Chapter 41 Differentiation 1

Chapter 41: Differentiation 1

Waking from a deep slumber, Samuel’s head felt heavy and foggy, throbbing with intermittent, needle-like pains that spread from the back of his skull to both sides, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

Suppressing a wave of nausea, Samuel tried to raise a hand to massage his temples—only to find his movement restricted. A loud, clanging metallic sound echoed from his wrist to the bedside, piercing the otherwise deathly silence.

It took him a few seconds to realize what was happening. He tried moving his other hand and his feet, only to find them similarly shackled with iron rings. Not just his limbs—his eyes were also covered with a blindfold.

Unable to move or see, Samuel lay still, straining to dredge something from his memory. Yet, bizarrely, no matter how hard he racked his brain, his mind remained a blank slate.

He couldn’t even recall his own name or identity. It felt as if someone had taken an eraser and wiped his memories clean.

How could this be?

A wave of inexplicable panic surged within Samuel. He struggled against the restraints on his wrists and ankles, trying to break free—but succeeded only in creating more noise. The chains remained firmly in place.

Samuel stopped his futile efforts. Until he understood his captor’s purpose, conserving his energy was the wisest course of action.

Taking a deep breath, Samuel gradually calmed himself. He strained his ears, attempting to pick up any sounds from his surroundings. Suddenly, footsteps approached from not far away—the sound faint at first, then growing louder, finally stopping abruptly close to him.

Then, with a soft *creak*, the door was slowly pushed open. A cold draft swept in, carrying with it a peculiar fragrance. Assailed by the scent, Samuel felt uncomfortable and instinctively frowned, turning his head to the side.

Fortunately, the figure at the door didn’t advance further—giving Samuel a moment to recover.

After about ten seconds, the insect finally stepped into the room.

As the door closed, a gaze fell upon him—intense, almost predatory. It landed first on the shackles around his ankles, then slowly traveled upward—past his legs, his waist, his abdomen—finally settling on his chest.

That tangible gaze roamed over his chest, and Samuel couldn’t help but want to shrink away—yet he was pinned in place. With limited range of movement and nowhere to hide, he could only try to hypnotize himself into ignoring the scorching heat in that stare.

Sensing the insect on the bed instinctively trying to evade, the gaze sharpened with a hint of anger. An invisible pressure descended, causing Samuel’s body to tense involuntarily. He “looked” toward the source of the gaze, nervously pressing his lips together.

“What are you afraid of?”

Samuel’s instinctive fear seemed to dissipate the newcomer’s anger. He let out a sigh, took a few quick steps forward, and sat down on the edge of the bed. Reaching out, he neatly arranged the nearly open sleeping robe, then casually wrapped an arm around Samuel’s waist, pulling the struggling insect toward himself.

Amidst a series of clanking sounds, Samuel was forcibly pressed against the newcomer’s side. With deep infatuation, the insect caressed Samuel’s cheek, his thumb idly stroking Samuel’s lips.

The other’s utterly disrespectful intimacy made Samuel extremely uncomfortable. He tried to turn his head away—but the female insect deliberately tightened her grip on Samuel’s ear. Filled with rage, Samuel seized the opportunity and turned his head sharply, biting down hard on the fingers near his lips.

“Still so fond of biting, hmm?” The newcomer chuckled indulgently, allowing Samuel to continue. Only after his finger was bitten until it bled—staining those red lips an even brighter hue—did he leisurely grasp Samuel’s chin and withdraw his finger.

A strong metallic taste of blood spread in his mouth. The fragrance that had lingered since the door opened now grew even more potent—and Samuel’s body began to react oddly.

Realizing the blood was problematic, Samuel tried to turn his head to spit out the remnants—but was stopped by the insect beside him. That insect even bit a deeper wound into her own hand, then pinched Samuel’s chin, pouring the welling blood entirely into his mouth.

“Mmph… no…”

Samuel struggled, twisting his head to avoid it—but the back of his neck was held firmly in place. As the warm blood continuously flowed down his throat, an unbearable itch gradually rose from deep within his body. Samuel furrowed his brows, his fingers unconsciously clenching the bedsheet beneath him.

Moonlight filtered through the thin curtains, casting a cold, white glow onto the bed. It illuminated the insect’s faintly flushed cheeks and the damp blindfold—making him appear fragile and captivating.

Feeling that the amount of blood poured was sufficient for her purpose, the newcomer stopped. By the moonlight, she gazed at the panting, softly moaning insect—her violet eyes accumulating a heavy layer of desire.

After admiring the sight for a while and suppressing the impulses in her own body, the newcomer finally wiped the blood from the corners of Avis’s mouth and neck. She leaned down, close to the male insect’s ear, and whispered, “Avis, how does brother’s blood taste?”

Avis?

Brother?

In an instant, countless images flooded his mind like a tidal wave. It was as if a key had been inserted into a lock. All the memories he had desperately tried to recall now effortlessly appeared in his mind.

He remembered. His name was Avis—born into the Sheffield family on the Imperial Capital Star. He had an adopted older brother, a female insect named Eric.

“Brother?” Avis asked, somewhat uncertain.

Eric hummed in satisfaction, leaving a kiss on Avis’s cheek. “Good boy.”

Avis was startled by Eric’s sudden kiss—his eyes widening. Ever since he was fifteen, his brother had stopped being close to him, always maintaining a deliberate distance no matter how much Avis protested or pleaded. Nothing he did could make his brother change his mind.

Why was his brother so affectionate today?

Had his brother finally come around?

Feeling the warmth of the kiss on his cheek gradually fade, Avis’s nose tingled slightly. Years of suppressed dependence and grievances quietly crept into his heart.

He nuzzled affectionately against Eric, complaining petulantly, “Brother is being mean. You ignored me before—and now you’ve locked me up and forced me to drink your blood on purpose.”

“It was my fault before. I won’t do that again.” Eric chuckled softly, pulling Avis even tighter against her—her voice dripping with an intoxicating tenderness. “But—is locking Avis up all it takes for brother to be ‘mean’? What if there’s something even meaner? Would Avis like to try?”

“No!” Avis敏锐地捕捉到雌虫声音中隐藏着危险—so he pleaded softly, “Brother, this game isn’t fun. Please take off the wristbands and blindfold. I’m uncomfortable.”

“Then what reward can Avis give brother?” Eric asked.

Reward?

Avis thought for a moment. When they were younger, his brother really liked being kissed by him. Maybe a kiss on the cheek would do?

Thinking this, Avis turned his head and kissed the spot beside him. However, due to the blindfold causing misalignment, the intended cheek kiss accidentally landed on Eric’s lips instead.

Avis felt embarrassed—and quickly whispered an apology.

Eric accepted it with a smile. Since she was quite pleased with the “reward,” she decided to give Avis a chance. “Avis, brother will ask you a question. If your answer satisfies me, I’ll agree to your request. How about that?”

“Okay!” Avis quickly agreed.

“Avis, I heard Father is already planning to select a primary consort for you—is that true?”

Avis nodded obediently.

“So, what do you think of me?”

The sentence whispered in his ear struck Avis like a thunderbolt—leaving him stunned for a long moment. When the meaning finally sank in, he cried out involuntarily, “Brother, have you gone mad?! You’re my brother!”

“But we’re not related by blood,” Eric retorted. “Moreover, Imperial law doesn’t prohibit an older brother from becoming his younger brother’s primary consort. Avis likes me a lot, doesn’t he? If we successfully apply for a match, Avis can be with brother forever. Isn’t that what Avis has always wanted?”

“I *do* like being with brother! But the way I like brother isn’t the same as liking a primary consort!” Avis exclaimed.

By now, Avis had figured out why he was here. And to think he had believed his old brother had returned! Instead, his brother was actually contemplating something so unethical!

Brother really had gone mad!

“Not the same as liking a primary consort?” Upon hearing this, Eric’s voice suddenly turned cold. She reached out to caress Avis’s earlobe—her fingers trailing down the male insect’s chest and abdomen—finally pausing to tap lightly on a certain bulge in the sleeping robe. “Then why does it get so excited whenever I get close?”

Avis felt humiliated. He gritted his teeth and argued, “Brother just forced me to drink your blood—and now you’re asking a question you already know the answer to!”

“Hmm, my mistake.” Eric怜惜地抚摸着艾维斯的侧脸. “It’s just that brother doesn’t like Avis’s answer. So, the blindfold and wristbands cannot be removed.”

"Oh, right!" Eric exclaimed as if suddenly remembering something, unable to suppress his excitement. "Since Avis won't have me as his mate, then let me have him as mine instead? I promise to treat Avis well."

Becoming... his mate?

Realizing the implication behind Eric's words, Avis instantly paled, overwhelmed by shame and anger. "Have you lost your mind? Do you even know what you're saying?"

Eric's words made Avis tremble uncontrollably. He struggled with all his might to break free from the wrist restraints, but aside from leaving faint bloodstains on his wrists, it was all in vain.

The scent of blood mixed with his pheromones quickly spread in the air. Already tormented by mental turmoil for days and coinciding with his heat, Eric was immediately pushed past the point of control.

Panting heavily, he leaned close to Avis's ear and whispered, "Of course I know. Weren't you always the one who loved being close to me, brother? Now your wish is about to come true. Aren't you happy?"

Terrified, Avis shook his head repeatedly, pleading, "I don't want this kind of closeness! Brother, please don't do this! This isn't you! Can't we go back to how things were before?"

"I promise I won't throw tantrums anymore when you ignore me or are away on long missions. I won't be willful anymore. Brother, please stop this, okay?"

Of course not.

Eric ignored the sobbing pleas at his ear. He stood up, took out two syringes—one blue and one pink—from his pocket, and without hesitation, injected the blue one into Avis.

The sharp pain in his arm sent a jolt of panic through Avis. "Brother, no! It hurts!"

"Don't be afraid, it'll be quick," Eric reassured him, kissing Avis's cheek.

As the blue liquid slowly entered his body, Avis soon felt his limbs growing weak. Before long, he lost even the strength to struggle.

Seeing Avis gradually calm down, Eric slowly removed the restraints from his wrists and the blindfold from his eyes.

He covered Avis's eyes with his hand for a while before finally moving it away. Once again, he saw those dark eyes he loved so much. But now, instead of the usual joy and dependence that overflowed when they looked at him, they were filled with shattered trust, fear, and confusion.

Avis stared blankly at the figure above him, whimpering, "Brother... why..."

Why?

He thought bitterly. Because he loved Avis. He didn't want to smile and congratulate him on finding a mate. And also... because he was dying.

He wanted to leave a mark on Avis's heart before he died.

He no longer dared hope for love; hatred was his only choice.

After all, from the moment he realized he loved Avis, self-blame, guilt, longing, and jealousy had already driven him mad.

What did it matter now?

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Author's Note: The differentiation fantasy is a necessary part of the plot. If it makes you uncomfortable, you can vent at me, but please be gentle. [Please][Please]

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

P.S.: Idris's diary will be updated after the fantasy arc ends.