God of Contracts: Strongest Businessman

After what felt like an eternity of distress and turmoil, Lysandra's trembling and writhing had finally ceased. The room, once filled with chaos, was now bathed in a serene stillness.

Lys, once contorted and tormented, now lay at rest on the bed. Her features had transitioned from distress to tranquility, the furrows in her brow smoothing out as if she carried the weight of the world no more. Her chest rose and fell with the rhythmic pattern of slumber, a soothing contrast to the frenetic activity that had unfolded only moments ago. Beads of sweat on her brow, which once glistened with anxiety, had now dried, leaving her skin cool and clammy to the touch.

Sylv, though still concealed from sight, found herself taking a moment to reflect upon her success. This had been one of the most demanding cases she had ever encountered. An hour ago, she couldn't have imagined that healing a human patient could be so laborious. Her usual patients were beings of extraordinary power, often beyond the realm of those inhabiting this planet, excluding Julia, whose true strength remained an enigma to Sylv despite their long-term friendship.

Today, however, she had been compelled to employ every resource and every bit of her expertise to heal this seemingly fragile individual. This wasn't meant to be disparaging; it was a simple fact. And Sylv held no disappointment in that. In fact, she was elated, as this endeavor had led to numerous scientific discoveries during the operation. It had been an operation that had drained her significantly, taking a toll on her both physically and spiritually.

'It was worth it,' she mused, pushing her exhaustion aside for a moment. During the operation, she had unveiled a deeper understanding of souls and their intricate relationship with the physical body. Unfortunately, these revelations weren't the only ones she had made. Thoughts of the latter cast a shadow over her face, her contentment giving way to concern.

Sylv exchanged a knowing glance with Julia, her long-time friend who understood Sylv's unspoken message with just a look.

'It's not so simple, huh' Julia thought, seemingly unsurprised. The fact that Sylv had to exert herself to this extent hinted at the complexity of the matter. Thus, it was not surprising that there were unknown factors possibly at the root of it. After all, how could such a seemingly frail girl be so challenging to heal for Sylv?

Julia let out a sigh, recognizing that Lys's condition was far from resolved. However, for now, she took solace in the fact that she was resting peacefully, free from the torment of her nightmares.

'Let's talk about this later,' Sylv said to Lys telepathically before turning to El.

"Lys is now alright, El."

El nodded and inquired, "What was the problem?" He wanted to know and needed to ensure he was unrelated to it.

"A trauma," Julia repeated what she had heard from Sylv, as the latter knew her friend was still unaware of the root cause.

"A trauma?" El inquired, a deep furrow forming on his brow. It struck him that a trauma typically required a triggering event. He couldn't help but consider the past few hours, during which Lys had been in close proximity to him. In fact, he was certain she had stayed by his side when he had fainted.

"Could it have happened then?" El mused, his mind wrestling with the possibility. It seemed to be the sole moment during which something might have triggered her trauma without his knowledge, as he had been in a state of unconsciousness at the time.

El delved deeper into the conundrum. Traumas typically find their origins in significant past events, but in Lys's case, there seemed to be a puzzling void. Elian and Lys had grown up together in the same household, practically as close as family and El had been present for and shared in all of Elian's experiences. With his prodigious eidetic memory, one would expect him to recall any occurrence that could have led to Lys's trauma. However, there was an unsettling absence of such a memory, leaving El perplexed.

As if reading his thoughts, Julia added, "It happened before she joined us."

However, El couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief.

'How could I have forget this?'

Despite not sharing the same level of closeness that Elian had with Lys, he had always regarded her as a younger sister, even though she was older in age. She was like a younger sister to him, gentle and vulnerable, far from posing any threat, yet still a cherished part of his family. This deep connection had caused him to overlook a crucial detail – Lys's adoption. It was a fact he had somehow forgotten, and he suspected the same was true for Elian.

Concern etched on his face, El turned to Julia, seeking assurance. He held Julia in high regard, even considering her a miraculous healer capable of resurrection. However, when it came to healing traumas, El believed it to be a far more challenging task than resurrection.

"Will she be okay?" El inquired, searching for reassurance amidst his worry. He wanted Lys to overcome her trauma and find the peace she deserved, but he couldn't shake the nagging unease that lingered in the depths of his mind.

"I'll need to discuss this further with her, but I can assure you that she won't have a relapse in the near future," Julia explained. Sylv couldn't heal traumas, as El had surmised. PTSD was a psychological defense mechanism, a set of protective barriers naturally formed in response to traumatic events. Attempting to forcibly remove these defenses could result in severe mental instability and might even erase vital memories necessary for the person's well-being.

El's hunch about the trigger for Lys's trauma was also accurate. While healing her soul, Sylv discovered that Lys's condition had initiated when she unknowingly did something she shouldn't have, unintentionally reopening a hidden 'wound' in her soul. This was a rare occurrence, and even Sylv wasn't aware that such a phenomenon was possible. It was one of her groundbreaking discoveries.

To alleviate the young girl's suffering, Sylv had to restore the damaged parts of her soul responsible for memories and identity to their original state, as they were before the trigger event. Although it might sound straightforward, it was far from it. Sylv had never seen Lys's soul, so she had to make educated guesses about its condition prior to the trigger, without any clues to guide her. It was akin to piecing together a puzzle without knowing the final image.

Sylv had completed the restoration rather quickly due to luck, but it could have taken up to a week if she had been less fortunate. In reality, a week would have been remarkably fast for such a complex case. The swift resolution was made possible because Lys and her soul were both exceptionally weak.