"I don't have much mana left, so we can only do it once," Reyna declared, pointing her hand toward me. There was also a bracelet wrapped around her wrist, also known as an SCO.

Somehow I became her guinea pig, alongside Greg, the charming dummy standing beside me. I wished Connor would turn back and save me from what atrocious experiment Reyna was about to put me through.

"Don't move, Gray. Stay there, nice and tight. Just like he does," Reyna chuckled.

Most of Greg's skeleton is composed of rusted metal and wires, with only a yellow coat thrown on top. There was a single bulb glowing in his eye socket, the other being empty. If you asked me, he looked a lot more like a robot than a dummy. And also—

"Very funny, but I think Greg's a she," I muttered.

My theory jolted Reyna to her core. I was certain that not even the scientists who discovered mana were as taken aback. Her face flushed with irritation as she grumbled, "If you keep talking, you might turn into a 'she,' too."

"I'd rather not—"

"Be quiet and let me focus."

"Okay..."

How can you be working on your tablet while listening to some washed-up reporter on the news and not show a reaction, but still get annoyed when I talk? It just doesn't make any sense. Do you have some kind of grudge against me?

"I hate repeating myself, but don't move."

She took in a deep breath. I wanted to close my eyes shut, but couldn't. I had to see what she was up to. Then she lifted her hand, not toward me or Greg, but somewhere in the middle. I knew her temper was terrific from Connor's stories, but I had no idea it was this bad...

The ground beneath trembled, and a chunk of the laboratory's floor shot up, wrapping itself around Greg's thin leg like a snake coiling around its prey. I didn't move, but my back was still drenched in sweat as I watched that happen.

"It worked—" she mumbled, her voice fading into a whisper.

I was ready to say something when Reyna's legs buckled. In that split second, the thought of not moving vanished from my mind. My muscles stiffened. I reacted instinctively rather than consciously. I lunged forward and caught her by the shoulders.

"Reyna?" I called as I lowered her body to the floor, her hair obscuring most of her face.

Trying to digest all that happened, a scowl formed on my face as I noticed just how pale her complexion was up close. It wasn't the result of not spending enough time outside in the sunlight, but an indication that something was wrong.

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Reyna took an additional test because of her affinity. Connor even mentioned she used numerous spells during that exam. She also said something about not having much of an appetite.

"Pale skin, no appetite..."

Another memory surfaced among the torrent of others. 'I don't have much mana left, so we can only do it once,' she explained so at the start.

"It's mana depletion," I deduced.

Running out of mana wasn't a big deal in and of itself; the most dangerous part was what happened after you passed you. Bashing your head against concrete was a possibility unless someone was prepared to catch you. Depending on how you landed, you could receive significant brain damage.

But, now that the worst has passed, my heartbeat has already begun to decrease.

"Come on," I whispered, one arm holding her legs while the other supported her back. It was more difficult to carry someone unconscious than someone awake. I leaned slightly backward as I walked upstairs, not wanting to drop her by accident. However, I couldn't help but consider tossing her over one shoulder and carrying her around like a sack of potatoes...

After I barely managed to open the door, I gently laid her on the chair.

"Wake up, Reyna," I said, lightly tapping her cheek with my palm. "Still sleeping..."

Her head gradually shifted to the side. I snatched her again in an attempt to balance her. Perhaps it would be better if our far-too-talented protegee just slept through it, I reasoned. I turned a small lever, setting the wheeled chair as horizontally as its mechanism allowed so that she couldn't slide off again.

I moved closer to the sink, my eyes still lingering on Reyna's sleeping figure as I picked one of the beakers discarded around. Although it appeared clean, I still thoroughly rinsed the cup to get rid of any possible remains.

"This is your last chance," I warned as I spun the chair around, listening to each of her breaths.

Even though everything should be completely waterproof if, given the chance, I'd rather avoid doing more damage than necessary.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," I mumbled as I tilted the beaker.

But then, something resembling a beast waking up from its slumber prevented me from going any further. "...I'm awake..."

"Really?"

Ignoring my question, Reyna threw her arms back, revealing some of her skin as her blouse rose higher. It was somewhat unbecoming of a lady, I thought as she let out a tiny yawn.

Once she was done stretching, the protegee twisted her head. Bewilderment washed over her as soon as her line of sight landed on the observatory window, revealing the outcome of our experiment. Uninterested in any of that, I tilted my hand further, dumping some water on top of her hair.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, turning towards me with newfound vigor.

"Waking you up," I replied, not intimidated. "You don't like things that are cold, do you?"

Few studies indicated just how much an affinity could influence a Hunter because there weren't many that had it in the first place. Not only in a physical manner, like Reyna's resilience towards higher temperatures but also in a psychological one as well. I imagined she detests cold things because of the way she scrambled away from the rain before we entered the Guild, almost as if she were a cat.

"Not really," Reyna grumbled as she shook her head. "I like ice cream."

And it appears that I was mistaken. My hypothesis vanished in an instant. Not that I minded it much (and it wasn't the first time something like that happened).

"Good to know," I answered, playing along with her joke.

Despite my reaction, it was unsettling to consider she continued with the experiment despite knowing she it was possible for her to faint. Or maybe she knew I'd catch her.

The fact that I didn't know exactly terrified me the most.