Before they proceed, Mikael speaks up gently, "Before you all do this, if you wouldn't mind, I think it'd be fitting to say a short prayer to bless their renewed life, in whatever form it may be received. Would that be okay with you all?"
The council members exchange glances, wanting to hurry and get it over with, but they realize it couldn't hurt. Seeing that Mikael appears to be a monk or priest of some sort, they humor him and give their approval.
Mikael closes his eyes and begins, "Our Father who resides in heaven, please send your blessings down upon these children as they receive your gift of life. Let them be healed and replenished to their fullest capacity, and let their souls remain just and pure, protected from the pull of the corruption that seeks shelter. Offer them guidance as they enter a new chapter of their lives and bless them with all the joys and happiness that life can bring. In your holy name, I pray, Amen." He finishes with a holy sign gesture and then motions for them to proceed.
Vera, her hand trembling, holds the glass to Nik's lips. He weakly sips the blood, and she watches, her heart pounding, as he drinks. It's a moment she never imagined she would experience, but as the blood goes down, she feels a strange sense of relief.
Kira does the same for Lili, her heart aching as she offers the glass to her daughter. "Please, Lili, be strong," she whispers, tears brimming in her eyes as Lili drinks.
Viktor helps Mai, his hands steady despite the turmoil in his heart. "You're stronger than you know, Mai. I'm proud of you," he says softly as he watches her drink.
Liam helps Gunther, his eyes full of emotion. "You're a good friend, Gunther. I'm proud of you, too," he says, his voice thick with emotion as Gunther sips the blood.
As each of them drinks, Mikael stands silently in the background, his heart heavy with the knowledge of what is to come. He hopes, prays even, that the council members are right and that the blood will heal their children without corrupting them. But he also knows that there are no guarantees in this world and that the consequences of their decision will be something they will all have to live with.
Noah watches in silence, his face portraying no emotion as he sees his friends drinking his blood. He feels no triumph, no satisfaction, only a deep, numbing emptiness. He has done what he needs to do, and now, all that is left is to see if it will be enough to save them.
Soon, the four wounded fall asleep, the changing process officially beginning. Liam, watching the peaceful expressions on their sleeping faces, asks, "Is that all?"
Mikael nods. "Yes, that's all for now. Their bodies are going to take time to heal, and so they need to sleep. You're welcome to stay if you'd like, but it's unlikely they'll wake before tomorrow. They may show signs of fever or discomfort as they sleep, but these are normal effects. I suggest having a doctor or nurse on staff through the night as a precaution."
A woman dressed in a white dress and wearing a classic nurse's hat, with turquoise curls peeking out, approaches them from the side. Her matching turquoise eyes sparkle as she smiles, and Noah's eyes widen in recognition, though he doesn't react outwardly.
"I'd be happy to take that duty if it's fine with the council," she says sweetly.
Viktor, as the secondary head of the council when Hiro isn't around, acknowledges her. "Oh, Joy, I was actually just thinking of you. That would be great if you could. As much as I'm sure we'd all like to stay as well, I think we've got quite the mess to clean up, so I trust we can leave it to you?"
"Of course, Sir, I'd be happy to stay in your stead. I'll take good care of them and alert you immediately if there are any significant changes." She smiles sweetly, and Viktor blushes slightly.
Quickly composing himself, Viktor responds, "Wonderful, we'll leave it to you then. Shall we?"
The rest of the council members stand, rolling their eyes at Viktor's obvious fluster, and agree to leave. They give Mikael and Noah their regards and exit the room, dreading the work awaiting them.
Mikael, Noah, and "Joy" are the only ones left in the infirmary, outside of the sleeping patients. Noah, his demeanor now sharp and unyielding, turns to her. "So you're back?"
Joy—Rachel—smiles softly. "Yes, I am. I'm sorry I left so suddenly, but...well, I had to take care of things."
"Does that include Judas?" Noah's tone is cold, and Rachel's smile falters as she glances uneasily at Mikael, who appears puzzled. "It's fine, Rachel, it's not an accusation. I'm just stating the obvious. Don't mind him; I'm sure he's already figured out that you're Junsui too. Isn't that right, Mikael?" Noah's voice is distant, almost as if he's speaking through a wall of ice.
Mikael nods slowly. "Yes, I could tell as soon as you walked in. But what's this about Judas? Are you connected to him somehow? I'm Mikael, Judas and Noah's father."
Rachel speaks nervously, her usual calm demeanor shattered. "Yes, I know who you are. Judas has mentioned you before, and he's warned me to be careful not to lead you to him. But I'm not loyal to him! I follow his orders because I have to, but if I could, I'd never go back to him again. I swear, I don't wish to hurt anyone at this academy, and I definitely had nothing to do with what happened here. That was all Judas and Ouran. I knew about it, yes, but I wasn't in a position to do anything about it. I'm really so—"
"No need to defend yourself, we get it," Noah cuts in, his voice as harsh as the ice in his eyes. "It's obvious you owe Judas a great debt for changing you into a Junsui, so you have no choice but to follow his orders. We all know you couldn't have changed anything anyway, so don't beat yourself up about it. I just can't believe you'd have such a deep conscience now when you slaughtered your own family in cold blood. What's a few strangers to you now?"
Rachel's eyes fill with tears as Noah's words pierce through her, but she knows he's right. She killed her family for her selfish gain, but it backfired, and now she's trapped in an even greater hell, serving that monster Judas. "You're right, Noah, except for one thing. It was actually Mag…Remy who turned me. I was introduced to Judas later, essentially as a bargaining chip to get him to comply with her."
Mikael, feeling increasingly uncomfortable and confused, doesn't remember Rachel or understand her history with Noah. However, that sounds on par for Remy. "Of course she did." He glances at his watch, realizing he's late for an important meeting. "I'm sorry to rush off, but I have to meet someone soon. I really wanted more time to catch up with you, Noah, but it looks like we'll have to do that another time. For what it's worth, I'm happy we could meet again, officially. I'll check in on you and your friends soon. Nice meeting you, Rachel." He waves goodbye and then is gone, leaving Noah and Rachel alone in an awkward silence.