Chapter 21: Strong Bond

Inside Clay's building, Alecia and Aven walk through the lit hallways.

The narrow passage has Aven walking at a steady pace in front of her. She watches each side of the hallway. All she can think about is the enclosed space around her. Looking over her shoulder, she watches as the door gets smaller; the front entrance that separates her from the outside.

"Is there something bothering you?" Aven's voice snaps her attention away from it.

"Don't you feel uneasy about this place?" She said, staring ahead at him.

"What happened to you?" Aven said, slightly turning his head, with his gaze now over his shoulder. His words causes her to have a puzzled look on her face.

"You have gone soft I see." He concluded his statement, and stares ahead as they both stop at the end of the hallway. She glares at him for a moment

Alecia walks out of the passage, only to stand next to him. Before them, a long table, and a chair, stands in front of them. Above it, is a large blackboard.

Curved around it, are two short staircases that connect to each other. She hears a buzzing noise among the instruments on the table. Patterns are sketched along the blackboard itself.

"You must remember, I'm not your pupil anymore." Alecia said, stepping towards the table. Aven watches her with a puzzled look on his face.

She picks up a tool and looks at it before putting it down, and picks up another, which has a blue handle on, with a trigger.

"Whatever I do, or feel, is not your con-." Just then, she lets out a gasp and steps back as a small device, project's a blue holographic man. Void of any features of its appearance.

"Hologram?" Aven said, stepping towards it with a narrowed look in his eyes.

"Greetings, Clay." The hologram said, it's voice having a digital tone to it.

"You have no new messages at this time."

The hologram disappears, leaving Alecia, staring into space for a moment.

"That was strange." Alecia said, looking at Aven with a frown.

"Let's go." He said, walking to the one staircase, and steps up.

She stares at him for a moment, only to start walking to the staircase on the opposite side.

The both of them meet behind the blackboard, and continue on towards the two doors ahead.

He opens the one door, and walks in, followed by her.

Alecia steps inside into a large, dark room. Only to see a silhouette of a man sitting on a chair in front of a bright screen, muttering quietly to himself.

Manicans are seen standing along the curve of the walls. Both male, and female.

If Alecia felt uneasy before, this only made it worse. The blank stare within their lifeless eyes. She looks ahead of herself, only to feel as though she's being watched by them.

Aven stops walking, and stands with her.

"He doesn't seem to know we're here." He said, only for her to look at him with her eyes narrowed.

"Yes..." The man said. His voice, sounding clear, and calm.

"I am aware of your presence, Aven."

"Oh." Aven said, as his voice trails off. Alecia looks at him, and looks ahead once more.

"I believe..." The young man, pauses.

"You brought a friend with you."

Aven slightly turns his head with his eyes fixed ahead.

"You can say I did." He said, narrowing his eyes.

"The Empress' sibling." The young man said.

"Health deteriorating. Informed that you're in need of assistance from me..." He pauses, and stands himself up from the chair, still with his back facing them.

"A vaccine is required for your condition."

"The empress told you already?" Aven said frowning with a puzzled look in her eyes.

"Indeed..." He said, looking over his shoulder at them.

Alecia gasps with a wide-eyed look. The man standing before her, one of his eyes. Glowing red. The light from it dilates, and constricts itself.

"But your guards outside." Aven said, still calm in his composure.

"They told us that you-"

"They are ignorant..." The man interrupts, and faces them.

"They are not there to know anything."

Alecia looks at Aven, and notices how calm, collected he is. This isn't the first time they've met.

He walks to the one side of the wall. Just then, a switch is heard, followed by the lights illuminating the room.

Alecia widens her eyes in awe at what she's seeing. His one eye, completely cybernetic, with visible veins around the socket under his skin . His hair, short, brunette, and groomed back.

"Don't be startled by my..." He said, slowly walking towards them, his hands behind his back, and with his gaze fixed on Alecia. His red eye zooms in on her.

"Appearance..." He stands before her.

Alecia frowns while looking up at him.

"No. I'm not." She said, now averting her eyes.

"Just... surprised."

He chuckles with a smirk.

"What do they call you?" He asked, slightly tilting his head.

"Alecia." She said, looking up at him with a worrisome look in her eyes. His presence; it sends uncomfortable feelings throughout her being.

"What a delightful name." He said, stepping aside, and slowly walks around her back.

Alecia gazes down at the floor, her eyes averting to the one side. She starts to frown, as her hands clinches into fists.

"Platinum hair..." He said, gently holding strands of it between his fingers, only for it to slide off as he continues to step around her. Alecia could feel pressure building up in her chest, however, trying not to lose control, she keeps it bottled for now. She must remember, he might be able to help her.

"What an interesting patient you are..." He said, standing on front of her once more with a slight smile.

"Clay, stop it." Aven said stepping forward with an irritated look in his eyes. Just then, a feeling of relief showers over her.

"Don't be a spoil." Clay said, looking at him.

"Are you going to help her, or not?" Aven said, frowning with his jaw clinched.

"The Empress asked me herself." Clay said, looking at Alecia now.

"So I intend on fulfilling her wishes."

"So..." Aven said, slightly gesturing his hands up.

"Then get to it, already."

"Patience is a virtue, Aven." Clay answered him.

"Stay still." He looks directly at her, only for his eye to scan a holographic grid along her body, from head, to toe.

"Intriguing..." He said, turning away from her, and slowly steps towards the screen before him.

Alecia stares at him for a moment, with a curious look in her eyes.

"What is?" She asked, with a calm tone in her voice.

"You..." He said, standing in front of the screen, and moves his hand near his face, the same side of his artificial eye.

"Whatever is lurking within your body, it's spreading rapidly." He twists his hand, and takes out his artifical eye, and places it in a console beside the screen.

"Do you think you can help me?" Alecia asked, with a worrisome look, as if she's preparing to hear bad news.

The screen starts projecting an anatomy image of a female body, with lines of text loading in next to it.

"I need to take a blood sample from you." He said, opening the draw of the desk, and brings out a metal container, and opens it. Only for him to take out a syringe.

"For your sake, I can make a few vaccines for you." He takes out his eye from the console, and places it back in his skull.

"Until I can find a cure, that is."

"So you get my blood, then what?" Alecia said, stepping towards him.

"How long would it take to make one antidote?"

Clay turns his head, and looks over his shoulder. His artificial eye staring at her.

"Only after I draw your blood, is when we'll know." He said, facing her. "So..." He raises the syringe, and smiles slightly.

"Let's get to it."

-

Alecia is seated on a chair, now wearing a non-sleeve top. with Clay standing next to her. He moves the syringe closer to her arm, where a vein is barely visible, only for the needle to enter it.

Aven walks to the desk with a plate of snacks, "Here, Alecia." He said, only for him to place it down.

"Thank you." Alecia said, smiling up at him.

"It's good that you're not afraid of needles." Clay said, pulling the syringe as blood is seen building up within it.

Alecia looks down, and watches as the syringe extracts her blood.

"There's no point in being afraid of a little prick." She said, turning to Aven, who's now standing, arms crossed against the one pillar.

She forms a slight smile while staring at him, only for him to smile back at her. Which sends a warm feeling in her chest.

"That's good." Clay said, as he continues to pull the syringe, urging Alecia to look at it.

"It makes it less stressful that way."

The syringe completely fills with blood. He takes it out of her arm, only to place a soft white material over it.

"Did you really need so much?" She said, holding the bud over her arm. She watches him, as he stares at the syringe.

"Yes." He said, flicking it, only to slowly walk towards the one table.

"There is a lot of trial, and error where it comes to this."

"Alecia..." Aven said, which causes her to look his way.

"You must eat." He said, with a stern look in his eyes.

"Alright." She said, grabbing a slice from the plate, and takes a bite.

Her eyes widens as she chews.

After a moment, and swollows, only to pick up the plate, and gestures it to Aven.

"Want one?" She asked.

Aven twists his lips for a moment, only to step towards her.

"Why not." He said, picking a slice up.

He takes a bite, and nods at her.

"It's good."

She smiles, and places the plate back on the table. She takes the bud off her arm, now stained with blood, only to place in a container next to her.

Aven stares down at her, holding the brown slice near his mouth. He gazes down at the floor for a moment, only to look at her once more with a saddened look on his face.

"I really missed you, Alecia." He said, which urges her to turn away from the screen to look at him.

She stares at him for a moment, noticing his saddened face. Her lips twist into a slight smile.

"I missed you too, Aven." She said, and sees him smile back at her, only for him to avert his eyes.

"Are you alright?" She asked him with a worrisome look on her face. She can see something is bothering him.

Aven shakes his head slightly.

"No..." He said, and pauses. His eyes staring blankly.

"I mean, yes... It's just..." He looks down at the floor, and let's out a sigh.

"When you were gone. When I thought you were dead."

He gazes down at her, with a troubling look in his eyes.

"Your sister wasn't the only one grieving for you." He continued. Only for his eyes to twinkle, and averts his gaze.

"Just wanted you to know that." He turns to her, and avoids eye-contact.

Alecia stares up at him, with a compassionate look in her eyes.

"Aven..." She said, with a gentle tone in her voice, which urges him to look at her.

"It's okay." She slightly nods with a slight smile on her face. She slightly tilts her head.

"I'm here now."

Aven smiles slightly, while slowly nodding. He averts his gaze as his smile fades, only to let out a sigh.

"Just going to..." He said clearing his throat, and moves one foot forward.

"I'll go see what he's doing." He concluded, and takes a bite from the slice, only to walk towards Clay.

Alecia smiles slightly as she watches Aven, walk towards Clay. Only her to look at the brown slice within her hand, and takes another bite.