She Is Not Human

Chapter 7

When she said that, little Eric actually let her go, stepped back, and shoved his hands in his pockets while laughing. "I knew you'd say that! I'm just glad your brain wasn't fried by the lightning. But hey, sorry to break it to you, I haven't had enough fun yet and I'm not ready to settle down with anyone. So…”

At this point, little Eric paused for a moment as some strange feeling bubbled up inside him.

They used to joke around like this all the time. His playboy nature made it hard for him to stick with just one girl. The more Maya agreed with him, the tougher it got for him.

Before, when they talked about stuff like this, he could just laugh it off easily; but now? It felt awkward trying to say "I was just messing with you" like he usually did.

He'd known her for three years and always tried not to think too much about what kind of feelings were between them—he didn't want to dig too deep.

And Maya had always kept her real feelings hidden behind thick walls; they never really explored their emotions together.

But now? This was the first time he had seen Maya looking so pure and fresh. Looking into her bright eyes across from him felt intense—it was like there were no secrets left between them—not even those buried deep in his heart.

"Your face is super red," Maya said flatly without any emotion, cutting through little Eric's thoughts.

His heart skipped a beat at that comment. He quickly snapped out of his daze and cleared his throat: "Oh yeah? That's just how I am."

Maya nodded. "Always? That must be tough."

She could almost feel the air around him shift with his body temperature spiking one moment, plummeting the next.

To live like that constantly? His organs must be screaming from the strain.

"......" Little Eric threw up his hands, a grin spreading. "Been a few days. Your tongue's gotten sharper!"

Maya frowned. "My tongue?"

"Never mind that," Little Eric said, momentarily thrown by her genuinely confused look.

He shrugged it off with a smile. "Point is, Maya, you want that energy crystal, right? Which means you'll be in on this bet? Minerals like that don't just fall out of the sky."

Bet?

Memories flooded back-countless gambling scenes from her former life, most tangled up with Little Eric. And most end in losses.

Two kids like them didn't stand a chance against the seasoned sharks circling those tables.

But Eric was hooked. Life was a game to him, and gambling? Essential. Nothing beats the rush of unknown danger mixed with the promise of a massive payoff. That thrill was Eric's oxygen.

"What are the rules?" she asked.

"Rules?" Little Eric scratched his chin. "Sort of exist."

If it was the price of admission in this strange place, Maya figured she'd pay it. Blending in was better than sticking out like a sore thumb.

"Alright," she said, her voice firm. "I'm in."

Little Eric straightened his jacket and tie. Her serious expression struck him as oddly cute, and he let out a booming laugh. "Now that's the spirit of a City 9 resident! Those City 5 jerks have pushed their luck this time. Since they specifically asked for you... show 'em what you've got. The crystal's the prize, sure, but what about the betting? Still under wraps. No sweat though. I'll send a flyer to you tomorrow. We'll get the lowdown when we get there."

After rattling off his instructions, Little Eric finally nudged his groggy followers on the ground with his boot. "Up. We come back."

He never circled back to that thing about them. He'd started it, then just... lost interest halfway. Even when Maya instinctively reached out as he turned, he bolted faster than he'd arrived.

Gone again. And after all that talk about giving himself to me. Humans and their promises. But given her own shaky state, she didn't try to stop him.

Maya watched Little Eric disappear into the gloom, oblivious to the other figure closing in.

She only realized someone was there when a cold, stern face materialized right before hers, starkly lit by the sweeping beam of a patrol flyer overhead.

Max had just stepped out of a shower, smelled faintly of soap. Standing with his back to the harsh light, his expression was hidden in shadow. Only his eyes were clear-dark, intense, boring into hers, as if he could see straight through to her soul. Something unfamiliar flickered in their depths.

"What?" his voice was dangerously low, the sheer weight of his presence instantly smothering, "Do you know what you're doing?"

In the obsidian depths of his eyes, an uncontrolled fire sparked - dangerous, deep, and utterly terrifying.

She'd slipped out after he rejected her... and now here she was, practically in another man's arms?

The dripping water ran down Max's wet hair and dripped into their mouths. The bright light above had faded, leaving everything in darkness.

He couldn't look her in the eye and turned his head away, looking serious, which made his face seem sharp and stern.

After all, he wasn't going to overstep any boundaries because he didn't want to hurt this precious sister of his deeply.

The atmosphere felt really strange, and in that empty, abandoned base station, it was just the two of them breathing softly, calm yet heavy with tension.

"Your body is fine. Don't run around in such thin clothes." Max didn't push further but took off his coat and wrapped it around her tightly to share some warmth while blocking her view with it.

He didn't want her to see how upset he looked; a simmering anger burned inside him that he couldn't help but show.

"Go back."

As he touched her head and sensed her silent "okay," his tone softened without him even realizing it.

Just then, Maya suddenly felt warm fluid flowing out from below uncontrollably, soaking through her pants. She reached down; the sensation was warm and damp. When she raised her hand, she saw a faint bloodstain on her fingers.

"What's happening?" Max frowned at what she was doing and quickly glanced around—thankfully no one else was there.

Maya lifted her hand again. "I'm bleeding."

Max froze for a moment as realization hit him hard. He cursed himself under his breath before picking Maya up sideways and rushing into the house where Grandpa Jock was. "I need water!"

"What's wrong?"

Grandpa Jock almost asked why Max needed another bath after just getting clean—but clearly something wasn't right by looking at Max's expression.

Max's ears turned slightly red as he kept a straight face, saying coldly, "It's for drinking."

Grandpa Jock had been a doctor for decades; when he spotted the faint bloodstain on Maya's pants, everything clicked into place immediately.

Maya is feeling weak and hasn't had her period yet. Max has found a bunch of medicine to help, but nothing seems to work—those old guys know what's up.

It's just the first period, so why act like she's pregnant or about to give birth? Grandpa Jock coughed twice and tapped Max on the head: "What happened to your usual smarts? Let her get up and walk around by herself! If the master knew his apprentice couldn't even remember basic stuff, he'd be embarrassed!"

Grandpa Jock's words hit Max like a splash of cold water, finally calming him down a bit. Yeah, this wasn't some serious illness; it was actually a sign that Maya's body was getting back on track. Real concern can sometimes get mixed up.

But it also meant she was starting to become a real woman.

Thinking about it that way made things feel even more complicated for Max.

He tucked Maya into bed and watched her drink a big cup of hot water before heading off to the kitchen. "I'll take off all my clothes once I bring back food," he joked as he left.

After being caught off guard by Max's sudden move, Maya was now lying there lazily. It wasn't that she wanted to be lazy; her body felt uncomfortable and needed some rest. She hadn't really slept since waking up because people need sleep, especially someone like Maya who wasn't feeling great.

Feeling exhausted, she stared blankly at one spot, yawned with an "ah-hoo," and slowly let her eyelids droop until the bright blue light in her eyes faded away.

By the time Max returned with food, she looked as peaceful as if she were asleep. She didn't hear him when he said he'd take off her clothes; she just lay there fully dressed.

Max sighed softly, set the food aside gently, and then carefully took off Maya's clothes without any rush or worry clouding his mind anymore.

No matter what else might have been going on or how tangled everything felt inside him, he wouldn't leave again—just watching over her made him feel content.

Maya switched off her senses this time and slipped into a sleepy state until someone tapped her on the forehead, waking her up instantly.

When she saw that it was Little Eric standing by her bed, she relaxed a bit.

Little Eric didn't look much better than yesterday. He seemed to have gone through quite a lot just to get into Maya's room. His usually neat hair was now all over the place like a bird's nest, and there were some scratches on his face. But as soon as he noticed Maya had opened her eyes, he quickly lowered his voice: "SHH, don't say anything."

Maya nodded. The sample came back fine—great news!

She grabbed Little Eric's wrist tightly enough that he almost yelped in pain. He struggled hard to break free from Maya's grip, feeling like maybe it was just him, but in the dim light, expressionless Maya gave off an unsettling vibe.

Feeling her stare bore into him made Little Eric shiver; he whispered nervously, "What are you doing?"

Maya glanced at her hand—if she couldn't even handle this seemingly weak guy, how could she deal with Max?

"Forget it," little Eric thought about sneaking in without letting her speak, and quickly changed the subject: "I mean seriously, is your old man planning to lock you away forever or something? This place feels more secure than getting into the mayor's office! Do you really think I'd want to hurt you? If something happened to you, I'd lose out on so much fun! Come on now—get up; the airship is waiting."

As she watched little Eric leave, Maya figured it might be best to wait until she felt stronger before making any moves.

Little Eric kept his voice down and thought no one would notice him sneaking into a small clinic with help from his guys—but unexpectedly, both Max and a serious-looking middle-aged man were eyeing everything going on in the room at once.

The surveillance footage of Maya's room was clearly displayed in a 3D projection floating in the air. Max didn't say anything; he just sat up straight, keeping an eye on little Eric's every move. But it was this unusually quiet vibe that made the well-dressed middle-aged guy next to him feel really uneasy.