The sun was now streaming through the heavy curtains of the Vasti household into the room where John now occupied Melch's very fragile body, his mind racing with thoughts. That day was very important, he needed to secure his future by preparing to enter the Theoder Academy through the entrance exams. However, the way forward was not as simple as he wished.

Melch’s memories told him that securing his grandfather’s recommendation was the easiest route. Thomas Nicolescu was a prominent knight commander of the Order of the Verdant Shield of the Church of Beginnings. Still, Melch knew his grandfather did not have much time as he is always busy and  there was no guarantee the letter he sent would reach him in time. There were just 37 days until the entrance exams of the academy. Hence, every second counts.

John knew exactly what he had to do: pass at least two of the three entrance exams. The written test would not be a problem with Melch's knowledge, but the physical and magical affinity tests were an entirely different story. Becoming a healer sounded like a viable idea. Melch had the theoretical basis, but practical was something entirely different. Time became his adversary.

Determined, John called for Galen, the butler of the house of Vasti and former knight. The butler answered immediately, his towering frame and stern demeanor filling the room. His eyes were sharp as if he has all the experience of a seasoned warrior.

"You called for me, young master?" Galen had a stern tone underscored with authority.

"Yes" John replied, rising to his feet as straight as his frail body would permit. "I need your help, Galen. The physical test for Theoder Academy… I need to be ready. I want you to train me."

Galen furrowed his brow, his face was unreadable. “Training you for a physical test is not a simple task, especially given your… condition. But if this is your decision, I will assist you.”

Leif, who had been lounging in a chair by the window, perked up at the exchange. His carefree grin spread across his face as he leaned forward. “Training, huh? This should be fun to watch. You sure you’re up for it, Melch? Galen’s training isn’t exactly a walk in the park.”

John shot Leif a determined look. “I don’t have a choice.”

Galen crossed his arms, his gaze unwavering. “If we’re going to do this, we’ll start slow. I’ll gradually increase the intensity to match what your body can handle. Overexertion will only harm you.”

“Understood.” John replied, his voice steady.

Leif chuckled, clearly amused. “Well, I’ll stick around for moral support. Someone has to keep the mood light.”

Galen ignored the comment, already mentally formulating a training regimen. “We’ll start with basic exercises to build stamina. Walking laps around the garden, light stretching and breathing exercises. Once your body adjusts, we’ll move on to more rigorous activities.”

John nodded, silently committing himself to the plan. He couldn’t afford to fail.

Later that afternoon John ordered Galen to bring books and other material on medicine and treatment. Galen appeared surprised but did not say a word and left the room, returning with an armful of ancient books and jars of dried herbs.

"These are from the storeroom" Galen said as he put them on a table. "They are basic but should suffice for your studies."

Leif hovered around, intrigued by the whole thing. "What's all this for? You planning to become an apothecary now?"

"Something like that" John replied vaguely, not wishing to go into specifics. He couldn't afford to let people know his full plan just yet.

As the days went by, Galen seriously began training him. True to his word, he began slowly enough to let his body get accustomed to new activities. Each day began with walking around the gardens of the estate, followed by lightly stretching. There was nothing unseen in his watchful eyes and it was his sharp voice that corrected John every time he faltered.

"Straighten your back" Galen ordered during one session. "Your posture is half the battle. A weak stance invites defeat."

John obeyed, gritting his teeth against the ache in his limbs. It was slow going but he could feel his body responding to only the smallest degree. Galen approach was methodical, challenging John with just enough effort to bring up strength without causing damage.

True to his word, Leif often hung around during the training sessions, cheering in his own peculiar way. "Come on, Melch, you've got this! Just think of how Galen would look if you really succeed in impressing him."

Galen shot Leif a withering glance. "If you're not going to help, then get out of the way."

Leif smirked, unfazed. "Oh, I am contributing, all right. Morale is important, you know."

He spent his evenings reading through the books that Galen was providing for him. One patricular text caught his eye, a detailed manual on the art of creating an elixir. The process was intricate that required carefulness and awareness of the quality of each item used. Dried herbs, powdered minerals, and distilled liquids were all combined in measured portions often hours of tedious minute preparation.

John was utterly lost in his work. His hands were racing over the different vessels as he began to concoct the first concoction. Leif being the curious onlooker looked over his shoulder as he often did.

"What's that supposed to be?" Leif asked as his nose wrinkled up against the pungent, earthy smell from the concoction.

"That's an energy-boosting elixir" John said, without looking up "intended to aid against fatigue."

Leif leaned in closer, his expression skeptical. "You sure it won't just knock you out instead?"

John let out a sigh. "If you're so worried, why don't you try it first?"

Leif laughed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "No thanks. I'll stick to cheering you on from a safe distance."

Despite all the teasing from Leif, John did not cease his work, perfecting his technique on every attempt. He also valued the information within Melch's memories to gain an edge about what the ancient recipes did.

On the ninth day of his preparation, John thought he would test out a theory. At this moment, If what he now suspected was true that his body had really gained some innate capacity to heal itself, if he was right about what had happened during the summoning where Melch's hand, which was cut during the spell would later be healed then it could everything. Using a thorny herb, he pricked his hand, drawing blood. The pain was sharp but he bore it because he waited for more than 30 minutes as the wound began to close.

Two hours passed with the wound now gone, with only the slight ache as its after-effects.  It was proof that his body could heal, albeit imperfectly. The discovery filled him with cautious hope. If he could harness this ability, perhaps he could overcome the physical challenges ahead.

The physical test loomed large in his head, which included running and climbing, then running through a forest filled with beasts and full of other people vying to compete for places as a cadet. John knew he wasn't yet prepared, but was still determined to keep pushing forward.

As the 30th day drew near, John couldn't help but reflect on how much things had changed. Training under Galen had prepared his body, but his experiments with elixirs deepened his understanding of  healing and the art of medicine making art. However, It was Leif's presence what brought John much comfort though many times distracting.

That night in bed, John reflected on the road ahead of him. The journey to Rakllan, the capital of the Viria Dukedom would be long and arduous. He looked forward to it though. He imagined the faces of those who had underestimated him in his past life, their dismissive glances fueling his resolve. This time, he would forge a path no one could deny.

He thought of the academy as more than just an institution. It was a proving ground, a stage where he could rewrite the narrative of his fragile existence. Every pain, every setback would be a step closer to breaking free of the shadow of death looming over him.