"A clever little mouse, aren't ya? Playing dead might be the reason you have breath now," the girl complimented the nurse as she cocked her head, impressed by how quickly she put together a plan in the face of uncertainty.

  She casually raised the metal door like it was cardboard and tossed it down the stairs.

  Damn, do Abnas really possess such strength? No wonder Hyonda doubted I was one of them. I should keep that in mind.

  "What!? No, I didn't do anything... really," she denied.

  The girl smiled and extended her hand with a soft gaze. "My dearest companions call me Ayona, The Blood Devourer."

  "Th–The what?!"

  Ayona giggled, not surprised to elicit such a reaction.

  The nurse accepted her hand and pulled herself to her feet.

  "It's fine to call me Dezira, I guess."

  Hezekiah inspected Ayona's small frame, noting how she was like an iron pillar. The indentation of her fingers couldn't be missed on the metal door, which only made him wonder how strong her sword actually was.

  "Why are you here exactly?" he couldn’t help but ask.

  She didn't speak immediately. It was almost like she wasn’t interested in answering the question.

  "Isn’t there only one reason why someone would visit the hospital?"

  "I can think of quite a few. Nevertheless, I take it you're here for someone. If so, don't be concerned whether I’ll stay tied to this floor or not. I also have to search for somebody."

  Her fingers curled at his response, her expression stiffened, the tint of annoyance in her eyes was prominent.

  "Can I say something?" the nurse gently raised her hand, waving it like a weird child.

  After being met with silence by the two of them, she spoke her mind, facing Hezekiah.

  "Based off your hospital gown, you're a patient here, right? Tell me—have you ingested any sleeping pills?"

  "What? How is this relevant?" Hezekiah sharply questioned. His tone erupted a small shake from the nurse.

  "I don’t have time for this!" With those words, he began making his move, but a tight grip caught his arm.

  "I don’t care if you don’t listen to her, but I meant what I said—you aren’t leaving this floor."

  The digits of her fingers felt like iron pliers, clamping deep into his skin despite their lanky length.

  Should I burn her? Are all Abnas aggressive like this?

  Not seeing him move, Ayona chuckled and gave him a "thought so" look.

  "However, please do tell—what is it about these sleeping pills that you’re so curious about?"

  Hezekiah listened intently, already seeming to connect the dots.

  "Uh, well... I can’t confirm it, and it’s only a guess, but that… thing you killed was actually a patient I was assigned to. I don’t know how to explain it, but everything was fine until it was time for him to take his sleep medicine. And as you can see..."

  "You’re not actually suggesting…" Hezekiah’s voice drifted off, luring her to the answer he already knew.

  "Hehe, turning humans into abominable creatures—in the Waking World no less. Bold indeed."

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  To pull something like this on such a scale, as indiscreet as this was… do they not fear the Unity Council? The thought amused Ayona, but another matter perked her mind as well.

  "Then there's nothing to worry about. I haven’t taken any," Hezekiah calmly reassured.

  Dezira released a deep breath, lowering her shoulders. "Thank God," she whispered, as she flipped her long dark hair behind her ears.

  "Hmm, that may be true. But he may be lying—not that I blame him." She faced Hezekiah with a beaming grin. "So with all things considered, I’ll humbly grace you a deal. A change of plans."

  So annoying. She really is a ‘do whatever I want’ type. She's lucky that I already have to worry about the Organization and Hyonda’s threat. Last thing I want to do is add another unknown variable.

  "And what would that be?"

  "I know a suspicious person when I see one. Enlighten me—any reason why you're clutching that black piece of paper so tightly? Tell me, and maybe I'll let you go."

  Her grip tightened around his arm. What was previously a mild discomfort now bled into a suffocating ache that pierced his skin. Despite him having a high pain tolerance, even he couldn’t help but grit his teeth.

  Her arm was like a construction crane—immovable, but capable of dismembering him at any second.

  "It's mind-boggling to imagine that you’d carry something so useless in a time like this. Oh, what could be so important about it that you're so unwilling to let it go, even now?"

  Her words were laced with curiosity, hinting at a desire to unravel the contents she could not see. The pen stuck out to her—not only did its aesthetic suit her tastes, but she was intrigued by how its color scheme perfectly harmonized with the notebook paper.

  Taking advantage that his secured arm held the pen, for a brief moment—not even for a full second—Hezekiah transfigured the pen into its checker-colored flame.

  "Augh!" Ayona released his arm immediately upon feeling a blazing heat tickle her skin. Leaping back from the sudden influx of heat, she positioned her sword in front of her.

  What happened? He was an Abna!? That can’t be!

  Ayona contemplated why she couldn’t sense anything from him. Her grip was tense on the blade, daring not to let her guard down a second time.

  "You too?! What are you people?!" Dezira demanded after feeling the smothering heat for a brief moment. What she witnessed was unmistakable.

  She glanced at the doorway. A distant voice told her to flee, but she still hoped they would help aid in her escape.

  Hezekiah exchanged glances between the two of them, calculating the best way to proceed—particularly against Ayona.

  Having her know about the rules would only bring suspicion. Although killing her wasn’t preferable, he might have no choice now.

  "As I said before, I need to find someone—before it’s too late."

  "Your Abna Energy—I can't feel it. Explain." Her tone was cold, her former demeanor completely void from her expression.

  "How can I explain something that I myself don’t understand?"

  "A liar till the very end," she spoke after raising her blade.

  Her rose-colored sword reignited with a dazzling shine. She examined every inch of her opponent, seeking any more hidden threats he might be concealing.

  "That pen of yours is more interesting than I thought. So it's only right to assume that paper of yours also holds a secret, correct?"

  "You don’t trust my words anyway, so what’s the point of answering? Instead of pursuing someone you know nothing about, why not find the one responsible for all this?"

  "How do I know I'm not looking at him?"

  Hezekiah lazily shook his head with a light-hearted laugh.

  "You don’t. But what do you expect me to do about that? Just screw off." He turned his back toward them. "If you get in my way again, it won’t just end with a burn."

  He made his way down the stairs. A sigh of relief overcame him when he noticed Ayona not following, and instead she gave Dezira a disappointed look.

  As expected. She couldn’t risk other people's lives trying to fight me.

  Wet, skittering footsteps suddenly echoed deep beneath them. Causing Hezekiah to freeze. Unidentifiable snarls sharply echoed off the walls as the tumultuous noise of clattering grew louder and more invasive, sending a reverberating quiver throughout the nurse’s skin.

  Without thinking, she latched onto Ayona’s leather jacket. "You b–better not leave me!" Although her voice was shaky, the determination in her grip showed no sign of letting go.

  "Ha! Only in my nightmares!" she declared while shooting her a fat slap on the back, Dezira coughed, shocked that a casual gesture carried much force. "But unhand me, woman! Want me to fight handicap!?"

  Hezekiah rocked his fist against the wall as the mounting noise of beasts grew closer by the second.

  Damn it! Fck—I wasted too much time. This was exactly what I was trying to avoid.

  As the stain of frustration streaked his mind, he weighed his current options.

  If I use my flames, the nurse behind me is toast. But escaping them may not be possible.

  A slithering thought of the blade woman flickered—but he immediately shot down any idea concerning her.

  She stepped beside him with her hands locked behind her, humphing at his dissatisfied gaze.

  "If you request nicely, I won’t mind lending a hand."