Leah's POV
As I walked up the winding driveway toward the lake house, I couldn't help but marvel at its sleek and modern design. The clean lines and expansive windows gave the impression that the house was almost floating on the crystal clear lake below.
As I approached the front door, I could already see the stunning lake view through the floor-to-ceiling windows that framed the living room. The interior of the house was just as impressive as the exterior, with high ceilings and an open floor plan that maximized the natural light and breathtaking views.
My brother has always had great taste when it comes to... well, basically, everything. I thought to myself while I was walking into the house.
The elevator opened and a tall, dark man in a white coat walked out.
"Miss Lewyn, it's an honor to meet you." He bowed slightly at me and said in a low voice.
I looked at Troy with confusion. He introduced this man to me promptly, "This is Dr. Monk. He's the Chief Doctor at the Royal Medical Academy. He used to work with Leo in the same lab. He's Finn's psychiatrist now."
"Dr. Monk! How's Finn doing?" I asked.
"I've conducted a thorough check on Finn as Beta Jalin's request. We're still waiting for the lab results, but I have to say that he's in the good physical condition right now. Apparently, his body has a great defense mechanism that is able to recover itself."
"Self-healing? Is he a Lycan?!" I gasped in surprise. I couldn't believe that Moon Goddess would assign one of my cousins to be my second chance! But the doctor's words calmed me down -
"Technically speaking, no. His blood type is RAh9, which indicates that he's a Lycan. But the DNA result tells us another story. He's a rare species of werewolf. He had a very special Genome sequence that has been tested positive by CRISPR-based epigenome editing."
"Doctor, what's that in English?" I frowned.
"Well, in plain English, someone has altered his DNA to make him look like a Lycan," Dr. Monk replied while pushing his glasses. "That's why he has lots of abilities like Lycans, such as shifting forms at any time, self-healing, as well as the possession of strengthened force. At first, we thought it was a natural mutation. But after rounds of examinations, my team confirmed that someone had manually tempered his DNA."
"What?! But who would do something like that?!" I covered my mouth.
Dr. Monk said in a low voice, "Miss Leywn, I'm just a humble doctor. What I can do is provide you with the lab results. Other than that, I can't possibly tell you anything else."
My mind raced fast.
"Doctor, Finn mentioned that someone was trying to cut him open and they left a permanent scar on his chest. Does that have anything to do with this kind of medical procedure that you said?"
"I really don't think so, Miss Lewyn. This kind of procedure can only be conducted prior to the birth of a child," Dr. Monk said.
"You told me that he was physically fit, but how about his mental health?" I asked.
"Well, about that. Miss Lewyn," Dr. Monk pulled a chair for me.
Ah. Apparently, it was so bad that I had to sit down for this.
My heart sank immediately.
"After we conducted a CT scan, we found that Finn's mental instability wasn't caused by an external force. It was highly likely caused by some traumatic experiences in his past. Beta Jalin told me that he used to spend some time at the slave market, so I guess it could have had some negative influence on his mental health. Also, he has a phobia when it comes to soldiers in uniform. So I guess it might also have something to do with his mental health."
"Do you mean that he's crazy because some soldiers might have done some unspeakable things to him in the past?" I clenched my fists. I couldn't even imagine what Finn had been through in the past.
"Miss Lewyn, I would like to inform you that Finn isn't crazy. Cognitively, he's fit. That's why most of the time, he can understand you and communicate with you. But psychologically, he is deeply disturbed. That's why he looks slow and mentally challenged. It has nothing to do with his intelligence level. He's just having some psychological difficulties processing external information. Also, his condition gets worse when he's nervous."
Troy had an incredible look on his face and asked, "So he isn't retarded. He's just faking it because he's too fucking afraid?"
Dr. Monk took a glance at Troy and said, "Well, you can take it as his way of protecting himself in difficult situations."
Troy looked puzzled, "I don't understand anything that you've just said."
"Well, as someone who was born and bred in a refugee camp, all I can say is that, if you had been through similar kinds of traumatic experiences, you would understand, Mr. Greer," Dr. Monk said in a deep, calm voice.
Troy immediately apologized and said, "Sorry, Doc. I didn't mean to..."
"It's OK. People have different tracks of lives and different ways of dealing with trauma. Some people are consumed by it. Some people thrive despite it." Then, Dr. Monk turned to me and said, "Miss Lewyn, unfortunately, we don't have a remedy for dealing with this kind of condition. However, I suggest that you spend some more time with him. Normally, people get less intimidated when they're with people that they trust. When he finally manages to calm down, his condition will improve. At the same time, I will prescribe some herbal therapy to calm him down. I'm sure this kind of homeopathy would relieve his internal infliction and agony to a certain degree."
"Thank you, Dr. Monk," I said with tears circulating in my eyes. "May I see him now?"
"Sure. He's upstairs and he's awake now," Dr. Monk replied and gestured.
I wanted to stand up, but all of a sudden, I felt a rush of anger and pain in my heart. My body was shivering like a sift and I couldn't even feel my legs.
What have they done to you in the past, Finn? Who would even hurt a young man with such a vulnerable, innocent look in his almost sapphire blue eyes?