Last Experiment
{4:00 AM}
"Thanks for accepting my request, Mr. Logan and Elin."
"No problem, but dad will be the one to do it, while me, here just to heal." Elin replied.
"Yeah, I know." Shin looks around. "But… is it okay to do it here?"
"Hmm? Why not?"
"Eh… we're at the top…"
"What is the problem with it?"
"...well, it's high."
"Wait, are you perhaps scared of heights?"
"No, it's just–"
I was about to reason, but Mr. Logan suddenly and finally talked after he was quiet for I don't know why since he arrived here.
"It's just normal to be scared at this high." Mr. Logan said, then looked at Elin. "Elin, Shin is just new here."
"Right, sorry."
After she apologizes, Mr. Logan looks at me. "You, I don't like what you're making my daughter do."
"I'm really sorry about that, sir. I know it's wrong, and I still requested it."
He sighed. "Let's just forget it."
"Being that aside, I didn't expect that there's a rooftop here."
"What did you expect?" Elin asked.
"I mean, a hotel that has a 100th floor height, I thought that the top would be just a normal roof since it's that high. And having a rooftop, what if someone accidentally falls from here?"
"What are you scared about? This area is really wide, you know?"
"But, what if the guests try to sit at the edge?"
Seeing me worrying about this, Mr. Logan spoke. "Don't worry about that, no guests have ever gone to this area before except us the staff."
"No guests? How can they not go in here? It's literally just taking the stairs from the 100th floor."
"Yeah, the way here is not that hidden."
"Then how can no guest be able to go here?"
"That thing I don't know. Even the staff floor, our floor, no guest can get there."
"Huh? Isn't the elevator just one way?"
"Yes, but none of the guests can go up here. There's no sign or blockade to get here, and still none of the guests are able to get here."
"That's weird…"
"It is."
After we talk of how weird the hotel is, Elin is being impatient. "Dad, Shin! Can you guys stop with the wonder mystery of the Libertate hotel and just start the experiment?!"
"Wonder mystery?" I asked.
"That's what they called it." Mr. Logan answered.
"Let's just start already!" Elin shouted.
"Looks like Elin is really impatient now. Then, Shin, can you tell us what to do so we can start now?"
"Alright then, I know Elin already knows what to do, and I assume that she already told you as well, but I'm still going to explain it from the beginning." I took a big breath. "As you guys know, my ability was regeneration–"
"Wait!" I was in the middle of explaining and then suddenly Mr. Logan stopped me.
"Does something matter, Mr. Logan?" I asked.
"About your ability, are you sure to tell that to us?"
"I trust both of you, so I don't mind telling it to you guys."
"Shin, that mindset is no good in this world. Yes, trust is for making a good relationship, but it's also the worst poison to ourselves. So, don't just trust carelessly."
"I understand what you meant…" since the only friend I have betrayed me. "But my intuition was you guys are trustworthy."
"Haah… you never learn."
Elin taps Mr. Logan's arm.
"Aint that good enough? He trusts us." Elin said to her dad.
"But trusting too much is a–"
"Then is the trust between you and mom also a lie?"
"...don't talk about your mom like that."
"I'm not at all." Elin noticed me. "Oh, Shin, sorry, you were waiting for us?"
"Not at all."
"...have you heard what dad and i are talking about?"
"Actually… yes. It's about your mom or something, right?"
"Yeah… it's a long story."
To break the atmosphere. "Shall we continue the experiment." I said.
"Right." Mr. Logan said.
"Yeah." Elin said.
"Then I should continue my explanation." I took a big breath. "This experiment is to know what condition of my ability. I already have some results, and it resulted in normal regeneration."
"Wait, if you have already gotten a result, then why need another experiment? And what is something to do with others wounding you?" Elin asked.
"Good question, the reason is the experiments I've been doing at first were just self hurting and the result was, it got healed. In that experiment I learned the condition; that my ability has a limit, it is based on how much energy I have, and so I need to eat to replenish my energy."
"Is that why you got hungry yesterday when you woke up?" Elin asked.
"Precisely." I answered.
"If you have that result, then why do you still need to get hurt by me?" Mr. Logan asked.
"Like I said, the experiment I'm doing back then was just me hurting myself. So, to be different, right now, you are the one who will hurt me instead."
"Isn't it just going to be the same outcome as the first one, if you get wounded?"
"We still don't know if it's the same if we didn't try."
"But, it's still a wound regardless of who will do it."
"Dad, just stop complaining, so that we can start already!" Elin said to her dad.
"Right, sorry." he switched his gaze from Elin to me. "Shin, continue."
"It's okay now, that's all the explanation." I pause. "Then now, we will start the experiment. So Mr. Logan, can you bring out your knife now?"
"Knife?"
"Didn't I tell you guys to bring a knife?"
"You didn't tell me anything."
"Wait, I remember that I told it to Elin yesterday…"
I look at Elin.
"Ehehe… sorry, I seem to forget it." She said.
"You really forgot it…" I sighed. "Wait just a second, i should go to the kitchen and grab one."
I was thinking of getting one from the kitchen, but before taking a step, Mr. Logan stopped me.
"Don't bother getting one now, we're already here." He said.
"Then what will we use?"
"I have an idea."
"What?"
"Lend me your hand."
"My hand?"
"Yes, your hand."
I don't know why he needs my hand, but for some reason I felt déjà vu. And I just lent my left hand.
Snap!
"Huh?..."
"We don't need a knife, we can just do this." He said.
"aaaaAAAAAAAA!"
Shin shouted out of pain. The familiarity he felt was right. His arm was like a stick that snapped as soon as he lent his hand to Logan. The pain he was feeling right now was more painful than the wounding and breaking he did before because he's not ready for it. Furthermore, he's trying not to touch his arm because he didn't want it to make it worse and wait for it to regenerate.
"AAAA! It's not healing!"
"Dad! Why did you do that to Shin suddenly?"
Elin immediately runs towards Shin and starts healing him.
"Dad, just don't do that out of nowhere!"
"Sorry… I thought that he was going to self-heal. But I didn't expect it to fail."
"Even so, why didn't you tell him beforehand?!"
"Sorry."
Shin's scream was toning down, and his arm was slowly fixed by Elin's healing.
"Are you okay now?" Elin asked Shin.
"Yea…"
"Sorry for what my dad did."
"No, it's okay. I just didn't expect that coming. And I already told you guys that Mr. Logan will do that hurting, so, it's not his fault." After his arm completely healed, he went close to Logan. "I hadn't expected that my ability didn't work today, meaning when I'm doing it and others doing it are different." I sighed. "It seems this is going to be painful before I get some results, but even so, Mr. Logan, let's continue the experiment."
"Are you sure about this?" Mr. Logan asked me.
"Yes."
"But Shin, your ability is not working, means your wounds will be there! Aren't we supposed to stop this?!" Elin said.
"Even though my ability is not working, we still continue. And aren't you here, right?" I look at her. "Can I count on you?"
"But–..." She was about to say something, but she suddenly stopped and looked at me for a second. "I understood. You can count on me."
"Thanks." After saying that to her, I looked at Mr. Logan. "Then, Mr. Logan, let's continue."
"Alright."
And so the final experiment has begun.
…
Snap!
Snap!
Snap!
How many times we did it. The many times that my arm breaks and never regenerates…
Healed.
Healed.
Healed.
All the breaking but healed by Elin.
Panting.
Panting.
Panting.
The continuing of trial and error makes us tired.
…
"Hey, can we stop this already?" Mr. Logan asked.
"W-why?"
"Look at my daughter, she is already exhausted using her ability. At this rate, her ability will stop working."
"I… I still can keep going…" Elin said.
"..." I pause a bit. "C-can we still go on just a bit further?"
"I'm still okay…" Elin answered, but she looked exhausted.
"..." Mr. Logan pauses. "...fine."
"Alright, let's continue." I said, then lend my hand–
👊
Suddenly, Logan punches Shin.
"Ouch." Shin said then spit his tooth.
"Dad!" Elin shouted, but weakly.
"Why punch now? I accidentally bit my lip." Shin said.
"Sorry, I was trying to knock you out." Logan replied.
"Why though?"
"I want to end this. My daughter is already tired, I'm already tired, and you… you're already tired…"
Shin had a realization. "Right, I'm tired… Let's end it here."
Elin slowly went towards Shin. "Shin, let me heal you. I know my ability can never grow back your teeth, but let me ease that pain."
"No, it's okay…" Shin notices that the pain is gone and suddenly the tooth he spat immediately went back to his mouth. "Huh?"
"Huh?" Elin was surprised as well.
"What just happened?" Logan asked.
"M…my tooth regenerated…"
"Regenerate? That thing?" Elin asked.
"Yea, that's how my regeneration works."
"But, it just went back there, isn't that dirty?" Elin grabs his jaw. "Open your mouth, let me see."
"AAA."
Elin looked at it. "Huh? It's completely clean, like it's brand new."
"That's how my generation works. The part of me that was taken out from me will come back to me like it's new." Shin pauses. "But why does my ability work just right now?" After thinking about it, he decided to try again. "Mr. Logan, let's try again."
"Huh, but you're already tired."
"Please just once."
"...alright." Logan agreed and punched Shin once again.
👊
"Ouch, it really hurts, now my nose is bleeding. Then we shall wait."
⌛
They waited, but nothing happened.
"W-why didn't it work this time?... I don't understand." Shin speaking.
"Maybe it's based on the mood?" Logan said.
Elin was in deep thought and then suddenly she called Shin. "Shin."
"Yea…?" Shin was a little depressed.
"Didn't you say, your first experiment was self harm, right?"
"Yea…"
"Then, can you do that again?"
"Elin!" Logan shouted.
"I really don't mind." Shin said, then without hesitation he broke his finger.
And to their surprise, the finger was regenerated.
"Huh?" Shin was shocked.
"So I was right." Elin said.
"Right? About what?" Shin asked.
"Didn't you tell me that your first experiment was self harm?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Then, have you wondered when you were hurting yourself, your ability was working."
"Yeah…" Shin realized it. "So, when I'm hurting myself, will my regeneration turn on?"
"Yea, and that's why earlier when you bite your lip, your ability works."
Shin looks at Logan. "Mr. Logan, break my arm again."
"...alright, but the one I will break was your finger instead."
"Okay."
And so, Logan broke Shin finger. Next, after breaking, Shin bite his lip.
Like Elin theorized, Shin's broken finger gets healed when he hurts himself.
"I see, so that's how." Shin said. "Elin and Mr. Logan, thank you for the help."
"No problem." Elin said.
"We're glad to help." Logan said.