Feels Like Dying

"Ugh..."

Aster was waking up from his reverie and had no recollection of what made it get to that point.

Once he started paying attention to his surroundings, thinking it'll be normal, his gaze fell to the other person available in the abandoned house.

It was me.

"Yo,"

Aster looked around the place and saw that he was inside a strange circle with candles situated all around that space.

As for what that implies left him confused.

He then raised a question.

"Cillian, what the hell happened here?"

I answered honestly.

"The demon managed to get control your body but it hasn't fully infested you yet so that's one thing we could work on,"

I thought Aster will react differently from what normal humans should act, but he was still maintaining that impenetrable wall around him.

He maintained composed which I know it is a one factor that can make everything smooth sailing.

"I see... and, how did it go?"

I replied almost immediately.

"I managed to get ahold of some matters that you'll be interested in. I will tell you about it once we're done. For now, let's get you cured up,"

'And secure thay favor from you that I will be abusing once we're out of here.'

Aster didn't seem to have any complaints or comments on that matter hence all he did was sit down and wait for further instructions.

As for me, I began to work on my part.

Arranging the materials that I'll be using while minding the other equipment that are in motion after Aster 'fainted' on the spot, I heard Aster questioning.

"Uhm, what do I need to do?"

Actually, I've already made plans on how to use Aster to make the job easier.

But after the appearance of the demon, I had to tweak the plans for a bit.

I began to explain the situation to him.

"The circle that you are in is called Isolated Barrier. It's my magic and a pretty hard one for me to pull off since I'm just a novice for now. I've put it up in case you turned to your alter ego yet again and decided to pounce at me. But with the barrier, it'll be like pounding into a hard wall,"

Aster nodded and tried to throw a jab in the air but he was met with an invisible wall ahead. His eyes slightly turned wide and stated.

"You seem to be knowledgeable about magic. You don't look like a novice at all,"

"Hah..."

Believe me, I can do better than this when I was in my prime.

I wouldn't be setting up catalysts to go with your experiment but alas, as if I will be telling you those.

Shrugging my shoulder while doing all the heavy lifting, I suddenly let out an apology.

"By the way, I have to punch you to get the demon knocked unconscious. You have a big black eye on your right as a result,"

Aster touched his right eye and smiled innocently.

"Don't worry, I'm numb from the pain,"

I looked at him weirdly.

"Okay, I advise you to stop opening up a sob story to me now while I'm working."

Aster seemed to be taken aback by the reply as he chuckled genuinely a bit this time.

"What? Hahaha. Where did you even get the idea from? I'm sure it is from somewhere,"

I replied swiftly.

"Uh, from the light novels I've read. Usually, what you're doing is a start for the story. Anyway, just don't do it. I'm sure you're understanding what I'm implying right?"

Aster waved his hand dismissively.

"Yeah, yeah,"

With that made clear to him, it didn't take long until everything was set in place and all I had to do was start.

"We'll have to finish fast since we got to go to the Academy soon. Are you ready, Aster? I don't know what will happen at this point but I can assure you, you will not die,"

Aster lets out a relieved sigh.

"It might be painful though,"

Aster seemed to have stiffened up, his relief turned upside down.

"I guess it had the same feeling when you're dying?"

Beads of sweat started to fall from Aster's face due to nervousness but remembering that he had to compose himself to not implicate me, he calmed down like how he always did.

"You know how experiments are—"

"All right, all right! Geez, you're scaring me, don't you? Stop, it's not helping,"

Tilting my head innocently after watching him crash out only for a single moment, a wicked smile replaced my lips.

'Hehe, I was finally able to crack that wall of his, albeit only for a moment,'

Knowing this prank had to end now, my focus shifted to knowing Aster and putting the face I'm using when doing serious research.

With a life depending on me, something I know too well even in the past, I signaled Aster.

"Let's begin,"

…

"Woah,"

It's only been three days since the experiment of finding Aster's condition with the Demon Danath started and the abandoned house isn't as dark and gloomy as it was before.

There were vibrant lights scattered around the area, something that lit the once-abandoned house.

Strange markings were drawn on the ground and walls which came from the papers that had been sketched through prints first.

Glasses in different sizes and forms clinked into each other, hovered through the air, and were being used to hold fluid substances that were being mixed all together by the lone figure that watched over it all.

"You're amazing,"

I was that lone figure.

"What can I even say? Awesomeness is the one chasing me and not the other way around,"

Aster can't even deny that fact as he saw the abandoned house was mixed with glasses, pulsating lights, and markings all in one place.

What made it even more unnatural is that it came from one person's actions and mind.

"How are you holding up, Cillian? You've been here nonstop for three days straight. The only times you return here is to give me food and continue your research,"

I glanced back at Aster, my eyes fluffy due to lack of sleep.

"This is fine hence I'm fine. The only time I would not be fine is if someone disrupts my research. I'll sleep along the way towards our journey at the Academy. For now, I-I guess I'll sacrifice my sleep,"

Damn it.

Now that I think about it, I've never skipped a sleep in the past eighteen years. Even I get to sleep too much too!

But I'm turning back into my normal self by doing this.

Too late to pause this project since I was already on the verge of breaking through, I put my attention back to my research with great focus.

Sizzle—!

And finally, one of the flasks that held a hideous substance made a strange noise that signaled a 'breakthrough' on this task.

My eyes glinted when I spotted reactions within the glass.