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"So the mark will help her control the power, but how is her body supposed to evolve to withstand it?" Tymon continued.
"She'll need a catalyst," Damien interjected, answering the question. He tapped a finger on the table in thought. "Something that'll provide the same physical effects the JANUS tablets had."
"But what could do that? No one besides Avarice has made anything like that before, and as far as the world is concerned, it doesn't exist yet, so no one can produce rip-off versions of it yet either," I remarked.
Arne shuffled forward as if having figured it out.
"Our blood," they suggested confidently. "We could insert it directly into her."
"Ew. No," I retorted, eyes wide in disbelief.
"No, Arne's right," Tymon nodded as he slowly saw a way forward. "Avarice changed Junichiro and the others using components from his blood, and the JANUS tablets are mostly composed of my blood—each tablet is less than a drop's worth—but that's where its effects are derived from. That's proof that our blood—in controlled quantities—can, to a degree, alter a human's DNA. If each of us were to give you just a little of our blood at a time, theoretically, it'd be like eating a ton of JANUS tablets."
"Precisely," Viraa commented. I detected a sense of pride radiating from her.
"Given what we've witnessed so far, enacting this would result in an exponential change in Alissia, as Viraa mentioned; perhaps it will be enough to challenge even Avarice," Michael voiced as he pondered the possibility. "Still, I fear she won't survive the process."
"Right, that doesn't sound safe at all. Or sanitary," I said, cringing.
"That is not an issue. If each of you were to prick your finger and touch the mark, it would mix elements of your blood with hers, forcing her body to evolve similarly to before. If you all do it one at a time while Michael provides healing aid between the insertions, she will survive the change," Viraa assured us.
"Also, while you touch the mark, each should share a portion of your energy during the transference. It may make accepting the energy easier on her body."
The others looked at each other silently before their eyes locked onto me.
"Are you willing to go through with this?" Damien asked me.
I hesitated. While pondering the question, memories of everything that had occurred up until that moment flashed through my mind. I remembered being too weak to protect anyone and often being the one who needed protection. Now, I had the chance to obtain power that would help rectify everything Avarice and his 'family' had done—power that would allow me to protect the others instead.
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"Let's do it," I replied somberly.
"Splendid, be aware that the mark will only be able to accept this kind of procedure for the next hour, so we must not dally. It would be best if you also did not give her too much of your energy. Lisa may be undergoing changes that will make her more durable, but she is still mostly human; therefore, even with Michael's help, she will not survive receiving more than a fourth of each of your energy. With that, perhaps we should all move to a room better suited for the process before beginning."
Following Viraa's advice, we moved to another room down the hall after I grabbed my holo-bracelet. It was similar to any other rooms below the manor—windowless with a hard white surfaced floor and walls. However, this room was a bit more spacious than the ones I'd been in. With a push of a button on a touchpad built into the wall, a portion of the wall opened and ejected a full bed into the room.
"Lisa, we will need you to lie on your back with your mark exposed," Viraa instructed.
Feeling a bit nervous and self-conscious, I climbed onto the sheetless bed and lifted the right side of my shirt over my shoulder so that the mark was accessible.
"hhhhoo, okay," I exhaled shakingly as I laid back. I felt something cold and hard brush against my skin, causing me to recoil in surprise. When I looked to the side, I saw metal restraints had appeared from the floor surrounding the bed.
"What's this?" I asked anxiously. My heart rate steadily rose due to the sudden unknown factor.
"These are going to keep you in bed in case you lose control of yourself," Michael told me as he tugged at them to test their stability.
"If you lose control of the power to match Avarice's, there's not much we can do to stop you," Tymon added.
"Oh, okay," I laid back down. "Yeah...that's smart."
"Now, before we begin, I must warn you that what you are about to experience will be painful. Much more painful than taking the tablets did, but despite that, do not lose the will to live; you will survive. My energy will stabilize your body as it accepts their blood and energy and metamorphoses, and Michael will be standing by to heal you once the effects have completed their course promptly."
"I think I'm starting to have second thoughts," I said half-jokingly.
The others looked at me with concern, ready to stop everything if I said so.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm just...nervous, is all."
Damien walked up to me and placed a gloved hand on me. He looked around solemnly before revealing a proud smile directed toward me.
"We may not have known each other for long, but I'm proud of what you've accomplished. Despite our many differences, you've managed to get all of us together by giving us a singular common interest—something I didn't think was possible with us."
"I did? I haven't been anything but a burden to the group..."
"No, most of us have had bad experiences with humans and wouldn't have cared whether or not they perished, but your compassion toward the humans and us was equal. You showed us that there is a better side to humanity. It just takes a bit of digging to get to in this day and age, but I think I speak for each of us when I say you have become our common interest—our faith in you as an imperfect yet pure representation of the humanity we were derived from."
"You're the first real friend many of us have made," Naomi added, clutching my hand with excitement and a wholesome sincerity.
"The first tolerable human I've come across in a while," Za'Fia moved into my view and winked at me.
"An honorable, strong-willed human," Arne chimed in.
"One who may care more about the precious frailty of life than even I," Michael stated from over my head.
I tried to keep from crying as I felt my chest tighten and my face flush as their words tugged at my heart.
"A human with the character to strike at even the darkest heart," Tymon's voice said before I saw him standing over me with a rare smirk.