Dante closed the door behind him and placed the book that Helios had given him on the table. Sighing, he sank into the chair next to it, his gaze thoughtfully fixed on his finger.
More specifically, on the middle finger of his right hand.
The finger he had injured just a few hours ago. But the injury was no longer visible. It was gone, completely healed, as if it had never existed. Nothing indicated that he had ever cut himself on that damn cup.
If he wasn't mistaken, Helios had looked right at that spot before he and Davis had been sent off for the evening. Of course, he could just be overreacting.
"Damn," Dante muttered, pressing his hand against his forehead.
He knew he had acted foolishly when he removed the bandage. It had bothered him, feeling his finger's movement restricted. A mistake that now put him in a tight spot. With a bit of luck, Helios was simply too absorbed in his thoughts to notice such small details.
At the same time, though, Helios was the smartest person Dante had ever met. A man who saw everything, even when he didn't always say it out loud. And that was exactly what made him dangerous.
It had been a close call convincing Helios that he hadn't been shot. Even though that's exactly what had happened. The bullet had pierced his heart and lung. For a brief moment, he had nearly drowned in his own blood before his body healed enough that he could more or less escape the damn party with Helios and Penelope.
Had Helios not been in such a bad state himself, he probably never would have managed that feat.
The cuts he had received during the assassination attempt outside the company, where Davis had also been severely injured, were hidden only because Helios had taken care of his friend.
But so far, he had been very lucky, when he thought about it.
Even the wound from the blade he had deliberately left in place was no longer an issue. No one had tried to examine the injury again, and everyone believed him when he said he was taking care of it himself.
Of course, all the wounds had healed. His skin was flawless, except for a few old scars he had acquired in earlier years.
Dante stood up and changed for the night. If there was one thing he could rely on 100%, it was his damn self-healing abilities. They were probably his greatest strength, even though he had never wanted them. This ability to recover from almost any wound was both a curse and a blessing. But whatever he had gone through – whether in combat or during his futile suicide attempts – nothing had ever been able to kill him.
He had now spent ten years in this condition.
It had been so long since he escaped that damn hell and made his living as a mercenary. Constant moves, concealing his identity. He had traveled to every place his research had taken him. But none of his targets had been promising. Everything had led to nothing. Until he had finally come across Aeternum Pharmaceuticals.
Dante had heard of the company, but at the time, it was still in its infancy. It was nowhere near as large or influential as it was now. Vale, Helios' father, was a damn skilled businessman who knew exactly how to market his son's work. When he thought about the fact that the company had been founded 14 years ago and had since stormed across the world, he still felt a queasy sensation in his stomach. Helios had only been eight years old at the time. A child, a damn child, carrying the weight of a massive company's success on his small shoulders.
Today, Helios was a young adult, but that didn't change the fact that Vale had shamelessly exploited his son. The thought that this boy had been a tool in his father's hands from the very beginning made Dante reflect. When had Helios really started experimenting with medicine? And how long had Vale been using his son? And the question that haunted him the most: Why the hell had Helios allowed all of this?
Had he been shaped in such a way that he never had a choice? Or did he simply not care, as long as he could do what he wanted? Dante scoffed. From the way Helios acted, it seemed like a lot of things didn't matter to him. The boy was intelligent enough to see through his father's true intentions. He was probably aware of his situation and had learned to accept things as they were. What really kept him going was his job, his work. At least that seemed to be the only thing that truly mattered to him.
Dante desperately hoped that Helios hadn't noticed that his finger had already healed. If he found out, it would be difficult for him to keep the truth hidden. Maybe he would have to injure his finger again and again to maintain the illusion. He had to make sure that Helios never suspected anything. Safety came first.
He could not afford to lose Helios under any circumstances.
Helios must neither die, nor must he find out what was happening to him. Dante didn't know what he would do if that happened, but it would depend on how useful Helios still was to him at that point. In the worst case, he would have to kill him himself.
It was a harsh thought, but for Dante, the reality was simple: No one could stand in his way, no one could jeopardize his plans. No one, not even Helios.
Dante grabbed the thick tome Helios had given him and sank down onto the bed with it. He doubted that the book would really provide him with new insights, but it didn't seem like a bad idea to at least read it. One could never know when a useful clue might appear out of nowhere.
However, his thoughts were already circling back to another, much more urgent question: How could he get his hands on Helios' documents? How could he get into the company archives? He was sure that there were still reports or documents within the estate that he could find, even though he hadn't discovered anything useful yet. The fact that he had searched so many rooms and corners and found nothing made him doubt his luck, but maybe it was just a matter of time and the right moment.
The night was the perfect time. In the dark hours of the morning, it was quieter, and the guards were less present. But both the estate and the company buildings were equipped with such strict security measures that it was nearly impossible to get in or out unnoticed. Almost. Dante had never seen such well-secured places. Even prisons seemed like open doors compared to the security of the Vale family.
He had already more or less searched Helios' room. It was a fascinating space, filled with shelves holding a variety of old and new books on natural sciences, insects, and everything related to medicine and alchemy. Although he was aware that there was no such thing as magic, he found it remarkable that someone like Helios, a thorough scientist, owned works on alchemy. It was an interesting contradiction.
During the week that Helios had been unconscious, Dante had had plenty of time to thoroughly examine everything without pressure. But despite the abundance of literature, he hadn't found anything that truly helped him. There had to be something, though, something that would give him the crucial hint. He had briefly glanced at the book he was currently holding, but he had hardly had time to read it, especially not in peace.
There had to be something that would move him forward.
It wouldn't surprise Dante if, over the past 14 years, Helios had developed something that could activate the self-healing abilities – or however this ability he now possessed worked. It was very possible that Helios had developed something that helped him in this regard, and he just hadn't discovered it yet.
On the other hand, he didn't really believe it.
Why would Helios develop such a thing without using it himself? After all, he had almost died five weeks ago. Dante didn't think Helios would ignore such a possibility, especially if it meant he could work in his lab forever.
But there were other possibilities. Maybe Helios had developed such a substance and didn't want to use it, either out of principle or because he feared the consequences. Or it could be Vale, who had secretly developed such a substance behind Helios' back to use for his own purposes. That wasn't just a possibility – it was a very plausible one. Maybe the whole pharmaceutical company was somehow involved in the development of such substances, and Helios had never known.
It could, of course, be that Aeternum Pharmaceuticals had nothing to do with this substance, and he was just wasting his time. Still, he wanted to give it a try. Maybe he would uncover something after all, and if not, he could continue questioning Helios.
And keep benefiting from his knowledge.
Dante opened the book and decided to focus on what lay ahead of him. The next morning, he would get some bandages from the storage and regularly cut his finger to make sure Helios wouldn't grow suspicious.
If he even cared.
He hoped the young pharmaceutical expert would focus more on his new task than on him.
___
The book Helios had given him had, contrary to his expectations, actually been quite interesting, even though he hadn't gotten very far. Helios had been right: it was damn heavy reading. The book had taken up half the night, mostly because he was desperately trying to understand what the author specifically meant. The complex concepts and technical terms made it a real challenge.
Most books of this kind could only be understood if one had a broad base of general knowledge on the subject. Dante was far from being able to fully comprehend everything. He was by no means stupid, but the authors of these works seemed to love presenting their insights in the most complicated way possible. And he still lacked the necessary knowledge of the basic mechanisms of the body to grasp these theories.
It was already noon when they finally arrived at the company. The doctor who had treated Helios was satisfied with his recovery and gave him permission to return to work. He had explicitly asked both Dante and Davis not to handle Helios too roughly in case of another attack. The doctor was still worried that a small bump or wrong movement could cause Helios to get seriously injured again.
In the end, they had left the estate faster than they could give the doctor their promise to be careful. Helios was wrapped in his coat and, as usual, carried his briefcase in his hand. It was nice to see him like this again, just as Dante had first met him.
Helios seemed to be in a pretty good mood. He hadn't paid any further attention to Dante's finger.
Although he did look pretty tired. Given that he had wanted to go to bed early the night before, he looked quite worn out.
Dante almost breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that Helios didn't seem to be watching him. But he knew he couldn't rest on his success. It was too dangerous to let his guard down now. He would continue to fake the small injury to prevent Helios from getting suspicious and observing him more closely. It was better to stay cautious.
Upon arriving at the company, Helios was warmly greeted by the staff. They asked how he was doing and if he had recovered well. Apparently, the events from the party had already spread into wild stories. Helios was approached with the most unbelievable things – things that never actually happened.
When they reached the elevator, Helios pressed the 98th floor instead of the 101st. Then he leaned exhaustedly against the elevator wall and rubbed his temples.
"Sometimes I really hate having such a high position," he muttered, clearly annoyed. "Why do they all come running at the same time?"
"It will be quieter again in a few days," Davis said reassuringly.
"Thankfully."
"What's on the 98th floor?" Dante asked.
"Theo's lab. Or rather, the place where my requests are carried out. No matter what kind," Helios replied.
Theo, then. So he was going to meet the person who called himself Helios' assistant.
The elevator stopped, and as soon as the doors opened, Helios immediately walked out. Like the floor where Helios' lab was located, this one was also very clean and furnished with only the essentials. The doors all looked almost the same, and only small signs next to the doors indicated what was behind them.
On the entire way to Theo, Dante hadn't noticed a single sign that said "Archive." That meant he would have to keep an eye out – perhaps somewhere in the background or behind an inconspicuous door that didn't look like an archive at first glance. He had to stay patient and remain vigilant.
Finally, they entered a large lab that housed a variety of apparatuses. Some of them Dante had already seen in Helios' lab, but there were also many that were completely unfamiliar to him. From just looking at them, he couldn't even tell what they were for.
The atmosphere in the lab was quiet and focused. Some lab assistants in white coats worked silently on various devices, took notes, or leaned over microscopes to examine samples. The air was filled with a faint chemical smell – the scent of science, familiar yet so foreign.
"Theo!" Helios called loudly, causing one of the lab assistants to startle and drop a vial.
Helios didn't even acknowledge him.
A man who was definitely older than Helios approached them. If Dante had to guess, he must have been around 40 years old. Seeing Helios and him side by side, it appeared more as if Helios were the assistant, not the other way around.
Theo wore a long blonde braid, had watery green tired yet friendly eyes with small laugh lines, and was taller than Helios. Under his white coat, he wore a shirt and elegant trousers. His physique was slim. Dante doubted that Theo was particularly fit. He was probably, like Helios, heavily dependent on coffee and ate far too little. In his hand, he held a clipboard.
Theo gave Helios a tired smile.
"Good to see you again," Theo greeted him. "I see you've recovered well?"
"As you can see, I'm finally allowed to work again," Helios snorted. "Is everything running as planned here?"
Theo handed Helios the clipboard he had been carrying.
"The animal trials are complete. Here's a list of the subjects. The tests began a week ago, and so far, there have only been minor anomalies."
Helios flipped through the pages.
"As I see, no one has died."
"Exactly, though two of them seem to be suffering from heart problems since the intake. I've worked with the doctor and administered the necessary medication, and I've adjusted the formula."
Helios pulled a pen from his coat pocket and scribbled on a page.
"Adjust the formula accordingly. The two with heart issues are out of the study, we don't want them dying on us. I want to add 10 more subjects to the program. When can I expect the results?"
"First results in about two weeks."
"Good. The rest can be observed over a longer period. If the formula causes no further issues, we can start testing the compound on Violet," Helios said as he handed Theo the clipboard back. "I assume the rest is on my desk?"
Theo nodded. "Thomas brought everything up yesterday."
Helios nodded and smiled at Theo. "Good work, Theo."
"Th-thank you!" Theo said. He looked as if he might burst into tears at any moment.
Helios turned to Dante and Davis. "Let's go," he said and walked off just as quickly as he had arrived.
"Theo looked pretty worn out," Davis noted as they headed to the elevator.
"He had a lot to do. Even if it wasn't much more work than usual."
Davis raised an eyebrow. "He already has enough to do."
"Just like all of us. He chose to be my assistant, he knew what he was getting into," Helios said.
They took the elevator to the 101st floor as usual. Before the door to Helios' lab, he stopped. He gave them both a piercing look that left no room for argument.
"You only come in if I invite you in. Not even Thomas is allowed inside, understood? I need to extract some substances, and I can't say how harmful they are without protective gear."
"Take care of yourself," Davis said. He gave Helios a small smile and took his place by the door. Dante did the same, while Helios entered his lab.
___
In the week after Helios resumed his work, nothing else had happened. Life went on as usual, and there were no further attacks. Dante used the time to absorb as much knowledge as possible that Helios passed on to him. Whether through books or conversations, he took everything he could get.
He had spent a lot of time with Davis in front of the lab, as Helios rarely let them inside. When he did, he almost always wore a mask, which he only removed once he felt the room had been properly ventilated. The distillation unit in his lab never stopped, and the sounds of running apparatuses filled the room when he was absorbed in his work. Helios rarely spoke about exactly what he was doing. Most of the time, he just shrugged and said he was "trying out new substances." What exactly that meant, he usually kept in the dark, and it irritated Dante.
From Davis, he had learned that the company's archives took up an entire floor and even expanded to a second floor, which was used as a library – levels 95 and 96. The mere thought of sneaking into the archives was a challenge, especially with the massive security presence everywhere. In addition, these two floors might hold what Dante was desperately searching for. Amidst so many documents, it was unclear whether it could be found on one floor or the other. Or whether it even existed at all. It was a doubly difficult undertaking.
The archives were certainly heavily guarded and inaccessible to many employees. As Helios' guard, Dante had no special access rights – after all, he was only supposed to be by his side. But Helios himself could go anywhere, and Dante knew he would need at least Helios' access card to move freely. However, that was the sticking point: if Helios noticed his card was missing, it would raise questions. He was not the type to carelessly leave something lying around. So, Dante had to be especially cautious.
Dante thought about Theo, Helios' assistant. The man was reliable but obviously overworked. Perhaps he could take advantage of his condition and grab the keycard if he was inattentive. But before taking that risk, he needed to learn more about Theo.
"How long has Theo been working with Helios?" Dante asked.
If he wanted to get close to Theo, he needed to know more about him.
Davis seemed to think for a moment before he replied. "It's been about 8 years now," he said finally. "Helios was 14 years old when Theo was hired."
Dante looked at him in surprise. "Didn't Helios have anyone working with him before that?"
Davis shook his head. "Theo doesn't really work with him, he works for him. His title is assistant, but he's essentially a lackey who does whatever Helios tells him to do."
"Strange concept," Dante murmured. "A man his age being bossed around by a kid who's not even of legal age."
Davis looked at him with amusement. "Theo is around our age."
"You're kidding me."
"Nope. He's turning 31 this year."
Dante was shocked – he had thought Theo was much older. "That's... really surprising. No wonder he looks like he's about to collapse any second."
"He's just overworked," Davis explained. "Helios gives him tasks from time to time, but they're never really time-consuming or stressful. Theo just has very high standards for himself. He wants to always please Helios, no matter what it takes."
"Wow. That's really... intense," Dante said. "Shouldn't he take a break sometime?"
Davis looked thoughtful. "He probably never will. The guy's just going to burn out eventually. But he doesn't take vacations. Neither does Helios. The five weeks Helios was out were because of his injury. He works all the time unless he's really sick."
"And Theo?" Dante was still astonished. "Does he keep up with that?"
"Yeah, Theo too. The difference is that Helios always stays somewhat relaxed. He never rushes and gets everything done the way he plans it. Theo, on the other hand, stresses out a lot, even when he probably doesn't need to," Davis explained. "But they have their own way of working together. Helios knows exactly how to deal with him to keep him productive."
"Have you had much to do with him during your time here?"
Davis nodded. "Quite a bit. I often bring things to him from Helios. The lab here is sealed off, we shouldn't even need to be on guard. No one could break in without access," he continued. "That's how I get a chance to stretch my legs now and then."
"That's crazy, what ambition can do to a person," Dante said thoughtfully.
"Theo's a really nice guy. He follows Helios around like a little duckling," Davis continued. "Sometimes it almost seems like Helios adopted him."
"Though he's pretty rough with him," Dante replied.
"He's like that with most people. If Helios were too nice to Theo, he probably wouldn't get anything done at all. Theo needs that kind of treatment from Helios to keep going." Davis threw him a friendly look. "Next time something needs to be brought to Theo, you should do it. You know where to go, and if you want, you can have a little chat with him. It'll give Theo a bit of a break, and you'll get to know him better. After all, he's someone Helios works with on a daily basis, and you should know who Helios is working with."
Dante looked into Davis' eyes and knew he had just received a golden opportunity. "Sure, why not? It would be a lie if I said I didn't want to know more about Theo."
Davis looked satisfied. "Good. I think you'll get along well with him."
Dante hoped that Davis would take the time to spend with Helios, so he could have a quiet conversation with Theo and maybe even get into the archives. When he thought about it, it was a damn lucky coincidence that Helios and Davis kept their relationship secret. They probably used every quiet, unobserved moment to be close to each other.
Dante was more than fine with that, as long as they kept doing it.
He stifled a triumphant smile. The plan was pretty solid; he just had to make sure he didn't get caught.