Zain and Ria (2)

It had now been a month since Ria began visiting Zain in the secret room. She had finally finished cleaning it a few weeks ago, and the old lab looked clean and dustless.

Ria was sitting on a box, enjoying a pack of instant noodles with a carbonated drink. She would glance at Zain every once in a while as she ate. After some time, she finished her food and looked at Zain, who was in his capsule.

"Hey, can you hear me?"

There was silence in the room, but this time the silence was broken by the sound of the monitor displaying his pulse and vital signs.

Ria looked at it for a few seconds and sighed.

"Fine, then. I'll take that as a yes. Well, listen closely. You probably might be wondering, Why does this girl keep on stuffing her face with junk food, right?"

There was silence in the room.

"Well, it's because I have always wanted to try it out. But don't you worry; I'll get over it soon. I just want to taste it to my heart's desire."

Ria stood up to stretch her arms. Her snow-white skin was visible as she stretched her hands because she had folded her sleeves to eat the noodles properly. Ria had been told by one of Clan Bing's Rankers that eating instant noodles with folded sleeves was amazing.

As she stretched, she felt the room get colder due to the fact that it was still winter. She quickly rolled down her sleeves. Her face was reddish but slightly warm because she was wearing a head sock and a white scarf to protect her neck.

She usually wore a black uniform since she was the highest-ranked student in her year. But today, she wore a bulky black sweater on top of her white shirt. The sweater reached her knees, where her skirt was, so it reinforced her outfit against the cold.

Ria stared at Zain, who was unconscious in the capsule, and sighed.

"I might be going crazy. The students keep calling me names. They just gave me a nickname—they're calling me the Ice Princess. And not because my clan's name means ice, but because I am supposedly cold."

Ria lingered for a bit and then continued.

"It's not that I'm rude or cold. I just have a hard time communicating with people. Communication is one of the things I greatly lack, but strangely, when I'm talking to you, I can freely express how I feel."

Ria looked away from him as she blushed.

"Don't you agree?"

Zain was quiet, not because he wanted to be, but because he was unconscious. Ria sighed and got up from her makeshift seat.

"Well then, time for me to go."

Ria briefly glanced at Zain and walked away. Before she reached the path that led to the dark hallway, she noticed a paper on a distant monitor and walked towards it. Out of curiosity, she looked at the paper. It read:

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Project Monstrix

Patient Name: Zain Xenos

Date: 21/03/2130

Blood Type: AB-negative

Progress:

The patient has recovered from his wounds but is yet to regain consciousness. After extensive tests, we have come to the conclusion that the condition is mental in nature. The patient has entered a coma due to prolonged psychological trauma.

Observations:

The patient's blood exhibits anomalies when exposed to external stimuli, suggesting latent regenerative properties.

Neural activity remains sporadic, with occasional spikes, indicating possible subconscious responses.

Vital signs remain stable, but muscle atrophy has begun due to extended immobility.

Recommendations:

Further experimentation is required to stimulate neural activity and awaken the patient.

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Ria's eyes widened as she looked at the report.