Wee-ing—wee-ing—
Clang—clang—clang—
In an underground laboratory filled with the clamor of countless machines,
dozens of researchers simultaneously manipulated several machines, each many times larger than a human,
busily rushing about to realize their objectives.
"H4301 and H4302, what are their vitals?"
"Both are normal!"
A man with dark circles under his eyes and half his hair gone,
who appeared to be a high-ranking member of the research team, hurried among the researchers,
instructing and supervising each of them in their tasks.
Weeeeeeee—Chiiiiiiii…
As the gaunt-looking man pressed a large button,
one side of the laboratory wall split in half, revealing two large test tubes inside.
"This experiment must succeed."
"Indeed, Director. Otherwise, those guys will come and cause trouble again."
"Haa… I mean. These kids who should be enjoying adulthood,
and us too, what did we do wrong to deserve this?"
The director and researchers sighed deeply, heads bowed, seemingly with throbbing heads.
Inside the two test tubes, two women with sky-blue and green hair respectively,
both appearing fresh out of adulthood, floated asleep in the water.
"Let's begin. Start administering HV9, dose 7 to both of them!"
"Yes!"
At the director's command, the researchers busily moved about,
fiddling with large cylinders attached to the sides of the massive test tubes.
Soon, they inserted thick pipes into the ends of the cylinders and pressed something,
inserting the pipes into the water filling the test tubes.
The pipes were forcefully jabbed into the necks and spines of the two girls,
injecting a suspicious-looking liquid into their bodies.
The eyes of the two who had been asleep twitched,
and they curled up as if in pain from the injected liquid.
Before long, all the liquid was injected, emptying the cylinders,
and the pipes that had finished injecting were pulled out from the necks and spines of the two girls, retracting back outside the test tubes.
"Vitals are stable."
A researcher, who had been recording information displayed on the screen in front of the test tubes, ran to the director,
reporting everything he had recorded without missing a single detail.
"In 30 minutes, remove the IV drips… take them out of the test tubes and monitor their condition."
"Yes! Understood."
***
"Uwaaaa?!"
A voice of surprise, as if from a bad dream.
A girl with green hair, reminiscent of fresh seaweed, opened her eyes wide with shock.
"Haa…. There are wounds on my neck and back."
Just an hour ago, she was being injected with something inside a test tube.
The hero, 'Magical Seraphina,' touched her wounds and turned her head.
"Aquamarine… seems to still be asleep."
A researcher who had been monitoring them beyond their beds.
Hearing Seraphina's voice, he approached her and asked about her condition.
"H4301. How are you feeling?"
"Don't call me by my experiment number. I have a hero name, you know!"
Seraphina frowned when the researcher called her by her experiment number,
insisting that she clearly had a hero name.
"How would I know that? I just do research here, so I don't know much."
"Haa… all the researchers are like this.
The wounded areas hurt a lot… but otherwise, I'm okay."
The researcher scratched his head, examining her condition.
"Sorry about that! I'm just a grumpy old man. Got it."
As the researcher left the room where they were staying,
Seraphina seemed familiar with the place, walking around comfortably.
"This book is still here. It was here when I first came here two years ago.
The experimental facilities get better day by day… but this place is still the same."
A small, white steel bed.
A small bookshelf with a few books and a small potted plant.
A TV that could only play a few entertainment programs to relieve boredom.
The room where they had stayed whenever they participated in experiments for the past few years remained the same.
"Uhhmm…. Uhhhh…."
Aquamarine stirred, seemingly awakened by the voices and the TV.
"It's okay. Seraphina is here."
Seraphina rushed to Aquamarine, who looked as unwell as she did,
gently patting her head and back.
"Sera… phina. Thank goodness."
Aquamarine, soothed by Seraphina's touch,
sat up in bed with a slightly more relaxed expression.
"How many experiments has this been?"
"Well, I think it's been over ten just that I can remember."
"It's been that many already.
Come to think of it, this bed and everything… it's all the same as before."
"Yeah! I was just saying that to myself. We're on the same wavelength?"
"Guess so? Hehe."
Even as they touched the wounds in the same areas caused by the insertion of the pipes,
the two briefly forgot the aftereffects of the experiment and smiled faintly.
Clang— Squeak…
"Ahem."
"We were just having fun. What brings you here, old man… I mean, Director?"
The director, who had been personally directing the experiment until now, opened the door and came to check on them.
He sighed deeply at the banter of the two girls as soon as he opened the door.
"How are you both feeling? I heard the wounds are a bit painful… but that's always the case."
"We're fine. It's not that different from usual."
"I see."
The director, hearing the girls' reassuring answer, took something out of the heavy bag he had brought.
"From now on, you two must take this medicine once a day without fail.
The medicine used in this experiment is very toxic and dangerous."
What he revealed were hundreds of small, black, round pills.
Divided into two transparent containers with visible contents, one for each of them.
"Haa… do we have to take medicine now too?"
"Yes. If you don't take this medicine within 24 hours… all sorts of side effects will pour out."
"What kind of side effects are there?"
Seraphina asked about the side effects.
The director hesitated, looking slightly troubled.
"Well… that's…"
"Please tell us. Hero work always involves unforeseen circumstances.
We need to be mentally prepared."
At the two girls' firm words, the director reluctantly explained the side effects.
"At first… you'll start bleeding from your eyes and nose little by little.
You'll probably keep dripping blood for about an hour."
"That much has happened occasionally before."
"Listen to me until the end. You asked me to tell you."
The director urged the two who were reacting indifferently, saying it was nothing much.
Then, he continued to explain the side effects.
"If you don't take the medicine after 25 hours… more serious problems will occur.
Suddenly, you might not be able to see, or your sense of smell might be paralyzed… and you'll feel severe dizziness.
And if more time passes… you'll start bleeding from all the orifices in your body.
Your muscles will melt, and your whole body will collapse."
"If we can't take it until then… we'll die."
"Yes. But in return for those side effects, I guarantee you'll become much stronger.
Both physically and in using your abilities."
Aquamarine and Seraphina seemed slightly surprised,
but they nodded as if it were nothing and smiled at the director, who looked concerned.
"It's okay! You don't have to be.
If you hadn't been there, we would have… already lost our lives."
"I'm supposed to be the one reassuring you… but I appreciate you saying that."
The director's heart ached more as he looked at the bright smiles of the two girls,
but he pretended to be relieved and nodded.
"You can start working again from tomorrow.
I'll leave this here, so make sure to take it. I can give you more anytime if you run out."
He placed the containers of medicine on the table next to their beds,
closed his bag, and turned to leave.
"Director."
"Why? Is there something you want to ask?"
"If we take this medicine… we can keep living, right?"
Seraphina's serious question was devoid of any playfulness.
The director paused in his tracks, I hesitated. I hesitated just like when he was talking about the side effects.
Countless experiments that would have already broken down an ordinary human body.
And the great stress on the body and mind that accompanies it.
Even now, there was the possibility of suddenly dying from significant side effects.
Aquamarine and Seraphina knew very well that
the lifespans they had left would not be that long.
However, the director couldn't bring himself to tell
those two girls that it was really true.
"I told you. You just need to take one pill before 24 hours pass."
The director turned back to the two girls and gave them a friendly smile,
trying to act as if nothing was wrong.