“Did you hear about it? This experiment?”

“The chief used her boyfriend’s body…”

“What? That’s so bad! That’s heartless!”

“We really don’t know what runs in those genius scientists minds… for science, they would do anything~”

“Yeah, even I was scared.”

“Hey! Newbie, come here.”

“Yes!”

... ...

Huh? What happened to my body?

Oh yeah, I died…

But why is it so hard to breathe…?

Daniel opened his eyelids that seem to be as heavy as a ton of metal. However, what he saw shocked him.

He was currently inside a huge glass vial filled with water and several electrode-looking wires could be seen connected and he found himself breathing in an oxygen mask.

“What? What’s this?!”

But what’s more important was that he couldn’t feel anything from his lower body. Looking at closely, only his chest and head, without any limbs was floating inside the huge glass vial filled with water.

“Did the cold weather slow down his blood stream?”

He heard a tiny yet familiar voice. Like a machine that hasn’t been oiled for many years, Daniel raised his head and saw through the transparent glass a very familiar face.

Her blonde hair was poker-straight and pulled back into a low ponytail. She wore little makeup and seems to be expressing her extremely stern character.

Against her black woolen jacket, the girl's blonde hair tied in a ponytail was beautifully golden, absolutely flat and shining in the spring light. When she turned her head it moved with her like a liquid and about her freckled face, the shorter strands hung forwards to hide her eyes. It gave her some warmth; complimenting her pale face rather than making her look washed-out.

Tiffania Pearlstine. Daniel’s beautiful girlfriend.

What is she doing here?

It’s not just her, looking around, Daniel could see several men and women, wearing white lab coats. They were holding some kind of document as they conversed with each other, talking while looking at the computer monitors. The screen reflected some kind of complex and difficult to understand numbers and data for poor Daniel who’s IQ can’t even pass a hundred.

But that’s not what made Daniel confused. He doesn’t know why he was here and why his pure and lovable girlfriend and fiancé who can’t even cook a perfect sunny-side up egg, an ordinary science teacher of some ordinary high school, who’s clumsy and sometimes an idiot and can’t even trust a chicken was here looking like she owned the place, shouting and screaming at all the people in area as if she was the boss?

This attitude and behavior, this scary face as if she would eat a human, this bossy and domineering character left Daniel aghast and almost couldn’t believe she was his girlfriend who he lived with for almost eight years…

If not for the similar appearance, Daniel would never believe it!

“Tiff! Tiff!” Daniel called out but for some reason, his voice wouldn’t come out.

At this moment, Daniel finally remembered something. In fact, he should be dead by now so what is this?

He remembered getting involved in a gunfight when he was walking around with Tiffania in a mall. In there, some armored looking like policemen suddenly appeared and encircled him and Tiffania. Then all hell breaks loose.

Another armed group showed up and started a gunfight where due to shielding Tiffania from laser beams and a shockwave grenade, Daniel’s body was cut and even torn apart.

So what is he doing here? What is happening?

“Chief, this is the biologic data of the experimented body.”

“Well done.”

As if she noticed Daniel waking up, Tiffania turned to look his way and started walking.

After arriving in front of the huge glass vial, Tiffania’s stern expression suddenly distorted as she touched the glass.

“Hehehe, ah Daniel, Daniel… did I say you can leave me alone? Did I? Hehe”

Daniel’s heavy eyes widened in shock. The Tiffania in front of him was completely different as she looked crazy. No, it could be said that she was already insane.

Tiffania!?

“After this, you will come back and you will become even more amazing! You will never ever leave me again and you can kill those idiots who tried to separate us. Murder them! Slaughter them! Leave no one alive! Those idiots that tried to bring us apart, burn them all!!”

Tiffania’s voice was low but Daniel who was just one step away could hear them clearly. Her voice was rough and insanity could hear clearly from them.

Casting one last gentle gaze, Tiffania turned around.

“What are you still doing, you idiots!! Begin the super-computer core transplant now!”

“But chief! With a body in this condition, it’s impossible! We are just barely keeping him alive, no, his body is not suitable at all!!”

Slap!

“You idiot! How dare you question me! If you don’t want to die, then do it!”

With those orders, all the people immediately move.

Daniel looked at this scene aghast. He doesn’t know what’s what anymore as he could only look at the people doing their own actions helplessly.

At this moment, Daniel suddenly felt something moves towards his head and he could even feel something piercing through it.

It was pain, extremely painful!!

It’s as if something is piercing his brain.

Drugs injected directly into his blood vessels and head. Electrodes stabbed in through his ears and brain.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!! It hurts!!!!!

If not for the fact that he couldn’t let out any kind of voice, his screams would have ringed out in the whole place!

Aaarrrrrrgggggghhhhhh!!!

Looking at Daniel, Tiffania’s face let out a smile, a very satisfied smile. “This is the moment! This what makes science, beautiful!!”

Horrible pain!

Sleepiness!

My eyelids are heavy, I want to sleep…

Let me sleep…

As Daniel’s consciousness was slipping, suddenly…

Boom!

Boooom!!

Boooooom!!!

Daniel could hear a series of explosion.

“What? What’s happening?!” Daniel heard Tiffania’s frantic voice.

“Chief! It’s the Dragon squad! We are invaded!”

“What?! No, no, no that can’t be! The experiment is still not even the middle stage!”

“But Chief!”

“No, no---”

“This enough, Tiffania Pearlstine” An armed man wearing a black tight suit with mask appeared from the door. “… or should we call you, Miss Limiter of the God’s Domain Organization?”

“No, no you can’t do this! This isn’t the right time!” Tiffania’s frantic yet somehow pleading voice echoed the whole room and Daniel could hear them clearly.

Miss Limiter?

God’s Domain Organization?

Isn’t that a terrorist organization?

Is Tiffania---?!

“We have been looking for you for so many years and now seems like you’re still doing something that shouldn’t be allowed.” The man started walking towards Daniel. His tone was cold.

Tiffania runs and with her two arms spread, she stopped between him and the huge glass vial where Daniel is at.

“No, no please, I, I will surrender just please wait for the experiment to finish!”

“Are you an idiot?!” The man scowled. “Do you think I didn’t know? I have seen much products of this human experiment and do you know what? They became killing machine!! They lose their minds and only thought of killing!”

“No, this time will be a success! I’m sure of it!” Tiffania pleads as she kneeled in front of the man.

Seeing this, a pain much more painful that from what he had just experienced a while ago surge through Daniel.

Tiffania….

Looking at Tiffania begging, the man’s voice unknowingly gone soft. “I know who he is, he's your lover, isn’t he?”

“That’s right, so please…” Tiffania’s crying voice could pierce through any man’s heart. She kept on kneeling and her sobs were getting stronger.

“However, he is dead!”

“No, he is not!”

“He is and if you keep this insanity, many people will die.”

The man raised his gun and pointed it towards Daniel’s glass vial. “Give it up.”

“NOOOOO!!!”

Tiffania immediately runs towards Daniel but she was too slow as the laser beam pierces through the glass. Cracks formed and after a moment, Daniel could only feel that he was swept away by the water flowing.

Tiffania run towards Daniel and hugged his head while muttering ‘No, no, no you can’t die, you can’t’

Her despairing voice was filled with sorrow and remorse. Through Daniel’s fading vision, he could see Tiffania’s despaired face and felt hurt.

He wanted to say ‘It’s fine’ but unfortunately he couldn’t muster any sound.

Then Tiffania let out a long cry before she suddenly stood up and pulled out a small laser gun from her waist. She pointed it towards the man who shot Daniel…

But before she could pull the trigger, another man behind pulled it first and a laser pierced Tiffania’s chest.

The small laser gun fell from her hand and her body falls towards Daniel.

“Why did you shoot?” They could hear someone cried out.

“But sir!”

“Damn you! That’s just a small laser gun with an accuracy won’t even reach 5 meters! Do you think that it could reach us?”

“I,”

Tiffania’s gaze went towards Daniel and faint smile blooms on her face like a beautiful flower in the Garden of Eden.

Ah…

Daniel saw it through his fading vision. Serene and solemn feelings surge through his chest.

It’s like this. This is the Tiffania he had known. Every time she appeared the day never ended and smiles never faded.

She was like a siren leading everyone to sudden happiness. She was the color of his monochromatic world.

Tiffania slowly extended her arms and grabbed Allen upper part and slowly pulled it towards her. She put his head in her bosom and slowly said, “I carry your heart with me”

Daniel was surprised after hearing those words. This was the starting line of a poem he knew very well.

It was a love poem by Edward Estlin "E. E." Cummings.

With his eyes, Daniel fought the urge to sleep and locked his eyes with her. A faint smile formed on his lips.

I carry it in my heart- His eyes as if responding.

This was the poem he had recited when he asked her out on that very special day. It was his devotion, as well as a promise to her.

Tiffania smiled gently and softly put her hand on Daniel’s cheek and continued.

“I am never without it.”

Anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling

Tiffania’s hand was small, and she was already becoming colder than him. The chilly feeling caused Daniel’s heart pain, wanting to cry but couldn’t.

“I fear no fate”

As Tiffania said that, Daniel’s consciousness gradually grew faint. However, Daniel didn't feel afraid; that was because his love of his life, Tiffania was gently smiling in front of him.

For you are my fate, my sweet

“I want no world”

For beautiful you are my world, my true

As his consciousness faded, Daniel noticed that the girl was crying. Although she was smiling, tears wet her cheeks.

“And it's you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you…”

The girl continued with great difficulty but unfortunately, that was already Daniel’s limit.

Ah... let’s meet again the next life ... surely that time, I will protect you…

Daniel fell asleep, in an eternal slumber with that as his last thought.

Looking at his closed eyes, Tiffania’s sobs become even stronger as she embraced Daniel’s head as if afraid of letting go.

“Here… is …. the … deepest secret nobody … ows …” With that as her last sentence, Tiffania finally closed her eyes. All she wished was for her to meet him again and love him again. And when that time comes, she would never let him go…

A sad, sorrowful yet happy smile, all while dreaming of her meeting with Daniel again…

--- ---