At that time, on the other side, Michael was standing alone in the middle of the huge suite, gripping the remaining ceramic cup with his heavy hands. His breath cut off for a few seconds as he stared at the suspicious yellow liquid, following its dense bubbles that were forming slowly on the surface, trying to overcome his dry saliva which he swallowed with difficulty right after his friend disappeared through the spatial portal.
His mind was boiling with the details of the alternative plan that he had formulated alone a short while ago.. a plan that occurred to his mind since the very first moments of the servants’ exit, but he deliberately kept it secret and did not disclose it to Elliot so that she would not rush to apply it and imitate him in reaction.
For the risk in it was of unknown proportions, and might fluctuate between absolute success or inevitable destruction, yet nevertheless, he had nothing before him except to try; for immobility meant certain death!
Michael prolonged his look at the essence of the dense liquid for several heavy seconds, weighing in them all the psychological possibilities ..saying this might be an exaggeration, but sometimes he starts analyzing things in a very stupid way ..
But there was one thing that distinguished Michael, for he was decisive, and suddenly, he made his irreversible decision!
Michael opened his mouth wide, and raised the ceramic cup to pour the yellow liquid directly into the depth of his gullet, leaving it to flow with heavy smoothness through his throat before swallowing it completely in a single gulp!
Gulp!...
Its taste was hideous and leaning toward throat-severing sulfurous bitterness, leaving a burning and foul-smelling trace in the oral cavity, as if it were toxic plant juice with which the intestines are penetrated!
Michael wiped his lips quickly with the sleeve of his robe, and after making certain with complete conviction that he had swallowed the cup to its absolute end and not kept a single drop in it, he rushed toward the outer iron door of the suite. He opened the door slowly, then closed it behind him with the sound of a loud metallic slap to go out into the wide corridor.. and from this exact moment, the features of his acting plan launched!1
"Oooh.. my cursed stomach!.. Aaah.. I want the toilet immediately!"
Michael ran with his twisted body one step forward and two steps back, leaning with his torso like a stabbed man, while launching surging cries for help echoing in the sides of the stone corridors:
"The toilet!.. Where is the nearby bathroom here?! Where is the toilet?!"
Soon this loud commotion aroused the attention of the demon servants and guards distributed in the areas of the sector. Their eyebrows contracted in astonishment as they hurried toward the source of the sound, to be surprised by Michael running with twisting and high professionalism, holding his stomach with both his hands and displaying harsh features of pain from which drops of simulated sweat were pouring!
"I am suffering from severe colic and a sudden disease in the stomach!.. I need the bathroom extremely urgently!" Michael shouted in a shaky tone almost choked by tears.
Two guards from the demon servants stopped in front of him, and exchanged looks of surprise and suspicion, and one of them said in a dry tone: "Is there not a designated and equipped toilet inside your presidential suite?"
Michael was completely prepared for this pivotal question; so he bent lower and made his knees tremble with theatrical brilliance, adding in a broken and disjointed voice:
"My wife.. my wife inside is currently using the toilet.. it is completely busy and I.. aaah! My intestines are burning! I need any toilet to relieve my need so we do not fall into forbidden ground.. ah my stomach!"
The suspicion of the two servants increased from this strange and suspicious behavior for a demon; as one of them turned to him in a mocking tone probing the depth of his words: "Is she not your young wife?.. Why do you not simply enter the toilet upon her and share the place? Did you not both see everything of your bodies already in yesterday’s rituals?"
Michael stiffened for a brief moment, and silence prevailed in the hallways of the corridor while he tried to invent a dramatic way out aligned with the nature of the characters. He turned his head back and appeared with extreme shyness and weakness, and said in a tone begging for mercy:
"She.. she is extremely shy by her nature, guys.. we are still a new couple and have not gotten used to breaking these barriers yet.. Excuse me from you all, can I just use the nearby servants’ bathroom? Just a few counted minutes and I will come out..!"
The demon servants exchanged looks again; and even though the behavior of this sacrifice appeared to them unusual and thought-provoking of suspicion, the logic of sudden colic made them convinced in the end. The head of the guards nodded to his companion, and it was decided to allow him to enter the sector’s private servants’ bathrooms, provided that the guards stand close to the outer gate to monitor him and ensure he does not attempt to escape.
"Thank you, guys!.. Thank you for your mercy and your understanding of my overwhelming circumstance!" Michael exclaimed as he moved with effective and active speed toward the corridor leading to the bathrooms, while the guards followed him with close steps to guard his back.
And indeed, Michael entered the sector designated for bathrooms, which contained several wooden bathroom stalls with doors completely closed.
Michael caught sight of a nearby bathroom stall with a door partially ajar, so he rushed toward it immediately and entered into its narrow bowels, then pushed the door firmly and closed the internal metal lock.
Michael waited a few heavy seconds, listening during them to the calm prevailing outside and to the echoes of the feet of the guards standing behind the main screen. And when he was reassured of the isolation of the stone stall and its complete blocking of vision.. he inserted his fingers immediately and strongly into the depth of the throat of the oral cavity, and began pressing on the epiglottis and moving the tips of his fingers severely to provoke the gag reflex
Ack!... Ugh!...
Michael’s intestines squeezed strongly, and launched the liquid trapped in his stomach directly toward the stone toilet basin!
Fortunately, the stall was hidden and closed in insulation, and the servants standing outside were not able to see the details of the forced vomiting process, reckoning it merely natural echoes of his stomach colic.
And given that Michael had not consumed any meal or real food since last night, he was able to see the suspicious yellow liquid coming out clear and with flowing density from his mouth with every bout of vomiting!
And after he repeated the process of inserting his fingers and prompting his stomach to eject three consecutive times, Michael felt a light dizziness spinning in his head and a temporary cloudiness in his vision.. but he insisted on continuing and squeezing his insides strongly, to make sure to bring out the last drop of that suspicious liquid and get rid of it forever!
Michael managed to open the door without being electrocuted or having his strength drained by the Mark, because this effect was only active at night, when the Sacrificial Mark itself was active.