised a brow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “I didn’t know you were versed in traditional medicine as well.”

  “I learned from a master in China,” Seven replied and shot a sidelong glance at Etana. “It seems she might have, too. Her techniques are identical to what I was taught. I’m curious to find out if there’s a connection.”

  Eli straightened, hopeful. “If he is her mentor, maybe she’s one step closer to finding her identity.”

  Seven nodded, though his mind was already sprinting ahead. The possibility opened up a web of questions about her past, her skills, and the incident that had stolen her memories. For now, he pushed those thoughts aside. There would be time to unravel that puzzle later.

  The conversation shifted, and Eli leaned back against his pillow, his charming features relaxed but alert. “Dr. Gill mentioned that you’re no longer with the military.”

  “Yeah, I’m setting up a biomedical and network security company with my dad,” Seven replied casually.

  “You were a legend at MIT,” Eli mused, his voice thick with admiration. “But when you appeared as a trauma specialist, I thought you’d switch to medicine. I didn’t think you’d still be in tech.”

  Seven smiled faintly. “Before I left, I juggled roles across three military branches: Special Forces, trauma specialist at Walter Reed, and cybersecurity at the Pentagon.”

  Eli chuckled, though his smile faltered at the end, his gaze dropping to his hands. “Running Elithium isn’t easy,” he confessed. “Especially when you’re stuck in a hospital bed. I need people I can trust. People like you.”

  He paused before adding, “Well, when you’re ready, give me a call. Elithium could use your expertise in network security.”

  Seven’s forehead creased. “Elithium Technologies? I didn’t realize you were open to external help.”

  Eli shrugged. “Even giants need allies. Especially when it comes to security. We’ve got a full suite of products: digital wallets, blockchain solutions, and AI-driven trading algorithms. But the landscape’s getting more dangerous by the day. I’d feel better knowing someone like you is on our side.”

  The offer lingered in Seven’s thoughts. Elithium was indeed one of the top fintech companies on Wall Street, its reputation built on innovation and reliability. Partnering with them could be a significant step forward for Sevana Technologies. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he murmured.

  As the conversation wound down, Seven found his attention drifting back to Etana. She sat quietly by the window, peering out into the distance as if lost in the fragments of a past she couldn’t quite grasp.

  Her story was a tragic one: kidnapped, injured, her memories wiped clean. Eli’s mother, Eeva Ellison, a trauma specialist at Staten Island University Hospital, had saved her life and given her the name. She had since become a fixture in Eli’s world, her medical knowledge a mystery even to herself.

  Seven’s phone buzzed, pulling him back to the present. He swiped the screen, read the message, then stood. “I need to head out,” he said. “But I’ll be in touch. Etana, keep up the good work. And Eli—stay warm.”

  As he left the room, Seven couldn’t shake the feeling that he was standing on the edge of something much larger. Etana’s connection to Master Ling, Eli’s offer of partnership, the looming launch of Sevana Technologies, and Sevana Biotics all felt like threads of a tapestry slowly coming together.

  For now, all he could do was keep moving forward, one step at a time. The cold air outside greeted him like an old friend, brisk and refreshing. He took a deep breath, the frosty nip clearing his mind. Whatever lay ahead, he was ready.