Rejoining reality, Cyrus stood up and checked the clock to see how much time had passed.
"Only two hours huh. The conversation was extremely short compared to before so that makes sense, although I would like to have a much longer one. Especially when it comes to how my other half affected the world as I am sure I can do it to if he can. That could become our trump card in the face of extreme danger, an attack that cannot be predicted whatsoever that can be done even if the body is completely incapacitated. Ah…the list of things to do grows ever longer."
Picking up a memo book he kept close to his heart at all times, he jotted down 'research into the power of the soul' in a large multi-page list of things he had to do at some point.
"Discovering the origins of my mentor, learning about the War of Nobilis, understanding all the various factions of the Empire, creating connections to all these factions, consolidating my own political power so I do not be used by some higher power until I rot, and then the many different magical and scholastic pursuits I have. Why is there so little time in the day! Even if I work all day every day it only seems like the pile of work gets bigger and bigger. Perhaps I need to invest some time into becoming more efficient with how I spend the most vital of resources of all: Time" pondered Cyrus as he dressed himself, removed any and all filth off of him with his Mors domain, and gathered his equipment before exiting the room.
Moving towards the entrance to the lower floor, where all the laboratories and attached things were, Cyrus noticed one of his two companions was still present despite the hour.
Minerva was on one of the couches, reading intently as she was the night before but with dark circles under her eyes this time.
"What could she be reading that is so important that she would even neglect sleep? Even with the vast amount of things on my plate, I always try to sleep if I can help it due to the major backlash that inevitably comes from putting it off" wondered Cyrus, as a rather mischievous idea from his other half was made aware to him.
Not seeing anything too wrong with it, as he was just as curious, he activated his Mors domain and dissipated into the shadows.
Walking as lightly as he could, making full use of his experience stalking people through the streets of an oasis town, he crept behind her just enough so that his freakishly sharp eyesight could make out the content.
"A romance novel? How unexpected" thought Cyrus, respectfully suppressing the small urge to let loose a chuckle.
"Even under all that frost is a normal person huh, which only makes me even more curious as to the reason why the frost exists in the first place. Ah…but I have to get back to my experiments, all the progress I could make. Maybe I should flip a coin?" wondered Cyrus as he retraced his steps, all the way back to the entrance of his room.
He then dispelled his concealment and took one step forward, not bothering to conceal the sound of it, revealing to all that he had awoken.
As he had expected, Minerva looked over and immediately closed the book upon realizing that what she was reading would be discovered if he continued his current course.
"Good Morning Cyrus" said Minerva lightly, who had stowed the book away and stood up as if her goal all along was to greet her companion.
"Good morning Minerva, how nice of you to get up and come to greet me. I see I am warming up to you as the days tick on by, soon we shall no doubt be slaying monsters in the far corners of the Empire together if things continue in this direction!" exclaimed Cyrus, wondering how far he could push the current situation.
Trapped in her own lie, not able to completely refuse Cyrus else it would reveal her true intentions she tried her best to put on a smile and say,
"I would not go so far as to say that, but I guess I do not feel like throwing up every time I see your face anymore so you could say there was some progress?" remarked Minerva.
"Wow, what a way with words" thought Cyrus inwardly
While outwardly he said,
"A hundred small victories will eventually add up to one large one, perhaps even winning the war in the end. Now if you will excuse me, I have an appointment with some undead in the Laboratory."
"Oh, enjoy then" ended Minerva, letting a bit too much relief show in her voice.
"Cht, a good chance was wasted but I already said I would work in the lab today. If I were to do whatever caught my fancy in the moment I would never get anything done" thought Cyrus, whilst climbing the steps down to the lower level.
Upon arriving everything was as he remembered it, except now the leftover prisoners were all fast asleep in their cells and behind the black glass that divided the holding area from the rest.
Tearing the notice that was left on the door off, he slowly unlocked the massive metal door. Putting one hand on his sheathed sword, he opened the door very carefully just in case the undead within had somehow freed itself.
Such caution was thankfully proven to be unnecessary, since when the lights turned on and everything inside was revealed all that Cyrus saw was a pile of bones on the floor where the undead had once been locked up.
"That confirms that they do indeed decay, eventually joining the ranks of the completely dead once more, if they are starved of the food that they require. Some further topics of study could be if they can survive on just death essence, life essence, or if they require a mix of the two for long term growth and survival. Although that's like, what, six more experiments I need to run now all from this one little test I did. Research…what a costly thing in terms of time and effort" thought Cyrus is dismay.
He walked towards the prison cells next, wondering what experiment to partake in next when he suddenly froze up. His mind felt all jumbled together for a moment, as something that had been screaming as loud as it could within the depths of his mind finally surfaced at that moment.
"What have I been doing? To go so far as use my fellow man like cattle in order to advance my personal goals, using them the same as I would a raw material. It is one thing if I use myself, as I am the master of my own body, but it is completely different when it is another person. What a sick practice, even if their crimes do merit a death sentence then they should at the very least not have their dying hour extended so far. What if I were in their place, or someone I knew or held dear…the horror of it all, the inhumanity of it all…" thought Cyrus, as he locked up in place with his thoughts spiraling out of control.
"I am sick… a sick individual who has no regard for all that is humanity. I must repent, no, I must be punished for my sins. Else, what if I were to end up massacring children and infants with the same disregard as today? I was once a defenseless kid, and so was that man I butchered the other day. I must atone" concluded Cyrus, his thought process downright insane and barely coherent.
His right hand unsheathed his sword, turning towards himself in an act of apparent 'atonement', well, a very painful and perhaps deadly one at that.
At the same time, however, his left hand unhooked the mask and placed it on his face just as the blade was starting to dig into his stomach.
His facial features changed from one of distress and deep sorrow to a cold and callous one, his eyebrow raised in muted disbelief and a sneer ready to be unleashed at the lips.
"What an idiot. Honestly, I have nothing to say other than that. Seriously, infants? How did he leap from killing a convicted criminal on death row to murdering babies, that logical leap could take one from the north border to the south in one swift move" sneered dark Cyrus, who was now in full control.
Speaking aloud so his other half could easily understand him, he continued.
"Maybe if you paid attention to the engraving on the chains of these prisoners you would not be so sympathetic. Look here on the one that you killed the other day, read these words and decide for yourself whether he deserves such cruelty:
Prisoner A143B, found guilty of 33 accounts of the murder and consumption of young girls below the age of 13. With 10 of the victims being younger than the age of 7.
Found guilty of organized criminal activity, consorting with a large group of men to kidnap and imprison vulnerable children throughout the southern region."
He then stalked towards the rest of the prisoners, reading all the gruesome and downright evil acts that each man had been found guilty of. So sick were they, that even the normally uncaring half of Cyrus was even somewhat perturbed.
"How many of these so called innocents that you are so fond of need to be defiled, tortured, or outright eaten for you to agree that maybe…just maybe these men have long lost the qualifications to be called by such a title? Beasts more like, beasts that just happen to somewhat resemble humans" spat Cyrus.
Having said his piece, he sat down in a chair in the opened lab and pondered about the situation that had just occurred.
"My counterpart, the one who used the be the most stable of us two, is now completely off the walls. I suppose for a short time I was much the same, having been almost overtaken by obsession three or so times back to back. This could mean that both of us are subject to a high amount of volatility at one point, until the other half assists in overcoming whatever it is that caused the volatility in the first place or creates an environment to get over it themselves. How complex indeed, but one body inhabited by two was never going to be something simple. Bah, still, what an idiotic move that was. Even in my darkest hour I would never consider such a thing…" thought Cyrus as he healed the still bleeding wound that had been self-inflicted.
"I will have to take control whenever these experiments or done, at least until I can help my other half get over this inane belief of his" muttered Cyrus in annoyance, as he awaited for his two assistants to arrive.