Chapter 54

No.17's once flawless skin was now marred with wounds, some still oozing blue blood, while others had already begun to heal. Elara's breath caught in her throat. He opened his deep green eyes and looked at her. His long lashes trembled slightly, but his face held no expression of pain, and no human-like display of emotions. Yet his faint, barely audible voice made it seem as if he might lose consciousness at any moment. "Elle." Just that single whisper squeezed Elara's heart, leaving an aching tightness in her chest. "What happened?" She crouched in front of No.17, reaching out to brush aside the damp, dark green strands clinging to his forehead. His face, strikingly divine in its beauty, was fully revealed. Soft, translucent tentacles coiled around her wrist. He seemed on the verge of passing out, yet he still clung to her hand, struggling to inch his body closer. Even as he teetered on the edge of unconsciousness, his gaze never wavered as they fixed solely on her. It was lik