« Why didn't you tell me you were hurt? »
Marie kept her head down. Yumiel sighed. Then she took her notebook.
« My blood has the ability to modify structures by reorganizing cells. Thanks to that, it can send signals that accelerate my regeneration. So, if I inject a drop of my blood into your body, at the exact spot where you're hurt, I should be able to program your cells without actually changing them, thus speeding up your healing. All I'll have to do is remove the drop of blood from your body afterward. »
On paper, it indeed sounded magical. However, if Yumiel messed up, it could turn Marie into a vampire or, worse, kill her. Yumiel didn't focus on the risks; she always looked at the outcome. Controlling a drop of blood, she placed it on Marie's forearm.
Yumiel concentrated to make the drop penetrate her body through the spores on Marie's skin. Once inside, Yumiel opened her senses to their maximum. She could feel Marie's breathing, her heartbeat, but most importantly, her drop of blood, sinking deeper and deeper. Yumiel made sure not to contaminate Marie's blood.
Once her blood was in place, she sent a signal to boost bodily regeneration, repairing the cells without altering their structure. Thanks to this, the healing was multiplied by 100. She removed the drop of blood via the same path through the skin spores and repeated the process at the ribs.
When finished, Yumiel was mentally exhausted, her breathing became uneven, and her hands began to tremble. She lay down on the couch for a moment. It was the first time she had pushed her senses to the extreme for so long.
She only took a short break before returning to her training. This time, she wanted to control multiple blades or shapes simultaneously.
Marie was sitting close to Yumiel, reading her book titled "How to Protect Your Home Effectively." From time to time, Marie showed passages from the book to Yumiel.
Yumiel had to shorten her training; night was approaching. She was only able to control three separate segments of blood. Rising from her chair, she went to her bedroom and then to her bathroom, retrieving the laundry she had dried, putting on her outfit, readjusting her holster, and went upstairs where she had placed her magnum.
Arriving in the room, the rack was open. « But how did she find the mechanism? » Yumiel didn't pay it any attention, grabbing her magnum, reloading it beforehand, taking a few bullets to put in her pocket, then went back downstairs.
Yumiel searched the entrance cabinets until she found a canteen she could attach around herself. The canteen was standard, about 1 L, attached around her waist. She opened it and controlled her blood from the table into the canteen, filling it to the maximum, then closed it.
Marie was still in the living room reading. Yumiel joined her, waiting for sunset, still writing scientific theories in her notebook. The sun would soon set. Yumiel checked her phone for the signal bar: « Still nothing, huh. »
It had been a while since she'd had any news from her parents or Mathis, even though she had gone to visit him last night and would do the same today. No, the one she was worried about was Morgane.
In the distance, explosions grew louder. « Again toward the center? » Yumiel couldn't tell if it was because night was falling that the explosions and gunfire could be heard again, but she was ready and determined to become stronger.
Marie went to get ready, armed with her Colt and wearing her oversized pajamas. You could almost think it was a school play with her outfit and gun in hand. Yumiel went to get her things, signaling Marie to come, undressing her and giving her back her old clean clothes.
Marie looked more like a normal child with a black cotton t-shirt and blue jeans. « And there you go, all nice. » Marie lowered her head; she was still barefoot. « Yeah, well, actually I don't have shoes your size and I threw the others away—they were in a terrible state. »
Marie hugged Yumiel, catching her off guard. Yumiel gently pushed her back. It wasn't that she didn't love her, but she didn't want to get attached. Yumiel was a vampire and would face dangers all her life. Getting attached wasn't the best idea. Marie slowly began to cry, seeing it as a sign of abandonment.
Yumiel crouched to get on Marie's level: « Hey, no, it's okay, I'm here. I'm just going out for a moment and I'll be back; you just have to watch the house while I'm gone. » Marie hugged Yumiel, who had no choice but to hug her back, though for her it was a mistake—perhaps she should never have saved her at that moment.
The sun was slowly setting. Yumiel prepared to go out. Marie went back to reading her book. Yumiel waited behind the door. Opening her senses, she detected nothing around the house. She opened the door; the sun wasn't completely set yet. She just had to stay in the shadows.
Moving from house to house, always staying in the shadows, she slowly made her way toward Mathis' house. Yet, even from afar, she could hear screams, quickening her pace. Once within range, Yumiel opened her senses. Near her friend's house, she felt several vibrations, probably people. Too many to count.
She focused on Mathis' house, sensing a few vibrations; he seemed fine. Yumiel wanted to check, but the sun was still present in the street, albeit slightly. She waited patiently. When the sun was gone, she rushed into the street.