CHapter 48 …
“Then why are you adding that condition again?”
Aselia was afraid of the deputy director, but she couldn’t just let it pass, so she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Well…”
The moment her eyes met the deputy director’s gray ones, Aselia’s cheek—where she had been struck—seemed to throb again, and her heart pounded.
“I just don’t understand why you’re only letting me go.”
That’s what Aselia thought. The deputy director suspected the relationship between her and Alexis and assumed she might be carrying a child. But if that were the case, wouldn’t it make more sense to let both Alexis and her leave together?
“You must disappear alone.”
Looking straight at Aselia, the deputy director said,
“Wouldn’t that make them suffer?”
Aselia couldn’t tell whether those words were sincere or not, but she was so confused that she didn’t know how to respond.
“The personality of Z-898 is too obvious. He’d force himself on you, take you, and say he’d bring you with him.”
Aselia couldn’t answer. He wasn’t that kind of person. But even if he wasn’t, she was still nothing more than a respected toy—one whose neck could be snapped at any moment.
“For someone like that, it’s fine to punish him.”
Aselia lowered her head, unable to respond.
“Have you changed your mind?”
“…No.”
The deputy director’s words hadn’t changed Aselia’s mind. She had only asked because something about it bothered her.
“If you’re going to cooperate, move here.”
“Can I go now?”
“Yes.”
Aselia unfolded the note the deputy director handed her and checked it with her eyes.
“Laboratory Room 2901.”
The entire 29th floor was one single laboratory.
“Understood.”
After saying that, Aselia headed toward Laboratory 2901.
*
“Of all places to hide, you chose here?”
Kalisten opened his eyes at the unpleasant voice. The first thing he saw upon waking in the supply room was the deputy director, and he hated it. He knew that seeing Aselia might have been even harder—but the moment he saw the deputy director, he felt even more sorry toward Aselia and wanted to see her.
“Get lost.”
“I can’t do that.”
The deputy director sneered at Kalisten’s words. Normally she might have struck him, but she seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood today.
“Do you want A-702 to die even now?”
At that, Kalisten glared at her and stood up. Because of the chip implanted in his body, it didn’t matter where he went—he would be discovered anyway. The same would surely apply to Aselia.
“What do you want?”
“You need to move. There’s going to be another experiment.”
“…Didn’t we do one yesterday?”
Kalisten spoke crookedly, but perhaps because Aselia came to mind, he couldn’t refuse the deputy director’s words. Instantly noticing his attitude, the deputy director stood in front of him and said,
“Yes. Yesterday’s experiment was a success.”
“…Then give me a day.”
He said it almost like a plea.
Kalisten had already reached his limit. The things he had done to her during his hyperventilation episode—and the things he had done when he thought she wasn’t real—filled him with self-loathing.
It felt as though he had committed a sin against Aselia. That guilt kept growing heavier and heavier, until it felt like it was tightening around his throat.
“No. If you don’t want A-702 to die, then follow quietly.”
At the deputy director’s cold words, Kalisten let out a sigh.
Then he had no choice but to follow her as she turned and walked away.
He walked while looking at the ground.
There were several guards and researchers in front of the supply room, and they followed behind Kalisten—who walked behind the deputy director—while keeping a wary eye on him.
Even at this moment, he thought of Aselia and felt sorry.
Is she staying in her room?
Maybe she left because she couldn’t stand the sight of me anymore.
It felt like she had discovered the things he had done to her during the hallucinations.
He had even kissed her like that.
If it had been Aselia’s first kiss… what kind of apology should he make?
And even if he apologized, would she accept it?
For a moment, he forgot that it had also been his first kiss.
He had kissed Aselia countless times while intoxicated by drugs, but he believed those had all been fake. And somehow, because his instincts had strangely sharpened, he hadn’t even realized that it had been his first time.
Kalisten walked for a while, then looked around.
They had left the containment area for the test subjects and entered the space where laboratories and personal training rooms were located. The lower floors were filled with training rooms, while the upper floors were where experiments on test subjects were conducted.
While moving to the upper floor, Kalisten suddenly felt a pang in his chest as he caught the faint scent of Aselia somewhere.
I have to apologize.
When he saw her next time, he would definitely apologize.
But what should he say?
What words would make her forgive him?
He had no idea.
She would probably say she forgave him on the surface, but still not truly forgive him.
For a moment he thought it would be better if she were Z-rank and he were A-rank—but he soon shook his head.
If that were the case, he wouldn’t be able to protect her.
For some reason, he felt that if she were Z-rank, she wouldn’t be an attack type.
Maybe a defensive type. Or someone who could show illusions.
Or perhaps even someone with the ability of prophecy.
Those suited her better.
He simply couldn’t imagine her breathing fire and attacking people.
“What are you thinking about?”
When the deputy director turned and asked, Kalisten shook his head.
The deputy director, who had been mocking him, urged them forward again.
When they reached the 28th floor, the researchers began setting up the experimental equipment around them.
Then they gestured for Kalisten to sit.
Kalisten sat in the familiar chair and extended his arm.
The deputy director began mixing the drugs she would inject into him. She quickly combined the usual medications, shook them together, and drew the solution into a syringe. After squirting a bit of the liquid into the air to adjust the amount, she prepared the injection.
“Relax.”
At her words, Kalisten suppressed the magical power that had risen with hostility and waited.
—Thrust!
The needle was roughly driven into his arm.
There were now so many needle marks on his arm that he felt it would be impossible to count them anymore. The sensation of the drug flowing through his body was always strange—and unpleasant.
He hated this feeling.
After feeling this, if Aselia didn’t calm him down, he would suffer all night.
“Does it hurt?”
Seeing Kalisten lost in thought with reddening eyes, the deputy director twisted her lips and spoke.
“If it succeeds again this time, I’ll let you rest for a week.”
Kalisten sighed with relief.
“Is there something you want to do during that week?”
She was clearly checking whether the drug was working properly.
Looking into her creepy gray eyes, he said,
“I’m going to apologize.”
“To whom?”
“To Aselia.”
The deputy director’s expression hardened.
“I didn’t know you were capable of something like that.”
She said it as if speaking to a monster.
Then she gestured.
The guards immediately shackled Kalisten, grabbed both his arms, pulled him to his feet, and escorted him upstairs.
At that moment, the screen of the 29th floor began displaying for the researchers on the 28th floor.
*
Kalisten had to climb to the 29th floor in a hazy state.
Once they reached the top, the restraints had to be removed in front of the door, but the sound seemed unbearably loud.
The clanking noise grated on him.
It was as if the sound traveled through his ears and pounded against his head.
They removed the restraint around his neck and the one fastened around his torso as well.
Then one of the researchers spoke to him.
“Go inside.”
Kalisten glanced back once at the researcher who had spoken to him. Her name was written on the badge in the pocket on her chest.
Her name was Rose.
“You smell like A-888.”
Remembering Felix’s magical scent, Kalisten’s face twisted in disgust.
Researcher Rose spoke harshly.
“Get in there right now, you vermin.”
Kalisten sighed at her words and walked inside.
His vision spun.
Thinking was difficult.
He felt nauseous, though he didn’t quite feel like vomiting.
Once again, the boundary between what he should and shouldn’t do was collapsing, and even thinking became difficult.
“Your body and mind both have to be weak.”
Every time he ended up in such a terrible state, Kalisten realized just how much he hated it.
Whenever he became like this, there was only one thing he desperately wished for.
“Aselia.”
After saying that, he heard the door close.
Soon, the lights inside the dark room turned on.
It had clearly been a laboratory.
Yet he now stood outside.
He vaguely realized that this space was made of illusions.
Somewhere, the wind was blowing.
Riding on that wind, a sweet scent drifted toward him, making his heart pound again.
“Aselia.”
The place was filled with cosmos flowers.
As the wind gently swayed, the purple cosmos bent all in one direction and then rose again.
Even in such a beautiful landscape, he was thinking of Aselia’s eyes.
“Grr…”
Suddenly, he turned at the sound behind him.
“Aselia?”
What stood before him was Aselia.
“RAAAH!”
But her teeth were strange.
They were far too sharp and pointed to belong to a human.
“Aselia…”
He stared blankly as the figure resembling Aselia approached him.
“Ugh…”
Soon, the thing that looked like Aselia bit into his shoulder.
The strong smell of blood filled the air, and Kalisten realized he was bleeding.
“My Aselia.”
He said that softly—and then wrapped his arms around the Aselia that was biting him.
