Dante lay on his camp bed, staring thoughtfully at the ceiling. He was still a little angry at Helios for killing him without warning just a few hours ago. He could still feel the poison eating away at his insides. It had been one of the most brutal deaths he had ever experienced. Even Helios' first murder of him had been more bearable. Maybe because of the poison he had chosen at that time.
He would have preferred a gunshot to the head.
At least his temporary death hadn't been in vain; Helios seemed to have discovered something that would help them. After all, he was still doing everything he could to help him, even though his methods... repeatedly tested his patience.
The thought of Helios' sudden attack made him angry again. What had possessed him to just inject the poison into his body? The anesthetic had acted so quickly that he hadn't even been able to defend himself. But at the same time, he knew Helios had acted out of a certain necessity. In his state of complete surprise, Dante himself might have acted impulsively too, without thinking of the consequences. Maybe even in a moment where he would have killed Helios out of a surge of anger.
And he wouldn't have been able to forgive himself for that.
His gaze drifted to the bathroom door, behind which Helios was still hidden. Who would have thought that a single day could hold so many events? Fortunately, Vale had agreed to leave them both alone, with no other eyes watching them while they searched in Soley for that damned organization that was likely behind his immortality.
Since Helios had had dinner with his father, he had been pretty quiet. He hadn't said a word as they returned to his room, and shortly after their arrival, he had silently gone into the bathroom. He had been showering ever since.
So Vale still wanted to marry Helios. Dante hadn't even thought about Vale looking for a wife for Helios since the party. In his mind, it was still firmly embedded that Helios and Davis had been a couple. And despite everything, they seemed to have been happy together.
At least until Davis' death.
Seeing Helios so closed off now genuinely saddened Dante. He was slowly but surely being forced into something he clearly didn't want. When he really thought about it, he couldn't imagine Helios as a father. Although many people changed when they had to.
Still, he felt that Helios would likely not be able to adapt to such a situation. Especially considering how awkward the conversation had been between him and his father when Vale had introduced the topic of a bride. By the end of the conversation, Vale had been so drunk that he probably hadn't even noticed Helios' tension.
Dante had noticed every twitch and tense movement of Helios' hand as he gripped his fork. The fist that had balled up under the table, the slight tremor in his voice, and the empty, exhausted look he had when they had left the dining room. It was hard to watch the younger man repeatedly burden himself with things he didn't deserve. No one should have to suffer like that. Everyone had the right to live and love freely—no matter where that love fell.
Moreover, Vale had been acting really strangely. When Helios had mentioned Soley, Dante had noticed how tense Vale had become. Even though Helios hadn't really delved into the subject, he would likely bring it up after their trip and confront his father.
He could hardly wait to finally travel there.
Just as he was lost in thought, he heard the sound of the door opening. Helios came out of the bathroom, and Dante realized he hadn't noticed that the younger man had turned off the shower. Helios was drying his messy black hair with a towel and now seemed much more relaxed than he had been half an hour ago. It was almost as if the weight of the last few hours had fallen off him.
"You can go in now," Helios said in his usual calm, almost casual manner.
"Do you feel better?" Dante asked carefully.
"Why do you ask? I was never feeling bad," Helios replied, letting out a quiet sigh as he collapsed onto his bed, the towel still draped around his shoulders, his damp hair still sticking out in all directions. He was silent for a moment before continuing. "Father definitely has something to hide."
Dante nodded thoughtfully. "At least he didn't seem to want to talk about Soley."
"Do you think I should have pressed him more? I considered it, but maybe that would have backfired."
"What do you mean by that?" Dante asked.
"Well, in the worst-case scenario, he might have just refused to let me go. Or he might have insisted that more guards come along," Helios explained calmly, but it was clear that he had thought the situation through very carefully.
Dante pondered his words. "That wouldn't have been good."
"Absolutely not. We'd be pretty restricted with more guards. Plus, we wouldn't be able to avoid stopping at a few of our accommodations along the way, and whoever's there will report back to my father," Helios said. He turned his head sidewards and looked at Dante seriously. "No matter what happens, Dante. Don't talk about Soley anymore. We'll pretend we know nothing, and my father was way too drunk to remember."
Dante hesitated, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him too. "Do you think he'll be easily fooled?"
Helios looked thoughtful for a moment, as if considering whether to really rely on this strategy. "Hopefully. After all, he had almost an entire bottle of wine in him by then. I don't know why he got so drunk tonight, but in a way, it's playing into my hands." He grinned almost crookedly, as if amused by his own situation.
"Normally, he doesn't drink that much, does he?" Dante asked.
"It depends. Maybe he was stood up and has to spend the evening alone tonight," Helios replied with a dismissive gesture. "Honestly, Dante, I don't know and I don't care. We should focus on when we want to start our little journey and, more importantly, where it should begin."
Dante thought for a moment. "Can't we go straight to Soley?"
"No," Helios said firmly. "It might be wise to visit Penny first. Or we could find a neutral place, stay there for a day, and then move on. I've been thinking about picking up supplies along the way and overloading my father's staff by making them transport all that stuff here somehow."
Dante understood what Helios was getting at. He couldn't help but grin. "So, you want to escalate the shopping?"
"How else should I show my dear father how much fun I'm having on my first vacation?" Helios replied with an innocent smile. "They'll be swamped with everything I leave behind. Maybe it's time to let the rich heir come out a bit. After all, I've lived quite modestly so far."
"Actually, that plan doesn't sound too bad. It would definitely be a distraction," Dante mused. "But how do you plan to get information?"
"It'll be a bit complex, but that's where Penny comes in. I was already planning on involving her, and I think she'll have a blast with the task," Helios explained.
"You really want to visit her? I thought that was just a quick idea to distract your father," Dante asked, surprised.
"My dear Dante, I never say things I don't mean," Helios said with a wink.
Dante immediately thought back to the moment when Helios had suddenly explained how he wanted to kill him when he had killed him. Helios turned onto his stomach and propped his chin on his hand. It seemed Helios really had no need to lie.
"Anyway, my dear friend will pretend to be me and stir up some chaos. Plus, Penny loves to go shopping," Helios continued with a grin.
Dante stared at him in disbelief. "You do realize that you both have completely different body types?"
Helios gave him a mocking glance. "Really? I hadn't noticed."
"You know what I mean."
Helios smirked. "It's actually not the first time Penny's dressed up as me. She knows exactly what to do."
"She's already pretended to be you before?" Dante asked, astonished.
"Yes, whenever I didn't feel like dealing with my father or others. I usually found somewhere to hide so I could read in peace, and Penny kept watch while I did." Helios' expression softened as he thought back to those times, and a faint smile curled his lips. "Although she mostly slept. It was probably better that way; at least she couldn't give herself away. Once, we got caught when she got a terrible sunburn, and I had nothing in the evening. You should've seen Thomas' confused expression."
"I wouldn't have expected that from you," Dante said honestly, smiling. "I always thought you were a quiet, well-behaved kid."
"Mostly," was all Helios said in response. "While Penny keeps Father's people busy, we can focus on Soley. She'll probably keep up the charade for two or three days. The only question is who we'll use as your decoy, but someone will probably volunteer."
Helios shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed. He ran his hand through his hair to test if it was dry.
"Seems dry," he muttered. He looked at Dante. "If you want to shower, do it now; I want to sleep."
Dante got up from his camp bed and extended his hand. "Give me your towel, I'll hang it up."
"Thanks," Helios murmured, tossing the towel to him.
Dante then went to shower. He had to admit, Helios' bathroom was actually quite pleasant compared to the communal shower at the guards' accommodation. As the hot water ran over his body, he continued to think about Soley. But no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't think of anything helpful.
It would be so much easier if he could just remember. They might have more clues and could search more effectively. With a bit of bad luck, they might not even find the place where they had changed him. Was the mass grave nearby? Dante immediately dismissed the thought. If the grave were close by, it surely wouldn't have been in use after 10 years. Besides, it had to be somewhere inconspicuous.
A mass grave would stink.
The sweet smell of decay would definitely be carried by the wind. It could never have gone unnoticed. And he had never read any reports of such a grave being found.
Was Soley really the answer?
Either way, it was definitely a start. Maybe something would come to him once they were there. He even hoped that some of the lost memories would return. That small part of his past had been in the dark for so long, and he was more than ready to finally find the solution.
If he hadn't met Helios, he probably would have never had this chance.
It was the pain he didn't want. Even after 10 years of immortality, he felt every ounce of pain. He had hoped he would become numb to it. That one day he wouldn't feel the pain anymore, or at least be able to ignore it.
But that was not meant to be. He felt every spark of pain. He felt the poison burn in his veins. He hated the feeling when the air was taken from his lungs. He hated the coldness when he bled out completely. He hated the tingling burn when he regained consciousness and felt his wounds closing.
He felt damn well everything.
If Helios couldn't find a way to make him normal again, he would ask him for something to take away the pain.
Dante turned off the shower, grabbed a towel, and dried himself off.
Helios wanted to start their little journey in a week. No matter what they would find... or not find. Dante was ready for whatever would come their way.
His primary duty was to keep Helios alive. It was the one thing he couldn't screw up. After all, he was alone with him. There was no longer a Davis who gave everything to protect Helios. There were no other guards who would save Helios if Dante died again.
He was alone, and he was the only shield Helios had.
Even if he had his syringes with him. If their enemy fought with weapons, he wouldn't be able to use them properly. And then there was that thing Helios had revealed to him a few days ago, which disturbed him.
If he were to bleed, there would be no real way to save him. Unless Vale was clever enough to store Helios' blood reserves strategically, so they could always access them, no matter where they were. But what if not? What if they were too far away, what if it was too late?
The thought made him nervous.
He knew first aid. God, he had had to administer first aid so many times that he knew exactly what to do in every situation. Somehow, he would stabilize Helios. But everything that came after that, he wouldn't be able to influence much.
His own blood wouldn't help him. It had never helped anyone, no matter how hard he tried. And he couldn't rely on an answer that never came.
He dressed, shaking off the rising thoughts. There was no point in worrying further. Helios wasn't stupid. He would take precautions to protect himself. Nothing would be left to chance. Dante trusted that Helios knew what he was doing. Helios always had a plan.
When he turned off the light in the bathroom and returned to the bedroom, Helios had already turned off the main light and left only the small lamp on the nightstand glowing. The room was bathed in soft, dim light. Helios was already lying in bed, breathing calmly and steadily.
Dante moved as quietly as possible around the bed to turn off the light that was still on. As usual, Helios lay on his side, deep in a peaceful sleep. The scent of lavender surrounded him, and Dante couldn't help but wonder for a moment if that scent perhaps also soothed him. Helios' glasses were on the nightstand, next to a half-empty glass of water and the canister with his sleeping pills. It seemed he took them every night to find the sleep he otherwise couldn't get.
He gazed at his peacefully sleeping face and turned off the light before settling into his camp bed and falling asleep himself.
___
The next day, they were back in the lab as usual. Dante flipped through the files when something caught his eye. Something that grabbed his attention. Helios had developed a range of medications at the age of only 10, all of which fell within the realm of surgery.
Anesthetics, painkillers, local anesthesia…
Blood transfusions.
And finally, substances that helped regulate the physical condition of the body.
Helios was standing at a table, mixing different substances, constantly comparing them with Dante's blood to see how they reacted. Dante watched him for a while, then spoke up.
"Helios," he heard himself say as he set the files aside and focused on the young man.
"Hmm?" came the absent-minded response.
"When you were 10 years old, did you choose what you wanted to develop on your own? Or did your father give you the assignments?"
"Dante, I'm really busy right now. Can it wait?" Helios asked, carefully adding a few drops to his mixture with a pipette.
"Please answer the question," Dante requested in as calm a tone as possible.
"Dante, I really need to concentrate," Helios said, sounding increasingly annoyed.
But Dante couldn't help himself. Maybe he had just found something that would expose Vale for the bastard he was. He walked over and grabbed Helios shoulder to get his attention.
"Helios, if I'm right, then..."
"Seriously, Dante, give me five minutes," Helios said, now with a sharper edge to his voice.
"But—"
"Dante!" Helios hissed, and at that moment, the mixture in his beaker overflowed. Some drops ran over his hand. Cursing, he hastily grabbed a cloth to wipe the liquid off his skin. But it was too late—the mixture was too strong, and his skin reacted immediately.
"Dammit!" Helios cursed, clutching his hand. The pain was obvious, and his hand was already bright red and irritated.
Dante jumped up, grabbed a few towels, and handed them to him so Helios could wipe off his hand. Then he fetched some disinfectant to treat the irritated spot and got ice to put on Helios' hand to ease the inflammation.
"Is it okay?" Dante asked, a hint of regret in his voice as he looked at Helios.
"Yeah, everything's damn fine," Helios muttered, irritated. "What did you want to know? I wasn't paying attention."
He collapsed into his chair and sank into the fabric. Between clenched teeth, he examined his hand.
"I wanted to know if you chose your assignments yourself when you were 10, or if it was your father," Dante asked.
Helios seemed to think for a moment, his expression growing more thoughtful. "My father. He wanted the surgeries to be more comfortable and less taxing for the patients, because he was about to undergo a procedure himself. Why do you ask?"
"It's striking how much you researched in this field," Dante said, flipping through the files again to show Helios everything once more. "Especially when you consider that you created all of this within a year, and at the time, I was probably undergoing my special treatment."
"Dante, I know exactly what I was doing at that age. Why are you bringing this up now? I was close to improving the formula," Helios said irritably, pressing the ice back onto his hand. A relieved sigh escaped him as he seemed to feel some noticeable improvement from the cooling.
Dante swallowed, and the thought he had earlier now seemed incredibly naive. "What if your father was just exploiting your abilities?"
Helios grinned crookedly. "You mean, like he always does, to get the most out of me?"
Dante exhaled deeply and tried to stay calm. "That's not what I meant. Look closely. All of this could also be the result of the experiments."
Helios leaned forward, his eyes falling on the files. A moment of silence passed before he leaned back and said with a frown, "I wouldn't be surprised if it's true." He sighed softly. "But what do you want to do with this information? It won't really get us anywhere."
"Maybe not, but it could be evidence that your father is behind the whole thing."
Helios took a moment to think about it, then looked at Dante seriously. "Should I confront him about it?"
"You mean today?" Dante asked, surprised.
"We could skip the trip to Soley, and I could confront my father directly about it. If he really is behind it, that's the jackpot for you," Helios said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "If you want, I'll bring it up tonight at dinner, and you can do whatever you want."
Helios kept looking at him, his gaze determined, seemingly waiting for an answer from Dante. They could really shorten the whole thing by confronting Vale directly, without any hesitation.
But would he get the answers to his questions that way? Should it really be that easy?
Dante doubted it. Especially when it came to his memories. He wanted to remember. He wanted to know exactly what they had done to him. He wanted to know how much time he had spent there and how long they had kept him. How long had he been locked up before they threw him into that damned mass grave?
No, there was no easy way.
All or nothing.
Of course, he could take the easy route. But what he had found out was still just a theory. What if Vale wasn't behind all of it, and he had only given his son those assignments because he was genuinely worried about his own operation and trusted his son to make the procedure as comfortable as possible for him?
Damn, if Dante had such a smart son as Helios, he'd probably do the same and entrust his body, his life, to his child.
But Helios' last words still wouldn't leave his mind. Yes, he wanted revenge. But could he have it if Helios didn't know everything? Would it be enough if Vale confessed everything? Without them having seen anything?
He finally shook his head.
"No, we have to go to Soley. I want to know where the hell that building is where I was imprisoned," Dante said firmly. "Besides, I want to know exactly what they injected me with."
"Good." Helios looked satisfied. He stood up from his chair, the ice still pressed to his hand. He walked purposefully to his work table, where he had mixed the substance earlier. He cursed softly as he removed the ice from his hand, taking a new container to mix something again.
"Wait! You can't seriously keep working! You're injured!" Dante exclaimed, rushing toward Helios. He grabbed his arm, but Helios wrenched himself free.
"Let go of me, Dante! I'm so close to creating an effective prototype, and I'm sure as hell not going to let you stop me!" Helios hissed, his emerald eyes flashing angrily at him.
"I can help you," Dante said calmly.
Helios let out a laugh. "And how do you plan to help me? You're a damn klutz!"
"At least I don't injure myself when something goes wrong."
Helios stared at him for a long time. Dante couldn't tell if he was angry or just thinking. Finally, he slammed the ice back onto his hand and stepped back.
"Then show me what you can do. I'll tell you exactly what to do. You should be able to manage that," Helios said with a hint of mockery in his voice.
Dante rolled up his sleeves. With Helios' instructions, it would work. Somehow. He ignored the mockery in Helios' voice. After all, it was his fault that Helios had gotten hurt in the first place.
Things really needed to improve. He couldn't keep putting Helios in danger like this.
Maybe he had become numb over the years, even if it was more in how he interacted and showed sensitivity to others.