From Hector's Perspective: Two Weeks Later

Hector: Let's see if I understood correctly. You want the wish stone to bring your father back, and your father wanted you back to bring you to life, but in the end, he and your brother are dead, and you are alive.

Milan: Are you always this smart? *sarcastically*

Hector: Ha ha ha *sarcastic smile* Well, if the equation is this simple, what do you want from them?

Milan: I want the same thing as you, Hector. I want revenge on everyone and everything that trapped me in that ice block. I hate those creatures.

Hector: The last 20 years must have been very hard for you.

Milan: What do you expect? Ice and more ice.

Hector: I still can't understand what your sister wanted from you, but in the end, it wasn't her who trapped you.

Milan: It was Amarok's doing. He trapped me there with the Dragons, but now I'm free, and I guess the plants I sowed must have started to bloom by now. So, dear Hector, this is just a deal.

Hector: What kind of deal?

Milan: *extends his hand* I will get rid of them, and you will take your revenge on your sister.

Hector: I like the idea. I'm in. *shakes his hand* Now tell me about those flowers.

Milan: Actually, the plants we planted for research 50 years ago are now sprouting on Merlin's land. The 30 years in between were lost because I came out of the ice, and even if it didn't have an effect all this time, they must have started to sprout now.

Hector: Sometimes I really can't comprehend. I grew up in a tribe of foxes, within their laws and teachings, but you seem to know much more.

Milan: My father, Victor, was truly an obsessive man and loved research. When he first noticed the Heiliants, he conducted many experiments to understand what they were and reported each one. I learned a lot while reading those reports.

Hector: Is there any other detail I need to know?

Milan fixed his gaze on the glass of water on the table and, after focusing a bit, the water in the glass turned to sand. I watched in astonishment. What, did he have some kind of telekinesis?

Hector: *surprised* Holy shit, you must be joking.

Milan: Hahaha, what’s wrong, big guy? Did I impress you? *laughs*

Hector: I'm just a little convinced that you might be a sorcerer. *brings his fingers closer together*

Milan: Nice guess, but no, I just have telekinesis. I can bend some elements.

Hector: You're very attractive.

Milan's eyes turned pitch black for a moment, and he leaned into my arms.

Milan: And you’re rotting away, fox boy. Come on, let’s see what we can do.

Hector: Oh my god, for a moment I thought you would never say that.

He took my hand, and after walking down the corridor that overlooked the garden, we stopped in front of a futuristic painting. In the painting, which resembled intertwined universes, after sinking somewhere, a hatch opened beneath us.

Hector: Where is this place?

Milan: This is Sirenia, the world of the Heiliants. It looks like this when there is no veil in the human eye.

Hector: Come on, are we really here right now?

Milan: No, it’s adjacent to the human universe, but there’s no physical contact. Only some curious ones are mingling among us, that’s all.

Hector: Your command of this much information really fascinates me, beautiful.

Milan: You’re running too fast, fox boy.

Hector: Oh my god, stop calling me that.

Milan came closer to me until there was just a lip's distance between us and whispered.

Milan: Or else what, fox boy? *emphasizing*

Hector: I’m trying hard to control myself around you, Milan. Please don’t make this harder.

Milan: Haha, coward. *pulls back*

Hector: I’m not a coward; you know it wouldn’t be nice for you to melt away under my current strength.

Milan: *shuffling through some files* Of course, I wouldn’t want to be under those muscular arms. *grins* Come sit over here so we can see your arm.

I moved to the direction Milan pointed and sat on the couch. She quickly read the file in her hand and went to the cabinet to prepare a few chemicals on the table.

Hector: I think there’s some progress. *curious*

Milan: Good news, I found the antidote in my father’s notes.

Hector: And?

Milan: Bad news, I hope it synthesizes before your arm rots.

Hector: Oh great, it couldn’t get any worse.

Milan: Now let me place this in the machine, and we can eat; I’m very hungry.

Hector: That would be wonderful.

Once Milan finished her work, we went upstairs and started eating while chatting over red wine.

Milan: So, you, Hector, what’s your reasoning?

Hector: What? *confused* Oh right, I was there the day your father died. He had made a deal with Harley, and it didn’t end well. That scheming bitch betrayed him, and while all this was happening, the only person I was related to disregarded me without a second thought.

Milan: Oh my god, were you with him? *sad*

I spoke with a supportive touch, holding her wrist.

Hector: Hey, don’t be sad. He did all this for you, to be able to reunite with you.

Milan: I know, but it hurts so much, Hector. It’s so hard. Neither my aunt nor my father is here anymore, and I’m left all alone. Carrying this burden is so difficult. *teary-eyed*

Hector: I’m here. *hugs her* And if you want me to be by your side after this is over, I will be.

Milan: Really?

Hector: Really. *emotional closeness*

I couldn’t bear to see her sad, and even though it had only been two weeks, I had developed some romantic feelings for her during the time we spent together, and I think she was reciprocating those feelings. As our eyes met, butterflies fluttered in my stomach, and I felt my body slowly approaching hers. There was now barely a centimeter between us; I could feel her breath as her eyes drifted to my lips. I couldn’t hold back either and matched her pace. With the excitement of the first contact, I paused for a moment, pulled back, and looked into her eyes again. When she winked in approval, I continued and moved closer. When I wrapped my arms around her waist and lifted her into my lap, she had already whispered that we should go to the bedroom. My body, which was trying to resist, felt like a volcano about to erupt. We went to her room, and I entered the door with a rush, directly lying down on her bed. After eight passionate hours, we surrendered to sleep.

Morning

Hector: Good morning, my sunflower.

Milan: Oh my god, don’t say that, it’s so embarrassing.

Hector: As you wish, my sunflower. *sarcastically*

Milan: Stop flirting, fox boy, we have an antidote to handle and a decay to fix.

Hector: Our breakfast is ready, come on.

After having breakfast with Milan, we went downstairs again, and finally, the antidote was ready. I lay back on the couch and waited for him to connect the serum to me. About 15 minutes after he connected the serum, I fainted from the weight that settled on my body. When I woke up, Milan was looking at me in astonishment.

Hector: What happened? *worried*

Milan: How do you feel?

Hector: Actually, I feel energetic and a bit hyperactive.

Milan: Damn it, I need to show you this.

He took my hand and led me upstairs to his room, and when we reached the door, he covered my eyes with his hands and made me walk a bit.

Milan: I’m going to let you open your eyes now, but don’t react suddenly.

Hector: Please, I hope I’m not turning into a fox again.

Milan: 3, 2, 1...

*Note: In his old form, he looked muscular and had more male hormones released due to Victor's experiments, so he appeared older than his actual age, this is his original form.*

Hector: Holy shit! This is me, but how is this possible? *surprised*

Milan: I think the antidote reversed you back to your old self while breaking the mutation.

Hector: Finally, my baby face and body are back.

Milan: He was actually attractive in his other form. *smirking*

Hector: Hahaha, I’m attractive in every form, come here. *pulls Milan closer*

Milan: You’ve gotten used to being this close to me.

Hector: As if you don’t like it.

Milan: I do, but first, we need to discuss and prepare our plan in detail, and we should set off before they find out about the situation.

Hector: *kisses Milan* Mh, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be able to get a kiss from you, right? *laughs*

Milan: Oh, starboy, stop flirting, we have work to do.

I looked at myself for a long time and remembered how long it had been since I had seen my old face. Thankfully, I had returned to my essence, and we were getting to work to plan our next move.