"Please maintain your cool from this point forward."
The robotic voice reminded Lea for the third time as she walked through the medical corridor. It was getting on her nerves now, and she was not even halfway to Emily's medical room.
The academy had such a big medical wing because of all the accidents happening with the student body. This place was filled with hormonal teenagers and emotional young adults. Sparks were bound to fly, and tempers clashed.
And sometimes, these fights could get out of hand.
This place was also designed to act as a refugee centre in case this settlement's outer protective shield ever gave out. But it was a taboo topic to bring up with anyone.
"Please maintain your cool from this point forward."
The robotic voice spoke once more just a minute after its first reminder. Lea finally snapped and flicked the robot, leading her around. Her energy caused the robot to malfunction, and it stopped working.
"Oh no! My assistant robot stopped working suddenly! What will I ever do? Looks like I have no choice but to find room no N-602 myself. What a shame!"
Lea's voice was devoid of emotion, but her face still looked distressed. The passerby looked at her with an odd and amused expression.
But Lea ignored her and quickly walked away before another robot could be assigned to her.
The medical wing was divided into two floors - for the academy residents and the public. Lea headed toward the residential section and quickly found the room.
Finding the medical room was accessible without a robot to distract her every second.
Lea stood in front of the door and paused before knocking. There was still time for Lea to head back. She could make an excuse later and-
-the door opened, throwing all of Lea's planning down the drain. She sighed and entered the room quietly.
"Excuse me. You asked for my presence?"
Lea asked as she walked deeper into the room. The room was quite spacious and clean—a subtle hint of blue offsets the white aesthetics of a hospital room.
This room looked less depressing than any other medical room Lea had seen before. But the same could not be said for the patient lying on the bed.
"Wow, don't you look depressed? But I still do not understand why I was called here?"
Lea looked at Emily's sleeping face before straightening her spine. She was about to return and bring a chair near the bed when Emily grabbed her wrist. Emily's eyes in an instant, and she looked pissed.
But behind her anger lay desperation. Emily's breathing was hard, and her eyes were glazed over. She looked sick, which made Lea feel guilty.
"Hey, are you alright? You look sick-"
Emily leaned closer to Lea and sniffed her neck. A wet tongue nibbled at Lea's throat, making her tense up. Her hand reached out toward the nape of Emily's neck, and Lea rested it there.
'I am not in danger…yet. So I do not need to attack. But if Emily tried anything, I will knock her unconscious.'
Luckily, Emily did not cause any trouble. She continued to nibble on Lea's collarbone and smell her scent.
"Ah, looks like Emily captured you and refused to let go of you. I apologise for her behaviour, but can you indulge her for a minute? The sedatives will kick in soon."
It was tough for Lea to move her head. But she was still able to notice the doctor entering the room. The elderly lady looked wise, and her eyes were doting while she looked at Emily.
Lea indulged Emily for a few minutes before Emily fell back asleep.
When Lea finally pulled back, there were a few sucking marks on her shoulder. She would have to wear a turtle-neck sweeter for a few days.
"So, why did you call me here? I am a busy person, and I have a lot to do. I do not have time to play around with you."
Lea replied, and she finally sat down. The doctor also took a seat, but she maintained her distance from Emily and Lea's current location.
"I apologise for suddenly calling you here. I admit my wish is selfish, but I want you to offer your blood to Miss Forger this time."
The doctor did not stutter; her words were clear, but they were a joke to Lea. Lea looked at the doctor with disbelief, and the doctor felt compelled to clarify her remarks.
"Miss Emily Forger is an important Sentinel of the current generation. She is powerful, but her abilities have a drawback. She needs regular blood to keep her sane. We had her condition under control until a few hours ago."
"She lost control while she was with you. You do understand what it means, Miss Lea. She likely imprinted on you."
If Lea could have groaned, she would have. This was the most irritating scenario she could find herself in as a guide.
This was not the first time Lea had found herself being imprinted on. But that was certainly the first time she was pressured to complete the bond.
"Excuse me, doctor. But I would like to head out now. Miss Emily forced This bond one-sidedly, so I don't see what you want from me. Also, if I oblige everyone who imprints on me, I will never finish dealing with Sentinels."
Lea made her stand clear. She was trying to keep a low profile so she could not exercise much of her power. But that did not make her powerless.
The doctor looked taken aback by Lea's words and became angry. It was apparent which direction this confrontation was going to head now.
"You cannot refuse to bond with Lady Forget. You are just a lowly guide and forgetting your place. Just because your kind is rare does not mean you have the right to refuse an elite. It will be beneficial for your future to bond with Miss Forget."
Lea had heard the exact words thousands of times by now. And this was why she hated dealing with influential people.
They thought they could get anything because they had money and power. And usually, that was the case. Money did govern society.
But Lea had a lot of money of her own. She was immortal and worked as resourceful. So, her fortune had only expanded over the years.
"Still, I do not see what this had anything to do with me. Now, excuse me, I have classes to finish."
Lea stood up, but the doctor tried to stop her. This whole day was becoming more and more annoying.
And just when it looked like things could not be worse for her, Emily opened her eyes. She looked at Lea with her amber eyes blazing. Her fighting spirit was commendable, and that made her enjoyable.
"You! We need to talk. Doctor, please get out and leave us alone. I need to talk with this bitch alone."
Emily's voice sounded weak, but her spirit was blazing strong. Her eyes refused to back down despite the condition her body was in. Emily Forget might be an asshole, but she was a determined asshole.
"B-But, miss Forger-"
"Out, please."
And Lea admired people who were willing to try.
[Because you do not want to try and take the final step, you admire those who do. But humans are cowards and foolish. Did your past not teach you this? Emily Forget will die soon.]
The rift teased Lea, but she continued to smile. She wanted to see what kind of courage Emily could show her.
"We are alone now. I won't beat around the bush. I don't need your help, and I do not want your assistance either. My meds will be enough to get me past my thrust. Do not show me your face again."
Emily sounded determined to get rid of Lea. The emotions in Lea's voice were evidence of her trauma and unwillingness to let Lea help.
But the more Emily refused Lea's help, the more she ignited Lea's curiosity. Emily was a fascinating human specimen Lea wanted to study.
"Hmm, so you want to get rid of me? Sure, I will leave you alone. But it is also true that you imprinted on me. Your body will be in agony if you do not give it anything."
"You can end it all by drinking some of my blood. It will take the edge off your body, and your pills will work better."
Lea advised while looking down at Lea. She was curious to know what Lea would choose for herself. After all, she had a chance to end her agony and pain. Most humans would choose that option.
"F-Fuck you. I want nothing to do with you or your kind. All guides are scums who prey on sentinel's emotions and cause us misery. I refuse to fall victim to this curse."
Lea's trauma was deep-rooted. But Lea was not interested or invested enough to dive deeper into it and check what it was about.
Life was busy without looking after brats.
"Hmm, if that's what you want, the suit yourself. I will come to ask about this offer again tomorrow. Maybe you will change your mind once you have enough time to think over and change your answer."