Loveless

Chapter 11

On her way back to the hospital wing, Eloise flicked through the pink book. Loveless carried Genesis's secrets, and if she wanted to understand him—even a little—she knew she would have to look for answers within its pages.

That was why she spent the rest of the night reading. The story left her stunned; it followed three friends on a shared journey, and she didn't need much imagination to recognize who those three truly were.

A few hours later, she woke with sunlight pouring directly onto her face. She groaned, lifting a hand to shield her eyes as she sat up. Her body felt noticeably better, and after the routine medical check, she was cleared to leave.

As she walked back to her room, she instinctively checked her pockets. The Loveless book was still there, safely tucked away. Once inside, she prepared for another day of training. It was early enough to catch the second session, and she felt fully healed, with no intention of giving her teammates another reason to question her abilities.

The day passed without incident. Still, the loss of one teammate and the absence of two others, who remained hospitalized, lingered heavily in her thoughts, leaving a bitter edge beneath the calm.

After training, she went straight back to her room. Her wounds and burns had vanished far too easily, and she couldn't shake the feeling that using her energy had come with consequences she didn't yet understand.

"You shouldn't move too much."

Eloise flinched, turning sharply toward the voice. Only then did she realize she hadn't closed the door behind her.

"Angeal," she said, surprised. "I didn't know you were back."

He nodded as he stepped inside. She tried to straighten the bed, tugging at the covers and pillows, but her body betrayed her. Her legs trembled faintly, though she forced herself not to show it.

Angeal's gaze moved around the room. It barely looked lived in—few personal belongings, untouched shelves, an unused kitchenette. The unmade bed was the only sign that someone actually stayed there.

"Zack was worried," he said calmly. "He almost took a few days off to stay with you."

"But he didn't," she replied quickly. "Thankfully. I'm not a child. I can take care of myself."

Angeal studied her for a moment longer. She looked the same, sounded the same, but something about her felt different, subtly off.

"Have you talked to Genesis?"

Her eyes widened, and she stopped moving altogether.

Out of the corner of his eye, Angeal noticed her slipping something between the pillows. He shook his head, amused, but chose not to comment.

"He's just been moody lately," she added hurriedly. "Maybe he needs a mission. He has too much free time."

Angeal raised an eyebrow. "Genesis had a mission two days ago. He passed it to me."

She tilted her head, blinking in confusion. "So the mission you and Zack went on was meant for him?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Then why would he refuse it?"

Angeal sighed and stood, resting a hand briefly on her shoulder. "You should give him more credit. He worries, too—about you, in his own way. You caught his attention, remember?"

She stared after him as he left, looking momentarily lost, until his words finally sank in.

"I am not his toy!" she protested loudly.

Angeal was already near the elevator, but he couldn't help smiling at her reaction.

Still confused and with no desire to return to Loveless, Eloise decided to do some personal research instead. It didn't take long for her to find the Jenova file, and once she opened it, she read every word with painstaking attention. With each new piece of information, her eyes widened further. Thoughts crowded her mind faster than she could process them, her hands beginning to tremble as disgust settled in. Shinra had allowed these experiments to exist behind closed doors, hidden beneath layers of authority and silence.