"When will he come back?"
"He is strong; you don't need to worry much."
Michael supported his chin by using his palm while his elbow was on the table. He has been waiting for Sora to come back after he suddenly went out three days ago. That man didn't tell them anything about what he was searching for.
What they knew was that Sora was looking for the last ingredient for his experiment.
"Hey, don't you want to know about your family?"
Michael glanced at Leviathan before continuing to stare at the wall.
"About your younger sister?"
He flinched subtly, but he didn't look at Leviathan.
"Hm, they are doing fine. I don't know much about their condition, just from the rumours going around."
Leviathan peeked a glance at Michael to see his reaction, but his mouth frowned when he saw no reaction.
"I didn't manage to know what happened entirely because I came back to find you nowhere, and I also know you are severely injured. I can't move around because of that. But luckily you woke up; if not, I won't be able to detect your location at all."
Leviathan let out a sigh and leaned back on the chair.
"I have no knowledge of what has happened to your family now because I was searching for you everywhere."
"Why wouldn't you think I'm dead?"
"The sealing process can't be broken just like that. If you die, I'll die too. But if I die, you won't, except you'd experience the pain for a short time."
Michael finally looked at Leviathan. Why would he risk his life to complete this sealing process? Is he an idiot? No, why would the sealing process operate like this? This sealing process looked like a one-sided contract.
Humans give their blood, while the vampires get strong from that and provide protection for humans. However, the vampire will die if the human dies, so they need to protect the human at all costs.
It was a life contract. But it seems more beneficial for humans.
To be more definite, a vampire snake will choose a strong and quirky human to complete the sealing process with a strong aura. They wouldn't choose someone ordinary.
"Then, why me?"
Leviathan looked him straight in the eyes before he smirked.
"Because you survived."
'Survived?'
"Your body has special powers no one knows about."
Michael's eyebrows creased.
"Or you are just attractive. You see, I like pretty humans."
Michael deadpanned. He thought he would be given a detailed and serious answer.
"Stupid, Leviathan."
"Hey, be mindful. I didn't tell anything about you to So—"
Buk!
Both of them perked their heads at the sound to see that the front door had been opened. Sora, who was dressed in black, walked in while carrying something on his back.
"Sora."
"Hm? Hey, Michael. How are you doing?"
Sora tossed the things on his back, which now they could see were three white rabbits. He also put down a rattan basket beside the rabbits.
"Do you have something to eat?"
×××××
The man with dual-coloured hair walked towards the bed with a test tube of purple liquid and a tiny box. Michael and Leviathan eyed his movement quietly. They have been watching this man carry on with his experiment while they are waiting on the bed for him to finish.
"Hold this for a moment."
He gave the test tube to Michael, and he took it without question. Sora then opened the box before taking out a yellow flower. Leviathan was alarmed when he saw the flower.
"Wait, you—!"
"Give me your palm."
He didn't understand Leviathan's reaction before opening his palm to Sora before the man took out a knife and slashed his palm open. He flinched.
Sora took his bloody palm and put it above the flower, letting his blood drip down on the flower until the yellow colour turned completely red.
Sora let his hand go before a fire emerged from his hand, burning the flower. Michael flinched at the sudden act before Sora took back the test tube from his hand and put the still-burning flowers into the test tube.
The burning flower mixed with the purple liquid before the liquid turned a dark red colour. Sora twirled the test tube a little before he picked up the test tube to align it with his eyes. After a moment, he gave it back to Michael.
"Drink it."
But Leviathan held Sora's wrist tightly.
"Wait a minute. I do understand your reasoning for doing this experiment, but you could at least tell us the process."
"There's nothing to worry about. Stop acting so paranoid."
"Then tell me why you need to use winter aconite in this. Along with my blood and his blood. Do you fucking know what that flower can do to his body?"
"I'm well aware; he would be fine as long as I'm here."
Sora pulled his wrist away from Leviathan's hold before he gave the vampire snake a sideways glance.
"That would mean you don't have the certainty that this will work. What would happen if he became worse?"
"Shut up; I know what I do."
Michael frowned, looking at their banter, because he didn't understand the sudden outburst from Leviathan. What's with that flower anyway? He was not an expert in flowers, but he knew that this flower was somehow dangerous based on how Leviathan reacted.
Winter aconite. He didn't know about that name. Is it poisonous enough to cause death? Moreover, Leviathan knew what this experiment was for but had not told him about it.
Why can't he know about this when he is the lab rat? Felt unfair for him.
However, he trusted that Sora wouldn't do anything to harm him. He didn't know where this confidence and trust came from because they were basically strangers not too long ago, and he is not someone who trusts anyone easily.
It wasn't like he didn't trust Leviathan; he began to trust this vampire after their conversation before. Leviathan would be doomed without him, and that vampire knew him long ago.
However, Sora was someone who gave him a feeling of certainty. Someone you can't help but lean on, like someone he met before. An image of a certain boy with pink hair emerged in his mind.
While the two men were glaring at each other, Michael snatched the test tube from Sora before he dunked all the liquid into his mouth.
"Stop!"
Leviathan grabbed the test tube from him, but it was too late. Michael has completely swallowed the liquid.
"Are you stupid?!"
"Back away, Leviathan."
"Shut up. Why would you use a poisonous flower for this? What poisonous flower has something to do to heal him?!"
Heal him? Is that so? Now he knew.
"It was necessary. Just get out if you want to continue being a nuisance here."
Sora ignored the fuming Leviathan before he turned all his attention to Michael.
"Michael, look at me. How did you feel?"
Michael swallowed some saliva. It did not taste as bad as before, but it was still disgusting nonetheless. He also didn't feel any changes in his body. Was it a failure again?
"Nothing strange. I felt normal."
Sora frowned.
"Is that so?"
Sora began to touch his face and neck to check on something before the man clicked his tongue in frustration.
'Where did I go wrong?'
"Are you really okay, kiddo?"
"Yes, don't worry too much."
Leviathan let out a sigh before he brushed his face. He was so worried.
"Is what Leviathan said true? You are doing this to heal me?"
Sora pursed his lips.
"Well, yes. Your body needs a healing potion—no, I might say you need an elixir that could heal you completely. Your wounds were so abnormal that the regular healing potion was not effective."
"You should have told me—ugh!"
Michael bent forward while covering his mouth with his hand.
"Oi, oi, what happened to him?"
"Michael? Look at me."
Cough!
The mattress dyed red after the loud cough. He didn't stop right there until he continuously vomited another chunk of blood, turning his bandages and the bed red.
"Michael!"
His eyes shook violently, and the lack of air in his lungs began to turn him into a state of panic. He choked on his own blood before his eyes rolled back, and he fainted. The last thing he heard was that his name was being called.
"Michaelis! You bastard, heal him!"
"Shit! This is not what I expected to happen."
Sora gritted his teeth while a light shone from his palm. He cradled Michael's body slowly, his palm on the boy's chest. His hands were covered in blood, but that was not his concern right now when he could feel Michael's heartbeat begin to slow down.
'Am I going to fail now? No, no, system, do something!'
Leviathan was also trying to heal the boy, but his healing was not specialized for poison. He ground his teeth in frustration while holding the boy's hand and channelled his healing towards the boy.
'Don't die. Don't die. Don't die.'
< PROGRESS: 100% >
Sora's eyes widened.
< CONGRATULATIONS >
< MISSION 1110 IS COMPLETED >
A heat suddenly rose from the body in his hold before a light shone, blinding their visions.