Chapter 11: 11

I blinked slowly at the unexpected misunderstanding. Holding my hand? It was natural for a sick child to want to cling to anyone. Feeling bothered by a patient? A sane person wouldn't normally think such a thing.

 

I grunted out loud and explained to Emilian.

 

"I never thought you were a bother to me."

 

"Then why didn't you come this morning?"

 

"That's because today's my day off."

 

Thinking again, I realized that I had forgotten to tell him. I felt sorry for making him worry.

 

"Sorry, I should have told you earlier."

 

Emilian gave a small shake of his head and said, 

 

"It's okay. You're here now, so it's fine."

 

He lifted his lowered eyes. Relief flashed in his pupils, which had been downcast the entire time. While living in the slums, he had never known about warmth. I couldn't dare to feel bothered by his hand holding mine. I felt bitter for some reason.

 

Showing the books in my arms, I said to him,

 

"Look, I brought borrowed books to read with you." 

 

Emilian squealed and reached through the bars.

 

"Isn't heavy? Give it to me."

 

"Yeah, hold on..."

 

Emilian's room was bare except for minimal furniture. There were no toys, no paper, or writing tools for children. There was only one reason the room was so bare—to prevent the children from making bad choices if they couldn't stand the harsh experiments. All they could do was sit still and pass the time until a researcher came and took them into the lab.

 

"Do you like to read?"

 

Emilian thought for a moment then shook his head.

 

"I don't know."

 

"Then let's read together."

 

His eyes widened slightly.

 

"Can we do that?"

 

"I told you, I'm free today!"

 

There will be no experiments today, so no researcher would come here. 

 

'And if they do come by chance, I'll be the one getting scolded. He didn't do anything bad.' 

 

We picked the books we wanted to read. I plopped down on the bed and opened the book in my lap. Emilian sat down next to me. I read aloud, and he listened like a child—well, he is a child—and his eyes sparkled.

 

Seeing him so focused motivated me. As I read, I started to enjoy it and couldn't put it down. After reading four books in a row, I asked Emilian.

 

"Should I read more?"

 

"No. It's enough."

 

"Then, do you want to try something else?"

 

"Mn." Emilian nodded.

 

I taught him some of the games I had played in my previous life. Mostly games that could be played without tools, like rock-paper-scissors. I wondered if he'd get bored with the simplicity of it all, but thankfully he didn't. He was curious, as he'd never tried anything before. It made me feel proud to see him smiling brightly like a child, even though he always showed a stern appearance.

 

The time flew by as we played. The sun hung high in the sky and then tilted to the west. I didn't know playing games required so much physical strength. I yawned involuntarily because I slept late last night.

 

"Annis, are you sleepy?"

 

"Mn, a little..."

 

I hadn't gotten much sleep because the researchers were running late errands. My eyelids kept trying to close.

 

"You look tired. Why don't you sleep?"

 

"Hm…"

 

But I had come to play with Emilian all day today. He'd be bored if I just left.

 

"I'll just sleep for ten minutes, then." I flopped down on the table and tried to close my eyes, but Emilian shook his head.

 

"It's uncomfortable there, sleep in the bed."

 

"Uh... Is that okay?"

 

"Mn!"

 

I wondered if I should stay in Emilian's bed, but he was being considerate, so I figured I shouldn't refuse him. Normally, I wouldn't have stayed in his room for so long. But the director had specially extended his stay until he got better.

 

"Thank you, then..."

 

I pulled up the neatly arranged blanket and got into bed. I laid my head down on the fluffy bed; it couldn't have been more comfortable. I tried to close my eyes, but suddenly realized that it was embarrassing to sleep alone. I reached out and gently tugged on Emilian's collar.

 

"Come sleep together."

 

"Me too…?" Emilian halted as if agitated.

 

"It's boring when you're the only one awake, and children grow taller when they sleep a lot."

 

He seemed to be thinking about something, then blurted it out.

 

"Being tall is good?"

 

"Umm… I think?"

 

Emilian was a handsome boy, and it was clear that he would grow to be a handsome man. And it would be better to be a tall, handsome man. 

 

Emilian's deliberations reached a conclusion.

 

"Then... I'll sleep too."

 

'I just said it because I was embarrassed to sleep by myself. Does he actually want to be taller?' I smiled inwardly, then made room for him. The bed wasn't large, but it was just enough for two kids, and yet he moved away and settled on the edge of the bed. 

 

"You might fall off if you stay there. Come closer."

 

"...I'm more comfortable here, and it'll be hot if we stick together." 

 

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'Is that so… well, I can't help it then.' 

 

"Okay. Then be careful not to fall off..." 

 

I yawned and closed my eyes. The room quickly fell silent as the sound of our words faded. Only our breathing was heard, and with that, consciousness quickly slipped away. My eyelids drooped heavily.

 

Suddenly, Emilian's muffled voice fell on my ears.

 

"Sleep tight, Annis."

 

A soothing, subdued voice; like a spell, I slipped into darkness.

 

*      *      *

 

Emilian lay still and looked at Annis' side. She seemed tired enough to fall asleep right away, breathing evenly. He didn't want to admit it, but thanks to it, he had a full view of her face. Up close, there were tiny tear dots in the corners of her eyes.

 

'Is that why she cries so much?' Suddenly, he remembered how she'd come to the lab and cried when she'd seen him hurt. 

 

'I didn't want to make her cry.' He wanted to wipe the tears from her cheeks. He wished he had the strength to do that. 

 

Glancing at the sleeping Annis, Emilian gently got up and sat down on the bed. He pondered the events of the day. Even though it was her day off, she'd come to visit him instead of resting. She'd read him books and taught him new games he'd never played before. He wasn't used to having someone care about him, and it felt strange.

 

However, he didn't hate it. On the contrary…

 

'I want you to be with me.'

 

This was the first time he had ever felt this way, and he felt a little strange about himself.

 

'She said I wasn't bothering her…' He gently touched Annis' hand.

 

The back of the girl's hand was rough. The palms, which should have been soft, were full of calluses. Her hands looked like they'd been through too much to belong to a thirteen-year-old girl. Emilian bit his lower lip.

 

'I heard that if you become a Transcendant you'll be stronger than anyone.'

 

If the experiment succeeded, then he would take Annis with him and get out of there. With that vow, Emilian stretched out his hand. He brushed a stray hair from Annis' face.

 

He was afraid to turn into something that wasn't human. If that happened, would she still look at him as fondly as she did? But even more than that... 

 

He was afraid of her leaving him.

 

"So, you can't leave me."

 

There was no answer from Annis, who was deep asleep. Emilian lifted her hand and gently stroked her face. 

 

The gentle light in his reddish gaze faded, replaced by deep, dark emotion.

 

*      *      *

 

Inside an uninhabited old house, in the house's study—a neatly maintained room that looked as if it was regularly cleaned—a conversation was taking place in secret.

 

"So, how's the experiment going?"

 

The question was asked by a nobleman seated at a desk made of rowan wood, who was naturally disrespectful to the director, who replied in a stiff, polite manner.

 

"As you can see from the results, subject no. 175 is the best case we've ever had."

 

The man unfolded the chart the director handed him. It was a rare gemstone, just as the director had claimed, which meant that his wish would soon be granted. He clasped his hands together in slow motion and thought.

 

A Transcendant. A being created by infusing a human body with demonic beasts' mana. Its destructive power was said to rival that of a hundred thousand armies. If he could get his hands on a Transcendant, the most powerful weapon in existence, he could make 'that plan' come true.

 

Finishing his brief musings, he turned to face the director.

 

"This time, may we look forward to the birth of a Transcendant?" It was a question, but it was a command at the same time. The director was well aware of the underlying pressure to succeed with the trial. The gray eyes behind his glasses glowed coldly.

 

"Absolutely."

 

His employer has been patient for a long time, so there should be no more failures. Furthermore, the director was certain that this time, success was at hand. He would cut that extraordinary gemstone and turn it into the most beautiful piece of jewelry ever.

 

"I'll make sure it's a success."

 

The corners of the man's mouth curled upward at the director's confident reply.

 

*      *      *

 

As I exhaled, my breath was white. I paused in the hallway, rubbing my hands together to melt the chill. I turned and looked out the window. Snowflakes were falling silently on the branches of the trees outside. Winter was deepening.

 

It had been a month since we had read in Emilian's room and fallen asleep together. Time had passed in the blink of an eye. In the meantime, the experiments had become a lot more complicated than they had been at the beginning. But Emilian endured it all. 

 

The sole survivor and most likely to become Transcendant. He was now their most important test subject inside the institute. They had even moved him to a solitary cell in a special laboratory, and now I couldn't even see him without going through the guards. I was worried because I couldn't see him often enough.

 

'Emilian... He has not been eating much lately. Did he finish his breakfast?'

 

As I arrived at the lab, filled with anxiety, a group of researchers came out of the room where Emilian was locked up, one of them Franz. His lab coat was covered in red stains.

 

". . ."

 

I reflexively clenched my trembling fists.

 

Franz pulled off his stained glove and flung it to the floor. It landed at my feet. He smiled at the researchers.

 

"I got this far thanks to your help."

 

"Eeeish, don't say that. It's all thanks to your rich experience and excellent skills."

 

"Haha, you guys. Have you improved your social skills?"

 

Franz and the group roared with laughter and walked away. I bit my lower lip hard.

 

'Demons... You can't even be called human.'

 

The researchers were probably treating Emilian recklessly, trusting the submission magic in his heart, but once he became a Transcendant, they would never survive. Their plan to control him with that magic will fail.

 

'It's a relief to know that.' Although the children of the laboratory who have died at their hands so far will not come back alive…

 

'At least we can hold them accountable for their deaths, right?'

 

I gripped the cart handle tightly. Soon I arrived in front of the room where Emilian was being held. The guard checked my face, then unlocked the door. I saw a boy with his arms bound in long chains against the wall. Emilian's head was down, motionless. His lab coat was stained crimson with blood.

 

My heart squeezed in pain as I realized how badly the boy had been treated just moments ago.

 

I swallowed hard against the lump in my throat. There's not much left, so…

 

'Hang in there a bit longer.'

 

There was only one final step left until Emilian became a Transcendant.

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