At least we can live free and avoid danger, hehe.
Fate has its arrangements, and effort is rewarded.
Seif al-Sama began to laugh — happily and foolishly; his heart filled with joy. His efforts had finally borne fruit. Despite the sacrifices and losses, success has a special taste. No one can describe what he felt now.
He ran without stopping or slowing down. He reached the hideout's door and slipped inside so fast that the door clicked shut and made an annoying noise that could wake everyone. But does that matter now? Even if everyone wakes because of it, what of it?
Everyone must know: Seif al-Sama had succeeded, and he had gathered the blood by himself. He nearly stumbled on the stairs from excitement. He didn't think much and headed straight for Zayn's room.
He knocked on the door three times, perfectly, until he heard the voice, "I'm coming." Zayn opened the door, and before his eyes was a glass vial full of blood.
He asked at once, "What is this?"
Seif al-Sama answered excitedly, "I did it — I did it! I managed to get this dose of demonic blood."
Zayn's expression changed immediately; he felt astonished and startled to the point he couldn't form a word. He was in disbelief.
"Aren't you going to say anything? I told you I managed to get this dose. What's wrong with you?" Seif al-Sama pressed.
Zayn finally replied, "This isn't a joke, is it?"
"Is this the time for jokes? What nonsense are you talking, my friend? Here — the dose is with me."
Zayn laughed scornfully, mocking the situation. "If it's what you're holding, is it truly the demonic blood?"
"You scare me — of course it is. I picked it up myself. What have I been telling you from the start?"
Zayn realized he had spoken the truth, and joy soon overwhelmed him. A broad smile spread across his cheeks and delight filled his heart; he felt as if he might fly from happiness.
"I can't believe this is real. Is the very thing we've long struggled to obtain finally in our hands?"
"But how did you collect it at the dead of night? Monsters aren't supposed to be active at this hour…"
"Or excuse me — come in first so we can continue our discussion inside while you rest. You look like you ran a long way." Zayn motioned for Seif al-Sama to enter his room.
Seif al-Sama sat on the side of the bed while Zayn closed the door quietly and sat beside him, leaving space for a third person.
"All right, go ahead. Tell me the details."
"I hadn't planned on doing anything. I felt suffocated between four walls. I certainly didn't like staying put; I wanted to relieve myself a little. So I decided to walk outside for some time. I had no destination at all; I kept stepping into the unknown. That's when I didn't realize fate's arrangements and wisdom."
"Suddenly I heard a howl — not an ordinary one at all. Fear gripped me and I wanted to turn back immediately, but curiosity drove me toward the sound's source. Then I saw the owner of the sound: a giant wolf surrounded by a flashing aura of lightning."
With every word Seif told, Zayn kept nodding. The surprise was that the creature was badly wounded; if he didn't know about their regenerative nature, he would have said it was certainly going to die.
"It was an opportunity that wouldn't come again, and naturally I took advantage of it. At the best point of the blood flow I filled this vial before things went bad. Once I finished, I ran here as fast as I could — and that's what happened to me."
Zayn put his hand on his chin, asking, "I understand now; everything is logical. But creatures appearing at night too is very troubling."
"You're right, but it's extremely strange. From what I could deduce, this gate has two timings: from dawn to dusk. It appears at sunrise and closes at sunset. It wouldn't be surprising if it spreads around the world, so long as that doesn't harm it."
"It's not strange at all when you think about it." Zayn nodded and said, "I understand. So what do we do? Do we wake Raven and tell him, or do we wait until morning?"
Seif al-Sama stood, opened the door slowly, looked right and left — the corridor was empty and dark. He stepped back and said, "This may sound odd, but didn't you hear—"
"The door slam?" Zayn answered. "No. Why do you ask?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to make sure. I had slammed it hard without noticing, so I worried we might wake everyone. Seems I worried for nothing."
Seif returned to his place and said, "All right, tell me honestly: how many attempts can you make with this dose?"
Zayn shook the vial and looked at it carefully. "Three attempts, with the possibility of failure as well."
Seif al-Sama's expression grew heavy. "Only three attempts? That's very few."
"All right, tell me — what do you estimate your success rate in refining it is?" Seif asked.
Zayn replied at once, "Less than twenty."
"Less than twenty percent? Wouldn't success be almost impossible then?" Seif said.
"Even so, it's worth a try, isn't it? Though it's a low percentage in your view, I see it as reasonable. We'll know tomorrow. I believe in myself and my abilities, and I'm confident I'll succeed."
"There's no need to keep worrying. You can sleep on the comfortable side. Leave the vial to me; I'll take care of storing it. You know what happens if the bottle breaks — we'll die instantly. I'll make sure to put it in a place where it can't break."
Seif al-Sama nodded in agreement with the suggestion. "All right, I'll leave it in your hands. Good night."
As Seif al-Sama left, Zayn returned the same reply: "And you as well — good night."
Seif al-Sama shut the door, satisfaction filling his face with a secret smile.
He went straight to his room and jumped onto the bed, hopeful for the morning.