Chapter 33

“Aselia.”

He was spewing magic all over the place. At this point, the researchers had to know what type of ability would awaken.

Especially since the air is this hot.

“Ugh… Ashe— lia… .”

Slurring and stuttering, Kalisten recognized me. He called my name as if had been imagining me and now was startled that I was really here.

“Go away.”

“Why?”

“Go away… .”

He was crawling on the floor, trying to get away from me. It was very hot in the room. The needle marks on his arm were clear, and his throat was wet and shiny from how much he had cried.

“Go!”

As I approached him close enough to reach his feet, there was hot air emanating from him, not just warm.

“Kal.”

He was moving away from me like he was afraid.

It was clear that his magic was flowing out uncontrollably. Had he been able to control it, he wouldn’t have been so upset.

Kalisten was a very vigilant person.

Still, he’s been pretty sweet to me lately.

Wouldn’t it calm you down if you saw the familiar me next to you? Besides, it was acknowledged that I looked weak.

Also, Alexis Rainier had mentioned that if it touched me, it would calm him down. If so, maybe that’s why Kalisten seems so vulnerable to me?

He bit my finger, which had been hurt last time.

Blood ran down his lips.

“Ugh…g-go away me… go… .”

His condition is so much worse. His usual red eyes are now shining brightly as if he was using his psychic abilities. But it was clear that he wasn’t fully awakened. If he had awakened, his powers wouldn’t have been sparking off so arbitrarily.

“Kal.”

“Huh… .!”

After I called his name, Kalisten was pushing me away as if he was coming to his senses. So I sat near him and held his hand.

“It’s alright.”

“Ah… .”

He actually seems to calm down with just my touch. His shaky breath soon became more even.

I stroked his still face. Did he faint? I stopped.

“Kal.”

“… .”

“Are you okay now?”

He didn’t answer, I only heard a mumble under his breath.

With his fainted head resting on my leg, I leaned my back against the wall. Then I closed my eyes for a while because regardless I will have to rest in this room today.

“… .”

Then he woke up with my finger itching.

When I opened my eyes, I woke up to the sight of Kalisten sucking and licking my index finger. It was so shocking that I thought it was a dream, but it wasn’t a dream.

“Kal… ?”

He wasn’t conscious and was unresponsive to me calling him. Licking my fingers, lapping the blood off, he then sucked my finger in his mouth noisily.

“Uh… !”

Then he bit my bleeding hand with his fangs. My hand was feverish. Slurping and licking the new blood on my finger.

“Ouch… .”

I was afraid. I knew I couldn’t die from bleeding from my finger, but I was frightened that he was insane.

“Ah… .”

Then, Kalisten, who seemed to have come to his senses, abruptly stood up.

“What the hell are you?”

“Are you awake now?”

I don’t think he was fully awake. His eyelids looked too heavy, as if he was about to fall asleep.

“You… what are… .”

I brought the neatly folded blanket near the wall. Then I laid it on the floor and beckoned him.

“Come here.”

“Why are you here?”

“I was here yesterday too.”

“… .”

“Come on, come here.”

I patted the space on the blanket. Instead, he refused to move and watched me with wary eyes. He certainly didn’t seem to remember yesterday. Rather, it was remarkable he woke at all today.

“Who brought you here?”

“I said I wanted to come.”

“Why?”

“I heard you are sick, so I wanted to help.”

Hearing that, he stopped glaring. The index finger he had bitten was aching with a pulsing pain. Come to think of it, I felt like my hand was feverish from the heat that came off of him.

“What happened to your hand?”

“You bit it.”

“… Not that.”

He wasn’t talking about my finger. The back of my hand was kind of sore, but I didn’t want to show it.

“Are you going to stand there all day?”

“… .”

He had a somewhat apologetic air towards me. He took water from a nearby drinking water bottle and moistened it with a cloth. Since the length of the restraints hanging from his neck was not very long, he had to wet it with his neck stretched.

After soaking the cloth in water, he came over to me and covered my hand.

“Sorry.”