expelled the bullet lodged in her forehead, repairing the wound with Lumina, and fixed her gaze on Danan, who had pinned her to the ground. Blood dripped from his mouth, his body trembling with rage and hatred. Whether he was aware of it or not, he hadn’t noticed the insects—Lumina—mending the wounds that pierced his body, restoring him to a state of compatibility. The bloodstains clinging to his skin were broken down by the Lumina in his bloodstream, seeping back into his body, circulating, and regenerating the lost insects.

  The Lumina insects Eve had implanted in Danan amounted to about a third of those within her own body. Even a handful of Lumina was more than enough to heal fatal wounds. The girl’s Lumina kept the young man alive, nesting in his heart. Whether Danan lived or died was entirely at Eve’s whim—a fact he must have understood through the pain he’d endured.

  And yet, Eve couldn’t comprehend it. Despite experiencing the agonizing heartbeat control, despite being shown an insurmountable gap in power that would break most people, why did this man’s defiance and rebellion still burn so fiercely? She couldn’t understand it.

  It was irrational. Utterly unproductive. A wasteful, worthless squandering of time. If he would just obey her words and lend her his strength, things could proceed so much more efficiently. Why, then, did he resist so stubbornly? It was beyond her.

  Should she activate the second-stage control mechanism, stopping his heart and breath entirely? Should she push the half-rampant Lumina into a full frenzy, forcing him to relive that torment? No… even then, he would likely cling to his will, refusing to bow to the pressure bearing down on him. So how could she make Danan her ally, her hunting hound?

  Eve’s eyes met those of the young man, who was panting heavily, his flesh-and-blood left arm pressing against her throat. Then, a phrase he’d uttered earlier flickered in her mind: “I don’t have a desire.” A simple, almost throwaway response.

  No desire. Spoken by a selfless soul, those words might belong to a saint, pure and untainted. But Danan was a relic hunter living in the tower. The true meaning hidden in his words was nothing less than bottomless greed.

  Because he didn’t know what he truly wanted, he desired everything. Because he had no specific wish, he craved all that could be seized. Like a ravenous wolf tormented by thirst, he sought to devour an entire ocean within himself, unaware of his own longing.

  Ordinarily, Eve showed no mercy to the greedy. She would sever the necks of tomb-robbing relic hunters, slaughter them without hesitation. She had spent her life destroying those who stretched their greed too far—exterminating alien creatures, experimental beasts, and killing machines that haunted the ruins. She had no forgiveness for the undercity’s denizens or the tower’s inhabitants who had forgotten their purpose.

  Yet, for some reason, Danan didn’t stir her anger or hatred. The longer she stared into his pitch-black eyes, the more she was reminded of a nameless man from her past. A man who wore a mask of mockery and resignation, lounging in an armchair, shifting his sins onto others and bearing their punishments.

  Was that why? Gazing into the loneliness and sorrow reflected in Danan’s eyes through her prismatic irises, Eve had twisted her own duty and role. She had implanted the Lumina insects—meant for an NPC—into this young man, hoping to fill the empty vessel of his soul.

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  With a surge of strength, Danan’s grip tightened on her throat, his canines bared. But Eve’s silver wings pierced his torso and arms, hoisting him into the air. Glancing at the young man as he thrashed, every muscle straining to break free from the wings’ hold, Eve brushed the dust from her clothes and stood.

  “What am I supposed to do with you?” she murmured.

  “What are you—?!” Danan growled.

  “Honestly, I’m not great at negotiating,” Eve admitted. “If you were the type to submit after a show of force, this would be so much easier… Danan, if you return the Lumina insects I gave you, you’d be free.”

  “Then take them back,” he snapped.

  “But if I did, you’d die. Without question. You remember the fatal wounds you took, don’t you? The Lumina is what’s keeping those wounds closed. If I took it back, death would be waiting for you. Danan, do you understand now what I meant when I said I hold your heart?”

  “…”

  The wounds inflicted by Kaas, the fatal blows from Canaan—only Eve could remove the Lumina sealing and filling those injuries. Danan seemed to grasp this, if only faintly. His movements slowed, and he clicked his tongue in frustration.

  Perhaps… Eve wasn’t an enemy. If she were, saving his life and asking for cooperation would carry far more risks than benefits. Even so, Danan craved something—some shred of proof that she was worthy of trust, worthy of belief.

  “…A condition,” he said.

  “…”

  “I’ll cooperate, but only if you meet my terms. Then we’ll talk… Eve.”

  The silver wings released him, and Danan collapsed to the ground, crawling. He stared at the insects sealing his wounds, exhaling heavily.

  Though different in color, the nematode-like insects were the same as those that had emerged from Kaas’s chest. Beyond their ability to heal wounds, they likely had other functions. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. If he were to become something like that—a monstrous being, half-human at best—it would unleash a terror without end.

  “…I want to live,” Danan said quietly. “Not for eternal life or infinite power. Just… to keep living.”

  “…”

  “But… I don’t know how to live. You might think it’s stupid, laugh at me for being a fool—I don’t care. Eve… what does it mean to live? Why are people born, and why do they die? Is struggling through pain and suffering the point of it all? I… I don’t understand.”

  Living as a human was hard. Merely existing, then dying—that was no different from being a walking corpse.

  “…I don’t have the words to answer that question, Danan,” Eve said softly.

  “…”

  “But… I think the answer lies within you.”

  “Within… me?” he echoed.

  “Yes. Think about it. Do you really believe someone else could understand your deepest desires? Right now, you might not have a wish. You don’t even know what you want or what you’re seeking. How could a stranger like me answer that for you? So…”

  I’ll help you find your desire. Revealing just a sliver of her true heart, Eve extended her hand to Danan, her prismatic eyes fixed on him.

  “I’m no god, and I don’t pretend to be some all-knowing saint. Danan, if you want, I’ll lend you my hand. Even if you don’t know your desire, even if you can’t find meaning in living, I’ll stay by your side until you die.”

  “…Why go so far for me?” he asked.

  “…Who knows?” Eve replied with a faint smile. “Maybe… I don’t understand my own heart either.”

  “That’s a hell of a way to put it,” Danan muttered.

  “Isn’t that what being human is? Not even knowing what you feel or think? Doesn’t that make us both pretty human?”

  “…”

  Danan glanced at Eve’s outstretched hand, wary. Then, cautiously, he grasped her small, pale hand and stood.

  “…Until I find it,” he said.

  “…”

  “I’ll lend you a hand until I find my desire. So… don’t disappear on me, Eve.”

  “I promise, Danan,” she replied.

  He might never fulfill his desires or find his true wish. She might never escape the hold of her power. Bound by a tangle of emotions and thoughts, the young man and the girl clasped hands, hiding their fangs and forging a tentative alliance.