Chapter 69: A Complicated Emotion (2)
"You..." Ren voice was scarily rough. After a few breaths, he managed to say to Kestrel, "You go out first... and lock the door."
He felt his control slipping away and his energy fading. He was losing not only his physical strength but also control over his body, a situation he had never faced before.
Ren didn’t know if he might do something horrible. He was scared that he would hurt the person nearby when he lost control, and even more scared that he would show some ugly form in front of her.
He was determined not to show her his embarrassing state. The last thing he wanted was for her to see him in such a sorry condition.
"Please leave, I beg you," he wanted to say, but sadly he found he couldn’t talk normally.
His mouth opened and closed, producing only a few weak sounds from his throat. His voice was unrecognizable, scarily quiet, and his body felt like it was melting.
Ren’s mind was in turmoil. His psychic sea turned into countless green ice crystals, whirling and tumbling wildly. His psychic incarnation seemed torn into pieces and his body felt as though it was melting into a puddle of water.
A powerful emptiness held him, his heart dropping into an infinite abyss as he was made to float, arms and legs spread out, in the air. His skin was super sensitive, a hidden fire burning him from inside. He couldn’t fight it; he couldn’t even lift a finger.
Ren closed his eyes.
Despite what Ren had said, Kestrel locked the door behind them and started searching through various bottles and containers in the room. Finally, she found a scanner and some antidotes. Thankfully, besides the torment devices, the room also held antidotes, probably for emergencies.
Holding Ren’s hanging hand that was dangling over the side of the bed, she took a small sample of his blood. His hand was shaking, hot to touch, and every touch seemed to send him into shivers.
The moment Kestrel touched him, Ren’s eyelashes fluttered and his eyes shot open. He stared at the ceiling in confusion, mouth opening and closing as he tried to talk, but all that came out were meaningless moans. His voice, usually so firm, was tender and gentle, barely recognizable.
Kestrel couldn’t understand what he was saying, and neither could her tendrils. The information they shared was conflicting—Ren seemed to both desperately want Kestrel to leave and to stay, at the same time.
Ignoring his confusion, Kestrel tested the blood sample, found the right antidote, and gave Ren a large dose via injection. She had seen Ren’s condition on the scanner, so she used the maximum dosage.
Kestrel waited a while. Ren seemed to get a bit better. His shaking shoulders relaxed and he regained his focus, finally able to recognize people.
His hair was wet with sweat, his skin still hot. He looked at Kestrel with sorrowful eyes.
The medicine hadn’t completely neutralized the substance Rojo had injected. Those people never cared about others’ lives or health.
Kestrel remembered that Ren had once stood against a wall, unfazed even though his legs were broken. Despite his body’s intense reaction, he was still able to lay on the beach and smile at her.
But now, a small syringe had completely taken him down. He didn’t even have the strength to lift a finger, looking at her with a helpless, sorrowful look.
Kestrel unlocked Ren’s handcuff and helped him up. Her tendrils obediently assisted, none of them misbehaving in the process.
Together, they carried the weakened man to the bathroom and settled him into the bathtub.
To prevent the overly weak Ren from drowning, Kestrel cuffed one of his arms to the bathroom wall’s pole.
She turned on the shower, set it to cold water, and looked at the frail man leaning against the wall for confirmation.
He nodded at her, gratitude in his eyes.
The shower door closed, and the sound of water spraying filled the room.
...
Kestrel found herself sitting on the couch outside. It took her a while to gather her thoughts. After the chaos had settled, each detail of the recent events started to become sharper in her mind. Ren’s dazed look, his damp lips, the shaking fingertips, the sweat-soaked strands of hair on his forehead, his strained voice, his helpless gaze...
Maybe it was because of the sweet-smelling incense in the room, but Kestrel could taste a sugary flavor in each memory she replayed. It was as if the air was filled with a tempting sweetness, enticing her to taste it.
The tendrils were quieter than ever. These usually talkative creatures had fallen into a silent state. As a result, the only voice echoing in Kestrel’s mind was Ren’s. It was eerily real and hard to ignore.
As she licked her lips, Kestrel felt an odd sense of hunger, even though she had eaten plenty of cake and sweets at the party. She should have been full. But somehow, she felt a deep craving, a hunger that yearned for something sweet.
Malenia’s house was extremely lavish. Every nook and cranny, from the lights to the furniture, was set up to create a dreamy and sensual atmosphere. This small room was decorated with an old-fashioned bed, silk curtains, and gleaming crystals on the ceiling, creating a mirror-like surface that reflected the person below.
What was even more unsettling was that the shower room walls were all made of foggy glass. It was only now that Kestrel realized she could clearly see the shadow cast on the glass from where she sat.
Kestrel felt a wave of unfamiliar feelings deep inside, a mix of worry, restlessness, and regret, all too complex for her to comprehend. She knew she shouldn’t turn around, and she was holding back her tendrils, not letting them move freely.
The sound of running water lasted a long time, as if it was trying to drown out something else. Water droplets trickled down the foggy glass, revealing only a dark shadow.
Ren sat under the cascade of water, one slender arm lifted and cuffed to the wall. His head was bowed, not making a sound, his other hand hidden under water.
Even the sound of water from the showerhead had a tempting rhythm to it.
The sweet smell in the room became even more intoxicating.
