Shared Pain

"You'll figure it out?" Vakh's eyes widened. "What could you possibly do that would affect gene locks?"

Shu didn't answer. He just stared at the pale girl on the bed.

His abilities weren't something he could freely discuss. It wasn't about keeping secrets, but about Otto's warnings. His powers were too tempting, too easily exploited.

The power to grant hope, to fulfill wishes... Otto had outlined ways his abilities could be controlled, his "foundation" seized by manipulating the source of those hopes.

Otto's chillingly effective methods of indoctrination, coupled with his pre-Honkai authority...just thinking about it sent shivers down Shu's spine.

Otto had told him, "In the eyes of others, you must always appear detached, ready to abandon everything and walk away. Only then will they truly value you."

It was a principle Otto intended to incorporate into Fire Moth's doctrine. Saving humanity wasn't Shu's burden alone; it was the duty of everyone in Fire Moth. And he could disband the organization at any time…

Of course, Otto wouldn't phrase it so bluntly, so threateningly.

After that "viewing," Otto had forbidden Shu from revealing the nature of his powers to anyone. He'd also ensured everyone else remained tight-lipped, so thoroughly that they'd probably stop Kiana mid-sentence if she started sleep-talking about it.

"Fire Moth… we're researching it," Shu sighed, offering a vague excuse.

Vakh frowned, his expression unreadable.

Shu wasn't even focused on his lie. His grim expression masked everything else.

"Well… if you can get those original gene samples, and the equipment, I might be able to do something," Vakh conceded, spreading his hands.

"Hmm..." Shu nodded silently. He let the curtain fall, turning towards the next bed. He reached out to pull back the curtain.

A sudden, sharp pain shot through his fingertip. It felt like his nail was being ripped out, a thick needle violently piercing the bone, twisting and grinding.

"Aagh!" Shu recoiled, clutching his hand, crying out in pain as he stumbled and fell to the floor.

Agony! Unbearable, searing agony!

It spread rapidly—through his hand, up his wrist, consuming him.

Simultaneously with Shu's cry, a child's scream, even more piercing, ripped through the room. The bed in front of him began to shake violently, as if someone was trapped inside, struggling desperately.

The languid ease vanished from Vakh's face. He grabbed Shu and tossed him aside, ripping back the white curtain in a single motion.

Past the initial shock, Shu brought his spasming hand to his mouth and bit down hard. But the pain was too intense; his efforts were meaningless.

Suppressing a groan, he leaned against the wall, gasping for breath.

Strapped to the bed was a skeletal girl. Her face was gaunt, her bloodshot eyes bulging, as if they might burst.

But despite her small stature, dwarfed even by Bronya, one of her hands was monstrously oversized—no, not a hand, but a grotesque, horrifying claw.

Each finger was thicker than the girl's forearm, five twisted, spiraling digits tipped with scraps of torn flesh. Beyond the decaying meat were bare, bone-white talons.

Shu's breathing slowed. He watched, eyes wide, as the girl thrashed against her restraints, her mouth open in a silent scream. The monstrous arm twitched and shuddered, too massive for her to control.

A ringing filled his ears. The world blurred, tilting precariously.

The air reeked of something sickening. All color drained away. Thought itself seemed beyond his reach…

Only the pain remained, screaming in his arm.

They say there's no such thing as truly sharing another's pain…

But Shu could feel it.

BANG! The door burst open. Natasha rushed in, hair disheveled, snatching syringes and restraints from a nearby table before sprinting to the bedside.

Vakh stepped aside smoothly. Natasha grabbed the girl's flailing arm, ripped the cap off a syringe, and plunged the needle into the child's neck with practiced precision.

The entire syringe emptied into the girl's body.

Shu felt a sudden numbness in his own neck. It was like being reborn. The world snapped back into focus, the distortions fading.

The ringing in his ears lingered, replaced by the sound of his own ragged breathing. He felt weak, drained.

The girl on the bed went still. The thrashing and screaming stopped. She lay motionless, like a puppet with its strings cut, staring blankly at the ceiling, eyes bloodshot.

Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. Drool dribbled down her parched lips.

Click.

The sound of the light switch was what finally drew Shu's attention.

"Hah…" Natasha released the girl's arm, gently withdrawing the syringe. She snapped off the needle and tossed it in a bin.

"She didn't go back to sleep…" Vakh murmured, stepping forward to examine the vials on a nearby shelf. "They're all shaken up. These are useless now…"

He frowned, then sighed, lowering his hand. "Never mind. We won't need them…"

She didn't go back to sleep… Shu instinctively knew this wasn't a good sign.

"How many is this…?" Natasha asked quietly, stepping back and running a hand through her tangled hair, her gaze fixed on the motionless girl.

"The third," Vakh replied dutifully, tidying up the mess from the outburst.

Natasha fell silent. After a long pause, she asked in a low voice, "How long does she have?"

"Based on previous cases… less than half an hour," Vakh answered, gathering the discarded curtain. He hesitated, then added, "Will it be… euthanasia again?"

Shu's pupils contracted.