F-Rank Soul Eater-Chapter 196: Oldest Animavore Is Curious.

Seeing this, Soren tried to stop her.

Those with diabetes had more difficulty with healing.

But Dr. Kaya was faster.

The blade made the cut on her hand, and blood fell.

Tip.

Tap.

Soren’s eyes stared intently at it.

It was clear. Nothing like the darl, nearly blackened blood of the Shade Stealer pr the other Animavores.

Soren instantly understood what she was telling him.

As insane as it sounded, this body—this flesh was her own. Her soul had become one with it.

One could say that she was living—literally living as a human being.

She was both human, soulbound, Animavore, and... something else?

"In my centuries of existence, coming to the human world was probably the best thing that ever happened to me.

A blessing." She smiled. "And a curse."

"A curse?" Soren asked inquisitively.

She pulled her arm back, brought out a handkerchief from thin air and wrapped it around the wound.

"I exist in a world were I have to watch my kind pick between being food for the Eldritch or becoming slaves for the humans.

As one that was accidentally given such a gift, I am plagued by the weight of it.

It’s Loneliness

Wouldn’t you?" She leaned out of her chair, gaze digging into soren, as if searching for a kind of familiarity for her situation.

Surprising to even her, Soren looked away.

It was there. She could tell that it was there.

Shades were very sensitive to negative emotions.

And in all her years, she had never seen a human carry so much of it.

But of course it was. Although their circumstances were different, Soren had his own burden to carry.

He had felt his own suffocating share of loneliness for a very long time.

Loneliness he could never share with another.

—His Loneliness.

Seeing this, she leaned even more. Her lips parted ways but quickly closed.

Her mouth felt dry.

In her entire life, she had never felt so... Seen.

Maybe it was because misery loved company.

Or maybe it was because she finally had someone to truly open up to.

But at this moment, she could not resist him.

She stepped forward. Soren quickly raised the dagger, but her fingers caught the blade, easily stripping it off his grip as she pushed him back into the chair.

She mounted him—like one would a horse.

Surprisingly, he did not struggle—not at first.

But even if, she had him pinned down.

She wanted him.

The urge was... consuming.

Primal.

Fated.

She felt his heat through his clothes, and every nerve seemed to come alive.

Her coat fell first from her shoulders, as did one arm of her blouse.

Her skin,

Fair.

Smooth.

Caught the light and it pulled him.

Instinctively, his hands, now let loose traced the curves of her hips.

The strength behind his grip surprised her.

Causing a flush of color to stain her skin.

This close, her scent drifted into his nose.

It was soft.

More mature. And it made something stair in him, fingers digging into her flesh.

She leaned in. Breath close enough to take directly from his lungs.

Their lips narrowed, and her fingers settled on his chest.

He leaned towards her, and she him.

A memory flashed in his head.

"I don’t choose you."

Vinegar.

He paused. Like a bucket of cold water had poured on him.

He looked away from her.

She paused—catching herself.

’What I’m I doing?’

She quickly rose from him, picking her coat from the floor.

She turned and went back to her seat. Meanwhile Soren adjusted. His breath was heavy, blood still pumping from their shared moment.

A part of him felt regret from not going all the way.

And yet, another felt like he had done the right thing.

If he were to put it in words.

It was this.

It felt like he was cheating on her.

Vinegar.

Even though they were no longer together, he still felt like he owed her this much.

After all, he had chosen her at the cost of the lives of her fathers.

He could not help but wonder how she was doing.

Meanwhile, Dr kaya had resumed her composure. That confident radiance had assumed its shine.

She didn’t talk about what just happened, and neither did Soren.

"The Shade Stealer was prominent in the academy long before I came to the scene." She spoke up.

"Its goal was entirely different from mine. Its goal was to free shades in this world."

"Is that not similarly your goal?" Soren asked.

She shook her head. "If you knew what I was, you would understand."

’Is there any more than being an Animavore?’

Soren wondered to himself.

As if reading his thoughts she answered.

"...its beyond my nature as just an Animavore." She drank from her cup. "You really need to brush on your education about Shades."

He scratched his head, ’tell me about it.’

"So why did you attack me then... in the Dormitory?"

"Curiosity..." she sipped her wine again, but this time, her cheek flushed with that same glow when they had their moment.

It made a kind of shock pass through his body.

Still, soren could tell that she was not lying.

"Then why aid the Shade Stealer?" He asked.

"Curiosity..." she replied again. "I wanted to see if those younglings would achieve anything of true substance.

You know helping the younger generation achieve their dreams is still a duty of the older generation."

"I would have died." Soren replied. ’I did die.’

"Yes, but here you are. Stubbornly resilent."

"You sponsored a bounty on my head."

She shook her head. "No, I think you have something mistaken. I enjoy unraveling the mysteries of my captured curiosity up close... and personal."

She added that last part with a seductive look.

~silence.

"Enough about me... At least we both know my origins." She placed her cup down.

Her gaze settled on him again. "what about you?

Tell me, Soren... No, Waterfell. What exactly are you?"

The question lingered in the silence between them.

Soren opened his mouth to answer, but decisively kept shut.

Then he stood to his feet... "If you ever hurt my friends again. I’ll kill you."

She nodded.

Not because she saw him as a threat, but because she respected how far he was willing to go.

And his history proved it.

However, before he left, she spoke up. "If you wish to not lose to me again, come by later... I might be free enough to train you."

...

(Author’s note: So what do you guys think og Dr. Kaya. Is she a friend, enemy... Frienemy. Or just a crazy Animavore.)