"I'm done."
Amethiel stepped down from the stool with a tired sigh. The wooden legs scraped lightly against the stone floor as he pushed it aside. Without another glance, he tossed the serrated knife to the ground.
The blade clattered loudly when it hit the floor.
"Mas…ter?"
The monster's voice was slow and uneven. It stared at him as if waiting for something.
Amethiel frowned.
He pushed the creature's arms away from his waist with more force than necessary and took a step back. The monster released him without resistance, but its red eyes remained locked on him.
For a moment, Amethiel simply stood there.
His clothes were stained with blood.
Not ordinary blood. The monster's strange, shimmering blood had splattered across his sleeves, his gloves, even the side of his face.
The colors shifted faintly under the laboratory lights, a strange mixture of greens, purples, and dark crimson.
Proof of everything he had done.
And yet the monster was still standing.
Still staring at him.
"I am tired," Amethiel said flatly. "It's most likely night by now. I'm going to bathe and then go to bed."
His voice was colder than usual.
'I spent all that time teaching it,' he thought irritably. 'And it can still only just say Master.'
He turned to leave.
Before he could take another step, something grabbed his hand.
Amethiel stiffened.
"Master… Mas…ter…?"
The monster held his hand carefully, almost cautiously. Its voice came out slow and broken, each syllable forced out with effort.
Its bright red eyes stared directly into Amethiel's face.
For a moment, something about its expression felt… different.
Softer.
Almost sad.
Amethiel's brows furrowed.
"What?" he snapped, pulling his hand away. "What do you want?"
He stepped backward, creating distance between them again.
"If you need something, then say it," he added impatiently. "I know you can speak."
"Mast…er… Ma…ster…"
The monster repeated the word again, its voice quieter now as Amethiel slowly walked farther away.
"You're upset that I'm leaving?" Amethiel asked.
He stopped walking and turned slightly.
The monster had reached toward him again.
But the chains stopped it.
The metal links pulled tight with a sharp sound, preventing the creature from moving any closer.
Its arm hung there for a moment before slowly lowering.
'That's new,' Amethiel thought.
He glanced toward the other cages.
Most of the monsters inside were staring at him with wide, frightened eyes. Some had retreated to the corners of their cages.
Others stayed completely still, clearly hoping not to draw his attention.
'Usually they can't wait for me to leave,' Amethiel thought. 'They hate when I stay too long.'
"What are you specimens looking at?" he said sharply.
Several of the monsters immediately looked away.
"After I figure him out," Amethiel continued casually, nodding toward the humanoid monster behind him, "then I'll figure out how to combine all of you together."
He meant it.
Amethiel never wanted to simply find monsters.
He wanted to create them.
That had always been the true goal.
A creature like this one proved something important.
Maybe humans could also possess monster traits.
Stronger bodies.
Better regeneration.
Sharper instincts.
It was fascinating.
But that kind of research would come later.
For now, Amethiel simply wanted to understand monsters fully. Once he did, they could be used properly. Controlled. Perfected.
Weapons.
"M-Mas… Mas… Master!"
The monster's voice broke through his thoughts.
Amethiel turned his head again.
The creature was pulling on its chains now. Its arms strained against the restraints, metal rattling loudly as it tried to move closer.
"Master!"
As Amethiel walked toward the stone steps that led back up to his room, he paused halfway and glanced over his shoulder.
The monster was still watching him.
But this time, its expression had changed.
The creature's red eyes looked almost frantic now, its body shifting restlessly against the chains that bound it to the wall.
"Master… Master…"
The word came out weak and uneven, almost like a whimper.
Amethiel tilted his head slightly.
"Say Amethiel," he replied calmly. "And I might consider staying."
He reached into a small container beside the staircase and grabbed a handful of purple-colored sand. The fine grains slid between his fingers as he lifted his hand.
Behind him, the monster blinked.
"Mas… ter?" it said again, frowning slightly as if confused by the demand.
Amethiel sighed.
'Just as I thought,' he thought with quiet disappointment.
Without another word, he turned around and tossed the purple sand toward the torches mounted along the walls.
The sand scattered through the flames.
One by one, the torches sputtered.
Then they died.
The laboratory was swallowed by darkness.
"M-Mas… Master… Master!"
The monster's voice rose suddenly, louder this time, strained with agitation.
Its chains rattled violently as it pulled against them.
The sudden darkness disturbed the other monsters as well. Low growls, uneasy hisses, and frightened screeches began echoing through the chamber.
Amethiel didn't look back.
"Good night," he said coldly as he began climbing the steps.
"Master! MAS… TER! MASTER!"
The creature's voice echoed through the dark laboratory, desperate and loud now.
Amethiel reached the top of the staircase.
"You can yell all you want," he muttered calmly.
He stepped into his bedroom and pulled the large portrait closed behind him. The hidden door slid back into place with a soft click.
"But that place is soundproof."
The laboratory fell silent behind the wall.