Cyril sat still for some time, focused on every feeling in his body.
Strangely, he felt that vague discomfort one would get after eating a snack past its expiration date.
Still, the taste was heavenly, just as he remembered it.
Does this stone actually have an expiration date?
As Cyril sat there, seconds turning to minutes, he gradually discovered one thing.
He didn’t feel any different.
The taste went away, and in its place was left nothing.
He didn’t want more, nor did he feel his mind muddled.
He didn’t feel a noticeable increase in mana, nor did the strength in his arms seem any better.
It appeared as if nothing happened at all.
Cyril looked at the butterfly on the table.
Morpho looked back, her insect eyes filled with confusion.
Okay… The first time wasn’t obvious right away either, I suppose.
For some reason he expected a bigger commotion.
How is it?
Do you feel anything different?
Cyril asked the peculiar impatient voice in his head.
Though Rhamn’s reply didn’t come.
“…?”
She usually answered immediately, sometimes even without being asked, but not this time.
Cyril looked around the room, but the red-eyed woman was nowhere to be found.
Rhamn?
The silence continued uninterrupted for a few minutes, during which Cyril sat still, expecting to hear a familiar arrogant voice.
Hello?
But it was still quiet.
Guess something happened after all.
Cyril pinched his chin for a moment, marveling at the unfamiliar silence.
No matter how long he waited, there was no other voice in his head besides his own.
“Huh.”
If I knew that would shut her up, I wouldn’t have hesitated so much.
Cyril relaxed in his chair, staring at the ceiling in peace.
“…”
Though a tinge of worry from someone nearby muddied the silence soon enough.
He looked to the side, finding compound eyes observing him with worry.
“Don’t worry.
She is just sleeping to digest the stone,” Cyril whispered, almost on reflex.
Morpho nodded, her wings nervously moving about.
She’s never experienced life without Rhamn… Is this scary for her?
Cyril sighed, looking away.
Truthfully, he also felt unusual.
As much as the silence was welcome, he found himself very unaccustomed to it.
It was a similar feeling of entering a popular park and suddenly finding it empty.
Sure, you had it all to yourself, but it seemed desolate, uncanny.
Was this really how this place was supposed to look?
Did I get so used to her voice in just a month?
“Let’s wait a bit.”
Morpho twitched her antennae in support.
After a moment of hesitation, she fluttered to his shoulder, staying just a bit closer.
Cyril looked around his dorm as if trying to find something, but all he saw was an empty room.
It really is a bit too empty.
He glanced at the shopping bags lying on the bed, then, remembering something, he stood up.
They should’ve delivered it by now.
On their shopping spree, they’d bought a terrarium.
And since it was too large to put in a bag, Cyril didn’t carry it with him.
Instead, they’ve used a convenient same-day delivery service.
The mailroom shouldn’t be too far.
Hope they still work at this time.
But just as he put his hand on the door handle, a certain red butterfly fluttered her wings in complaint.
Cyril stopped, looking at his shoulder with confusion.
“You don’t want to go now?”
The butterfly nodded, avoiding his gaze.
“Because Rhamn isn’t here yet?”
The butterfly slowly nodded once more.
“I see…”
He knew what she meant.
Obviously, Morpho wanted them to decorate the room together.
Doing so with only two of them seemed wrong.
The worry within the butterfly intensified all of a sudden.
Cyril stepped away from the door, feeling bizarrely afflicted by her low mood.
It appeared thinking about this only worsened the situation.
He quickly looked all over his room, trying to come up with anything the insect would find interesting.
Still, his room was as empty as ever.
He never lamented that fact as much as now.
Finally, his gaze settled on a pile of books on the table.
No, Morpho doesn’t like books.
…Or?
While everyone hated reading walls of boring text, they all loved magic.
He certainly found magic interesting, despite his distaste for spellcasting.
“Morpho,” he quickly said, “do you want to try learning magic?”
The red butterfly on his shoulder froze.
She tilted her insect head, momentarily confused by his words.
Her antennae twitched, as if a human were pointing at herself while saying, ‘Me?’
“Yes.” Cyril nodded with a flat face.
“Don’t think that you can’t.
Since you can drink coffee like a human, why wouldn’t you be able to use magic like one?”
The butterfly’s confusion was quickly replaced by excitement as she raised both her wings in a quick display of willingness to learn.
“Great.
Then let’s start with the basics.”
Cyril sat by the table.
He grabbed one of the books near the bottom of the pile and opened it.
In front of Morpho was soon raised a giant wall of boring text, mixed with an occasional complex drawing.
“Magic can be used in many ways, but nowadays, people agree that creating a circle is the most efficient and accessible way.
Let’s begin by…”
Morpho twitched her antennae, unsure of what to feel at the moment.
Finally, she braced herself for her greatest challenge yet.
Tonight’s lesson might be a struggle, but at least the silence didn’t feel quite so heavy anymore.
Without even noticing it, they studied deep into the night.
…
As night continued to pass, the victorious Morpho managed to stay awake.
With much help from Cyril, she even managed to memorize a single magic circle.
As a result, Morpho was now on the floor in the middle of the room.
“Move the mana carefully.
The more precise your pattern is, the more likely the spell is to succeed,” Cyril commented, observing the attempt from the side.
In front of the small red butterfly, an equally small magic circle gradually took shape.
Using her insect antennae, Morpho cast a spell as best she could.
The circle looked almost like a child’s drawing, and it took about half a minute to form.
Still, the circle soon collapsed on itself, a flicker of light forming in its stead.
The light, like an ember, stayed for a few short moments before disappearing into nothingness.
Morpho stared at where it had been a moment before, silent.
Suddenly, she flew up in the air and started racing in circles.
“…!”
Morpho excitedly celebrated before making a loop and landing on Cyril’s shoulder in a triumphant display of butterfly agility.
“Impressive,” Cyril applauded with a flat face.
“You are far more talented than any of my classmates.”
The red butterfly raised her insect head towards the heavens, excitement emanating from her in full.
At the same time, her wings were dropped a little lower than usual.
“You might be feeling tired from a lack of mana right now.
It will pass.”
She is capable of magic as expected…
however, her mana reserves are way too low.
It will be hard for her to cast spells effectively.
He did not voice that part, nor did he feel any disappointment.
Hard didn’t mean impossible.
Filled with the thoughts of having a magic butterfly at his side, Cyril turned around to face the desk.
Perhaps there would be a book that could help?
However, he froze the moment he saw the desk.
“…”
There, on top of the desk, sat Rhamn, wagging her feet.
On her face, a gentle smile.
Cyril tiredly massaged his temples at the sight.
There you are.
“Of course I am here.”
Morpho immediately shot forward from his shoulder, making circles around her with a profound sense of relief.
The smile on Rhamn’s face widened.
Somehow, the smugness within that smile had increased tremendously since last time he saw her.
Cyril didn’t think it was possible, but, truly, she had broken her earlier limits.
Her arrogance evolved beyond all imagination.
Rhamn’s smile twitched a little.
She cleared her throat, then sent him a playful look.
“It’s because I learned just how close we really are!
You need me~”
Morpho excitedly landed on the table, staring at her incorporeal form without rest, as if afraid she would disappear again.
“Sorry for scaring you.
I didn’t mean it.”
Cyril’s face quickly became blank as he sent her a look.
Not like I ‘need’ you.
I was just unaccustomed to the situation.
Humans are adaptable creatures.
Another month and I would’ve been back on track.
“Uh huh.” Rhamn smugly crossed her arms, her red eyes piercingly gazing at him.
“…”
“But that’s not what I meant!”
She suddenly turned around and theatrically pointed towards a particular room.
“Let’s go to the bathroom!
I have something to show you~”
“…?”
“Hurry!
Grab a mana potion as well.”
Cyril exchanged a look with Morpho.
Both had confusion in their eyes.
He hesitantly walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
He walked in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection.
Morpho landed on the edge of the sink, looking at him with curiosity.
But Rhamn was nowhere to be seen.
“Hey!”
Suddenly, Cyril felt something press on his back, constricting around his upper body like some knot.
It felt warm.
“…!”
Cyril stared at his reflection in alarm, finding a peculiar sight.
Rhamn hugged him from behind, her body pressed against his and her arms coiled around his chest.
Her red eyes were locked on his gaze, a smug spark within them.
Most bizarrely, he distinctly felt her touch.
Cyril stiffly lowered his head, staring at her slender fingers with widened eyes.
He vividly felt a peculiar warmth of someone caressing his chest.
How is this possible?
Slowly he moved his hand and tried to grasp hers, though it passed right through, as it was supposed to.
Rhamn let go, stepping away, and the warmth embracing him disappeared as well.
“I am not actually touching you.
I am just simulating your body’s response to being touched.”
…What?
That did not sound wholesome.
“It will be easier to show you.” With an excited smile and shining red eyes, Rhamn pointed at him.
“Remove your shirt!”
“…”
“Come on!
Like I haven’t seen everything already!
In fact, I am more aware of your body than you could possibly imagine!”
The corner of Cyril’s eye twitched.
Rhamn seemed to become more straightforward than before.
With a tired sigh, Cyril took off his shirt.
He stood in front of the mirror, looking at Rhamn with a frown.
Rhamn nodded with satisfaction at the sight.
The sparkle in her red eyes gave him a slight impression of having been cheated.
“No, no!
It’s necessary.
Hold on, I am about to begin!
Keep the mana potion close.”
Morpho focused on him, with more and more curiosity in her compound eyes.
Cyril, too, observed his own reflection, feeling an ominous premonition.
At this moment, two distinct sounds in quick succession rang rhythmically in his ears, gradually getting louder.
Two familiar booms, the first soft, the second sharp.
Cyril heard this sound every day, particularly during combat training, where the other students made it the loudest.
A heartbeat?
“Your heartbeat,” Rhamn said, stepping closer.
I guess it is.
Cyril replied with a blank stare, not too impressed.
But that wasn’t for long.
In the middle of his chest, a vertical red line appeared.
It gradually grew, reaching from his collarbone down to his stomach.
“Huh.”
Cyril grabbed onto the sink, blankly staring at his chest.
“Let me focus!”
With Rhamn’s voice, the line opened up.
Skin parted, followed by muscle and tissue.
As if the maw of some terrible beast, the middle of his chest opened up, revealing the red beneath.
Cyril stood there frozen, a single thought in his mind.
…Alright.
No blood dripping.
It’s going to be easy to clean.
And it’s not painful.
“Of course it’s not painful with me here!” Rhamn gave him a thumbs-up, a proud smile on her face.
What are you doing?
“I am getting us to meet!
You wanted to know who I am from the beginning, right?”
She pointed at his reflection, right at the maw of the beast.
“There, look to the center and slightly to the left- er right.”
Cyril followed the direction her slender finger pointed, trying to ignore the gore.
Past the skin, past the muscle, past the rib-formed teeth, at his very core, a single thing pulsed with energy.
A scarlet heart beat rhythmically, pumping life through the rest of his body.
“That’s me!”
The heart quivered with Rhamn’s voice.
He got a peculiar impression that someone was waving to him.
On the sink, Morpho fluttered her wings to wave back.
Uh-huh.
Cyril stood still for a few moments more, taking in the sight.
…And how are you doing this?
Rhamn shrugged.
“I just can.
I can morph your body in whatever way we wish.”
Finally, a frown appeared on Cyril’s face.
“Don’t be so pessimistic.
I am your heart.
Why should I harm you?
Have some trust in me.”
Change me back first.
“Fine~”
Much quicker than it appeared, the maw retreated.
The ribs recovered, and then muscle grew around them, followed by skin.
In no time at all, there was only a blond-haired, blue-eyed student standing in front of the mirror with not a scar on his bare chest.
Cyril carefully felt his body but found himself feeling just the same.
Or not.
A certain emptiness was beginning to gnaw at him.
It was a rather uncomfortable feeling.
“It’s the lack of mana!
Just drink the potion!”
With her reminder, Cyril realized the whole ordeal had spent his mana a good deal.
He didn’t even notice because of the shock.
He quickly grabbed the bottle on the sink and gulped it down.
With that, he recovered to how he was before entering the bathroom.
Or not.
He felt better than before.
It’s easier to move…?
“Hehe, no need for thanks.
It’s simple for me to do.”
Cyril turned to look at Rhamn, wariness in his eyes.
He never expected his body to be capable of such… things.
For that one moment, he looked like a horrifying villain from some storybook.
Never once in the history of storytelling had he seen anything good come out of a creature like that.
Rhamn awkwardly scratched her cheek, her eyes wandering about.
“Stories this, stories that.
Who cares?
Real life is different.
I think it’s a very useful and cool ability.
It only needs a little bit of mana.”
“While I can’t change your body too drastically yet, we can adapt to any situation at a moment’s notice.
I can even heal your wounds in the middle of the battle through it.
I can even do something like this-”
She dramatically snapped her fingers.
Cyril quickly lowered his head to observe his body, but it appeared unchanged.
Then, suddenly, the heaviness of staying up late, which he didn’t even know he had, completely disappeared.
“I removed fatigue toxins and mended your muscles.
Using only mana, I changed your body to its peak state!” Rhamn explained with a smirk.
It’s certainly useful.
Cyril’s frown eased a level.
So you can also end my life in an instant, then?
Rhamn tilted her head, staring at him with a blank face.
“Like any heart can.”
Then, under his complaining eyes, she leaned over the sink, giving Morpho a doting look.
“Go to sleep, Morpho.
Unfortunately, I can’t help you like how I helped Cyril yet.”
The butterfly stiffly fluttered her wings in return, then, as if a worker clocking out after a grueling day, immediately flew toward the bed.
Cyril observed their actions, the frown on his face disappearing completely.
He walked back towards his bed as well.
He lay there amidst the bags and the butterfly.
Letting out a slow breath, he relaxed completely, his head turning to face the wooden ceiling.
…That was careless of you.
If I am being observed by someone, you just showed them something interesting.
“Oh please.
I believe whoever is observing us is an ally.
They likely already know far more than we do.”
Let’s hope you are right.
…
Cyril lay on the bed, his whole body relaxed.
In the beginning I had many theories about you.
If not a mental illness, I thought you might be a soul attached to me or maybe some power given sentience…
I didn’t expect this.
He sighed, turning to look at Rhamn lying on the same bed.
“I also didn’t know at the time I was replacing the heart in your chest cavity~”
Right.
What haunted by a beautiful woman?
He was talking to a sentient blob of flesh the whole time!
“Hey!!
Humans are also blobs of flesh, kind of!”
So, who are you?
Is my heart another living organism?
Are you a parasite of some kind?
Am I even a human?
He struggled to call what he saw in that mirror human.
Rhamn shot him a glance and shrugged, “I don’t know.”
“I am in the same boat as you.
But if I had to guess…” She tilted her head and thought for a few seconds before replying.
“I am not ‘another organism.'”
“I am a part of you, or is it the other way around?
No, that can’t be right…”
Rhamn gave a sheepish smile.
“It’s a bit confusing~”
I see…
And what about my visit to the healer?
If my heart is so special, then why was nothing discovered?
Rhamn’s smile became more pronounced as her nose was raised higher.
“As if their weak magic can reveal us.”
“Your heart- I don’t look any different from a normal human heart.
No matter how hard they look, if I don’t allow it, they won’t see anything unusual.”
So, you’ve fooled them even before you had the knowledge of who you really were.
Rhamn’s smile turned into a sneer as she looked somewhere in the distance.
“‘Fooled’ is the wrong word.
It implies a conscious attempt to deceive.”
Her eyes narrowed in contempt.
“But it’s impossible.
Deceit is a luxury I won’t show their feeble, inferior minds.
They are simply incapable of seeing us for who we really are.”
Cyril observed her movements with a blank face.
You’ve become even more theatrical now…
Rhamn’s expression froze, soon turning into another sheepish smile.
“It’s just how I am.
Such an impressive being deserves to act with a bit more dignity.”
She patted herself on the chest, having called herself an ‘impressive being’ without any doubts in her eyes.
If you say so.
Cyril shook his head and looked outside the window.
Through the gaps in the curtains, a hint of light could be seen, gradually intensifying.
I stayed awake the whole night…
Cyril rubbed his temples.
It is what it is.
This weekend we’ll be visiting the Tower.
I’ll use that opportunity to go home and ask father about this.
He should know something.
Unless whoever is observing me will come out and tell me everything themselves?
…Doesn’t matter for now.
I will not let this interfere with my studies.
The lessons are going to begin soon.
I should prepare.
Rhamn energetically nodded and gave a thumbs-up.
“That’s the spirit!
I agree!”
“…”
Cyril cautiously got up from the bed to start preparing for his day.
He moved quietly, apprehensive about disturbing the red butterfly’s sleep.
Sorry, Morpho.