Ch5

It's been several weeks by now, and things had been going rather smoothly. Shaquille's decision to settle on one gender in human standards had made so many things easier, especially as there were so many things he didn't remember before he was sealed into ice.

The Head Researcher, though he was very curious about the Fae's body structure and functions, not much could be gleaned from taking samples from the living Fae himself, as his basic structure was different by nature. The moment a part of him was cut, it immediately dissipates, 'returning to nature,' he said.

"Every part of me is made of Manna, so it's natural for it to return to Manna. Just as you humans 'return to Earth' once you die."

His gaze when he said that was so innocent, like a child's, it was somewhat painful for Charles. His heart felt as if it was being squeezed as he remembered her.

"It's not your fault, Charles," his brother had told him, "it was her choice."

Using a hand to massage his aching heart, he exhaled. He missed her. He missed her so, so much.

There was a knock on the door leading to the lab room he was in, breaking him from his reverie. "Charles?"

A head peeked in, the silver hair glitter under the fluorescent laboratory light, gold-silver eyes gleaming, as if they could see right through his heart.

"The Head Researcher is asking for you," he stated.

"I see… Tell him that I'll be there in a mo'," Charles replied as he went back to archiving his research progress for that day. Shaquille shook his head.

"He's here."

"What?" Charles froze, his eyes widening.

"He got… impatient?"

No sooner had he said that, a familiar figure burst into the room. "Let's just cut to the chase, I have a mission for you," the Head Researcher said with a gleam in his eyes.

"Alright…?" Charles said cautiously. There was something unnerving about the way his eyes twinkled, he was somewhat certain that this mission wasn't something he'd like anyway.

"Well, long story short, I want Shaquille to go out and interact with zombies, and I'd like you to go with him and note down all your observations. You both will be going with a mercenary team, of course. I can't let my research subject and researcher be endangered in the field."

That last part, he added after he saw how quickly blood drained from Charles' face.

"Go… and interact with zombies?! Are you crazy-- no, you must have some sort of reason for this…"

"You're not wrong," the Head Researcher said in an amused tone. He knew just how much Charles hated being in contact with zombies, especially with what happened with… her. But according to his observations, Shaquille is far more comfortable around Charles than anyone else in the research building at this current moment. Maybe it's because of some sort of imprinting, since he was the first person the Fae saw after all, but he could see how relaxed Shaquille is around Charles.

So, no matter how much he'd love to be the one observing him in the field, he had to hold back. This was all for the sake of research, after all.

The Head Researcher cleared his throat loudly, before he started, "Well."

----

Earlier, as he brought Shaquille around the part of the building that handled zombies, in parts or as a whole, the Fae had looked around in curiosity.

"These are… zombies?" he inquired, head tilted.

"Yes. We aren't entirely sure why and how they mutated. There weren't any indication at all, but one day, a researcher suddenly mutated. Well, we were determined to turn him into a test subject after his mutation, to find out what caused it. We tried to develop something like a cure for the mutation, but it all ended up in failure, and we lost many valuable researchers that month.

"Then, somehow, one day, one of the zombies mutated even further--and escaped. It was far stronger than we anticipated, and it successfully escaped. Its' escape was the beginning of the apocalypse."

"... But you're all still researching zombies right now," Shaquille stated. He knew how the apocalypse happened, but what he didn't know was why these people, despite knowing that there was no cure for zombification, still persisted in researching it.

"Well, it's more of a personal curiosity, to be honest," the Head Researcher smiled, scratching his head bashfully.

"Most of us researchers in the main Research Building are very curious about these zombies. Why do they mutate so suddenly? Why is it that they, as the undead, could function as if they're living, albeit acting on their most primal instincts? It's a whole new world of wonder for us."

Shaquille decided then and there that the human mind is way too complex that even humans themselves couldn't understand it. But it did pique his curiosity, as the Manna he absorbed did record something abnormal about the way the mutation happened.

He would be lying if he said that he didn't want to know the particulars of what the Manna recorded. His curiosity might possibly rival the researchers'.

Seeing the curious light in the Fae's eyes, the Head Researcher chuckled and offered, "Would you like to observe these zombies at a closer distance?"

Wanting to satisfy his curiosity, Shaquille nodded.

They walked towards a cage filled with zombies that had been sedated somehow, that their movements were very, very sluggish. As soon as he got close, Shaquille felt something odd. These zombies felt familiar somehow, like something about them tugs at his very being. Deciding that just wondering about it wouldn't solve anything, he got closer to them.

The Head Researcher was prepared to pull back the Fae before anything happened to him, when he realized that the zombies… were acting oddly. It was as if they were attracted to the Fae himself, but not in an aggressive way. Maybe it was the sedatives? He wondered to himself.

Stretching out his hand to touch one of the zombies, the feeling got stronger. Why was that? Just as his skin came into contact with the zombie--

It disintegrated, bit by bit, their bodies deteriorating quickly, and Manna came out. Widening his eyes in disbelief, Shaquille looked at his hand.

Why was there so much chaotic Manna in them? Not to mention that the chaotic Manna was making the zombie unstable enough that they'd lost all power with just a touch from the Fae.

"This is… interesting," both Fae and Researcher said at the same time, their tones in sync.

Laughing, the Head Researcher asked him what happened, and the Fae explained to him about the chaotic Manna imbalance in the zombie.

A few zombies later, they could firmly conclude that the zombies were a result of chaotic Manna imbalance, a concept that humans, demi-Fae, and Fae couldn't fully understand.

Most living beings would naturally create a balanced amount of Order and Chaotic Manna. Then why was it that the Chaotic Manna is abnormally abundant in zombies?

They needed more research about this.

----

"And that's how we decided that we're sending Shaquilled to the field," the Head Researcher concluded. Charles looked at both Fae and human in front of him and sighed.

"Since it's a mission from you, boss," he said in a rather dejected way. Well, he wasn't about to complain, as at the very least there'd be a trusted mercenary group acting as their bodyguard on their outing.

"Alright, we'll be scheduling it for around next week, as the merchants we're hiring could only come at that time."

"Got it."

After a while more of briefing, the Head Researcher waved his hand and left him to rest. Both human and Fae looked at each other for a moment.

"Are you… sure that you'd want to go to an outing?" Charles asked in an uncertain tone.

"I'm certain," the Fae nodded. "Besides, Sam volunteered to come with."

"S-Sam, huh..."

Then he didn't have any complaints, as Sam was one of the strongest people out there these days, second only to his brother, he added that last part in his heart.

"Well, let's rest up and start preparing tomorrow."

With a sound of affirmation, Shaquille laid on top of his bed and pondered on what happened when he touched that zombie.

Why was that energy so… familiar?