As Ilaya was sprawled on the floor, Ivana looked down at Ilaya and said to her
"Ilaya. It seems that you're mistaken about something. I'm not your family or friend. I saved you not because I care for you. It's to repay the debt my family owes to that woman. I also saved you because I want to learn about our condition
If you're not going to cooperate with me, I might as well turn you into a lab rat. Maybe I can find something by cutting you open. So, know that I don't care about being considerate to you"
Ivana grinned as she said in a low voice
"Or I can force you to go into a rampage, and study you as you happily murder some people that I will capture. Do you want that?"
Ilaya was still clutching her cheek and looking down didn't answer, But, the fact that she's shaking so much said her answer to Ivana. She said to Ilaya again
"Ilaya. Our relationship right now is at a boss and subordinate level. I'm your boss and you're my subordinate. So don't raise your voice in front of me. Be thankful that I didn't cut you up for your insolence"
She looked at Ilaya for a bit before turning around to go back to her seat. Then, she called Ilaya
"Get back here. We still need to finish our conversation. We keep getting interrupted so we need to finish this soon, I have so many work to do"
Ilaya slowly got up as she wiped the blood on her nose. She then headed towards the chair and she sat in it. Ivana saw her expression as she smiled in satisfaction
"That's a good look. It seems that being hit will fix you. If I knew beforehand, I might have punched you before we started our conversation"
Ilaya didn't say anything as she looked at her coldly. She then asked Ivana in a flat tone
"What's your next question, boss?"
Ivana stared at her for a bit before she shrugged and asking a question
"It's about your awakening. When did you awaken and why?"
Ilaya answered immediately
"I felt my heart hurting a week ago. I did feel what you said about the pain in the heart. But I didn't suffer any tragedy or anything of the sort that triggered what you called an awakening. Or at least for what I still remember
I already have my power before my heart suddenly hurts. It's also because of one time that I experimented with my power that it made my heart hurt. So, I believed that it had a connection to the whispers in my mind every time a killing intent is directed at me"
Ivana picked up the wine glass as she took a sip. She mumbled as she processed the information
"Whispers… killing intent… already have power…"
Ivana put down her wine glass as she said to Ilaya
"So, you're saying that you already have power when your heart starts hurting, which I assumed is awakening? And whispers appear in your mind whenever a killing intent is being directed at you?"
Ilaya nodded and said nothing. Ivana thought for a bit before grabbing her dagger and releasing all of her aura. Then, she directed her killing intent at Ilaya. As Ivana was covered in blood red aura and emitting murderous intent, whispers appeared in Ilaya's mind as she grimaced
Then, as Ivana studied Ilaya's condition, she felt something like an oppressive presence descended at her. She paled as she jumped back from her seat and landed near the door. She looked at Ilaya with frightened eyes as her body kept trembling. Then, she frightenly asked Ilaya who's clutching her head from pain
"W-What are you?"
As Ivana directed her murderous will at Ilaya. She suddenly felt bloodlust being pointed at her! Only, the murderous will from Ilaya felt boundless! Like a wrath that can obliterate anything and everything in its path! Like a mother's wrath, fighting to the death by protecting her child no matter the cost!
Ivana's killing intent vanished as cold sweat covered her. She dropped the knife due to her trembling hands as she warily and fearfully looked at Ilaya who's slowly getting better. Then, Ilaya looked at her confusingly before saying to her angrily
"Hey! You directed your killing intent to me aren't you! I already said that really hurts whenever the whispers appear! All my senses reacted too!"
As Ivana saw that Ilaya was still the same crybaby Ilaya, she slowly calmed down as she looked at her arms. The tremors in her arms slowly vanished and she slowly calmed down. But, when she tried to walk, her knees gave out and she ended up kneeling on the floor
As she stared on the floor, she felt all kinds of emotions, including confusion and fear. She looked for her dagger on the ground, and had an impulse to get rid of the hidden danger. Ilaya stood up from her seat as she walked slowly towards her. She asked Ivana concernedly
"Kyora, are you okay?"
Ivana slowly looked up to her and saw that in her eyes, there's nothing but only concern for her. Then, she got up as she slowly walked towards the door. As she opened the door, she said to Ilaya
"I'm leaving now, we'll continue our next conversation tomorrow. You need rest"
Then, she closed the door and the room turned silent
…
As Ivana closed the door. She walked towards the wall beside the door as she leaned on it. Then, her knees gave up again as she ended up sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. She stared blankly at her trembling knees as she hit it to stop the trembling
As her nerves slowly returned to normal, she slowly looked at the door beside her. She felt that the seemingly ordinary door, all of a sudden turned ominous. Like a den of some terrible monster
'As I thought, there's really something special about Ilaya. I knew it long ago, but, I didn't expect this horrifying revelation'
She slowly stood up as she glared at her knees. Then, she walked slowly and left the hallway. As she walked, she's extremely conflicted as to whether to kill Ilaya or keep her
'I want to know how to cure my curse by studying her. But I don't want to die in the process. She's a magnificent and terrifying blade, like a double edged sword. She can cut enemies and the wielders alike'
Ivana suddenly had the same thought as she waited Ilaya to wake up in the hospital
'Now, what do I do with her'
Only, the reason was vastly different from the first time she asked that question to herself
…
As Ilaya was left alone in the room. She headed towards her bed as she slumped in it. She looked at the ceiling as she rubbed her cheek. She felt painfully alone now that she had a fight with Ivana, and felt terrible that she punched her. She felt that it's much better to suffer physical pain, than to be emotionally wounded
"I'm so… lonely"
She whispered as tears appeared in her eyes. Then, she took out her phone and sent a message to Mars. She hope to have someone that she can converse with to cope up with her loneliness
As she waited for the reply, Ilaya rubbed her eyes as thought about Ivana's weird reaction just earlier
'Why did she… look weird earlier? And…'
Ilaya felt her heart shattered when Ivana looked at her like she's some sort of monster. She couldn't forget the fear in her eyes as she looked at her. This makes her feel like she's some kind of monster that didn't deserve to exist
'Maybe it's true that I'm causing suffering to others as Gerisa said'
Ilaya sat up in her bed as she walked towards the dagger that Ivana had left. She picked it up as she trembled violently. She saw the glinting of the blade as she brought the tip of the knife in the center of her chest where her heart is located
"Hic... Khh… hahh..."
Ilaya couldn't hold back her tears anymore as she became frightened of what she's about to do. As the tip of the blade sunk to her flesh, she heard the whispers appear again. She faintly heard an awfully familiar voice, screaming amidst the thousands of other voices as she steeled her will to end her life. But, before she plunged the dagger in her heart, she heard her phone ring as Mars replied to her message
Ilaya immediately throws the blade, clanging loudly as it falls to the floor. She suddenly rushed to her bed and picked up her phone. She looked at it as she read Mars message
[Ilaya! I'm currently headed to the restaurant. The boss is currently with me! We missed you so much, although the boss kept denying it! Hahaha! Get back here soon Ilaya! We're currently planning on your celebration! We might not be your family but we love you so much! Keep fighting!]
"ahh... hahh!… waahhh!"
As Ilaya read Mars'message to her, tears covered her vision and she cried loudly as she brought the phone to her bleeding chest