VIVIAN
Helpless!! That was the only word Vivian could think of. Her body lay motionless against the cold metal table. She couldn’t move her fingers.
Couldn’t lift her head. Couldn’t even wipe away the tears sliding down her cheeks.
Emelianna stood beside her, holding the syringe. And screamed again. "Increase the dosage!!."
The doctor reached for another dose. And he said. "Her condition will get worse!! If we continue..she may never aw..."
Vivian’s heart hammered, she couldnt hear them clearly..
No!! Please...
She didn’t want to go through this again.
Then suddenly, her throat loosened.
Her voice returned.
"Mother..."
Everyone stopped. Vivian swallowed painfully. She couldn’t curse anymore. "Why are you doing this to me?"
Her voice trembled. For the first time, Emelianna looked directly into her eyes.
"Vivian." Her expression softened. "Don’t blame Mother." She gently stroked Vivian’s hair. "Just quietly accept this."
Vivian’s tears continued falling.
"I want your Beast Core."
Her pupils contracted. "My Beast Core?"
"Yes." Emelianna smiled sadly. "It’s important to me."
Vivian stared at her in disbelief.
"You..."
"Don’t worry."
"I’ll make it up to you."
Emelianna’s voice remained gentle.
"Just remember..." "Mother loves you. Now slowly close your eyes."
A tear rolled down Vivian’s cheek. She couldn’t believe those words.
Love? Was this what love looked like?
Taking her daughter’s heart (The Beast core is like a heart to any BeastHuman) while telling her not to blame her?
Vivian desperately tried to lift her arms.
Nothing. Her muscles refused to respond.
Then an idea flashed through her mind.
"Mother..."
Emelianna paused. "Come closer."
"I want to tell you something."
Emelianna hesitated. She stared at Vivian for several seconds. Then she slowly bent down.
Perhaps she truly believed the restraints had already broken her.
Her ear came close.
Vivian’s eyes suddenly sharpened.
She opened her mouth. Her fangs extended.
Emelianna screamed.
"AHHHHH!"
Vivian’s teeth tore through her ear. Blood splattered across the white floor.
Emelianna stumbled backward, clutching the side of her head.
"You....little Brat!!!"
Her voice distorted. Her entire body suddenly began breaking apart.
Her skin cracked. Her body turned into particles of light.
Then...Everything around Vivian melted.
The doctors, the machines. The operating table and the walls.
Even the blood disappeared. Vivian’s eyes widened.
"What..."
The entire room shattered like glass.
CRACK! The ceiling collapsed.
Vivian closed her eyes. She waited for the impact. Nothing came.
Slowly...She opened her eyes.
She was beneath the flowering tree again.
The night sky stretched above her.
Vivian sucked in a breath.
She immediately touched her body.
No restraints holding her. No surgical table, no wounds.. was that a dream. She thought.
She looked around. Her eyes widened.
Herbert and Serial were tied tightly against the tree.
Two unfamiliar men with their student uniform stood nearby.
One of them was holding a glowing device.
"What if they don’t wake up?"
The other man laughed. "They’re trapped inside my illusion."
"It forces people to experience their deepest pain...the moment they feel most betrayed."
"It can take a while before they wake."
Vivian stared at them.
Illusion? Her blood ran cold. One of the men suddenly noticed her moving.
He froze.
"You!"
Vivian slowly sat up. The man’s eyes widened.
"Why are you awake?"
Vivian rubbed her temples.
"I just woke up."
The man’s expression changed.
"That’s impossible."
He stepped closer.
"My ability forces the target into their deepest emotional trauma."
He stared at her in disbelief.
"People with stronger mental abilities can’t resist it that early.."
"But you’re a Zero-Class female."
"You should have been trapped for hours."
He crouched in front of her.
"You escaped in less than three minutes."
Vivian smiled faintly. "Do you really want to know how?"
The man’s curiosity immediately took over.
"How?"
"Come closer."
He moved toward her.
Vivian smiled. "Let me tell you."
The moment he came within reach
Vivian grabbed the identification badge hanging from his chest.
She crushed it in her hand.
The man’s eyes widened.
"You.....Bitch!!"
FLASH! His body disappeared.
The teleportation function activated.
He was instantly transported out of the abandoned forest. Back to the academy.
The remaining student stared at the empty space.
"You...cunning snake!!"
His expression darkened.
"Do you know how difficult it was to get you three unconscious?"
He pointed at Herbert and Serial.
"I only wanted to tie you up and search your bodies for your identification badges."
"If I had gotten them, I could have sent all three of you back. And got 30 merits lasting for 3 Years."
Vivian laughed.
"So you failed."
The man clenched his teeth. "Don’t get too confident."
Vivian’s smile faded. The man stepped forward.
"I’m an S-Class male."
A strange pressure suddenly filled the air.
Vivian’s head began pounding.
Her eyes widened.
"What..."
The man’s eyes glowed faintly.
"If his ability failed....but my ability isn’t something a Zero-Class female can resist."
A powerful mental force invaded Vivian’s consciousness.
Her body stiffened.
"No..."
She tried to move.
Her hand lifted against her will. She grabbed the back of her head.
"Stop."
The man smiled. "You don’t control your body anymore."
Vivian’s fingers tightened around her hair."No!"
She fought against the invisible force.
Her muscles trembled. Her body suddenly slammed backward.
BANG! Her head struck the tree.
Blood trickled down her forehead.
The man laughed.
"Again."
BANG! Vivian’s head hit the tree a second time.
She screamed.
"Stop!"
She tried desperately to fight the command.
But her body wouldn’t listen. Her head slammed against the tree again.
BANG!
Blood ran down her face. Her vision blurred.
Inside her consciousness, the lotus suddenly trembled.
One of its petals slowly began to fade color .
Vivian couldn’t see it. She could only feel something weakening inside her.
The student watched her with a satisfied smile. "Let’s see how long a Zero-Class female can resist an S-Class ability."
Vivian’s body lifted again.
Her head moved toward the tree.
She couldn’t stop it. It was also hard to close her eyes, she watched as her forehead hit the tree.
She screamed. "Serial!! Herbert!! Wake the fuck.up!!"
At that moment Serial’s hands moved.