Reborn with my killer's looks-Chapter 43: Not a problem
The Medical Legion’s rehab center was quiet except for the sound of the air conditioning.
Huey sat across from Milo DiMarco. Dante stood nearby with his arm around Maya, a thin girl with hollow eyes and trembling hands.
Alessia had arranged the meeting in a private consultation room with white walls, fluorescent lights, and a table between them.
"Thank you all for coming," Alessia said, glancing at her notes. "I wanted to talk about what’s been happening on campus. The drug distribution and the overdoses."
Maya shifted uncomfortably, and Dante squeezed her shoulder.
"Maya’s been clean for three weeks now," Dante said. "But it’s been hard. Really hard."
"Can you describe what it was like?" Alessia asked gently. "When you were using it?"
Maya’s voice was barely a whisper. "It felt like... like I needed it to breathe. Like without it, I’d die."
"And the withdrawal?" Alessia pressed.
"Horrible." Maya’s hands shook harder. "Headaches, nausea, I couldn’t eat sleep or anything."
Dante’s jaw tightened. "I went through the exact same thing."
Milo watched them with wide, sympathetic eyes. "Oh my god, that’s terrible. I had no idea it was this bad. I’m so sorry you’re both going through this."
Alessia leaned forward. "That’s actually why we wanted to talk to you, Milo. There’s been a lot of talk on campus about who’s behind the distribution...."
"I know." Milo’s expression turned pained.
"We’re trying to help people like Maya and Dante." Alessia continued. "But there are rumors going around that are making it harder to find the real culprit."
Milo blinked, confused. "Rumors?"
"About Huey." Alessia gestured toward him. "Someone’s been spreading posts, videos, accusations linking him to the drug ring."
Milo’s face showed genuine surprise. "Wait, people think Huey Cross is involved? I mean..." She glanced at him. "I know he was connected to the whole Riva thing, but I didn’t think...."
"You didn’t post anything online about him?" Alessia asked directly.
"Me? No!" Milo shook her head. "Why would I? I don’t even use social media much anymore...." She trailed off, looking down at her hands.
Alessia’s eyes narrowed. "So you’re saying you have nothing to do with the videos? The anonymous accounts? The posters all over campus?"
"What posters?" Milo looked genuinely bewildered. "I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve been dealing with my sister’s death and... this." She gestured to the surroundings.
"That’" Alessia said.
Milo’s expression hardened. "You think I have to worry about some random Achusoi while I should be busy mourning my sister and getting back on my feet?"
"That’s not what I—"
"No, I get it." Milo’s voice turned bitter. "You think because I blame Huey for what happened to Marco, I’d try to ruin his life. Maybe I would have. Maybe I wanted to. But like I said I don’t have the time for that."
She looked directly at Huey. "If you’re really innocent, why are you here? Why orchestrate this whole meeting trying to get me to confess to something I didn’t do?"
Huey’s expression stayed neutral.
"You think I don’t see what this is?" Milo continued. "You’re trying to catch me saying something. Trying to record me admitting to something." She turned to Alessia. "Are you wearing a wire right now?"
Alessia’s face went pale. "What? No, I’m not..."
"Let me check."
"Milo, I’m not wearing...."
Milo rolled forward and reached for Alessia’s collar before she could protest.
Alessia jerked back, but Milo grabbed the edge of her mozzetta and pulled.
A small recording device fell out, clipped to the inside of the fabric.
It clattered onto the table.
Everyone stared at it.
Alessia’s hands went to her mouth. "I... I didn’t put that there. I swear I didn’t know....."
She turned to Huey, eyes wide with shock and betrayal. "Did you?"
Huey looked away.
"See?" Milo’s voice shook with anger and hurt. "This is what he does. This manipulative.... pig just goes around hurting people for his own benefit and I know that all too well!"
"I didn’t come here for this," Dante interrupted sharply. "I came because Alessia said she wanted to help Maya. Not to watch you people play detective and try to frame each other."
He helped Maya stand. "We’re leaving."
"Dante, wait." Alessia started.
"No. I’m done with this." He guided Maya toward the door. "Maya needs rest, not whatever this is."
"I’ll come check on her at eight tonight," Alessia called after them. "Is that okay?"
Maya nodded weakly as they left.
The door closed.
Silence.
Milo stared at Huey with cold satisfaction. "You wanted to make me look guilty. But all you did was prove I was right about you."
She walked toward the door. "Stay away from me, Huey Cross."
The door slammed behind her.
Alessia stood there, holding the wire in her shaking hands. "Huey... what just happened?"
"Well I guess that’s it, We’re done here." Huey stood and walked toward the exit.
"Huey, wait!"
Outside, students milled around campus. Some glanced at Huey and whispered.
Word had already spread about the confrontation. People were saying Huey tried to frame Milo. That he planted a wire. That he was getting desperate.
Combined with the existing rumors about Riva and the drugs, his reputation was in ruins.
Alessia caught up to him near the fountain. "Huey, talk to me. Did you plant that wire?" 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
"Yeah."
"Why."
"Like she said, I wanted her to put herself." His voice was calm. Too calm. "But it doesn’t matter. Seems people would still believe what they want regardless."
"How are you so calm about this?" Alessia’s frustration boiled over. "Your name is being destroyed and people think you’re a criminal. Doesn’t that bother you?"
Huey stopped walking. He looked at her with those tired blue eyes.
"I’m used to being painted as the bad guy, so it’s not a problem." he said quietly.
Alessia opened her mouth and closed it.
Huey turned and walked away with his hands in his pockets.
She stood there watching him disappear into the crowd, still holding the wire in her hand.
Later That Night at an unknown Laboratory,
The room was dark except for harsh white light over an operating table.
A Virelia student; gagged, bound and his eyes wide with terror was lay strapped down.
His uniform was torn and his Crest mark glowing faintly on his wrist.
A man in a lab coat adjusted his glasses, checking monitors. Behind him stood a figure cloaked in shadow.
"We’ve perfected the sequence," the scientist said. "Let me demonstrate."
He held up a vial of red liquid.
"The red serum depletes life energy, which in turn depletes pneuma." He injected it into the student’s arm.
The student convulsed violently. His Crest mark began to dim.
The monitor showed his pneuma levels dropping rapidly.
100 units.
50 units.
10 units.
0.
The student went limp. His breathing stopped and the Crest mark on his wrist faded completely.
"As you can see, with a sufficient dose, the subject loses their Crest entirely and dies," the scientist said clinically.
He picked up a blue vial.
"The blue serum brings the body back to life, albeit mindless enough for us to control and it was necessary to get rid of the crest first cause the success rate is usually higher when there is no crest present ." He injected it.
The student gasped. His chest heaved as his heart restarted. The pneuma monitor began climbing.
10 units.
50 units.
100 units.
The Crest mark on his wrist slowly came back.
"Revival complete," the scientist said. "But as you know, restored Crests are often weak."
He held up a purple vial.
"Which is where the purple serum comes in. It amplifies the Crest’s power beyond its original level."
He injected it.
The student screamed through the gag as purple energy surged through his veins. His Crest mark blazed brighter than before.
The pneuma monitor spiked.
150 units.
200 units.
250 units.
The scientist smiled. "Enhancement complete."
He turned to the shadowy figure. "As it stands, we’ll need more test subjects to perfect the dosages. Virelia has an endless supply of unsupecting students." He paused. "If you can keep bringing them to us."
The shadowy figure stepped closer to the light.
Just enough to reveal a smile.
"That won’t be a problem."
