Levi found himself submerged in the depths of darkness, a void so profound it felt like an endless, impenetrable sea. His dreams mirrored this emptiness, devoid of any comforting warmth. He was adrift in a cold, eerie expanse, and there was nothing to soothe the hollowness that gnawed at his heart. Every time he entered this dream realm, it was a repetition of desolation – an unending nothingness, with no visual stimuli and no tangible objects to hold onto. There, it was just Levi and the vast, yawning abyss.

"Why did I choose to help her?"

Levi's voice, but a mere whisper in his own thoughts. There was no pride, no happiness, no sense of achievement in his actions. His heart remained a hollow vessel, devoid of joy.

A man with a psyche like his lacked direction and ambition. He was a wanderer in the labyrinth of life, a ship without a rudder, drifting on a sea of emptiness.

In the echoes of his vast yet barren dream, he heard his mother's voice, a distant memory that resonated with poignant significance.

"Remember, Levi, just because you don't feel anything, it doesn't give you the right to toy with others. What sets us apart as humans is our capacity to sacrifice for others. That's what distinguishes us from other creatures."

In his mind's eye, he saw his mother's face and remembered the words she had imparted that always came to him. It was her guidance that had once swayed him to save the girl from the gangster.

A different path beckoned him, one where he would still be "enjoying" his mother's home-cooked meals, excelling at work, and continuing his existence as the enigmatic psycho he was.

Fate, however, had other plans for him, thrusting him into a new world, compelling him to be a savior of lives.

Levi had no inclination to take lives, nor did he find any gain in preserving them. Many mistakenly associated the term "psycho" with ruthless killers, and they weren't entirely wrong. Some individuals seemed born to kill, and Levi occasionally wished he could be one of them. At least a killer felt something, possessed desires that made them feel alive. In contrast, Levi had never felt gratitude for his life; instead, he cursed it.

As the dark void around him seemed to dissipate, a sudden, blinding ray of light pierced his dream, illuminating the inky blackness.

"Couldn't there be a more gentle way to awaken me?"

Levi muttered, his voice a gentle murmur in the void, a lament for the abrupt end to his dream.

Blinking groggily, he saw his business partner looking at him, a relieved smile gracing his face. As Levi fully opened his eyes, he noticed Irina at his side, her gaze carrying a hint of concealed concern.

"Did it work?"

Levi inquired, his voice still raspy, his parched throat begging for a sip of water after the harrowing ordeal.

"It did,"

Tyson replied, his voice filled with emotions as he embraced Levi, their shared relief tangible in the tightness of their hug.

"I have diarrhea—"

"I know," Tyson chuckled, not taking Levi's excuse seriously. He released Levi from his embrace, allowing him to sit up and observe Luna peacefully resting on the other side of the room, free from harm.

Standing up, he opened the door to the adjacent room, its shattered remnants of the door still scattered across the floor.

"No need to worry; I'll get a new one," Tyson assured, the sound of his broom sweeping up the broken pieces providing a soothing backdrop to the scene.

Irina sat beside her daughter stroking her raven black hair with her slender fingers a smile, occasionally sneaking glances at Levi.

Levi's eyes then fell upon a broken clock on the wall, its numbers almost completely faded, with the hour hand struggling to display the time.

"It's already 2 a.m.," he realized, dreading the inevitable scolding from Ryan.

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"I should get going. My mentor might kill me if I'm any later," Levi said as he extended his hand outside the door, confirming the heavy rain.

"Can I borrow your umbrella?" he asked Tyson.

"Yes, but the rain is heavy. You can stay here for the night," Tyson offered, his voice carrying a sense of warmth and hospitality.

"I appreciate the help, but I'm already past the academy's curfew, and I need to come up with a good excuse as well,"

Levi replied, his words carrying the weight of his impending obligations. He then opened the umbrella and ventured out into the pouring rain.

Irina finally broke her silence, vexed by Levi's actions. She couldn't fathom why he would risk such consequences to help Luna, knowing full well the repercussions of violating the school rules.

Levi's gaze shifted back to Luna's peaceful figure, her presence casting a soothing aura over the room. He questioned whether he had saved her for her sake or to fill the emptiness within him. The psycho himself didn't have the answers, and it seemed he never would.

"Honestly, even I don't know the answer,"

he admitted, walking away into the storm, his umbrella struggling to shield him from the rain, his shoes soaked, his journey a sensory assault of cold, wet sensations.

As Levi disappeared into the night, Irina's heart wavered, watching his solitary figure retreat. He asked for nothing, yet he seemed willing to give everything he had.

...

"Achoo."

"I told you, didn't I? You were already cold,"

Ryan remarked as he handed Levi an allergy tablet. Levi took the tablet and endured Ryan's playful ear-pulling, the sensation adding a touch of affectionate familiarity to their interaction.

"Do you know how much trouble I had to go through, explaining your disappearance last night?"

Ryan's frustration was evident, his voice a blend of concern and scolding. He had assumed Levi had returned to the dorm, only to find him returning well past midnight. The headmaster had scolded Ryan, and he acknowledged his own carelessness, the emotions coloring the sensory experience of their conversation.

"Well, I was heading back to the dorm, but I got diarrhoea during my walk. I had to ask a stranger for permission to use their bathroom, and then—"

"Stop."

"On my way back, I may have found a partial solution to this illness."

"Yeah, yeah, and perhaps you fought a dragon as well—"

Ryan suddenly halted and repeated Levi's words, the surprise and curiosity coloring his tone.

"You found WHAT?"

"Um, a potential cure, but I'm not certain if it will work."

Levi had scrutinized the substance's properties after healing Luna, the texture and consistency of it offering clues to its potential. It wasn't a typical virus aimed at causing death; it sought to transform the host. The most effective solution was to provide it with a better host and eliminate it within that host's body.

Levi elaborated on his findings to Ryan, omitting the events of the previous night. Ryan contemplated the idea, and a light bulb seemed to flash in his mind, the epiphany adding depth to their conversation.

"But where do we find such a strong host?" Ryan wondered, his thoughts echoing Levi's, the shared realization creating a palpable sense of excitement.

"We can create a strong temporary host," Levi suggested, eliciting a chuckle from Ryan, the idea sparking a sense of adventure and potential.

"I'm glad to have you as my student. My instincts didn't deceive me."

"But I was the one who approached you—"

"Regardless, let's complete our shift today,"

Ryan declared, leading Levi to the surgery room, their shared determination a sensory experience that crackled with energy.

...

In a hidden chamber, a table went hurtling across the room, shattering a vase and scattering decorative items. The sound of the shattering vase added a layer of tension to the scene, punctuated by the occasional clinking of the broken pieces.

"How... how is that girl still healthy?" a man wearing a black robe exclaimed, his frustration palpable in his voice and body language. He was on the verge of hurling another chair, the threat of destruction and violence hanging in the air.

Another man intervened, restraining his violent outburst, their struggle adding a layer of suspense. "Stop throwing things. I just purchased that chair with my hard-earned money."

The first man couldn't help but chuckle, the sound a discordant note in the tense atmosphere. "Hard-earned money? You used someone else's," he retorted, their exchange a mixture of dark humor and anger.

His anger was well-founded. None of his sinister plans were yielding the desired results, the frustration seeping into the very fabric of the room. No one in the city had perished, and the girl, despite their efforts, continued to wander, seemingly untouched by their designs.

With great effort, the man set the chair down, realizing that the virus wasn't spreading, the release of the chair punctuated by a deep breath of resignation. While the city remained oblivious, he was well aware of the heroic efforts of Ryan and his dedicated companion.

"My instincts were right when I first saw him," he mused, allowing a wicked smile to cross his face as he envisioned the demise of Ryan and Levi, intoxicated by the prospect of their defeat.

"In this way, no one will become infected, and we might have failed," the other man commented, collecting the pieces of the broken vase.

"No, we will prevail, my brother. We merely need to find a new host, a stronger one," he declared. As he spoke, his gaze was drawn to a tall, handsome man strolling down the street, his golden eyes capturing the surroundings and mesmerizing onlookers with his flowing white hair. The sensory imagery of this new discovery added an element of anticipation and excitement to their sinister plans.

"Brother, I've found one," he proclaimed, licking his lips as he observed the unsuspecting prey before them, his predatory instincts heightened by the thrill of the chase. The path to their victory seemed clearer than ever, the sensation of impending triumph enhancing the richness of their dark intentions.