All Burn With Me

The fingers holding the diagnosis paper turned white, the edges of the page creased from my grip. The words "late-stage stomach cancer" felt as if frozen in ice, stabbing painfully at my eyes. The doctor said I have at most three months left. I sat on a bench in the hospital corridor, cold wind sneaking through the window cracks, wrapped in the chill of late autumn. My first thought was to tell Howard Sheen and Draco Kim—we grew up together, and they are the dearest people to me. I called Howard, my voice trembling uncontrollably. "Howard, I'm in the hospital. The doctor said I..." Before I could finish, he interrupted me impatiently. "Sicily, what tricks are you trying now? Are you jealous because we've been spending more time with Ella lately, and you're just making excuses to gain sympathy?" Draco's mocking laughter came through the phone. "What? Late-stage stomach cancer? You're fit enough to run five kilometers—stop pretending." My heart sank bit by bit, like a heavy stone dropping. After hanging up, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in my mind. "Sicily Jordan, if you die in this world, you may return to the original world and receive a reward of one hundred million dollars." "At the same time, everything Howard Sheen and Draco Kim possess in this world will be wiped clean." I was momentarily stunned—so this isn't my original world? At dusk, the door was abruptly flung open. Howard and Draco walked ahead, while Ella Charles linked her arms with theirs, smiling playfully. "Sicily, Ella has made a bet with us—if you drink this cup of honey water, we get to kiss her." Draco shook the glass in his hand. I saw a layer of dark brown vinegar settled at the bottom, and a dull ache began in my stomach. "I can't drink it; my stomach isn't well." I took a step back. Howard stepped forward and grabbed my wrist, squeezing so hard it hurt. "Drink up! Don't be so pretentious—Ella wants to see you drink." The glass was shoved to my lips, and the sharp, sour liquid burned down my throat. A sudden, searing pain shot through my stomach, as if countless needles were piercing it. I bent over, cold sweat instantly soaking through my clothes. They ignored my suffering, gathered around Ella, laughing and celebrating their bet win.