"Ouch…" Orion murmured under his breath as he struggled to open his eyes. His hand instinctively went to his forehead, which was pounding violently.
'Back to another episode of always going unconscious and waking up after days,' he thought to himself with a heavy sigh. His temples throbbed painfully.
"But then… am I back on Earth this time?"
His mind raced back to what happened before he blacked out.
'With that heavy punishment I inflicted on myself by hitting my head against that hard wall… damn, that wall was too hard. I swear my skull must've cracked open.' He winced at the memory. 'The engineers in the Esper world are really… should I say strong? No. They're more than strong. They're damn terrifying.'
He groaned quietly, the realization settling over him. 'There's no way I'm not back on Earth after that. I mean, I should be in a coma or dead, even. If I'd done that on Earth, I'd definitely be gone by now. But since I'm still alive… maybe it worked? Maybe I really made it back to Earth from that useless Esper world?'
With that desperate thought pushing him forward, Orion forced his eyelids open. The light stabbed at his eyes but he blinked through the blur until the shape of a familiar face came into view.
He froze.
"Am I… hallucinating now?" he whispered, heart hammering in disbelief. He swallowed hard and forced his eyes open wider.
Louise.
It was Louise's face staring back at him.
'This bastard?! What the hell is he doing here?!' Orion's thoughts screamed.
"You're finally awake," came Louise's cold, detached voice and just like that, Orion's fleeting hope shattered. That voice was too real to be a dream.
He wasn't back on Earth.
He was still stuck in the Esper world.
"Thank goodness the doctor was able to save you," Louise continued, his tone calm but distant, "and not only you… but your baby."
For a moment, Orion could only stare at him in silence.... blank, stunned, and utterly lost.
My baby? Who cares about the baby?!
He let out a weak, incredulous laugh before a bitter scoff slipped past his lips. Louise quickly moved closer, his cold demeanor breaking into visible worry as he helped him sit up. He carefully adjusted the pillows behind Orion's back, making sure he was comfortable before stepping aside.
"I'm not dead?" Orion finally croaked, his voice trembling. "Like for real? I'm still stuck in this ridiculous world even after I hit my head that hard? It still hurts so bad… Talking to you or even thinking feels like my head's about to split open." His words cracked, tears welling up in his eyes before he even realized they were there.
"I'm surprised you're still alive too," Louise said after a pause, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He reached for a small mirror resting on the drawer beside the bed and held it up to Orion's face.
And damn.
Orion's reflection made his stomach twist. His entire head was wrapped in thick, blood-stained bandages. His eyes were swollen, one nearly shut, and his face looked puffed, distorted even as if his skull had grown an extra layer. He looked awful.
"I can only say the baby in your stomach is a miracle baby," Louise remarked, lowering the mirror with a smile which didn't reach his eyes.
"Miracle baby my foot!" Orion snapped, anger flaring in his tone. The sudden shout sent a violent wave of pain ripping through his head, forcing him to clutch it tightly with both hands as he tried to muffle a cry.
"You could have died, you know .... both you and the baby," Louise said softly, watching him with an unreadable expression. "But somehow, you're alive. And your baby is perfectly fine. The doctor confirmed the child belongs to an Esper...a strong one, at that."
Huh? Didn't Edwards said the owner of this body can't endure a strong Esper sexual activities. How the fuck am I carrying a baby from a strong Esper then?
His words made Orion's jaw tighten. Rage burned behind his tears, but he didn't dare raise his voice again. His body trembled, and the tears that had gathered finally began to fall, hot and unrelenting, streaking down his pale cheeks unknown to him.
"Uhmmm....where… am I?" Orion finally asked after what felt like forever, his voice weak and hoarse, the moment his gaze began to truly register his surroundings.
This wasn't where he had been before.
He remembered clearly, being in his room, inside his so-called friend's clinic but now… this place was nothing like it.
Everything around him screamed royalty.
The golden furniture, the massive king-sized bed he was lying on covered in silk, heavy curtains with golden embroidery framed the tall windows, and even the vases in the room looked like it could pay off a lifetime of debt.
But none of it mattered to Orion.
None of it eased irritation and fear in his chest.
"You're in my mansion," came Louise's voice at last, calm, serious, and laced with an unsettling undertone. A smile played on his lips, the kind of smile that said he was perfectly in control of everything happening. As if the words he had just uttered were the most ordinary thing in the world.
Without waiting for a response, Louise grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it closer. He sat down directly before Orion, one leg elegantly crossed over the other. The movement was smooth, graceful and it only made Orion's blood boil more.
"And what the hell am I doing here?" Orion snapped, his voice low but trembling with anger. "You actually kidnapped me, didn't you, you motherf...." He cut himself off with a wince; the pain in his head was still too sharp to risk shouting. His expression, however, said everything his words couldn't. His fury was unmistakable.
"Kidnapped you?" Louise repeated softly, tilting his head. "Oh no, not at all." A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he continued. "You committed murder right in front of me. But I believe… perhaps my pheromones might have affected you. Confused your mind."
His gaze softened..... just slightly. "I couldn't leave you there to die. So I brought you here instead. I couldn't just walk away, not after I discovered what you are."
"What I am?" Orion echoed in disbelief.
Louise nodded slowly, eyes glinting. "A guide. You can guide me. And just so you know…" He leaned back in his chair, his tone casual, almost conversational. "You've been in a coma for a week, got me worried that I was going to lose you but thank goodness you're awake."
"A… week?!" Orion's eyes widened in pure shock. His breath caught in his throat.