Chapter 55: The Good Doctor's Master

The man took Victor with him, and for reasons unknown to him, took him under his wing.

After being swept into the care of the mysterious benefactor, Victor Stein's life took a dramatic turn. His benefactor, a mysterious figure with vast resources and knowledge, provided Victor with opportunities he had never even dared to imagine.

Suddenly, he had access to state-of-the-art laboratories, rare alchemical texts, materials and an education far beyond the limits of his previous life better than what he had growing up. It felt like a dream come true—finally, he had a chance to pursue his deepest ambitions.

Victor harbored doubts about this mysterious man who claimed to be an old friend of his ancestor's, yet seemed untouched by time, full of youth and vitality. Still, Victor was willing to risk everything. For Helen, nothing was too great a price.

'It matters not,' Victor thought, 'I will reach my dreams... for Helen.'

For the first time, his dreams felt within reach. He poured himself into his research, consumed by the desire to honor his family name and resurrect his sister. His new mentor, though supportive, remained cryptic, often vanishing for long periods and leaving Victor to his own devices. Undeterred, Victor pressed on, attending college, graduating as valedictorian, and leaving his professors and peers awestruck by his genius.

As he got deeper into the secrets of alchemy and medicine, Victor made groundbreaking strides, touching every field of study imaginable.

'Knowledge is power, and I will use that power to bring back my sister, Helen,' he thought, driven by a fierce passion.

At some point, he joined the Truth Association to further his research under the name Victor Stein. Even there, his eccentric brilliance was undeniable, earning him both admiration and an invitation to a special academy shared among the other great powers of the world.

In the mundane world, Victor became a renowned doctor, saving lives and curing illnesses with astonishing skill. He was not just a good doctor, he was a great one, a hero in the eyes of the people. Yet despite his success, his true focus remained his research.

He was on the verge of a breakthrough, one that would revolutionize alchemy, medicine, and science as a whole. Confident in his findings, he decided to present his work to the world.

However, Victor quickly learned that the path to recognition was fraught with opposition. The academic circles he sought to impress were resistant to change, a quagmire of outdated ideals and entrenched dogma.

Still, he refused to be discouraged. He presented his research on cures for various mundane illnesses, but forces far beyond his control interfered—those profiteering from incurable diseases sought to stop him.

They seized upon his controversial findings about resurrection to defame him.

When Victor unveiled his work, he was met with disbelief and scorn, not only in the mundane world but within the supernatural academic community as well.

"Preposterous!" a renowned alchemist spat.

"Resurrecting the dead? This is the stuff of fairy tales and madness!"

"He's gone insane," another alchemist sneered.

"This is heresy. Mortals have no right to meddle with death."

"Better you focus on perfecting the homunculus we all study," they mocked, and with that, Victor left the alchemist's association in disgrace.

"The last madman who pursued such folly was Frankenstein, and we all know how that ended."

"He's let his minor successes delude him into thinking he can do anything—foolish!"

"Even the alchemists of the Demiplane, with their vast resources, have never dared attempt such absurdities."

Disheartened but undeterred, Victor turned to the mundane scientific community, believing that men of reason would understand his vision. But even they had been swayed by those with vested interests—those who profited from disease and the sale of medicine.

"This isn't science; it's a dangerous obsession!" one academic scoffed. "A perversion of nature's laws."

"You're deranged. To think you were once hailed as a great scientist," another added, insultingly.

"Why is this lunatic still a doctor? His certification should be revoked immediately!"

"He might start experimenting on human subjects—we must stop him!"

"How can we trust the safety of the medicines he's already developed?" came another accusation.

Someone had orchestrated his downfall, all for the one thing Victor despised most, money. It was greed, plain and simple, that had turned the world against him.

Rejected by both the alchemical and scientific worlds, Victor found himself isolated, his reputation in tatters. But even in the depths of his despair, he pressed forward, clinging to his research with the silent, distant support of his elusive master.

Despite his meticulous research and promising results, Victor was rejected by the very community he had hoped would embrace him. His proposals were dismissed, and his reputation was tarnished.

The rejection was a bitter pill to swallow, a stark reminder of the prejudice and ignorance he had hoped to overcome. They were no different from the ignorant masses that had set his home ablaze.

Victor's mentor remained a mysterious figure during this period, offering little comfort or advice.

"The world recoils from that which it cannot comprehend. You must endure, Victor. True greatness is seldom attained without the utmost sacrifice."

His support held the doctor together.

Victor continued his work in isolation, driven by a relentless determination to prove his detractors wrong. He fell deeper into lunacy.

He became more secretive, wary of those who might steal his ideas or sabotage his progress. The rejection from the academic community only fueled his obsession, pushing him further into madness.

His experiments grew more audacious, often crossing ethical boundaries. He began to experiment with combining human and animal DNA, creating chimeras in his quest to unlock the secrets of life and death. These experiments, while groundbreaking, were also gruesome and perilous. He had many failures, but still, he pushed on.

All he could do was push forward.

He walked along the edges of the wall, struggling to keep his eyes open. He did not want to succumb to death.

As he was now, the blood loss had worsened. He understood what was happening to him—his life was flashing before his eyes, his brain searching through his memories for any records on how to survive this ordeal.

He let it drag him back to the past, reminiscing about the events that had brought him here.

Victor's lab became a place of horror and innovation, filled with the results of his pursuit. The once-promising alchemist had transformed into a figure of legend and fear, a modern-day Frankenstein whose name was whispered in hushed tones within supernatural circles. He sold his alchemical creations to fund his research, as the materials he needed could only be obtained through the supernatural world.

It was only a matter of time before the Order and their pious rhetoric came to raid him. The knights of the Order arrived, denouncing him as a heretic. They destroyed his labs.

The doctor watched everything crumble in despair. He was not a fighter; he wielded no weapons and had harmed no one. So why were they bringing him such suffering?

In his darkest moment, he was once again saved by his benefactor, the master who fought off the holy knights and spirited Victor away.

He fled with the help of this mysterious benefactor, who always shielded him. Victor eventually came to Evergreen with nothing. He was found by old friends and acquaintances whom he had helped in the past, and with their aid, he founded a hospital, saving lives as best he could.

He came to be trusted by the people as the best hospital around, with affordable medication and care. This much was for Helen, and the young and helpless Victor of the past—those memories fueling his desire to do good by others.

He fell deeper into his research, now with a hospital full of supporters and people whose lives he had touched with his benevolence. That goodness brought him followers who believed in him.

Yet as Victor's work continued, he became more isolated, consumed by his obsession. His health deteriorated, his mind frayed under the weight of his ambition and the haunting memories of his sister. His hair turned a dull white despite his middle age, a stark reminder of his troubled youth.

"I just need to bring one person back from the hands of death," he muttered, his words deranged but carrying a faint glimmer of hope.

The rejection from the academic community had left deep scars, but it had also forged a steely resolve within Victor. He would prove them wrong, no matter the cost.

He would achieve the impossible—not only to restore his family's name but to bring Helen back. Failure after failure, he despaired until one day, the remains of a young boy were brought before him. The boy's body was mangled and crushed, with eviscerated organs—nothing new, just another corpse he could not help.

Victor tried to lighten the heavy mood at the sight of the young man's corpse and the sadness of his untimely death.

He was chastised by the nurse for his poor sense of humor.

But that night, the dead rose again as the boy vanished into the night in his blood-soaked clothes. Victor's hopes were renewed. For the coming weeks, he observed the boy, studying everything he could about him, devising a plan to bring him in.

Fortune smiled on the doctor, as the boy made frequent visits to his hospital. After much preparation, Victor contrived the perfect trap. It succeeded, and he captured the cadaver. All events had led him here.

The boy was young, and somehow, Victor grew fond of him. When the boy called him "Vic," it reminded him of his sister. She alone had ever called him by that name. But the young cadaver had betrayed him.

Victor crawled deeper into the dark sixth floor, reaching a door. He collapsed, his eyes closing as darkness claimed him. His blood pooled on the cold floor, seeping into the room.

A moment later, the vaulted door opened, and a young man approached, his eyes glowing crimson. He waved his hand, and the blood that had escaped Victor's body returned. The man crouched down next to him, turning the injured doctor onto his back.

He opened a vial and emptied its contents into Victor's mouth. Instantly, his wounds began to heal. The man smiled, his glowing eyes casting an eerie light in the shadows.

"You have done well, Victor. I am most pleased that you did not perish, young one."

The man lifted Victor and carried him into the dark, vaulted room. The doctor, now safe but unconscious, had survived against all odds. His dreams would not die with him. Perhaps he might yet find a way to bring the dead back to life and usher in an era where mortals no longer feared death.