Evelynn and Axel walked down the sharp and narrow corridor through a foreign part of the PSEF headquarters. Guarding them by their sides were Hydra and Scylla. Now, Axel wasn't exactly short compared to the two dragon ladies, but he certainly looked short. He crouched defensively like a cornered animal, his eyes darting back and forth and his gaze sharp. He kept his lips pursed, and his legs ready to spring.
Evelynn walked ever so slightly in front of him, guiding him with her hand. For the times that Axel had defended her, it was her turn to show him that things were going to be okay.
Charybdis was heartily chatting with Io up at the front of the pack. Axel stared at her back. It had healed dramatically – was Jasper's magic really that powerful? After all he hadn't really tried his magic on monsters. Who could have known the consequences if it didn't work the same on monsters as it did on humans? They really were in uncharted territory, and every step they took was a dangerous one that could lead them astray.
Axel reflected on his own showcase of his abilities when they had tried to avoid capture. Even though they eventually were taken out, Axel had performed his part of the plan flawlessly, even though he had no idea how to even use his air magic in that way. In a sense… it was instinctual. He had an affinity with magic that resided within him, he was powerful without training. He didn't even need to think about how to pull it off – all he needed to do was channel his desire to protect Evelynn.
Despite having only known each other for a few days, Axel knew he had known Evelynn in his previous life. He wasn't sure how he knew, but his mana within him simply seemed to react to her presence. It was a familiar presence, and in a harsh, unfamiliar and unforgiving world, Evelynn was the first person who was there for him, and thus, he chose her to be his anchor, the one constant that his entire world was grounded on. The one thing that Axel could trust. If he hadn't made such a connection, he would have gone insane right off the bat.
Axel knew that Evelynn felt the same, even if she didn't show it. When Rekka and the others had left to explore Charybdis' office, Evelynn showed Axel a mark on her shoulder in the shape of a chimera, hidden deep her shirt and her large fur jacket. Neither of them knew what it meant, but Evelynn could sense some sort of magical energy emanating from it. It felt alien, out of her control, and she confided in him that it scared her.
But no matter what that mark meant, Axel knew that they would handle the truth as it came out together. They would explore their new world and conquer it with an unbreakable bond. As long as they had each other, they would survive. And thus Axel allowed his shoulders to relax as he held his ice cold palm safely in Evelynn's grasp.
Charybdis waved her dragon hands in a sweeping arc and suddenly large double doors opened in front of Axel and Evelynn. They stepped into a large room, barely furnished, with a wall bright windows facing the sky. The windowpanes stretched from the ceiling to the ground, and outside, Axel could see that they were high up in the PSEF headquarter building. The floor was a smooth yet scratchy medium grey, and a dark grey, almost black square carpet lay in the center of the room. On top was a large grey L-shaped couch with a low and flat black table, impeccably polished. Facing the couch were two chairs of the same color, which Charybdis and Io took a seat in. Io motioned for Evelynn and Axel to take a seat on the couch.
Hydra and Scylla stood behind them as they sat down, leaning on the back of the couch. Axel started as he saw out of the corner of his eye Scylla slide her hands down and place them on both sides of the couch, just next to Scylla's shoulders. Axel knew Scylla was standing right above him, and he was completely caught in her grasp. If he tried to do anything funny, she was right there to dispel it. He shuddered. Hydra did the same thing, trapping Evelynn with her and separating them silently. She noticed Axel looking and gave him a tiny but wicked smile.
"I doubt that Sorreval will be pleased to hear this," Charybdis began with a sigh. She straightened herself up but Axel could see her instinctively bracing for an explosion. "But one of the PSEF operators, under Hydra…" Hydra narrowed her eyes at this. Charybdis hadn't needed to tell her that it was Hydra specifically who coached and trained Redd, and whose branch she operated under. Axel let a slight smirk escape from his lips. "…accidentally infected Evelynn Violet with Lykanthropy when they captured her."
"Oh!" Io perked up. She sat on the edge of her seat. Charybdis looked away, but after a second, she turned back to stare at Io in shock.
"How interesting," she continued.
"But," Charybdis stammered. "Won't that change the deal?"
"Of course, of course. But actually, I think that Evelynn will be even more valuable, now that she's a human-monster hybrid. I bet her blood���s different. And has she gained any more magical abilities?"
"As a result of Lykanthropy? No, not yet," Charybdis continued.
"Well then!" Io said cheerfully. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see. These two have been rooming together, no? What about the young man?"
"He's clear," Hydra said stiffly.
"Oh, wow! That means we can run experiments and compare the two's results! Oh, how fascinating. I think the higher-ups will be extremely pleased at this development. May I take a closer look?"
"Of course," Charybdis said, letting out a silent sigh of relief.
Axel shrunk back as soon as Io got up and left her seat. She walked briskly towards Evelynn and stooped down so that she was a little lower than her, and then Io looked up into her eyes. Evelynn didn't seem scared, but Axel squirmed in his seat.
"This'll only take a moment," Io comforted Evelynn. Then her eyes began to glow a bright green as she activated her projector watch. Several lime green screens popped out and formed a semi-transparent cube around Evelynn's head. It completely enclosed her, but as Axel looked closer, he saw that she was breathing fine. Her face showed no signs of hesitation… as if she'd done this a hundred times before.
"That's it, keep still," Io said. Her eyes glowed bright and bright white lines began to cascade down the sides of the cube as it scanned Evelynn's head.
Several agonizing moments passed before Io was done with the assessment. She happily informed Charybdis and Axel that Evelynn was perfectly healthy and fit to be transported to Sorreval with Axel. Even though she had contracted Lykanthropy, she showed no ill effects.
"Now, if you're able, could you transform for us?" Io asked, peering into Evelynn's eyes.
"I've never tried it before," Evelynn responded meekly.
"That's quite alright. Charybdis tells me you have profound control over your magic already – more so than many monsters your age. If you are able to channel it properly, it should be no big deal for you. Oh! And if you're worried about it going awry, I am more than prepared to deal with transformation sickness and anything related to it. You're in good hands."
"Should we be babying her this much?" Scylla's voice said from somewhere above Axel. Axel noticed that Scylla's claws were digging deep into the fabric of the couch. They were like mini razor blades, or shards of glass. As thin as string and dangerous enough to cut metal. He tensed, his hands pressed against the seat of the couch. He found himself holding his breath.
"Hmm?" Io raised her head, taken aback by Scylla's comment.
"You're being too nice to her. Don't forget that she's a human."
"And?" Io asked, not understanding. Scylla sighed exasperatedly.
"You're too young to know truly the horrors that humans have done to us monsters. The discrimination and injustice we've faced for decades. The bigotry and the violence, all of it. Humans have been pampered all their lives, cooped up in their cozy little homes built on the backs of us monsters. She doesn't deserve to be treated like that anymore. She needs a taste of the real world. The world we live in now is not a human's world anymore."
"Scylla, don't be rude, this is our guest," Charybdis warned. Her eyes began to glow and Axel noticed her claws flexing ever so slightly. Was she angry… too?
"It's quite alright," Io told Charybdis. "I get where you're coming from," she said earnestly. "But this human in particular hasn't done anything wrong. Should we really make the innocent suffer the consequences of the guilty? The guilty are already dead. So why does she have to suffer as they did? As we did? For revenge? In my eyes, we've already got our revenge. And we have bigger problems to worry about, like rebuilding society."
"There are no innocent among the humans," Hydra piped in. "All humans either perpetrated acts of violence against us, or stood complicit. Those who stand by and watch intolerance are just as bad as the ones who practice it."
"The world isn't black and white like that, Hydra," Charybdis argued. "Some people," her voice broke as she looked away. "Have no choice. No matter how much they want to help, some people don't have the power, or the strength…" She trailed off.
"I agree with Charybdis," Evelynn blurted out, before recoiling in shock at her outburst.
"You don't get to talk," Scylla snarled.
"Let's just continue with the operation," Charybdis urged quickly. She didn't want Io, the representative from Sorreval, to see their hosts argue. But most of all, she didn't want Io to see the slight tears of gratitude that were forming at her eyes. So she drew the attention away from her and towards Evelynn as she closed her eyes and began to transform.