CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 40: THE CATALYST OF INTIMACY

"Ow—damn it, Daphne!" Zaeryn broke it off and jerked back, rubbing the spot, but the syringe was already full, glinting red in her hand. His glare could’ve burned through steel. "That was low."

"I made it worth your while didn’t I?" She grinned, unapologetic, and turned to a sleek machine on her desk, slotting the syringe into a port. "You’ll survive. Now let’s see what’s in your blood." The machine beeped to life, its screen flickering with data as it analyzed the sample.

’System, what did she inject me with? Is it anything bad?"

Zaeryn’s mind flickered as the system quietly scanned his bloodstream.

[System Scan Complete]

Foreign Substance Detected: None

Toxicity Level: None

Effect: None

Status: Blood sample extraction only; no injection administered.

Likelihood of Chief Scientist harming user: Very low — unusual interest and fascination from Daphne .

He blinked, confused. ’She didn’t actually inject me, the sharp prick was just a quick blood draw.’

Zaeryn rubbed his arm, feeling the faint sting, then smirked to himself in relief that she didn’t try to harm him. "You better not clone me using that blood,"

"Why would I risk my job just to clone you?" she said, smirking. "You’re not that special."

Zaeryn didn’t have the energy to answer her—his heart thudded with worry, and his casual façade was beginning to crack. ’If she finds foreign vitae, I’m screwed. Well... she’s going to find it anyway. Might as well accept that the secret’s out.’

He forced a laugh, leaning against the desk to mask his tension. "You’re gonna be disappointed when it just shows I’m human."

Daphne ignored him, her eyes glued to the screen as the machine beeped, spitting out a graph of molecular patterns. Her brow furrowed—then her eyes widened in shock. This was the most shocking thing for Daphne, because it simply didn’t make any sense.

"There it is," she whispered, more to herself than to him. "Foreign vitae residue. Small trace amounts, but distinct. It’s... my signature."

She turned to him, her expression a mix of triumph and disbelief. "You did absorb a part of my energy when we kissed. It’s right here, in your blood. Although I doubt you can use my abilities with so little, the point is we found out how you can mimic. Perhaps with stronger contact between you and..."

Her voice trailed off, the implication hanging heavy in the air. Her eyes flicked to his lips, then back to his eyes."I don’t know how it’s even possible that you can mimic vitae just by kissing someone. Maybe it’s the goddesses’ will and we will never know. But maybe if you get intimate with a female... physically and emotionally, it could unlock more. The deeper the connection, the stronger the mimicry."

"Maybe." Zaeryn’s stomach twisted, but he masked it with a lazy smirk. "Or maybe your machine’s busted. Ever think of that?"

Daphne’s smirk returned, sharper this time. "Nice try, Zaeryn. This confirms it—physical contact. Possibly intimacy. That’s your trigger." Her gaze narrowed, studying him like a puzzle she was moments away from solving. "And you knew, didn’t you? You’ve been playing dumb this whole time."

He looked away, feigning boredom. "I like to keep a little mystery."

"But," she said, glancing back at the data, "it looks like it’s fading."

"That’s because..." Zaeryn sighed, reluctantly letting a bit of truth slip. Why not? She was going to find out anyway, and he might as well start building trust by giving her something. "When I absorb, it’s not permanent. And it depends on the... bond I have with the other person. I also think it depends on the intensity of the moment. How deep the contact was."

Daphne’s eyes glinted with intrigue. "So a real kiss—one with actual intent—transfers more?"

"Not necessarily," Zaeryn said quickly—maybe a little too quickly. "It’s not just about physical interaction. There has to be something between us. Maybe... a bond."

She nodded slowly, eyes narrowing with real curiosity. "Well, the fact that you have to form bonds to mimic someone’s power is... very weird. I mean, why not just a kiss, or, you know, bang someone? Something more primal—more direct. And then, you get their powers."

She tilted her head, clearly savoring the contradiction, her gaze lingering on him.

"But then again, vitae isn’t science. It doesn’t follow logic—it follows intent. Design."

Her voice dropped, more thoughtful now, almost reverent.

"I think it was meant to be that way... in your case."

A pause. Then softer, almost to herself—

"Someone—or something—wanted it to work like this."

Her gaze flicked back to Zaeryn, sharp and amused. "Fascinating. You’re like a parasite."

Zaeryn’s jaw tightened. He snorted. "Yeah, that’s... wow. A parasite? Thanks. Real flattering."

She stepped closer, her intention very clear. "Don’t get sentimental. You’re like a parasite—with charm. Which means your power isn’t just biological—it’s emotional." Her voice dipped, serious but still laced with that seductive edge. "And you’ve probably kissed more than one person, haven’t you? I wonder how many others you’ve drained without them even realizing."

Zaeryn shrugged. "You won’t believe me, but... not a lot."

Daphne didn’t smile this time. She just stared at him—thoughtful, calculating. ’Why am I suddenly very attracted to him? And I think I want him.... Yes.’

"You might be more dangerous than anyone realizes." She said.

Zaeryn shook his head. "Or more useful. I can only mimic the vitae of people close to me. How does that make me dangerous?"

"Hmm," Daphne hummed, looking deep into his eyes. Useful? Dangerous. She couldn’t decide which he was. Or maybe he was both. That was the problem. Daphne wasn’t used to uncertainty. She certainly wasn’t used to being intrigued by a subject. Especially not like this. But the more she saw of Zaeryn, the more she wanted to test those limits—scientifically, yes... and maybe in other ways too.

’It’s strange, I don’t see him as a potential threat anymore, I feel like I can trust him.’

She tapped her chin, mock-thoughtful.

"You’re right—it’s almost impossible to hurt someone you love. So maybe that makes you... less dangerous."

Her eyes flicked to his.

"So I don’t have to worry about you seducing me to steal my powers and use them against me. Because by the time you’re allowed to have them..." —her lips curled into a knowing smirk— "you’d already be head over heels for me. Is that what you’re saying?"

Zaeryn scoffed lightly, still rubbing the spot where the syringe had gone in."I never said love was a requirement," he said, locking eyes with her. "Just a bond. Big difference."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Daphne quipped, still smirking—though her eyes lingered longer than before. "Can you control what you take?"

He hesitated, jaw tensing. "...Not yet."

Daphne’s expression sharpened. "Then we need to find out what happens when you do."

Zaeryn raised an eyebrow. "What, you’re going to help me now?"

"Yes. I’ve seen enough from you, and you don’t seem like someone who’d use your abilities for evil," she said simply, but sincerely. "And since Princess Athea ordered your existence kept secret, I don’t exactly have a choice." She added with a slight smirk, "Plus... I’m fascinated. Who wouldn’t want to study a charming emotional parasite up close?"

"Right," Zaeryn muttered. He still didn’t like the word parasite, but he didn’t correct her—he was too curious about where she was going with this. His gut feeling told him she was now open minded to things. Which meant for now he could play passive and let her go on.

"So... what now?" He asked.

"I want to see if you can mimic my vitae weaving completely. Which brings me to my next hypothesis." Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, eyes gleaming with scientific fervor. "If a brief kiss allows for a minor transfer, then sustained, intimate contact... logically, it should allow for a much more significant exchange. Think of it as increasing the surface area for energy transfer—maximizing the duration of the resonance.

This was dangerous territory. She knew it. Emotional involvement skewed data. It blurred lines.

But she couldn’t lie to herself anymore—this wasn’t just about curiosity or science. There was something about Zaeryn that made her want to throw the rulebook out the window. Something reckless. Something alive.

And for the first time in years... she didn’t mind.

’You have successfully convinced me,’ she thought.

She tilted her head, her expression purely academic—though her proximity and the heat rolling off her body told a different story. "For research purposes, of course. We need a larger sample size of your absorbed Vitae to properly analyze its integration with your system. A more... comprehensive exchange would give us invaluable data. Data that could be crucial to understanding the full scope of your ability."

Her gaze locked on his, intense. Her reasoning sounded almost like seduction. And it surprised Zaeryn for a second, because all of a sudden she looked like she was open to the idea of intimacy or for science. But not that he complained. It just meant he didn’t have to convince her.

"Think of the data, Zaeryn. We could map the exact pathways of energy transfer, identify the specific emotional triggers that enhance the process, and quantify the precise amount of Vitae you can absorb under varying conditions. It’s groundbreaking research."

Her hand slid up his chest—slow, deliberate, almost possessive. She leaned in, her lips brushing the shell of his ear.