* * *
It was only after hearing Count Ariat’s words that Edwin remembered what Henry had once tried to do for him.
Henry had revealed his intention to use the treasure to help Edwin control his pheromones and then sever their bond.
However, Edwin, unwilling to let the bond be broken, had disrupted Henry’s plans, leading him to reconsider.
Yet, Henry had mentioned more than once how the treasure could be used.
Now, that treasure was in Edwin’s hands.
Originally handed to Henry, it had somehow ended up in Sir Teher’s possession, and he had brought it along.
Edwin held it tightly, sinking into thought. It had already been three days since Henry had fallen unconscious.
He needed to act without hesitation, yet the moment he held the treasure, his mind went blank.
Would using this truly bring Henry back?
A faint thread of doubt began to gnaw at Edwin’s resolve.
It was something he had never heard of before—so how could Henry be so certain?
A strained groan escaped Henry’s lips as if he could sense Edwin’s hesitation.
The sound acted as a signal, prompting Edwin to rise to his feet.
For the first time, Edwin stepped away from Henry and left the room. Sir Teher, standing guard outside, approached immediately, curiosity evident in his gaze.
“Watch him.”
Edwin gave a curt command instead of an explanation and stepped into the adjacent room.
He couldn’t risk testing the treasure’s power where Henry lay—it was too dangerous.
“Pheromone Stone.”
Muttering the name Henry had mentioned, Edwin held the object and thought about his next move.
This was the final measure he could take.
If it failed, he might truly have to resort to a scalpel against Henry’s body.
That horrifying possibility was enough to make his blood run cold.
He couldn’t even imagine it without his heart sinking.
“Henry, I’m taking back your pheromone stone.”
It felt as if he were stealing something he had already given away, so Edwin formally apologized to Henry in his mind as he closed his eyes.
He didn’t know how to handle the stone at all but instinctively drew out all his pheromones.
The place lacked the serene Woneum tree Henry had deemed suitable, but Edwin, ignorant of anything else, simply followed his instincts, releasing his pheromones into the air.
The first time he possessed the body of Henry Timothy.
At first, it felt utterly absurd, yet he had no choice but to accept it.
What was once a flat, fictional character he had only read about had become his own flesh and blood. As Henry, he moved, breathed, and lived, sustaining himself with meals at regular intervals.
He could feel the passage of time, experience the sting of a paper cut, and sense pain embedding itself into his body. It was impossible to deny that he had become someone entirely different.
So, he chose to live earnestly.
He had no idea how he became Henry Timothy, and the mystery of what lay beyond death was even less fathomable.
Keeping the imprint with Edwin a secret, he embarked on a long journey in search of the treasure.
Along the way, his once-stable Omega body began to change, experiencing heat cycles for the first time.
The foreign experience was like dye diffusing into clear water, permanently altering him.
This world was not his own.
Henry Timothy was a living, breathing human being, and now that he had become Henry, there was no way to return to his previous self.
No one needed to tell him that; he understood it as his distorted soul gradually anchored itself to Henry’s body.
Yet, even after grasping this truth, nothing had changed.
He still felt as though he were adrift on an endless, desolate sea, unable to understand why he was there or how he could safely reach shore.
All he could do was cling to a fragment of wood, buffeted by icy waves.
‘Is this sense of dread also because of the possession?’
The thought crossed his mind briefly, but he quickly dismissed it.
The sensations he felt now were entirely different from when he first became Henry Timothy.
So, what was this?
He pondered vaguely, but no answers came to mind.
The water that once lapped at his chest began to rise, encircling his throat, and climbing higher until it reached his chin.
Fear gripped him as he instinctively opened his mouth, desperate for someone to save him.
‘Edwin.’
Before the water and darkness completely consumed him, he hoped Edwin would rescue him.
His breath caught as he raised an arm above his head, stretching it as high as he could.
Even if he sank completely, perhaps his hand would signal his presence.
‘Help me.’
Was it Henry’s anguished plea that reached him?
Just as the water was about to engulf him entirely, it receded like a sudden ebb tide.
He gasped for air as if a weight had been lifted from his chest.
Then, someone took hold of his outstretched hand.
Henry’s eyelids fluttered slightly before finally opening.
Even with such a faint, sluggish reaction, someone had been watching closely, though Henry didn’t realize it as he blankly stared at the ceiling.
Where was this?
The vaguely familiar yet unfamiliar ceiling only tangled his foggy thoughts further.
“You’re awake.”
At the sound of a voice beside him, Henry’s gaze shifted.
Seeing the face he had longed for in his dream reminded him he was still alive.
“Four, maybe five days?”
Edwin’s offhand remark, as if counting something, made Henry blink, processing his words.
Soon, he realized it had taken him that long to regain consciousness.
“You won’t need to sleep for a month now.”
Edwin’s joking tone brought a faint twitch to Henry’s lips as if he wanted to laugh, but his body refused to cooperate.
It felt as though he were bound, unable to move even though there were no visible restraints.
Was this still a dream?
“You’ll feel a bit heavy right now.”
Edwin spoke with an understanding smile, warm yet tinged with unease, as if trying to soothe Henry’s anxious heart while struggling to steady his own emotions.
That’s when Henry realized why he felt strange.
It wasn’t some physical restraint binding him—it was Edwin’s overwhelming pheromones.
“I tried to lighten the burden, but it took some time.”
Henry’s eyes focused on Edwin’s face.
What was previously a comforting sight now revealed a level of exhaustion he had never seen before.
His lips repeatedly tightened and thinned in silent anguish, while the furrow on his nose looked as if it had been etched in ink, sharp and unyielding.
The heavy yet reassuring pheromones enveloped my entire body, their intensity undeniably stronger than before.
“I thought I’d dialed back my pheromones to some extent…”
Edwin trailed off, his tone uncertain.
“I’m not sure how much of my pheromones have affected you since I woke you up so late.”
Henry, with his gradually clearing mind, tried to decipher Edwin’s words.
His inability to speak properly was entirely due to Edwin’s overwhelming pheromones—something he had assumed Edwin understood.
Yet, Edwin was speaking about his own pheromones now.
Then, the memory of Taylor’s words before Henry had passed out came rushing back: ‘Your brain will melt from the pheromone amplification.’
Edwin must have been anxious about how far his pheromones had invaded while Henry was unconscious for so long.
Henry forced himself to swallow.
Even though there was no saliva, the act momentarily eased the searing dryness in his throat.
At least now, he thought he could speak.
“…Edwin.”
It wasn’t easy to call out his name, but Henry managed.
Edwin immediately noticed and reacted to his faint, scattered voice.
“…Tone it down,” Henry croaked, tormenting his parched throat further.
Edwin seemed to realize Henry’s condition, reaching for a glass of water and bringing it to his lips.
The cool liquid soothed Henry’s mouth and throat, briefly quelling the heat within him.
With a satisfied sigh, Henry lifted his gaze.
“What did you say?”
“Your pheromones… tone them down.”
The oppressive weight of Edwin’s pheromones felt like they were suffocating Henry, binding his entire body like unyielding ropes.
Though Henry didn’t elaborate further, Edwin grasped the situation immediately and sharply reduced his pheromones.
As the pressure subsided, Henry briefly closed his eyes.
In his dreams, he thought Edwin had saved him by holding his hand, but now he began to wonder—was it really Edwin’s pheromones that had engulfed him back then?
“Why are your pheromones so intense?”
It should have been a moment of joy and gratitude for waking up, but Henry’s blunt question slipped out instead.
Edwin scrutinized Henry’s face, his gaze as if trying to gauge whether Henry’s reasoning was intact.
“My head’s fine,” Henry stated plainly, hoping Edwin would answer his question.
But instead of words, Henry was met with an overwhelming embrace, so tight it felt as though his body might break.
A silent gasp escaped him.
“Henry,” Edwin exhaled, his voice tinged with relief, brushing against Henry’s ear.
Startled by the sudden hug, Henry looked around wide-eyed before eventually smiling and returning the embrace.
* * *
❤️❤️
Ahh finally you’re awake baby
That was fast
🥲❤️
So beautiful.
What will happen now…
Sleeping like the dead yeah
Спасибо