A young woman lay peacefully asleep on a marble table. Her face possessed an almost angelic beauty: a soft jawline, full, glossy lips, and clear, luminous skin, treated with almost surgical precision. She wore a simple white outfit consisting of a short-sleeved shirt, trousers, and plain shoes. Her posture was impeccable, lying on her back, so straight it seemed to have been placed there by expert hands.
– Who do we have today? – Lefki said with a tired sigh, observing her with a hint of pity after taking her out of the bag and carrying her to her work table – She looks quite young.
– Her name is Selene Arlette Serafine. A heroine with a striking presence but little experience, and a newly debuted singer. Her fame is moderate, as she's only been in the profession for four years and just turned twenty-two – Himei explained with a small smile, maintaining a calm tone – She was recently attacked by a villain and suffered an irreversible brain injuryThe public doesn't know yet: everyone believes she's still hospitalized, recovering from the attack.
– And what was the excuse this time to bring her here? – Lefki asked sadly – I'm curious what story they came up with now.
– Before they declared her 'beyond recovery', I used certain means to have her transferred to a specialized hospital, supposedly for experimental treatment –Himei replied, clasping her hands behind her back to stretch – That way, when the 'treatment' is successful, we can reinstate her as a hero. Although, of course, after the incident, we'll say she has some 'aftereffects', so her presence will be much more limited in the hero world.
– The idea is to use her as an ordinary hero, but support her singing career to give her a bit more visibility – Himei continued calmly, revealing much more than Lefki had asked – With the moderate fame she gains, she can work undercover without exposing herself too much.
– A young singer, then – Lefki murmured with a sigh heavy with resignation for the task ahead – The very system you and so many others idolized ended up leaving you in this state, little star.
– Under normal circumstances, your body would have been discarded or sold on the black market – he continued calmly as she prepared several surgical instruments, aligning them with surgical precision – But my family, instead, will give you another chance at life… even if it's not in the way I would have wished.
With almost reverential gentleness, Lefki placed her hand on the young woman's forehead. Her rainbow-colored eye emitted a faint, pulsating glow. In her mind, Selene's inner landscape unfolded: a soul reduced to shattered fragments, like crystals suspended in a dark void. It was clear proof that it wasn't just the recent wound that had destroyed her; her soul had been deteriorating for some time, weakened by traumas that had gradually cracked it.
– You're not the most damaged case I've ever seen… but your soul fractured just before receiving the final blow – Lefki said pitifully, letting a couple of tears escape and fall silently – Surely, in that fleeting moment, you suffered such profound pain that your soul shattered completely, rendering you irreparable. Even if someone could restore your body through other means, your mind and soul are beyond saving through normal channels.
– My ancestors would have been better suited for this task… – Lefki murmured calmly, though weariness seeped into her words – My grandfather, for example, could have reprogrammed you to fulfill some function in the mansion, allowing your mind to gradually return to normal. My father, on the other hand, before he died, would have been able to give you an artificial soul to fill the gaps in yours. Over time, those synthetic pieces would have fused with the original fragments, creating a new soul… somewhat imperfect, but functional.
– I, on the other hand… – she continued with a mixture of pain and resignation – can only force your soul to come alive again. The gaps you lack must be filled with artificial pieces of incomplete nature, which compels me to grant you an artificial flame to sustain your existence. For this, I apologize in advance, little star.
A multicolored energy, shifting in a pattern as fluid as a liquid rainbow, flowed from Lefki's hand to the young woman's forehead. She didn't react for a moment as the brilliance enveloped her completely in a cloak of soft light. After a few seconds, the cloak receded, returning to Lefki as if it breathed with him.
– Now it's time to repair your body – he said calmly as she picked up a small scalpel, preparing for the next step – Himei, tell me what happened to her. What is your diagnosis?
– Damage to the entire nervous system and complete loss of the spine – Himei reported calmly, observing the girl with a faint smile as she awaited the start of her transformation – She also has some minor fractures in the bones of her neck and surrounding areas.
– A process of several hours, then… – Lefki murmured, letting out a tired sigh – Could you find her some clothes while I take care of this?
Himei nodded and gave an elegant bow before withdrawing, leaving Lefki alone with his task. The silence in the cave was broken only by the precise and methodical sounds of the young man working, a surgical concert that stretched for almost eleven uninterrupted hours.
When he finally made the last adjustment, Lefki took a moment to contemplate the result. The girl no longer resembled the malnourished and weakened young woman who had arrived in a bag. Her body had been completely restored: luminous skin, strengthened structure, steady breathing. An improved version even compared to her prime as a heroine.
Still asleep, and now dressed in the outfit Himei had left prepared a pink sweatshirt, tight jeans, and sneakers with pink sparkles, she looked like a porcelain doll ready to open her eyes for the first time.
– It will take a few hours for her to wake up. Take her to Kasumi so she can explain things to her when she opens her eyes. I'll wait here so we can talk before I go – Lefki said, leaning back slightly as he exhaled his accumulated exhaustion.
Himei didn't reply with words; she simply bowed her head in a respectful gesture and lifted the girl with utmost care, as if she were holding something fragile and precious. Then she walked away into the shadows of the cave, her footsteps so silent they barely disturbed the echo of the distant water.
When Himei's figure disappeared completely, Lefki was left alone on the island, surrounded by the faint murmur of the sanctuary.
– This will give me time to think… – he murmured, bringing a hand to his forehead as the weight of his family legacy settled once more upon his shoulders.
– I don't understand how people can worship a system that ends up leading people like her to this state – Lefki said calmly, letting his gaze drift among the cherry blossom trees surrounding him – My family is nothing more than a band-aid for a situation that society has allowed… while they continue to praise heroes.
– We give them a chance at a life that, while not ideal, is safer than the one they had before – he continued, feeling melancholy tighten his voice – Turning them into servants shouldn't be the procedure… but at least it offers them a safe place, a space where they can slowly rebuild their souls. Or at least that's how it was with my predecessors as Pope.
Lefki clenched his hands slightly, frustrated.
– My Quirk doesn't have the ability to create a program that heals their souls or minds over time. I can only take the fragments and force them together into a mass that doesn't evolve, that doesn't change… – he said sadly – Suiren, for example, hasn't recovered even a shred of humanity, despite everything I've tried: playing with her, talking to her, trying to stimulate her emotions… but it's like interacting with a doll.
– That's why, after she was created, all my subsequent creations joined the organization I formed in secret, hidden from everyone, even my brothers and grandparents – Lefki said, watching cherry blossom petals swirl gently around him – I want to believe that, with enough personnel, this organization can reduce the number of victims in hero society… so that none ever fall into my hands again and I can continue this torment.
He paused, letting out a longing sigh.
– Even so, I still hope to find a method that will allow me to replicate my grandfather's process, to treat the few who continue to arrive – he continued, his eyes gleaming with a spark of hope – I would like to create servants like the ones he created, like Camie, Saiko, or the others who continue to care for the family throughout the land, outside these caves. I want to be able to offer new opportunities for life… not just perfect servants.
As he spoke, Himei's shadow began to emerge among the falling petals, silently moving toward him.