Just as they were about to exit the hospital, a figure came rushing towards them, a young woman in a doctor's coat. John recognized her instantly – the receptionist from the floor where Luna's lab was located.
"Dr. James," she gasped, out of breath, "actually, the CCTV footage after Dr. Luna's arrival that you asked for is not available. I mean, all the CCTV footage after that… I mean… it's a little corrupted, nothing can be seen in it. And moreover, after Dr. Luna's arrival and Dr. Thomas's arrival that day, there was also a network issue, due to which I couldn't call anyone, so I myself had to go out of the entire hospital to call Dr. Luna."
Dr. James's face darkened with barely suppressed fury. "This divine stone is very clever," he muttered, his voice low and dangerous. "It's so hard to catch it." He shot a sharp glance at Luna. "Sorry, Dr. Luna, maybe I have to go." Without waiting for a response, Dr. James turned and strode quickly away, leaving a palpable tension in his wake.
On the other hand, John, who had never even heard the term "divine stone," felt a sudden chill run down his spine at the mention of it. Yet, a strange sense of relief washed over him. The CCTV footage, the potential evidence of… something… was gone.
After the unsettling interruption, John, Luna, and Principal Anthony proceeded to separate rooms to prepare for their return to the school. John, feeling a need to understand the strange occurrences that seemed to be swirling around him, took his sister's laptop and retreated to a quiet space. He began to research, his fingers flying across the keyboard.
His research yielded startling information. Even with a generated neuro-core, communication with monsters or animals was considered impossible, an ability that had never manifested in anyone. As John delved deeper, he learned that the generation of a neuro-core was often accompanied by the birth of a "beast" within it.
But there is no beast inside my neuro-core, John thought, a knot of confusion tightening in his stomach. He closed his eyes, focusing inward, trying to sense the core of his newfound ability. Instead of a beast, he saw a swirling vortex of light, the same ethereal glow he had witnessed in the forest, the light with which the thick insect seemed to interact.
He returned to his online search, frantically scanning articles and forums. Every account confirmed the same thing: a beast manifested within the neuro-core within an hour of its generation. But there is no beast in my neuro-core, he repeated to himself, a growing unease settling in his chest.
He focused his inner gaze once more, probing the depths of his neuro-core. Then, something peculiar caught his attention. Do neuro-cores glow? he typed into the search engine. The answer was immediate and definitive: No.
So this light… could this be my beast? he wondered, a strange possibility forming in his mind. And that thick insect… it always keeps playing with it.
He extended his hand, and as if summoned by his thought, the thick insect materialized on his palm. "Okay, listen," he began, his voice barely a whisper, "who do you keep playing with? I mean, with that light?"