Doctor used in this chapter is in the context of a name, instead of a proper noun

“Violet, Bring me Amaryllis. Room 213, Fifth floor.” Doctor Henneth said, sipping her sixth coffee of the day. A coffee mixed with a dense elemental aspect that would kill Violet if she dared taste it. But that just showed how far above her creator was compared to Violet herself.

The flesh and metal pulsed together in symphony as she moved from her seat. The melodic sound of cogs and levers moving reached Violet’s ears. She loved the sound. It made her feel expensive. And expensive things are desired. She was desired.

“I shall, Doctor,” Her voice voice lacked any pitch. Metallic and toneless. She stood from her seat and approached the door. She looked human, if a bit too beautiful, but that was to be expected. Her creator was fond of beauty, after all. Yet her eyes gave away any of that. Her pupils were completely white, and her irises were vermillion. It lacked anything that made one feel human. Lightless. Dead.

“Wait,” Doctor Henneth nonchalantly said. “How’s your arm doing?”

Violet nodded, her heart warmed. She felt the mana flowing through the tattoo on her arm. The indentures that signified she had a soul, just like her creator. “Fine, I think. I don’t feel pain or discomfort to speak with certainty.”

Doctor Henneth shifted her attention from the file she had been looking at, “Let me see.”

Violet gave a nod, pulling up her sleeve.

“Take it off.”

Violet nodded again and unbuttoned her plain, white shirt. Violet and black swirled, contrasting against each other. It was all just chaotic jazzed lines, lacking any distinct feature. Violet didn’t know what to feel about this. These tattoos always had a distinct relation to the soul.

Doctor Henneth peered at the patterns, which climbed her shoulder and reached her back. “Turn around,” Violet followed Doctor’s order. “Hmm…” Doctor Henneth hummed.

Violet panicked. Did I fail?

Doctor Henneth approached her, lifting her violet hair, which was the base for her name. And observed the tessellations on her back.

“Alright. You can put on the shirt.” Violet nodded. Doctor plopped back on her seat, sighing as she noticed her empty cup. “It’s interesting. As I had thought, even if you have a soul, the lack of a mortal body did interfere with the Soul Smith’s understanding. If I were to create more, either we make them with complete flesh, which is hard, or Soul Smith needs to evolve to carve the indentures without losing his mind.”

Will I be discarded once she makes a better version of me? Violet was her own self, even if she was created in a lab. With limited emotions — most of which were devotion to her creator — thoughts, and soul. Death was not something she looked forward to. She wanted to live and eternally serve Doctor.

Violet was mostly human, but that in and itself was a blasphemous notion. How could she be something close to her creator? But she was created to be a human with longings and desires. If she thought she was not a human, she’d be a failure, and that was wrong; how could Doctor make a failure? Thus, Violet lived in a constant battle with herself. Wanting to be human and rejecting the notion of being equal to her creator.

“What’s in your mind?”

“I was wondering if you’ll discard me once you create Subject-002,” Violet replied honestly. She couldn’t be unfaithful to Doctor.

Doctor Henneth blinked, “I am proud that you’re thinking for yourself. Self-preservation is one of the primal aspects of any mortal, after all. But those are questions you don’t need to worry about now. I neither have resources nor time to make another you.”

Doctor didn’t deny it. But I’ll be able to serve her for now.

“I will not think on this subject again, Doctor,”

Doctor let out a sigh, took off her glasses, and message bridge of her nose. “You can think whatever you want to. As I’ve said, you’re not a puppet — they are far easier to create. You don’t need to worry about being discarded. Unless I somehow hog the entire wealth of a noble house, there’s no way I can afford to discard you. Not to mention, you’ll progress with time. You’re not a machine — stagnant and depreciative. I have high hopes for you.”

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Those words made her heart thump. Doctor had hopes for her. She wanted something from her. She desired her. “I won’t disappoint you, Doctor,” Violet said, her voice a pitch higher.

“Just go with the flow. There’s no rush,” Doctor shifted her attention, looking out the door. Violet followed her line of sight but saw no one. “You can leave. I’m hopeful Amaryllis will be under my tutelage, and if she does, she will be with you. So, try not to scare her.”

“I won’t, Doctor,” Violet replied, but her heart bubbled with jealousy. She didn’t want anyone else to get Doctor Henneth’s attention. For a limited time, she was with Doctor, and she had no intention of letting anyone else take Doctor away from her. She suppressed those thoughts. What her creator wanted was the only thing that mattered. “What if they do not answer?”

“You can break in.”

“Alright, Doctor. And if she refuses to come with me?” Violet was not above breaking a few bones to execute Doctor’s command.

“She won’t. And if she does, you will leave her alone. She had the worst zone in the assessments and no prior experience with Serans. She is not in the best condition.”

“I see.”

“On your way back, make sure she eats something. I doubt she has.”

“I will.”

“And…” Doctor Henneth paused, tapping the desk with her finger. It pulsed with her mana. “I think… No. It’s fine. That’s enough. You can go ahead. Pick up another coffee for me as well. I want you here at four.”

“Then, I’ll take my leave.” Violet rose from her seat, looked at the clock which showed three, and left the office.

As she made her way out of the office, she caught Light’s eyes, who had a habit of worrying about everyone she laid her eyes on. Light called her. Disgruntled, Violet turned to look at Light.

“Violet, how are you feeling?” Light asked.

“Perfectly fine,” Violet replied. Her interactions with Light were in a grey area. Since Doctor was not fond of Light, Violent shouldn’t be either, but there was no way she could dislike Light.

“That’s great to hear. Congratulations on topping the leaderboard,” Light patted her head. Despite being an ice element, Light was somehow warm. Whoever named her Light predicted the future flawlessly.

“Thank you, Miss Light,” Violet bobbed her head slightly. “Doctor is proud of this achievement as well.”

Light grinned, “Isn’t that great? Did she reward you?”

“She said once the week is over.”

Light sighed, “She is so bad at this,” Light took her hand and placed something in it. “This is a healing elixir. You can use it once. But, try not to be reckless.”

“I’ll try. Thanks,” Violet placed it in her pocket. Healing elixir was something she shouldn’t have. It was expensive in the market, but Light could make it herself, so she had a free way to gift something absurdly expensive.

“I was on my way to meet Henneth and, of course, you. Where are you off to?”

“Doctor asked me to bring someone to her.”

“I see, then I won’t keep you longer. Swing by my office when you have the time. And report me if elixirs fail to perform adequately. Your constitution is special, so healing magic may not have the same effect.”

“I will,” Violet said. Light was obsessed with healing magic to a scary degree. So, she came around to try healing magic on Violet to make sure it worked perfectly in case of emergency. Not that Violet would ever be in an emergency. Violet was sure Light would invent a healing magic for even inanimate objects one of these days. “I’ll be on my way.”

….

The journey to the assessee's living quarter was a long way from Doctor Henneth’s office. It took her ten minutes to get there.

Her first impression of Amaryllis turned out to be shoddy. Violet had left the doctor’s office with the impression whoever this person was, they would be cautious. After all, a mana blessed ranked in the top ten without having a soul-forged weapon — no way they could be careless.

But here she stood. In front of Room 213, the keys to the room dangling on the door, which wasn’t locked. Still, she refrained from making any judgment. Not yet. Perhaps it was a ploy to lower the guard of the trespassers and make them reckless.

“Miss Amaryllis,” she called, knocking on the door.

After waiting for a minute in deathly silence and suspicious gazes of other assessees passing by, she tried again. Maybe someone broke in. Deciding that to the most likely case, she opened the door. Cautiously. Then, guided herself through the passageway to a bedroom. The layout of which was similar to her own.

And it was empty. A pillow was on the floor, wet and squeezed. The bed was completely untouched, confusing Violet further. She saw no spot of blood or lingering mana in the air. “Miss Amaryllis.” She called, hearing noises from the bathroom.

“Who are you?” Came a distant, emotionless voice. Less mechanical than Violet herself, but barely.

“I’m Violet. Doctor Henneth sent me to get you.”

“I am taking a shower. Can you wait?”

Violet looked at the clock on the wall, “I can.”

“Thanks. Please make yourself comfortable,” There was a long pause as Violet sat at the edge of bed. “How long can you wait?”

“Seventeen minutes,” Violet answered, confused. The sound of the shower raining down filled the room. “I guess you were just tired,” Violet whispered to herself, placing the keys on the nightstand. A civilian ranked Seventh on the leaderboard. How?