Bonus: Hidden Echoes in the High-Security Wing (Epilogue)

Location: City Center

Specific Location: Hidden Hospital – Maximum Security Wing

Time: 02:20 AM (3 hours and 40 minutes until dawn)

Back in the present, the silence in the hallway felt like a dead weight following the departure of Lilith and Sara, broken only by the flickering of the lamps overhead.

(¡Tzzz... Flsh... Tzzz...!)

Sitting beside Rima, Susie kept her back straight, observing the twinkling of the artificial light with an expression of absolute boredom.

"Fuff..."

Immediately after, she slowly let out a sigh laden with annoyance while relaxing her fingers over her lap, causing the opulence of her chest to mold heavily against the fabric of her clothes.

"...Who would have thought."

And right after reorganizing her thoughts, her voice emerged in a lazy murmur, like a thin line cutting through the cold air of the hallway.

"In the end, that insect turned out to be quite useful."

Then, she remembered for an instant the way Doctor Alessia ended up on the floor, swaying in her own fluids in front of Echidna.

"Comparing the impression I had back then with the one I have now..."

Back then, following the goddess's intervention, the scenario was resolved with a simple and cold mutual non-intervention agreement.

(—Flash— —Flash—)

In exchange for not being exterminated, the parasites completely submitted.

"...It really is a huge change."

They were handed the administration of the hospital under strict rules: to act as if everything were normal before the public, not to reveal their true nature, and, above all, not to increase the number of nests in an uncontrolled manner.

"Heh..."

It was then, upon remembering that, that a smile devoid of empathy or self-criticism drew itself on Susie's mature lips.

"Even a swarm of parasitic insects can change... What an irony... In comparison, I..."

From that moment on, the infected worked mechanically in shifts, using the clinical facade to secretly hunt other nurses and doctors, replacing the staff and increasing their numbers with a prudent caution.

"Though... if it weren't for me, they would have rotted by now."

However, to prevent those biological nests from decomposing due to the cellular death of the corpses, Susie had been ordered to intervene.

"Stopping only biological decomposition while maintaining a perfect state is simple with {State Suspension: Tissue Conservation} after all."

With a fluid movement of her fingers, Susie recalled how she used her ability on the parasitized bodies, freezing the degradation of the flesh to keep the biological puppets firm and usable for the insects, without them losing their human appearance.

"...Rima... remembers that..."

Beside her, Rima's small figure murmured in response without looking up from her card collection in an attempt to calm herself, momentarily breaking the red-haired woman's monologue.

"Yes."

In response, Susie narrowed her eyes, settling a wave of her wavy red hair over her shoulder as she looked back up at the flickering light.

(¡Tzzz—!! —Flash—)

Thus, the final flicker of the fluorescent lamp left a fraction of a second of darkness before the white light stabilized once more, casting Susie's reflection onto the windowpanes.

"..."

To the red-haired woman, the true irony of that pact made with the parasite swarm did not reside in the control they exerted over the insects, but in how the hive's own psychology completely mutated after being exposed to Mireya's divine magnetism.

"Who would have imagined they would develop so much curiosity...?"

Saying that in a murmur to herself, Susie, leisurely crossing one leg over the other, once again let her thoughts wander.

"...Rima didn't... expect it either..."

Having rid itself of the blind and primitive need to massively expand its nests across the city, the swarm found a new purpose.

"They even named a queen."

The "Queen" of the colony—who now operated permanently beneath the skin and worn features of Doctor Alessia Cross—redirected the intellect of the entire hive toward a single, obsessive goal: Mireya.

(Zzzshl...)

Taking advantage of every blood test, every routine checkup, and every mandatory visit the young man made to the medical complex, the parasites utilized an invaluable resource: the scientific knowledge, motor memory, and medical recollections residing in the brains of the doctors and nurses they had parasitized.

"Perhaps I am not one to talk, but their obsession is repulsive, to say the least..."

And because of that, even despite the hypocrisy of her own words, Susie was unable to hold back her true thoughts as she remembered the medical reports Alessia delivered to the house.

"Yes... Rima thinks so... too..."

Utilizing that facade of clinical neatness, the insectoid mind began to deconstruct Mireya's physiology and anatomy at a cellular level in a desperate attempt to understand the nature of that "sacred nest" that had hypnotized them.

(—Flash— —Flash—)

However, what began as a simple biological study quickly transformed into an almost religious fascination for the parasites.

"...It hurts a bit to hear you say that."

With every small revelation of how his anatomy worked, with every anomalous cellular pattern and every energy fluctuation they recorded on their sterile monitors, the hive marveled more and more at the biological impossibility of the young man's body.

"...But it is the truth... And Rima always tells... the truth..."

And it was precisely in the midst of that meticulous theoretical dissection that the Queen and her subjects stumbled upon something else.

"Listen, Rima, in these types of cases, even if it is the truth, try to say it in a more subtle way to avoid hurting the other party's feelings."

But at that point, trying to protect her almost nonexistent dignity as an older sister, Susie's fingers drummed against her knee as she tried to correct young Rima with a smile.

"...."

However, in response, the latter simply stared directly into her eyes in a prolonged, uncomfortable silence...

"Ahem... How about we leave this topic for another time...?"

Therefore, in an attempt to escape, Susie shifted the flow of the conversation.

"...Agreed."

To which Rima finally let the matter drop, averting her gaze.

"Well, then, returning to the point... The information they sent back then was more than anyone expected... right?"

A commotion erupted among them all when the data provided by the insects was revealed—secrets unearthed from the underground laboratories of the medical wing that exposed shocking truths about the true composition of Mireya's body, which no one, except perhaps Echidna, had ever imagined.

"...Yes."

(¡Tzzz—!! —Flash—)

Then, following Rima's response and the final flash of the lamp, the hallway fell into silence once more.

"Hey, Rima, that reminds me..."

Therefore, in an attempt to break the tension, Susie commented...

"What...?"

To which Rima, sitting right beside her, murmured in response without looking up from her cards.

"The next time you go to Mireya's room, don't leave so many sweets under his pillow. Doctor Alessia handed me his exam reports and... well, let's just say his stomach is a black hole. But if he keeps eating like that, he's going to complain that his clothes are getting too small."

But having no idea what topic to address and utterly lacking social talent, Susie opted to speak according to her own normative projection based on her subjective experiences.

"...Mireya... likes... choco bombs..."

Therefore, in response, the equally withdrawn Rima answered deliberately in an attempt to play along.

"But you know it is forbidden to give him choco bombs."

However, having forgotten one of the taboos Mireya is prohibited from doing, her brave choice regarding the conversation topic fell flat.

(¡¡¡ZASSS!!!)

As a result, the atmosphere had become suffocating as two antisocial individuals with zero capacity for prolonged interaction analyzed each other.

"...Rima... will win the underground tournament... and become the strongest player..."

Therefore, in an attempt to move forward, Rima proclaimed her victory regarding the underground card-game tournament she had accidentally registered for.

"I see... Give it your absolute best!"

As Susie supported her determination, while she spoke, her right hand slid with total naturalness into the inside of her jacket, pulling out the folded wet cloth that had been used days ago to cool Mireya's forehead during his fever.

"Sniff-sniff..."

And with complete naturalness, without a shred of shame, Susie brought the fabric directly to her nose, closing her green eyes as she deeply inhaled the residual scent, recharging her own "nutrients" and soothing her anxiety as if it were a security blanket.

"Haaah... this scent... it’s incredible that even his sweat smells so pure."

Immediately after, a faint blush lit up her cheeks as she savored the biological trace on the fabric, momentarily losing herself in the pure pleasure of her fixation.

"...Pervert."

However, although for her it was an inexplicable sensory delight, for the parasites, on the other hand, it was a delicacy they constantly tried to steal.

"I can't help it?! After all, I was at my limit too!!"

At a cellular level, Mireya's body operated under absolute greed: his cells violently hijacked every protein and nutrient he ingested, compacting and distilling them to the extreme to use them as a biological "insulator" that contained the overwhelming internal pressure of his organism.

"If you tasted this scent, you would surely join in and try to steal it too!"

That massive refinement process caused any residue escaping through his pores to be not simple sweat, but a distillate of purest, concentrated energy.

"...I understand... Rima passes..."

It was a substance so dense, fertile, and charged with artificial vitality that it acted directly on the receptors of those around him, turning his scent into an irresistible biological stimulant—like an addictive substance designed to hook the most primitive instincts.

"What a waste..."

Therefore, because of that, without knowing it, Rima had evaded a great danger.

"...Changing the subject... Why... do his eyes... usually glow...?"

Thus, in an attempt to shift the topic of conversation, Rima, interrupting the red-haired woman's trance, asked about a doubt she had upon remembering the occasional intermittent flashes of light in the boy's pupils.

"Ah, you saw that?"

And thanks to that question, Susie lowered the cloth subtly, revealing a somewhat drooling smile at the corner of her lips.

"It's beautiful when he gets flustered and all those colors appear. I love that he is still innocent enough not to notice it yet..."

Despite Susie's usual withdrawn and cautious personality, when it came to Mireya, she changed in such a way that even Rima—with whom she got along best—was unable to defend her behavior.

(¡¡CLACK—!! —CREEEAK—)

However, at that moment, interrupting their conversation, the loud crash of the heavy security door opening tore through the atmosphere of lethargy in the hallway.

"We are sorry to interrupt your conversation..."

And stepping through the threshold, two figures emerged, enveloped in the sterile lighting: Doctor Alessia Cross, maintaining her professional bearing despite the mechanical rigidity of her movements, and the nurse who had assisted her during the last hours of the shift.

"It's no problem."

Therefore, immediately after, Susie lowered the cloth from her face with a deliberate slowness, tucking it into her jacket as she recomposed her expression.

"We were just killing time."

In parallel, Rima did not bother to greet them; she simply picked up one of her cards, keeping her attention divided between the floor and the newcomers.

"Well? What is Trashia's condition?"

Therefore, Susie, without wasting a single second on formalities, went straight to the point.

"The birth, despite some biological complications... was successful."

To which Doctor Alessia stopped a couple of steps away, adjusting her glasses with a gesture that hid the agitation of the parasites beneath her skin.

"However..."

But then, at her next words, a brief silence fell over the group.

"Something unforeseen happened."

At her words, confused, Susie and Rima exchanged a quick glance.

"What happened?"

The aura of the room seemed to grow heavier, laden with an uncertainty that the parasites transmitted through their vessel.

"Was there a problem with the birth?"

Therefore, looking for answers, Susie inquired, her countenance shifting.

"It would be quicker to show you."

To which Alessia, instead of answering immediately...

"There are things that medical logic cannot explain with words. Follow me."

Instead, turned around and gestured for them to follow her back down the hallway she had just come from.

"Are we going...?"

Thus, both stood up and headed toward the delivery room...

"...Yes."

...Where a great surprise would be waiting for them.