Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 371: Research partners

Chapter 371: Research partners

The air in the lab was heavy as Albus sat across from Alex.

Having delivered the man to he who sought him out, Victoria had long since made an exit, leaving Albus to contemplate the current circumstances with a tense mind.

None spoke immediately causing the silence to persist longer than necessary which further exacerbated the tension plaguing Albus.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity but was merely a few minutes, Albus began. "You can tell me."

"What..."

"I already knew that there was no saving her. I just..." Albus trailed off, his expression contorting as a profound sense of sadness washed over him.

Gulping hard, he continued. "I just wish it hadn’t come so quickly."

"Professor..."

"No need to explain, Mr. Orion. You have done your best and I can’t begin to show you how grateful I am for your help. Thanks to you... she was able to spend a few days without pain. It makes me think that maybe it’s better if I let her go, instead of allowing her to experience suffering every day."

Alex found himself unable to say anything as he listened to Albus ramble on.

Looking at the old man, he found himself recalling faint memories of his time back on Earth.

It was a most trying time back then during the early years of his relationship with Isabella.

Her mother had gotten cancer and despite their best efforts to save her... she’d ended up losing her only family.

Just recalling the tears she shed that say caused Alex’s demeanor to grow noticeably somber, though Albus could hardly care as he was also deep in his feelings.

"You know, before I became who I am now, she was there. Rose was my biggest supporter even when I was getting covered in soot from experiments gone wrong." Albus muttered in a melancholic tone, a sad smile playing on his lips.

"She sounds like a wonderful person."

"She is." Albus was quick to respond, not losing the opportunity to praise his wife. "Even when I became a TruthSeeker and joined their top ranks, she always supported me. Even as I moved away from her, throwing myself completely into my research... she would always come to my lab, reminding me to eat and sitting beside me to watch me tinker with chemicals she barely knew about."

"So do you think it’s right to lose such a woman just yet?"

"I already lost her, Mr. Orion. Unfortunately, I’m just too stubborn to accept that fact. It took me watching her suffer through the Blight to realize what I had done wrong. Now it’s too late and there’s no point in trying to struggle against my fate."

Alex pursed his lips as he couldn’t help but feel like he could relate with Albus the more he learnt about the academic’s past.

Had he also ended up delving into his work so much to not notice the growing rift in his relationship?

He recalled everything.

All the times when Isabella had come to him, using every trick in the book to ensure the time they spent together was worthwhile.

Unfortunately, Alex was so caught up in his work as a spy that he never realized what he was giving up for it.

It was only now when he was stuck in a different world, light-years away from his family and with little chance of returning that he understood just how much he had missed out on.

Now, just like Albus, he found himself unwilling to accept that this was the end, that everything would go away just like that and kept on fighting regardless of the circumstance.

Clenching his jaw, Alex met Albus’s gaze and remarked. "So should we give up just because the problem seems insurmountable?"

It was Albus’s turn to stare in confusion as he responded with. "What?"

"Rose hasn’t given up yet so why should you?... Even if there’s a speck of hope that she could return, why ignore it?... No, I refuse to believe that we can’t fight against our predetermined fate. As long as there’s a chance, we grab it with both hands and never let go. That is our duty to our loved ones!"

"..."

Realizing that he had ended up voicing out his thoughts, Alex let out a wistful sigh, a self deprecating chuckle escaping his lips.

"You..."

"Please don’t ask." Alex remarked, cutting off the professor. "There are secrets better left unknown."

"... I understand."

"But I meant what I said. Rose doesn’t want to die yet."

Albus’s lips quivered as he regarded Alex for a moment before inquiring. "Really?"

"The waters of Evernight are mine to control. All within are subject to my scrutiny which is why I can tell you without a doubt that Rose hasn’t given up yet. She knows that if she holds on long enough, you will be able to save her."

As Albus’s eyes turned wet, he muttered. "Why?... Are you doing all this to make up for making me lose my position?"

"Not at all. I’m just familiar with the feeling of not wanting to lose a loved one."

"A wife?"

"And a child."

"Rose and I never had the chance to have kids."

"More reason to bring her back. So you guys can experience it even once."

Albus let out a sigh as he cleaned his eyes, quickly regaining the scholarly air that allowed him to reach the position he once held.

"What do I need to do?"

"Critical thinking. Take what I say with a grain of salt but, I might have an idea of what the Blight is."

"What do you mean?"

"You and in extension, most medical professionals have been looking at things the wrong way. The Blight isn’t death, instead, it’s excess life. We all know that too much of something isn’t good, so imagine what excess life can do to a person."

"... Excess life?"

"Indeed. The Blight causes cells to excessively proliferate, reaching a level that the body can no longer manage properly, leading to other functions of the body suffering as a result."

Silence quickly settled in the lab as Albus processed Alex’s words while the latter gave him the much needed space.

Hopefully this would be enough to bring about some progress in Alex’s now stagnant research.

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