I Accidentally Raised a Dark Experimental...Thing. When I woke up, he whispered in my ear: "You've kept me locked up for so long... now it's your turn..."

As a top-tier biologist at the Institute of Biology, after a failed experiment, I ended up retaliated against and kidnapped by the snake-man I'd raised with my own hands...

When I woke up, everything around me was pitch black.

Something cold and heavy was wrapped tightly around my body.

I struggled, moving my arms, trying to break free - but whatever the thing tightened even more.

Before I could figure out what it was, a low, lazy voice suddenly sounded in my ear.

"I thought, given your stamina, you'd stay unconscious for at least another two or three days. Didn't expect you to wake up this soon."

The lights flicked on. 

A familiar, devastatingly handsome face appeared.

Silas's bare upper body was sharply defined, pale skin stretched over lean muscle.

Down his waist, a massive crimson snake tail gleamed under the laboratory lights.

And his snake tail was coiled tightly around me, from my neck down, loop after loop.

Though I was a bit confused about the current situation, one thing was certain.

I had been kidnapped by Silas.

"Silas," I said coldly, glancing at the tail binding me, "I suggest you let me go. Right now."

But his gaze got heavier, and then he grabbed my chin, "Still talking like that… you still think you're in the lab, do you?"

His grip was strong enough to hurt. I sucked in a sharp breath, "Hiss... you... let go."

But Silas didn't budge. His pale, beautiful face moved closer.

His tone was gentle, but dripping with sarcasm.

"Ah… so you can feel pain."

"I thought your heart was made of steel."

"And your body too."

My whole body was tightly bound by his snake tail.

Cold scales pressed against my skin, sending chills through my entire body.

Being kidnapped by the experiment I had raised since birth…

My emotions were a mess.

I sighed, "Silas… what will it take to let me go?"

Silas stared at me expressionlessly, "Let you go? You must be dreaming."

Then suddenly, he smiled.

"Oh… actually, I might."

"I'll let you go—if you agree to one condition."

"What condition?"

He leaned down and brushed a kiss against the corner of my lips.

His cool breath slid down my neck, sending an unsettling warmth through the air between us.

"Give me a child. Once you give birth, I'll let you go immediately."

"…What?"

Every drop of blood in my body seemed to freeze.

I had lived with Silas for three years.

I knew him well enough to understand one thing—

He never joked.

If he said something, he meant it.

But this was absurd.

"You've lost your mind!" I snapped.

"Have I?" He smiled.

"I'm only helping you complete your research." he smiled.

"After all, you spent three years raising me as an experiment, wasn't it all just to get me, a snake-man, to continue the hybrid genes?"

"..." I tried to step back, but his tail tightened, "...What are you talking about..."

"Let's say, if those female snakes can do it, why can't you?"

His smile was utterly malicious, with no warmth in his eyes, "Actually, compared to those strange female snakes, I'm much more interested in you."

"How about sacrificing yourself for science, hmm?"

I: "I'm human, you're an animal. Our biology isn't even compatible!"

"Who said our biology isn't compatible?"

Silas's face darkened, but he coiled his tail tighter and tighter, his cold body pressing close, "After all, you're not the only one here who can do experiments."

"..." I was stunned.

Silas smirked, arms crossed, "Being your test subject for so long, did you really think I learned nothing like those other fools?"

"..." memories from the past flashed through my mind, a sudden chill ran down my spine, a creeping sense of dread.

..

Silas seemed satisfied with my reaction. He finally released his tail and tossed me onto the bed.

"One more thing," he said casually.

"You should stop calling me an animal."

"After all, animals have feelings too."

"Sometimes, animals have a lot more feelings than some humans... "

He glanced at me coldly.

"For example—you."

Then he slammed the door and left the room.

...

The year was 2070.

A mysterious virus known as AU had swept across the planet.

But incredibly, this virus only harmed... well, it was harmless to humans.

But it was devastatingly lethal to every other species.

Within just three years, biodiversity plummeted, and many endangered species went extinct.

To reverse this trend, the Institute of Biology attempted to inject human genes into animals.

The goal was to achieve a natural fusion of human and animal genes, allowing these genetically modified animals to pass both down.

Although humans and other animals are inherently separate, and this plan to reverse biology was incredibly difficult to achieve.

Given that scientists had spent ten years failing to develop a virus inhibitor, and wild animals were still dying in droves, this was currently the only viable option.

As a biologist, I primarily studied egg-laying animals, so I was in charge of that section.

Within two years, I had cultivated thousands of bird eggs, turtle eggs, snake eggs.

..

All failed, without exception.

After tens of thousands more failed attempts, I finally managed to hatch a new life from a blood python egg.

A little male snake emerged, tiny, with a baby's head and upper body, and a long, beautiful, speckled red tail.

Unlike my hope for a pure python, due to genetic mutation, this was a half-human, half-snake anomaly.

Honestly, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed.

I needed a pure snake willing to breed with female snakes, not a monster with potential human thoughts.

But as long as his functions were intact, as long as we watched him carefully, as long as he could reproduce.

Whether he was pure snake or not didn't matter for now.

In my tense and excited anticipation, the little snake-man survived the five-week period that was the doom of all genetically modified animals.

Surviving five weeks meant he might be my first and only successful subject.

To commemorate this great victory, I named him Silas.

I hoped he could help me realize part of the egg-laying animal recovery plan.

"My name is Aria Vance. I'm your caretaker and researcher."

I patted baby Silas's head, my fingers sliding across his smooth little snake tail, my heart filled with relief and joy.

The newly-hatched Silas couldn't understand me, just blinked his innocent dark red eyes, his little red lips pouting, looking incredibly cute and tender.

"...sis...ter." His pronunciation was clumsy.

I couldn't help but ruffle his soft black hair.

He was warm, fragrant, and small.

Chubby, soft, and impossibly cute.

Even if he was just an experiment—

My long-calm heart melted instantly.

Suddenly, my finger was caught by a pair of cool little hands. Silas grabbed my arm, climbing up it, his delicate little face rubbing against my hand with dependency.

"...you.

.." His eyes lifted to mine.

Innocent.

Bright.

Before I could react—

A cool touch landed on my cheek.

!

Silas kissed me.

Then he threw himself into my arms, waving his hands for a hug.

I opened my arms and pulled him close. He rubbed his soft black hair against my chin, rolling happily in my arms.

Then—

He kissed me again.

This little snake was unbelievably clingy.

And somehow…

Ridiculously adorable.

Silas was my prized possession.

I handled all his daily needs myself.

From the moment he emerged from his white egg to when he could open his eyes and babble, I was there.

When Silas was seven months old, I'd just finished feeding him with a bottle and was about to leave.

He lunged, grabbing my wrist and wouldn't let go. His big dark red eyes sparkled, his lips pursed in a reluctant, aggrieved expression.

I tried to pull my hand back, but he only held tighter.

For a seven-month-old infant, his grip was incredibly strong, even matching an adult man's strength.

I was shocked. Such strength so young. How strong would he be when he got older?

Then I thought I was worrying too much.

No matter how strong he got, the lab was a fortress, with high-tech security. Even with three heads and six arms, he couldn't escape.

I kept trying to pull free but couldn't, so I softened my voice, trying to soothe him, "Be good boy, Silas, let go.

I really don't have time today."

Silas just pouted, neither speaking nor letting go.

I ruffled his hair again, "Doing the experiment can give you a few little siblings. When they're born, you'll have lots of friends to play with."

Silas looked at me with pleading eyes, still unmoved.

I frowned, pretending to be angry, "Silas, I'm going to get angry."

Hearing this, Silas cautiously glanced at my expression.

His thick lashes trembled, his phoenix eyes dropped, and he bit his lip, lowering his head.

Thinking I'd scared him with my harsh tone, I was about to soothe him further.

But then he gave me another resentful look, pouted, and snorted coldly.

Then he turned his back to me, sulking and ignoring me.

Huh? A seven-month-old already knows how to throw a tantrum?

Half amused, half annoyed, I shrugged, took the bottle, and left, closing the door.

After all, I had many experiments to do. I didn't have time to constantly soothe an angry child.

Besides, he was just a test subject. No need to waste more energy on such emotional issues.

After Silas, I successfully cultivated a macaw.

Just as I'd hoped, this time it was a pure macaw, no mutation like Silas.

One afternoon, I was completely absorbed in the joy and excitement of the macaw's birth, lovingly checking its physical data over and over.

I didn't even notice my phone vibrating several times on the desk.

By the time I finished the macaw's data check, it was already 10 PM. I'd completely missed my 8 PM time to prepare Silas's formula.

When I guiltily rushed to Silas's room with the bottle, I saw the little snake-man lying motionless on the bed, his long lashes drooping listlessly, as if starving.

Hearing the door, he lazily glanced at me, then immediately turned his head away as if sulking.

I picked him up, supporting his head to offer the bottle. But this little guy was incredibly stubborn, keeping his mouth shut tight.

Helpless, knowing he probably didn't understand, I still said, "What will it take for you to forgive me?"

But the Silas in my arms suddenly spoke: "I won't... forgive you..."

The bottle clattered to the floor. I was genuinely startled.

He was only seven months old, yet he understood me and could form sentences?!

Even normal human babies at seven or eight months only babble "mama" and "dada" unconsciously.

Feeling a strange unease, I picked up the bottle, wiped it, and asked carefully, "What did you just say..."

His expression was sour, arms crossed, looking at me coldly, "I said I won't forgive you..."

I stared at him intently.

Then asked softly, "When did you start understanding me and learning to speak?"

Silas seemed to sense something was wrong.

He hesitated, looked up at me, and fell silent.

Seeing his sensitive reaction, my unease grew.

My tone became even gentler as I ruffled his hair, "Silas baby, tell me, when did you learn to talk?"

Silas glanced at me again, his lips moving. Then his little arms suddenly hugged my waist, his voice muffled, like a child who'd done something wrong.

"I heard you talking... and the sounds from your phone.

.. I guessed that's how it's said, so I tried..."

Hearing this, I fell silent.

Right. The greenhouse where he was kept was very close to my lab. It was easy for fragments of my conversations with colleagues to reach his ears.

And after experiments, I did like to play on my phone, sometimes browsing social media or watching short videos, sometimes watching TV dramas.

Sometimes, seeing Silas bored alone, I'd take him out of the greenhouse to watch with me.

Silas was always good, never fussing, unlike any few-month-old child. He'd just stare with his big beautiful eyes, watching intently with me.

I initially thought he was just interested. I never imagined he was actually learning from the videos.

But even so.

In seven months, a baby just seven months old had roughly learned a language just from listening and watching.

I became seriously worried about just how high his IQ might be.

Soon after, I contacted a psychologist friend, Dr. Julian Fox, hoping he could test Silas's IQ.

But the moment Silas saw Julian, his usual gentle, soft demeanor vanished.

His eyes flashed with menace, and he stared at him with wary hostility, hissing snake-like warnings.

I'd almost forgotten --

The genetic ratio within him heavily favored snake genes over human.

So seeing his beast-like ferocity felt strangely unfamiliar.

Suppressing my growing unease, I walked over, stroked his head, and tried to soothe him softly.

"Behave, Silas. Answer a few questions. Then we can make a plan for your next stage of development."

That's a lie.

I just wanted to see how great a threat Silas might pose to human society.

His physical abilities far exceeded a normal human's. If his intelligence was also...

While the experiment was vital for preserving species, it absolutely couldn't create a risk to human survival!

Silas looked at me pitifully again, then coldly glanced at Julian, who stood by observing with a playful smile.

Silas's dark red eyes full of hostility towards Julian.

He bit his lip, looked at me, and finally nodded obediently.

Dr. Fox raised an eyebrow, eyes gleaming as he stroked his chin, "So this is your genius mutant baby. Look at those features, that face. He'll be an absolute stunner when he grows up.

"

He glanced at Silas's tail wrapped around my arm, "Shame he's a snake-man. Otherwise, I might ask to borrow him for some fun later."

I glared at him coldly in warning, "Dr. Fox, if your mouth weren't so foul, we'd be great friends."

"Just a joke, and you get all serious. You female biologists are so dull", Dr. Fox shrugged.

"Joking about a child? I'm better than this."

"Whatever. Being this dull, no wonder you're 25 and still single.

Wait and see, you'll probably stay single for life."

I: "..."

Then he grinned, "If no man ever wants you, I might just reluctantly be with you. How about that?"

... I just wanted to roll my eyes.

If I didn't need his help, I'd have slapped him like I used to.

Just before the test started, my pinky finger was hooked.

I looked down. Silas's delicate face was etched with unhappiness, his big dark red eyes gazing at me pleadingly.

"When this finish, can I see you right away?"

Since that day, Silas's speech had become increasingly fluent.

I smiled, "Of course."

"Always be waiting for Silas."

Hearing this, Silas reassured and followed Dr. Fox into the room.

"Are you sure your results are correct? 120 only?"

When I got Silas's IQ report, I didn't believe it.

Dr. Fox adjusted his glasses, lounging back in his chair, "According to the current test report, his IQ is indeed 120.

"

Normal human IQ ranges from 90 to 110. 110-120 is above average, 120-140 is gifted.

Given Silas's extraordinary learning ability at just seven months, his IQ should have been much higher.

I slapped the report on the table, "That can't true."

"Based on your account, I'm skeptical of this result too," Dr. Fox narrowed his eyes, "But you know, when it comes to psychology, I'm the professional one."

"If the report really is wrong, there's only one possibility.

I'm just not sure you can accept it."

He turned serious. "It might not be the test results that are wrong, but the test subject himself."

"...you mean?"

"I mean, your test subject might have anticipated why you were doing this test and deliberately got answers wrong to mislead us."

I found it ridiculous, "He's only seven months old, how could he possibly have such deep cunning?"

Dr. Fox took a sip of tea, glanced at me, "Is that so? He learned a language at just seven months.

What's more impossible than that?"

I: "..."

True. Even if Silas was precocious, reaching this level was abnormal.

Dr. Fox put down his cup, then added, "Of course, it's possible the snake-man is just exceptionally gifted with language. Besides, 120 is still a high IQ."

I sighed, "You mean we might be worrying over nothing?"

"Who knows?" Dr. Fox shrugged, "That's just my personal suggestion. What you do is up to you.

"

...

After a day of experiments. Seven o'clock.

Time to feed Silas.

After preparing the formula, I walked to the greenhouse where he lived and looked through the glass.

Silas was curled up on the bed, his long snake tail coiled neatly beneath him.

He was sleeping peacefully.

His small face was soft and pink, barely the size of my palm.

Long eyelashes.

A straight little nose.

Full red lips.

He was a snake-human I had personally created—and he was heartbreakingly beautiful.

If I had to destroy him over nothing more than a paranoid suspicion…

My chest tightened.

Just then, Silas stirred.

Perhaps he smelled me.

His eyelashes fluttered and he opened his eyes.

Those dark crimson eyes—clear and bright like polished rubies—looked straight at me.

At that moment, he looked exactly like what he was.

A completely innocent child.

"You…"

Silas rubbed his eyes.

Then he slid across the floor toward me, his snake tail propelling him forward.

Two pale little arms wrapped tightly around my leg.

His red tail curled around it too.

Because it was summer, I was wearing shorts.

The cool, smooth scales brushed against my skin.

Cold—but strangely comfortable.

He blinked up at me with wide eyes.

"You… didn't come see me all day."

"I missed you so much."

I lifted him into my arms, unsure how to answer.

After a moment, I said the only thing I could.

"…I missed you too, Silas.

"

His eyes lit up instantly.

He climbed up my shoulders and planted a loud kiss on my cheek.

"You have to come every day," he said seriously.

"If you don't come, I'll miss you too much."

"And if I miss you too much, I'll feel bad."

"And if I feel bad, I won't want to drink milk."

"And if I don't drink milk… I won't grow up."

I stared at him.

This little snake had already learned how to threaten me.

I laughed helplessly.

"So did you make your milk properly today?"

He nodded obediently.

"Yes."

"You told me to take care of myself."

"So I will."

Since realizing how intelligent Silas was, I had taught him how to prepare his own formula whenever he felt hungry.

At first he had done it clumsily, carefully scooping powder and trembling while pouring hot water.

Watching the tiny creature struggle so hard just to feed himself had made me feel strangely guilty.

Eventually we made a deal.

If I ever forgot to make his milk, he would do it himself.

And from what I'd seen these past few days—

He had followed my instructions perfectly.

But the question still haunted me.

Should I eliminate him?

And if so… how?

Every time Silas hugged me and called my name softly, I found myself unable to even think about it.

Animals had an instinct.

The first living being they saw after birth often became their mother.

Silas clung to me constantly.

To him, I was probably the most important person in the world.

And yet the "mother" he trusted so completely had spent days wondering how to dispose of him.

The thought made my chest ache.

I looked into his pure crimson eyes.

Then I took a slow breath.

And made my decision.

No matter what happened—

I would never abandon him.

The next few days passed quietly.

Silas was still extremely clingy.

And I still spent time with him after work—playing with him and preparing his milk.

Perhaps it was because he was my first successful genetically modified experiment.

Or perhaps because he had the intelligence and sweetness of a human child.

But among all the experimental subjects I managed…

Silas was the one I cared about most.

Children's hearts were pure.

When a child looked at you like you were their entire world—

The happiness it brought was indescribable.

But Silas was not truly a human child.

And I was soon reminded of that fact.

On the day Silas turned one year old, I was washing his milk bottle when I noticed something strange.

Two small puncture holes in the rubber nipple.

My heart skipped.

I returned to the greenhouse and asked Silas to open his mouth.

He did so obediently.

And there they were.

Two tiny, sharp fangs had quietly grown from the roof of his mouth.

Silas licked the tips of them curiously.

Then looked at me with confusion.

"…What's wrong?"

I didn't say a word.

I simply turned and walked to the equipment room.

When I came back, a pair of extraction forceps gleamed in my hand.

Silas immediately noticed.

His crimson eyes shifted from my face… to the tools.

Then he slowly slid backward across the floor.

Farther away from me.

"Silas," I said calmly, adjusting the lamp above him.

"Open your mouth."

He didn't move.

"You can't keep those fangs," I continued. "They'll hurt you. We must remove them."

Over the years, I'd removed venomous fangs from more snakes than I could count.

When you work with creatures capable of killing you in seconds, anesthesia isn't always an option. Sometimes the safest solution is speed.

I had become very good at it.

Removing two newly grown fangs from a one-year-old snake-human should have been easy.

But Silas stared at the tools like they were weapons.

"…It's going to hurt," he said quietly.

"It won't," I replied. "I'll give you anesthesia."

He hesitated.

Then his lower lip pushed out slightly.

"No."

I blinked.

"No?"

"If you pull them out…" he murmured, touching his mouth with small fingers, "…I'll look ugly."

For a moment I simply stared at him.

This child was barely one year old.

And he already cared about his appearance?

Then again—

This was Silas.

Nothing about him was normal.

For the first time since creating him, a thought crossed my mind.

Perhaps making an intelligent experiment…was not a good idea after all.

"You'll still look fine," I said patiently.

"They're just teeth."

Silas didn't budge.

"Come on," I coaxed. "Be a good boy. If you cooperate, I'll bring you snacks every day."

Still nothing.

Instead, he slowly backed even farther away.

His dark red eyes stayed fixed on the tool in my hand.

I opened my mouth to persuade him again—

But he suddenly spoke first.

"No."

His tiny brows knit together.

His voice—soft, yet stubborn.

"The teeth grew in my mouth. They belong to me."

"I'm not pulling them out."

The sheer determination in his tone made me pause.

Silas bit his lip, then glanced up at me carefully.

"You're worried they'll hurt me," he said quietly.

"So I'll… grind them down."

My interest was piqued.

"Oh?"

"And how exactly do you do that?"

Silas hesitated.

"…Do you have something for grinding teeth?"

"I have chew sticks," I said. "But those are for cats and dogs when their gums itch."

He lowered his head, thinking.

Eventually I sighed.

"Fine."

"Keep them for now. Tell me if you change your mind."

Children often had to learn lessons the hard way.

But surprisingly—

The fangs stopped growing after that.

They remained slightly sharper than normal canine teeth… but that's all.

I eventually stopped worrying.

Deciding not to eliminate Silas didn't mean I trusted him.

Far from it.

His physical strength was terrifying.

His intelligence was even worse.

And something deep in my instincts kept whispering the same warning:

This creature is dangerous.

At the moment, he looked obedient.

Gentle.

Even affectionate.

But beneath that calm surface…

Something predatory was sleeping.

My instincts had saved my life more than once.

I didn't ignore them.

I submitted a request to the institute director to strengthen the facility's security protocols.

Higher containment levels.

Additional lockdown systems.

More monitoring.

The application disappeared without a trace.

I asked again.

And again.

Each time the director simply laughed it off.

"Relax," he told me, slapping his chest confidently.

"This institute is a fortress. Even a fly couldn't escape."

I had no administrative authority.

If he refused, there was nothing I could do.

So the security upgrade never happened.

And for the next year…

I continued living normally with Silas.

But that year revealed something terrifying.

At seven months old, Silas already had the physical strength of a grown man.

By the time another year passed—

He could bend the titanium doors of the laboratory with his bare hands.

Just as frightening as his strength…

Was how quickly he grew.

At one year and seven months old—

Silas looked like a human boy of fifteen.

Tall.

Lean.

Beautiful in a cold, dangerous way.

His pale face still carried traces of youth, but his body had already begun developing the sharp lines of a young man.

And his snake tail—

Massive.

Powerful.

It stretched from the greenhouse door all the way to the far wall.

The small enclosure could no longer contain him.

So I moved him to a larger room.

After settling him there, I gave him a few absent-minded words of comfort.

The Komodo dragon experiment had been consuming all my attention lately.

I didn't notice the way Silas was watching me.

Not until his tail hooked around my leg.

I tried to pull free.

It didn't move.

Not even slightly.

"Silas," I sighed.

"I have work to do."

But he didn't answer.

Instead, two strong arms slowly wrapped around my waist.

A strange current ran through my body.

His chin rested lightly on my shoulder.

"I'm lonely," he murmured.

His voice was deeper now.

Still cool.

Still calm.

"Please stay a little longer."

His lips brushed my cheek.

Just a soft kiss.

"Can you stay with me today?"

"Just for a while?"

"Be a good boy," I said gently. "I really can't today."

The Komodo dragon was five weeks past hatching.

Its health data needed immediate analysis.

I had spent six months on that project.

But today—

Silas didn't listen.

His tail tightened around my leg.

When I tried to pull away, he only held me closer.

His cool cheek pressed against mine.

"Let go," I said firmly.

"…I don't want to."

His voice was quiet.

Almost sulking.

"I just want to be with you."

"You always say you're busy."

"I am busy."

"I'll spend more time with you next time."

Silas suddenly cut me off.

"You've said that one hundred sixty-five times this year."

My heart skipped.

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"If you're going to lie to me…"

"At least put some effort."

The moment those words left his mouth, the air between us turned tense.

"You've said that one hundred sixty-five times this year.

"

My heart skipped.

I turned to look at him.

Silas was watching me quietly.

His crimson eyes—once wide and innocent when he was small—had sharpened over the past year.

They were no longer the eyes of a child.

They were calculating.

Observant.

Too aware.

"You counted?" I asked.

Silas tilted his head slightly, the movement strangely elegant for someone with a twelve-foot serpent tail coiled behind him.

"Of course.

"

His voice was soft.

"You always say the same thing."

Next time.

His fingers traced absent-minded circles on my waist.

"But you never come."

Something about the way he said it made the back of my neck prickle.

"You're imagining things," I said calmly. "You're just bored."

Silas didn't argue.

He simply tightened his tail around my ankle.

Just enough to remind me he could.

Then he leaned closer.

"Then stay today," he whispered.

His breath brushed my ear.

Cool.

Faintly sweet.

The sensation sent a strange ripple down my spine.

I stepped away instinctively.

"Silas."

My tone sharpened.

"Let go."

For a moment he didn't move.

Then his tail slowly loosened.

But instead of releasing me completely, he slid closer.

His tall frame cast a shadow over me.

Up close, the changes in him were impossible to ignore.

When he was younger, he had been small and soft—almost delicate.

Now his shoulders were broad.

His jaw sharper.

His features carried an unsettling kind of beauty.

Not human.

Not animal.

Something in between.

Something dangerous.

"You're avoiding me," he said quietly.

"I'm working."

"You're always working."

"Yes."

Silas's gaze lowered briefly to my lips.

"…You're lying."

My patience snapped.

"Silas."

"I told you—"

But he interrupted me suddenly.

"You said I should learn things," he said calmly.

"Human things."

"Yes," I replied cautiously.

"Well…"

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"I did."

Before I could react, Silas suddenly leaned forward.

His face stopped inches from mine.

Too close.

My pulse jumped.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

He blinked slowly.

"Practicing."

"Practicing what?"

"Artificial respiration."

I froze.

"…What?"

Silas spoke as if explaining something obvious.

"I read about it in the lab database.

"

"When someone stops breathing, you need to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation."

His gaze flicked to my lips again.

"I've never practiced it before."

My brain finally caught up with his meaning.

"You're not practicing that with me."

"Why not?"

"Because nobody here is dying!"

Silas frowned slightly.

"That's true."

Then his expression brightened.

"So we should practice in advance."

I stared at him.

"Absolutely not.

"

For a moment, silence filled the room.

Then Silas sighed.

"You always reject my ideas."

"Because your ideas are ridiculous."

"They're logical."

"They're inappropriate."

Silas tilted his head thoughtfully.

"Inappropriate?"

"Yes."

"Explain."

My temples throbbed.

"You're too old for this kind of behavior."

He paused.

"…Too old?"

"Yes."

"You're not a child anymore."

Silas went very still.

Something shifted in his expression.

The playful curiosity vanished.

Something darker replaced it.

"…I know," he said quietly.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

Before I could say anything else, he suddenly reached out.

His hand wrapped around my wrist.

Warm.

Strong.

Far stronger than it had any right to be.

"You keep saying that," he murmured.

"That I'm not a child."

His thumb brushed slowly across my pulse.

"But you still treat me like one.

"

My instincts screamed at me.

Danger.

The same instinct that had warned me months ago.

The one I had ignored.

Silas stepped closer.

Too close.

His snake tail slid across the floor behind him, heavy scales whispering softly against the tile.

"You taught me language."

"You taught me science."

"You taught me how humans think."

His voice dropped lower.

"But there's one thing you never taught me."

My throat felt dry.

"…What?"

Silas leaned down until his lips hovered beside my ear.

His breath brushed my skin.

"Why humans kiss."

My entire body went rigid.

His hand tightened slightly around my wrist.

Not painful.

Just firm enough that I couldn't pull away.

"But I'm curious."

His voice softened into something almost gentle.

"So…"

His crimson eyes lifted slowly to meet mine.

"Will you teach me?"

The next few weeks were chaos inside the institute.

The Komodo dragon experiment—stable for nearly a year—suddenly began failing.

All its data spiraled out of control.

The creature stopped eating. Stopped moving. It lay in the greenhouse day after day, breathing shallowly like something slowly dying.

If the experiment collapsed, years of research would vanish overnight.

And worse—

The already dwindling Komodo dragon population might disappear from the planet entirely.

I barely slept.

Every waking hour was spent running diagnostics, analyzing blood samples, and rechecking endless streams of corrupted data.

During that time, I hardly saw Silas.

One evening, after I finished testing him on his lessons, he suddenly asked:

"Do you really like me?"

His voice was quiet.

His eyes—those deep crimson eyes—studied my expression carefully.

But my mind was still trapped inside the Komodo dragon's failing numbers.

So I answered absentmindedly.

"Of course."

Silas looked at me for a long time.

Then he asked another question.

"Are viruses really that terrifying?"

"Yes," I said without hesitation.

"If the AU virus weren't so dangerous, the institute would never have chosen genetic modification in the first place."

But only later did I realize something chilling.

I had never taught Silas anything about viruses.

So how did he know about them?

That year was cursed.

Problems kept piling up.

Not long after the Komodo crisis, Silas's medical report returned with anomalies.

Inside his blood were several unknown compounds—substances that didn't exist in any biological or chemical database.

I spent weeks analyzing them.

Nothing matched.

The discovery terrified me.

But I told no one.

If the institute learned about it, they would demand Silas be euthanized immediately.

Instead, I kept investigating quietly.

Eventually, another realization struck me.

Silas had reached sexual maturity.

Which meant we could finally test the genetic material required for the breeding program.

I went to his room.

"Silas," I asked carefully, "have you started feeling… certain urges?"

He froze.

The look on his face was explosive.

Three years.

Three years of knowing him, and I had never seen him react like that.

When he realized what I was asking, his expression darkened completely.

"You're asking me to produce genetic samples," he said coldly.

"I don't have a choice," I replied.

"If you refuse… I'll have to use the the hard way."

He stared at the syringe in my hand.

His voice dropped.

"You're really willing to go that far?"

"I have no alternative."

Silas went silent for a long time.

Then he laughed softly.

"Fine."

"If you want it that badly… at least let me keep some dignity."

He held out his hand.

"Give it to me. I'll do it myself."

When the results came back, I felt a strange mixture of relief and guilt.

Silas's genetic material was normal.

Which meant the project could proceed.

But it also meant—

He would continue being used.

I went back to his room.

This time he didn't greet me the way he used to.

He simply sat there, his tail coiled beneath him, watching me with cold eyes.

"Let me guess," he said.

"You're here for more samples."

"…Yes."

He laughed quietly.

"So now that my genes are fine, you're planning to use them for the breeding program."

"Yes."

Silas's smile was thin.

"If it weren't for you…"

"I would have left this place two years ago."

The moment the words left his mouth—

The lights in the lab suddenly went out.

Total darkness.

A sharp pain struck the back of my neck.

And the world vanished.

The last thing I heard was Silas's voice.

Soft.

Cold.

"Honestly… I didn't want to be this rough with you."

"But you really know how to make me angry."

I woke up two days later.

The laboratory was gone.

Instead, I found myself inside a large unfamiliar villa.

Silas had knocked me unconscious.

And apparently kept me sedated for two full days.

When I finally stumbled out of the room, the house was silent.

"Silas?" I called.

His voice answered from somewhere below.

"Downstairs. Left turn. Second room."

I followed the instructions.

Inside the room—

Steam filled the air.

Silas was in the bath.

He rose slowly from the water.

For a moment I instinctively turned away.

Then he laughed softly.

"You figured it out already."

When I dared glance back—

I froze.

Silas no longer had a snake tail.

Instead—

He stood there with two long human legs.

Silas walked toward me slowly.

"I can control the substance inside my body now," he said.

"That strange compound you discovered."

"It allowed me to evolve."

He wrapped his arms around my waist from behind.

"You once said humans and snakes are incompatible."

He leaned close to my ear.

"Well…"

"Now we're much more similar."

His lips brushed my neck.

My body went rigid.

"Silas."

"What?"

"…Let me go."

But he only held me tighter.

"I finally got you."

I managed to contact the authorities.

Silas knew.

He simply chose not to stop me.

"I wanted to gamble," he told me later.

"If I win… you stay with me forever."

"And if I lose…"

He shrugged lightly.

"I'll die."

The soldiers broke into the villa.

Guns aimed straight at him.

"Don't move!"

"Release Dr. Vance!"

Silas looked at them.

Then at me.

Understanding slowly filled his eyes.

"…So you really did call them.

"

I said nothing.

Instead—

I drove a syringe into his thigh.

A powerful anesthetic.

Strong enough to drop an elephant.

Silas stared at me in disbelief.

"You…"

I stepped back as his body weakened.

"I'm sorry, Silas," I said quietly.

"But you'll be safe."

He laughed bitterly.

"Safe?"

"As a locked monster?"

"That's the end for me."

I didn't answer.

I simply told the soldiers:

"Take him."

Silas was returned to the laboratory.

Two days later—

The AU virus inhibitor was finally developed.

The institute celebrated.

Earth had been saved.

And Silas?

He no longer mattered.

No one cared about the snake-human in the freezer.

Except me.

I opened the storage drawer.

Cold air spilled out.

Silas lay there, pale and silent.

I injected the final syringe.

"Sleep well," I whispered.

Then I closed the drawer.

Outside the world celebrated the victory over the virus.

But inside the silent freezer—

The monster I created slept forever.

Or at least…

That's what everyone believed.

Not the end of the story

As everyone in the institute quickly shifted their attention from the dead snake-human to the historic breakthrough.

No one cared aboutSilas anymore.

The freezer was silent.

Silas lay inside, pale and motionless.

His skin was almost translucent under the sterile light.

I slowly lifted the syringe in my hand and watched the crimson antidote drip into his vein.

Drop.

By drop.

My fingers brushed gently across his colorless cheek as I reviewed my plan.

If everything went smoothly, my colleagues would finish their research meeting in about three hours.

Tomorrow, using my authority—and the credit I had earned from developing the inhibitor—I would submit a request to take Silas home as a preserved specimen.

Shortly after that, I would resign.

Then Silas and I would leave this city forever.

Yes.

The injection I had given him earlier was fake euthanasia—a formula I created myself.

Its purpose was to deceive the laboratory.

The drug wouldn't kill him.

But if the antidote wasn't administered within forty-eight hours, the patient would die for real.

Because the sedative was so powerful, Silas would remain unconscious for at least five days.

I knew him too well.

Proud.

Stubborn.

Reckless.

If I had asked for his cooperation, he would never have agreed to such a plan.

So I made the decision for him.

"I'm sorry," I whispered softly.

"It was wrong to decide this without you… but I want you to have an easier life."

"If the laboratory realizes you're still alive, they'll hunt you forever."

"You'll never escape."

I wanted Silas to have a new identity.

A normal life.

Looking down at his pale face, I gently touched his cheek.

"I'm sorry… but I'll take you out of here."

I stood and reached for the freezer drawer.

But the moment my hand touched the metal—

A voice spoke.

"After we leave… then what?"

My body froze.

The silent freezer suddenly held two people.

Slowly—

Silas sat up.

His long lashes fluttered weakly.

Those dark crimson eyes stared at me without blinking.

"…You," I started.

Then stopped.

Of course.

Silas had always been an anomaly.

If anyone could wake earlier than expected, it would be him.

He leaned against the freezer wall and stepped closer.

"You didn't answer my question," he said quietly.

"After we leave… what would happens?"

I hesitated.

Honestly…

I hadn't thought that far ahead.

Silas moved closer.

Close enough that I could feel the cold radiating from his skin.

"After we leave," he said slowly,

"…will you marry me?"

My heart stopped.

Seeing my stunned expression, he frowned slightly.

"I told you before," he continued,

"If I didn't lose the gamble , then you and I would stay together forever.

"

"You gave me the winning chip."

"So how can you go back on your promise?"

I couldn't help laughing softly at his shameless logic.

"…Fine."

"After we leave," I said,

"We'll get married."

Silas Side Story

Today, I finally married her.

The white church stood under a sky of pure summer blue.

Flocks of doves burst into the air, their wings flashing in the sunlight streaming through the stained-glass windows.

Early summer was perfect.

Warm.

Bright.

Alive.

Watching the smile on her face, I couldn't stop myself from smiling too.

When the officiant finished speaking, I lowered my head and slid the ring onto her finger.

A ring that symbolized ownership.

My gaze lingered on her rose-red lips.

Without hesitation, I held the back of her neck and kissed her.

She blushed and pushed against me lightly, her fingers pinching my arm in embarrassment.

But I ignored it.

I had waited two entire years for this day.

A gentle ceremonial kiss could never calm the storm raging inside me.

Only deeper kisses could.

The sunlight of early summer felt intoxicating.

But the darkness in my heart kept spreading.

Growing.

Uncontrollable.

I wanted to swallow her whole.

To crush her into my body.

To keep her tangled with me forever.

They say snakes are cold-blooded creatures of darkness.

Creatures that hide from the sun.

Cruel.

Merciless.

They're absolutely right.

That's exactly what I am.

The obedient mask I wear in front of her…

is only a disguise.

Ninety-seven percent of my genes come from snakes.

That means less than three percent of me is human.

Sometimes when I wake up in the morning and see her sleeping beside me…

a terrible thought appears in my mind.

I want to drag her down into hell with me.

I want her to submit.

To belong to me completely.

To lose herself in me every single day.

But I also know something important.

If I reveal my true nature too recklessly…

I'll lose her.

So I do what the best hunters do.

I become the prey.

A skilled hunter never forces the trap closed.

They wait.

They let the prey walk into it willingly.

Step by step.

Until escape becomes impossible.

Now we're married.

And with that piece of paper…

I finally have the legal right to possess her.

But I understand something clearly.

Her body belongs to me.

Her heart…

is still far away.

After all—

Who falls in love with their own experiment?

Someone as rational as her certainly wouldn't.

The only reason she fell in love with me…

is because I helped things along.

She doesn't know.

From the moment she gave me that computer, I began weaving a net around her.

And she walked straight into it.

She also doesn't know…

I hacked the institute's system a year ago.

Every piece of data.

Every camera.

Every moment of her life inside that lab—

I watched it all.

And she definitely doesn't know…

that when my mating season began,

she had already lost.

During those four days we spent together,

when she was half-dazed,

I injected her with a dopamine compound I created myself.

The hormone would make her feel something like love.

Whenever she sensed my presence—

her heart would race uncontrollably.

Of course…

only for me.

Yes.

I know that's wrong.

All the ethics she taught me?

I abandoned them long ago.

But I'm a snake.

A selfish, dangerous snake.

Science can save humanity.

Or it can destroy it.

My wish is simple.

I just want to stay with the only light in my world.

Her world is full of things.

Family.

Friends.

The fate of the natural world.

But my world…

contains only her.

She is everything to me.

So everything she has—

must belong to me as well.

The only time I truly gambled with losing her…

was when I returned to the laboratory.

I didn't want to make that bet.

But like everyone who loves someone more than they're loved back—

I wanted to know how much she cared.

Even if I knew it might only be the hormone.

The result was messy.

But it didn't disappoint me.

Still…

since I won the bet,

the next step of my plan is obvious.

I want her to have my child.

At first I didn't want children.

They would steal her attention.

But the hormone won't work forever.

Eventually her body will adapt.

Everything will return to normal.

But a child…

is permanent.

She's a soft person beneath her cold exterior.

She protected me from the institute once already.

And someone like her would never allow her child to grow up without a family.

That's the weakness I'll use.

Human nature is warm.

I love that warmth.

Especially when it comes from her.

Compared to before, I've been redeemed.

Back when I lived alone in that small lab room,

having a human mind was like being trapped in sensory deprivation hell.

Sometimes I felt like I was going insane.

Like a trapped animal.

Desperate for the light outside.

Yet refusing every path that could save me.

Because I knew—

If I escaped…

I would never see her again.

Of course I knew why she raised me.

But I never said anything.

Some truths only damage relationships.

And I couldn't risk losing her.

So I endured.

Year after year.

I clung to her whenever I could.

But she never noticed.

To her, I was just an experiment.

A genetic resource.

Something to help reproduce my species.

Did I hate her?

Of course I did.

But somehow…

I never hated her enough.

I always found excuses for her.

Sometimes I even thought—

If I lost control one day,

maybe I would destroy us both.

Hell would be too lonely without her.

Thinking about those dark years makes the shadows in my heart grow heavier.

Without realizing it, I tighten my arms around her sleeping body.

Maybe she senses something.

Because suddenly she opens her eyes.

Her beautiful gaze studies my face.

Careful.

Suspicious.

Inside, I become alert.

But my smile remains gentle.

"What's wrong?" I ask softly.

"Does something hurt?"

She frowns slightly and tries to sit up.

"I don't know why… but I have a bad feeling," she murmurs.

"It makes me sad."

I kiss her back quietly and pull her closer again.

Skin against skin.

Warm.

Real.

Otherwise I always feel like I'm holding nothing but air.

Like she might disappear if the wind blows too hard.

I kiss her neck again.

Soft.

Tempting.

"How could that be?" I whisper.

"Everything is peaceful now."

"No one will ever separate us again."

She hesitates.

Thinking.

But I can't allow my wife to overthink things.

So I tighten my arms slightly.

She bites her lip.

Tears slide down her face.

"…You're right," she whispers.

"Silas… we'll be together forever."

I stare into her tear-filled eyes.

And smile.

"Yes."

"Forever.

"