Chương 23: Chapter 23

"What do you mean you're going alone?" I got worked up, causing too much tension in my abdomen. A sudden electrifying pain momentarily halted my movement.

Aidan shot me a look and said, "See? You'll slow me down if you tag along."

"But you're unwell," I protested, turning to Persephone and Nadia to help me out.

Nadia looked down before speaking, "You're right, he's not well, and the formula might hold the key to solving this problem."

I clicked my tongue, finding nothing to refute it. I cursed myself for letting Aidan beat me up this badly.

If only I were in better shape to retrieve the formula. If only I had held on better... If only I had the guts to strike his neck like Scipio did before he crushed me...

Aidan's face was pale. As he kept his health issues to himself, I wasn't sure how much pain he was enduring. What if he went alone to Zone A, and something happened? Who would help him?

But, on the other hand, the faster we get the formula document, the sooner Persephone could analyze it.

Adding to the urgency of the situation, Persephone explained, "My theory is that the new HRD that the government spread had a specific effect on Aidan. The formula would help me understand the virus' characteristics and determine if the effect is positive or negative."

"If it's negative..." Nadia paused, clasping her mouth, unable to continue.

I sighed, feeling lost. "Okay. I'll do my best to keep the house safe. Nad, you should stay here with me. It's faster if he's going solo."

Nadia, who shared the same sentiment as me, nodded with regret written all over her face.

"Promise me you'll come back immediately when the headache sets in," I said sternly.

Aidan flashed a playful grin, a sharp contrast to his lifeless complexion. "Worry not, my friend. This stupid drug won't easily defeat me."

And so, he left, leaving the rest of us in the house filled with unease.

***

"I can't find the document anywhere." Aidan rushed in with uneven breathing, clenching his chest as if something heavy rested on top of him. "Haah... hah..."

"Aid, what's wrong?" Nadia approached him to check his condition.

Aidan suddenly broke into a violent seizure. His body twitched fiercely, slamming into the walls, tables, and everything he came in contact with.

"Get back!" I shouted to Nadia.

She fell on her butt, crawling backward in horror to avoid being pinned under Aidan's monstrous body.

"Persephone!! Do you still have the sleeping syrup? Put it in a syringe. I need it now!" I yelled as I struggled to stand up.

The pain was overflowing within me. Every single movement stung. It felt like my ribs were broken all over again, and my insides were crushed before they could barely recover.

"Persephone!" I called out again to rush her.

"Yes! I'm injecting the syrup now," she replied, voice shaking. I could picture her inside the room, hands trembling, having a hard time doing what she does every day.

"Nad, go help her!"

Nadia was agitated, shifting her gaze from Aidan to me back and forth. Tears rolled down her cheek. Her jaw dropped as she crawled forward to Persephone's work chamber.

Now it was just the two of us in the living room. I gritted my teeth, "You really pick the worst time for this, Aid."

I prayed that he wouldn't go on a rampage like he did yesterday. Hopefully, it was just a seizure that would eventually stop.

But my biggest nightmare turned out to be true.

With Aidan's seizures ceased, his eyes completely changed. The color of his eyes toned up a notch. Dread started to loom as I was overwhelmed with fear.

It was not dying in his hands that I feared; it was seeing him slowly losing his mind and becoming the Parliament's puppet.

"You said you won't be defeated by that drug!" I cried out.

Aidan charged at me using his hands as his feet like an animal. I sniffed my tears as I escaped his grasp.

"Don't lose to it!" I tried to reach out to Aidan's consciousness. Perhaps somewhere, there was the Aidan that I knew sleeping inside his muffled brain.

The big monster swung his hand, sending me to the wall. I cushion the crash with my hand, almost breaking my wrist.

My head was dizzy, and my insides were screaming for me to stop moving.

In a flash, Aidan had caught up with me. He pinned my body to the ground, choking me. I used all my strength to peel his fingers off my neck, but he was too strong. He was definitely too strong for someone who was ill.

As I struggled to stay alive, I saw Persephone open the door of her work chamber. Her focus was glued on the paralyzed Aidan.

"Th... r... ow it..." I said.

Persephone was terrified. She was heaving. But she managed to roll the syringe toward my hand. I raised my hand, aiming for his open skin.

Several inches from reaching his hand, he noticed the incoming needle. He let go of my neck and step on my forearm.

"Argh!" I cried out as the syringe escaped my grip, and he took that chance to crush it with one heavy stomp.

Coughing for air, I got up and heard someone scream from inside the room, catching Aidan's attention.

"Tesla!" It was Persephone.

"Lock the door!" I shouted and ran at Aidan, locking his neck from the back.

If Aidan had never inhaled the newly altered HRD, I probably would have never imagined what pain felt like. Especially, not this kind of skull-shattering pain.

"Come on, Aid! Control yourself!" I tried to talk to Aidan again, though I knew it would have little effect.

He leaped across the room and landed a powerful punch on me, the hardest I had ever taken in my life. I shifted my body only slightly to protect my vital parts.

Blood trickled from my mouth and I coughed, spitting out more.

He charged at me once again, his fist flying to my head. But I was ready. I sidestepped and hit him with a swift punch to his gut, followed by a kick to his shin.

He might not feel pain when he's in this state, but his body definitely did. He stumbled backward.

I was about to use that opportunity to drop the final blow, but he dodged, lunging and grabbing me by the ankle.

My strength had ebbed considerably, and my internal injury only made things worse. I could barely make a fist, let alone overpower Aidan in my condition.

There was only one way to end this. But it was also the one way that I had stayed away from.

It was just a few seconds but felt like an eternity for me. I stared at the cupboard, weighing my options. If I didn't act soon, three lives would be lost today: mine, Persephone's, and Nadia's.

"Damn it!!!" I screamed as I flung open the cupboard and grabbed the gun.

I tried to recall his training on the gun. Tears streamed down my face, but I couldn't let that stop me.

"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it," I couldn't stop muttering those words as I lifted the gun and took aim.

"DAMN IT!!!!" I shouted as I pulled the trigger.

BANG!

To be continued...