Determination

It would not surprise him if they tortured him, but all they could do was ask questions due to Kiryu and Lila watching the entire time.

It still felt odd for him to sit in an interrogation room normally used for criminals. Lila didn't like it very much either, but she quietened down when they agreed to her request to watch.

"So, it's because I slept with Lila? It's not harmful?" Haruka wanted to make sure.

'I cannot afford to have any problems now. I want to be at full strength if a major fight broke out.'

The odd thing is Sophia, Sophia should have learned that he returned to Japan with Lila. She should know he has his memories back too. What is she planning? He felt very uneasy, not knowing what she is up to.

"It's not; at most, it simply strengthens your hanyou powers for a brief moment of time. The longest anybody can go with this enhanced strength seems to be half a day. But perhaps if it is you, you can last longer."

"I need to learn to control it first." Haruka trailed off and sighed. "It hurts like hell."

Zane chuckled. "That is only because you are not used to it. You seldom activated your powers in the past."

"You're the one who gave me that suppression medication." Haruka paused and recalled something. "Did you get the ingredients?"

"I did; we can start working on it right away."

Lila hides it very well, but he heard her pained cries the last two weeks during the night. He would send a message to Kiryu and ask him reluctantly to stay with her. 'If I could move my body as I wished, there would have been no need.'

"That stench of death, is it truly a foreshadowing that she will die?"

"I am afraid so. I told you when we first met; the most one can do is prolong their lifespan by sleeping with another being of darkness. Their body will not corrode, and they can die a normal way, but they cannot avoid death."

Right, that is why Zane wanted Lila. But, he recalled that medication he made for Zane. "It seems to have worked on you, that medicine."

"Yes, but there were some side effects. I do not think you want Lila-san to experience such things."

"Of course, I don't."

He does not like the idea of her being in pain in any form. "I just need to tweak it a little."

A little? Hah, he already knew he had his work cut out for him. But he wants to stop her from suffering.

….

He and Zane work on several medications from dawn to dusk for several nights. However, he asked if he could step out to check on Lila on the fourth night. Kiryu said he would be busy working on something for a while. There will be nobody by Lila's side when she is in pain. Zane agreed, and he quickly headed to the room.

Haruka opened the door slowly when he saw the lights were not on. Is she sleeping already? But even if she is sleeping, she will still feel the pain.

He entered the darkroom and found her tossing and turning on the bed with her hand on her stomach. There were traces of blood on the bedsheets, indicating how many times she coughed out blood.

He rushed over with a bottle in his hands and immediately made her drink the contents. Haruka slowly patted her back as she coughed.

The color gradually returned to her face, but it was a temporary solution. It always was. She will still experience some pain, and that smell of death won't go away. The smell does not bother him, no matter what she smells like - it always seemed like he was smelling flowers.

"Easy there."

Lila wrapped her arms around his neck, and he felt a sharp but dull pain. He knew that she was always very careful whenever she drank from him in the past. Even though as a hanyou, it must be hard to control her desires towards him.

'Then again, it is probably because the connection between Kiryu and her is stil-' She bit harsher, and he winced in pain.

Geez, alright, he is sorry. He needs to be careful since she can read his thoughts right now.

After a few minutes, the girl stopped drinking and drew back, her cheeks puffed into a pout as she sat crossed legs with a pillow on her lap.

"Look, it was just a passing thought. It's not like before."

He honestly wasn't going to sink into depression. In the past, he often did, but the situation has changed now.

Lila stared at him for a few minutes before she shifted over and buried her face in his chest. "Were you with Zane again?"

"Mmm, working on that medicine. It should help you and mother-in-law."

But he will tweak it, no make a lot of changes. According to what Zane said, it works, but the side effects are terrible. 'Delirium and hallucinations.' He can't allow Lila to go through that.

Lila played with his shirt buttons and frowned. "It's hard to take off if you button it to the top."

Haruka laughed. "I learned how to do this; shouldn't you praise me?"

"But now I can't see what I want."

If she is sulking like this, she must have regained her energy a little. Haruka cupped her cheeks and brushed their foreheads together. "Are you sure you are feeling better?"

"I do still feel sick, but it's better. Thank you."

"Don't push yourself too much."

"Why did you come tonight? Is Kiryu busy?" Haruka sensed her conceding tone, and his sweat fell.

He still can't get used to this ice queen behavior of hers.

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone. It's just hard to work on the medication when it is light out."

After all, it is a medication that intends to cure the harmful part of the darkness. Naturally, he can get better results at night. But unfortunately, this is the time when Lila experiences pain.

"I would rather you leave me alone. Why did you send Kiryu to me?"

"You were in pain." Haruka thought that would be enough to appease her, but Lila sighed.

"It is not like I don't get it, Haruka. But you should understand the current situation. Kiryu is not going to get over me if you keep providing him chances like that."

Right she does make a point there. He has been far too busy and caught up on making the medication, so he did not think it through. Moreover, since he regained his memories, his personalities merged, and his jealousy towards Kiryu has completely vanished.

He still feels some petty emotions, but it's not something hostile, unlike before.

Speaking of Kiryu, Haruka told Lila about what happened a few days ago and a dark aura wrapped around her.

"That is so insensitive."

"Zane insists that Rosalia was quote genuinely in love with Kiryu."