Chapter 21: Tails

Eli looked through the walls of the hospital room, his eyes locking onto the detective seated across the hall. It wasn't hard to see him—his body was lit up like a Christmas tree, with strange lines of spiraling energy extending from his back, moving around him in rhythmic waves. Eli had initially thought the detective might be connected to the person he had drawn in his notebook years ago, but he never felt any hostility from the man. If anything, the detective seemed unaware of his power, sleeping peacefully in the chair.

Now was Eli's chance to figure things out. Slowly, he grabbed a bottle of water from the table beside him and stood up, feeling a bit dizzy but quickly steadying himself. Instinctively, he disconnected the IV. Normally, he would need sage or some other tool to strip water of its essences before using it for an experiment, but this guy's energy was so strong that Eli thought he could work with it.

He approached the detective, careful not to wake him. Holding the bottle of water, Eli waved it around the man, drawing the spiraling essences into the liquid. To anyone else, it would've looked like Eli was just playing with water, but he could see the essence slow down as it passed through the bottle. The water changed before his eyes, glowing faintly with an orange-yellow hue. He smiled—step one was complete.

Eli then headed to the nurses' break room and put the bottle in the fridge. Timing is everything, he reminded himself, making a mental note of when he started. After an hour of waiting, Eli opened the fridge again. He was tired of waiting, but the experiment was progressing as planned. A few nurses had come in during the wait, wondering what he was up to. Some even tried to take him back to his room, but he refused, insisting on staying.

The water wasn't frozen yet—good. The essence was still present. If it had frozen solid, he would've had to start over. Taking the bottle out, Eli shook it gently. Almost immediately, ice crystals began to form inside. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

It always amazed him—freezing something took energy from it, yet water still needed energy to turn into ice. He unscrewed the bottle and carefully poured the liquid into a small glass vial. To anyone watching, it still looked like water, but Eli knew better. What went into the vial wasn't water anymore—it had turned into something with a reddish tint, an almost ethereal substance.

Back in his room, a few nurses watched as he returned, clearly relieved that he wasn't trying to blow up the hospital. Once inside, Eli hooked himself back up to the IV and the monitors, knowing that someone would come to change it when he grew too hungry. He sat on the bed, clutching the small vial in his hand and entered the state.

This wasn't like when he was five; Eli had gained more control over the years. He could draw more from his bucket without fear of draining himself too quickly. He stared at the vial in his hand.

Item: Fox Fire

Level: 1

Vitality: 1/20

Description: How unfortunate—you don't yet have nine tails.

Eli was a little annoyed. The description was vague, and he wasn't sure what it meant. If he upgraded it further, the description might change, but that would take more time than he was willing to invest right now. Fox Fire? Was the detective some kind of fox wizard or something? Eli wasn't sure.

"Unfortunately, you don't have nine tails..." What did that even mean? Eli wasn't sure if that line was referring to him or the detective. He looked back through the walls at the man, focusing on the four lines of spiraling energy extending from his back.

Were those... tails?

Eli turned off his enhanced vision, checking again. The man in front of him was definitely human, so why did the screen describe him like an animal? And what was up with the strange attributes? In a way, this guy was like Lydia—different, but not like the two men Eli had encountered five years ago. Those two seemed to understand what they were. This detective and Lydia, however, seemed clueless.

Should he try to find Lydia and the others? Was it safe to? Eli didn't know, but he needed answers. Why were there animals in people's bodies? Were animals smarter than humans thought, trying to take over the world?

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed the deputy beginning to stir. Eli quickly hid the vial, not wanting the detective to spot it. Even if he couldn't discern its true nature, it was better to be cautious.