2.34. LYNDA

“You’re here to visit Lynda Sparks? Sir, may I know what your relationship is with her?”

“I’m her teacher from Saint High.”

“Oh, I see. Lynda Sparks’ teacher, erm-hrm.”

The nurse tabulated some data into the floating panel.

“Do you happen to know where Miss Nyill is? Xe’s a nurse working here.”

“Miss Nyill? I’m sorry, I don’t remember which department xe’s working in this week. Do you need hir for anything?”

“No, I thought to give my greetings. If xe’s busy then it’s alright.”

The nurse nodded and directed us to the quarantine center for NtBM. A directory shown in AR was provided. It’s in tower U section 3 on the 5th floor.

“It’s the first time I’ve come so deep into the hospital. It feels like a hotel for some reason.”

Lia observed, seeing how there were open cafes, lounges, and greenery everywhere.

We passed by the dialysis center before reaching tower U. We took the elevator. Cain even talked with one of the doctors. The doctor was, of course, an angel and was curious as to why Cain was helping a demon, me.

Oddly enough, the doctor left with an understanding demeanor and we were even given some pointers on how to behave as to protect ourselves when approaching NtBM patients.

We reached the reverse isolation center where, surprisingly, I found myself standing in front of a demon nurse. Xe had a black crown with gold flakes just above it. Is this the effect of wearing the chain? I suppose that’s why the angels call it a coronet.

Crowns actually vary in colour. It can be red, black, gold or light blue. The rule of thumb is if the crown looks dark and scary, it's a demon. Bright and divine, angel.

The nurse educated us on some of the precautions such as not to act in erratic ways and always be considerate of the patients. Avoid showing bare skin as it may sometimes stimulate the patient’s appetite for blood.

After that we were ushered in, the nurse leading us in the front.

There were more than one rooms in this one stretch of hall. The interior of which looked like executive rooms decorated and furnished to hotel standard.

“I’m Shelly Roth, the nurse attending to Lynda. Avner, is your name, correct? How are you doing so far?”

“Alright, I guess?”

Xe peeked behind. Cain was conversing with Lia.

“I know, it can sometimes be confusing when there’s an obvious line between two factions. But just because discrimnation exists, it doesn’t mean one is better than the other. I want to persuade you to look at it more objectively at least.”

“Okay?”

“I’ve been there just like you. You just have to get used to it. Sooner or later, it’ll become part of everyday life.”

Feeling some level of shame from hirs words, I began reassessing my assumptions.

Perhaps, I’ve been misled by each individual’s biased perspectives. Lucifer wasn’t wrong about angels being a bummer. But she also isn’t right about angels and demons not being able to coexist in peace. Nurse Shelly is proof of that.

Then again, I don’t know enough about the situation to really judge anything. Maybe Lucifer’s claim is right? Something happened to make her think that angels can’t be trusted? Mistakes can happen no matter which faction you’re from. Perhaps Cain didn’t do what he did on purpose.

In the end, it’s up to the individual’s own point of view, isn’t it?

Whatever it is, nurse Shelly’s words did something to jog my thoughts. I shouldn’t just believe one is good and the other isn’t.

So, what exactly was Avner of the 233rd aiming for when he said he wanted peace for angels and demons?

Didn’t it already exist? Or is what I’m seeing the fruit of his actions? I have no idea.

Xe knocked before entering.

“Good morning Miss Lynda, nurse Shelly here. You have visitors.”

“I do?”

We made our way into the room. There I saw Lynda. Her silky peace-orange hair loosely hung over her shoulders, some curled around her ears. Her eyes were wide open, exasperated at our arrival.

“Avner! Mister Cain! I thought you’d never come. Who’s this? Your etler, Avner?”

“Hello, I’m Lia.”

“Xe’s so cute,” Lynda grinned. I noticed how her teeth had changed.

“There are seats here that you can use.”

“Thank you.”

“How are you feeling Lynda? Any odd tingling sensations anywhere on your body?”

“No, I’m feeling normal.”

“Alright, then I won't disturb your time together. If you need anything, press the call bell alright?”

“I will, thank you.”

The nurse left with those words. Lynda began.

“I’m still under observation. I’ll only be discharged once they confirm that everything about me is A-O-K.”

“Are you really a vampire?” Lia asked.

“Sure am, look,” Lynda pointed at her teeth– her fangs.

“Then do you drink blood? What does it taste like?”

“It still tastes like blood. I don’t like it, but I have no choice but to drink it.”

I walked over and browsed the terminal. Information regarding Lynda popped up.

She’s become a stage two vampire. What?

So they gave her human blood instead of vampire blood..

“No gifts?”

“Gifts? No..” Lia replied, looking at me.

“I didn’t even know we were coming.”

“Really?”

“Mister Cain just told me we’re going to the hospital and that’s how we ended up here.”

“Huh? I thought you knew we were coming here?”

“Nope.”

“Really? Then did you bring anything, Mister Cain?”

“A light snack, if you would consider it. I made these myself.”

Cain took out a small packet of cookies from pocket. So that’s what it was.

“Oh, thank you!”

2.35.

Lynda received it with glee and opened the packaging the moment it reached her hands. Throwing a cookie into her mouth, she continued.

“It’s been a while since I could bake anything. It’s really boring staying in the hospital, you know? I really want to go back home, but the doctors just wouldn’t let me.”

“When are you going to be discharged? Any dates have been given yet?”

“Until everything is A-O-K. So it’s pending. I just found out recently that for stage one vampires, they can offset the attack by drinking their own blood. Bite your tongue enough and you’re good to go. I wish I knew that earlier,” Lynda said, laughing.

What? That shouldn’t be..

And then she stopped and turned to me, remorse on her face.

“Why didn’t you tell me that Avner?”

“I.. I didn’t know..”

“You were the one who gave the doctors this information. You said you could see the future, so why?”

How you could drink your own blood to stimulate the NtBM nanomachine to release the suppressive.. I thought Novelle wrote that it wouldn’t work?

It couldn’t have worked.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“You caused me a lot of trouble, but I can’t say you’re wrong because you’re also the one who saved me. Now I have to go for surgery to install a vein opener in my esophagus. You know what the machine does? It ruptures the blood vessels to cause blood to flow into the stomach. If I was stage one, biting my mouth would’ve been enough, now that I’m stage two, I need more blood.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Cain said, I remained silent.

“Avner.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What else happened? Did I die?”

“You didn’t.”

Emily was the one who died because of a blood infection.

“How about now? Will I die if I don’t go for the surgery? I.. I don’t want that implant.. my parents left the decision in my hands.. “

“Then don’t go for it.”

“Then you take responsibility, Avner. If you become my recipient, then I won’t need that surgery.”

“Donor and recipient. You’re aware of the differences.. right?”

“Yes. I'm very aware.”

Lynda is demanding that I become a stage one vampire so that we can feed off each other’s blood.

There are clearly many other more appropriate methods out there to treat an NtBM attack. Why was she choosing this?

Part of me wanted to know if she was being serious or that she was simply venting..

“Then you know that If I become your recipient..”

“Why did you save me, Avner?”

“If you knew you could change the future, to make it better, is there a reason not to?”

“Of course I would. Avner, come here.”

I shook my head, and instead, took some distance.

Lynda’s expression turned sour.

“I just took my blood two days ago. I won’t bite you.”

I shook my head again.

Lynda took out another piece of cookie and bit into it.

“This is good.”

“Are those your concerns, Lynda?”

“Yeah. I really don’t know what to do. To take the surgery or not. If I don’t then I’ll need to find a stable source of NtBM blood or wait until the blood bank creates a new referral system for us NtBM victims.”

Lynda wiped her tears with the sleeves of her clothes.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“You’ll be alright. God is with you.”

“You think so?”

“Yes, you’ll be fine.”

Lynda nodded to Cain’s words. He then began to pray for her.

Lia walked up to me.

“Don’t you think there’s something weird about her? One moment she’s angry, then she’s sad, now she’s normal.”

“It’s.. part of the disease.”

Personality distortion.

What did that mean in reality? In stories it may sound like a nifty trait that makes characters interesting.

But physiologically, alteration in personality means the NtBM virus affects the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin, which in turn affects the mind.

No wonder in the original <Cookie Cult> story, it’s as if Lynda has bipolar disorder. That’s because she actually does.

I don’t even know how she got NtMB. How I’m I responsible for her in this case? I merely saved her, nothing more nothing less.

“I’m weird aren’t I?” Lynda began tearing up, “I don’t even know why I’m saying all this. I’m happy and sad. I feel like my heart is going to break, are you going to go away again Avner? They say I have to take medication. If not I’ll feel like this, so I told them I won't eat it. I’m I going insane? Avner, you must have a way to solve this too right? Just like before?”

“I’ll call the nurse.”

I said with a sigh and walked to the exit.

She’s unstable.

“Don’t!!”

I pushed the door, going against her pleas. Cain held her down.

Nurse Shelly noticed me.

“What seems to be the problem?”

“Nurse she..”

Come to find, there was a medication error. The dosage for the antipsychotic drug was below the prescribed amount.

I wasn’t sure what happened in detail. A psychiatrist was brought in to examine Lynda. An adjustment was made to the medication and Lynda was put to sleep.

“I’m so sorry.”

Shelly apologized. I dismissed it saying that it was normal to make mistakes. Though, a medication error is a fairly serious oversight in the hospital. Xe was lucky it didn’t cost Lynda’s life.

Worse when considering how Lynda was being treated in the executive room. Mistakes like this cost a lot.

Now on the ELRT, the scene of the city whizzing by, I gazed out the window. The sun was still bright out, the sky was clear with few clouds overhead.

The question of how the vampire cult wasn’t reported even after 3 volumes keeps repeating in my mind. How exactly was that possible? Perhaps the students were already aware that they were vampires and they’ve just come to accept their existence in the school? Or perhaps treatment for the disease had already been found and it just wasn’t mentioned? Maybe Lynda’s parents were pulling the strings behind it all?

Why did no one take the vampire cult seriously? NtBM is no different from a chronic disease which needs maintenance and a watchful eye like asthma.

There’s no way the original <Cookie Cult> storyline would’ve been able to progress as it did unless there’s some major backing behind it. A plot hole?

“Avner, don’t be too down.”

“I’m not. Just sorting out some things.”

Will Lynda recover? Why do I feel guilty for her condition? She’s scared, lonely, and confused. Wasn’t there anyway else I could help?

You’re no hero Shin. Don’t try to be.

“What did she mean by you being able to see into the future?”

Lia’s question brought me out of my thoughts.

“Now that I’ve made changes, the future won’t happen as I remembered.”

“Huh? So you can actually see the future? It’s not because she’s.. um. You know.”

I shook my head.

“So.. how you got such amazing results in the exams was because you already knew the papers beforehand?”

How did you come to that idea?

“Aha! I’m right, aren't I?”

“I did not.”

“Ah, so my big bro is a cheater. Mister Cain, you heard that right?”

“Avner, behave yourself.”

“I-I don’t even know what kind of exams we had alright? Besides, knowing the future is useless now.”

I’ve made too many changes. My advantage is now gone.

Not that it was very significant anyways.

Pressing my head against the cold glass, I asked.

“Hey Novelle, where exactly are you?”

Everything would be resolved if only I could find her.

2.36.

Since we were out for so long, I messaged my grandparents that we would be eating out for lunch. We’ll get the groceries before returning.

“It’s on you.”

“Fine.”

“I’ll pay for it instead.”

“No, it’s alright Mister Cain. We were the ones who decided to eat out.”

“I insist.”

“I want this.”

“Order it then.”

“Thank you Mister Cain!”

This elf has a shameless side to hir too.

I eventually accepted Cain’s offer and we had a meal of spicy noodles. Lia ordered S, I ordered M, Cain ordered XS. Now you know who’s best at tolerating the heat.

{YOU ARE BEING WATCHED}

I paused and left my spoon in the large bowl. Those words alone numbed the pain in my mouth.

“Mister Cain, did you notice it?”

Lia, with a mess of her mouth, began looking around the restaurant.

“Notice what?”

“The message.”

[“The Seraph is nearby.”]

Cain’s expression warped.

“Then we better finish this quickly.”

“Alright.”

“Hah? It’s so spicy though..”

{YOU ARE BEING WATCHED}

Parting with Cain with thanks, we made our way out of the mall and took the transit back to Oala Station. We got the groceries there before returning to the apartment.

“We’re back.”

“Welcome back! What took you so long?”

“Big bro went to visit a friend in the hospital with his teacher.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet of you.”

“Then you should’ve told us earlier. We still have some leftover barley. We could’ve given her some.”

“I’ll drink her share then.”

Grandma and grandoa began to laugh. I felt guilty for making that joke.

“Next time you visit her tell us alright? We’ll prepare something at least. It’s not polite to go empty handed.”

I nodded.

“You’ve eaten right?”

“Yes, the teacher bought us food.”

“Is it? What a nice teacher. Then it’s only the two of us left. What do you want to eat, dear?”

“Boiled beetroot in mushroom, will that be alright?”

“Good one. We haven’t eaten that in a long time. Want to try some too? Avner, Lia?”

“I’ll pass..”

“Sure thing.”

===

I lassoed this area here and duplicated the layer. Then I adjust the head of the topmost layer so that it looks less broken.

“Are you really not going to put it up on ShareWiw? I’m pretty sure it’ll blow up.”

“I’m not, and I doubt it would.”

“Then let me put it up.”

“Totally up to you.”

[Innis request permission to alter or access files.]

“Go ahead.”

[Permission granted.]

“I don’t get it, big bro, if you want to become an artist, why don’t you post it up so everyone can see?”

“Because everyone does it.”

“Hah? I don’t get it.”

“I’m not aiming for those people. I’m aiming for people that need my art to act as assets to their creation. That being writers, game designers or some creative endeavor. If I post it into ShareWiw, though I’m going to get some people to follow me, it’s not like they need my art.”

“Do you know this because you became an artist in the future?”

“No. It’s not because of that.”

[Shin was, I’m guessing?]

Randell is on mark. I nodded.

[Who’s Shin?]

[Shin is Avner’s other half.]

[Oh~]

Lia head tilted to a 45 degrees angle, narrowing hirs amber eyes, xe stared at me. Auburn hair, hanging like twisted noodles that formed curlicues over hirs shoulder.

Avner sure has a beautiful etler.

“Shin?”

What happened to hir in the original storyline anyways?

“Who are you? Who is this Shin? Big bro.”

Did Innis tell Lia? Whatever. I’ve been trying to convince hir since last year. Nothing bad will come out from giving it another push.

“Remember how my personality changed suddenly last year?”

“Uh-huh?”

“That’s because I received Shin’s memories.”

“Then what about the part where you said you can see the future?”

“That’s because this world was from a web novel Shin read.”

Lia didn’t actively deny my words. Instead, xe tried hard to comprehend the weight of what I said.

“What’s a web novel?”

...

“Nevermind.”

“Are web novels stories written online? Like manga and manhwa? I don’t get it. Explain!”

As much as I love to read web novels as Shin, I still haven’t blocked out the time as Avner to sit down and binge on literary works.

I should really consider slowing down or taking a break.

I painted another stroke.

[“Avner, I’m sorry about this morning.”]

It’s Lynda.

[“It’s fine. How are you feeling?”]

[“Better. I still can’t get my head straight at times. I still feel like killing you. I wish you told me earlier.”]

[“I really didn’t know that alright? I’m sorry. I’m not omnipotent.”]

[“Should I take the surgery, or not?”]

If I were Lynda, would I have the surgery?

[“You shouldn’t necessarily follow my opinion, but I would say no.”]

[“Then become my recipient.”]

Again with this conversation loop.

[“You know I can’t right?”]

[“There’s no one else I can get blood from.”]

[“Shouldn’t there be blood packs in the hospital? You’re from a rich family too.”]

She stopped replying.

===

dotturndot: Does a lack of neurotransmitters cause bipolar disorder? I think it has more to do with trauma though? No idea. I haven’t reached the module which teaches about the disease of the brain (and I have no idea if they even go so far as to explain the pathophysiology about the condition).

Anyways, I hope some parts of this episode jarred your mind. Enemies are made up in our minds. They exist as we allow it to. Ya–