The current was slow, but relentless. The river snaked through the forest like a silent predator, dragging with it a trail of leaves, twigs—and one broken body.
Alex's pale form floated face-up, blood darkening the water around his skull. His eyes were closed, his breath shallow, his body still except for the occasional ripple from the water. The bullet wound on the side of his head pulsed faintly, a reminder of the life that clung to him like a thread fraying in the wind.
A wooden boat drifted not far away, tethered loosely to a rock by the bank. Beside it, an old man crouched in camouflage gear, a young girl holding onto his sleeve. The man's eyes were sharp, scanning the water like a hawk.
"Papa," the girl whispered, pointing with her tiny finger. "There's someone… there!"
The man turned. His breath caught. For a second, he didn't believe it. Then instinct kicked in.
"Stay here," he ordered, shoving his fishing rod aside and rushing to untie the boat.
The girl clung to the wooden edge of the riverbank as the man paddled out. It didn't take long for him to reach the floating body. One look at the boy's face—young, maybe fourteen or fifteen at most—was enough. But then he saw the wound.
"Shit," he muttered. "He's been shot… right in the head."
Gently, he scooped Alex's body toward the boat. Blood had soaked the collar of the boy's shirt. His skin was too cold.
"Stay with me, kid," the man growled as he paddled back. "I've seen worse. You're not dying today."
---
The hospital was a small public facility at the edge of a quiet town. Outdated equipment lined the walls, and the emergency staff weren't used to cases more severe than tractor injuries or hunting accidents.
"He needs surgery right now!" the monster hunter yelled as he burst through the ER entrance, carrying Alex in his arms. His voice echoed with urgency.
A nurse gasped. "Gunshot wound to the head? How—?"
"Save questions. Save the kid!" he barked.
Within minutes, Alex was wheeled into surgery. Monitors beeped, voices shouted. A young surgeon, barely out of residency, looked pale as he stared at the CT scan.
"This bullet… it missed the brainstem by millimeters," he whispered. "But there's trauma everywhere."
"Can you get it out?" the nurse beside him asked.
"We have to. Prep the tools. This is going to be hell."
Outside the room, the hunter sat with his daughter, who now held his hand tightly.
"What's going to happen to him, Papa?" she asked, tears in her eyes.
"I don't know," he replied quietly. "But I couldn't just let him die. Not like that."
He looked down the hallway. Then, stepping aside from the bench, he approached the front desk.
"I need to fill out patient records," the receptionist said. "Name?"
The hunter hesitated. "He didn't have any ID on him. I… found him in the river."
"Sir, we can't admit him without identity verification."
"Check with the police," he insisted. "Scan his prints."
The local police were called. Nothing came up. No birth certificate. No school records. No parents listed anywhere. The boy didn't exist.
The hunter stood outside the station afterward, phone pressed to his ear. "I need a favor. Fake ID. Clean background. Make him an orphan. Name him… Alex. No surname."
The man on the other end paused. "Still in hiding, I see. What are you getting into now, old friend?"
"Just help me. It's for a kid who shouldn't be dead."
---
Twelve hours later, the surgery was done. The doctor emerged, removing his gloves with a weary sigh.
"He's stable. But… he's in a coma. Brain trauma that extensive—it'll take a miracle for him to wake up."
"Miracle, huh?" the hunter muttered. He looked through the glass at the unconscious boy.
The doctor frowned. "He should've died. But his body's… strange. The cellular structure healed faster than normal. We'll keep monitoring him."
"Just treat him like any other orphan," the hunter said. "His name's Alex. Age fourteen. No family."
The receptionist glanced at the new file. "Government assistance will cover the bills."
The man nodded. "Good. Keep him alive."
Beside him, the little girl whispered, "He looked peaceful… like he's dreaming."
The hunter said nothing. But deep inside, something told him this boy's dreams weren't peaceful at all.