“y’see,” Theodore began. “The critters I keep need to feed on my blood to forge a bond. Over time, it forms a connection. Once that connection’s solid, I’ll know it in a heartbeat,” he explained. Eleanor raised a curious eyebrow.” Sounds pretty otherworldly.”
“It’s occult, something a high-society girl like you might not grasp,” he said with an air of secrecy.
“But what if it doesn’t work?” she prodded.
“Hmm?” Theodore furrowed his brow.
Was she trying to test his patience? “Don’t worry, Eleanor, you don’t need to worry about that,” Ezra chimed in, flashing a reassuring smile.
“Sir Crane’s mastery of the occult is legendary. There’s no room for failure.”
“But I’m talking about the ‘what if,”” Eleanor insisted.
“Hmph! There’s no room for ‘what ifs’! “Theodore’s expression grew cold. ” Unless that kid has the skin of steel and a spirit beyond, disaster is certain.”
“I don’t get all this magic stuff. I just want to know, will there be a sign if it fails?” She kept pushing.
Theodore was clearly exasperated. Was she intentionally trying his patience? He had already made it clear that failure wasn’t an option.
“Don’t be upset, Sir Crane. Eleanor’s simply curious,” Ezra interjected, looking slightly sheepish. After all, Eleanor was a sheltered, rich woman. She was quite inexperienced in such matters.
“Hmph!” Theodore raised his glass, drained it, and slammed it back on the table. He declared, “Even if it failed, I’d blame my inadequacies. If it backfired, I brought it upon myself!”
“Backfires? What kind of backfire?” Eleanor continued her inquisition.
“Dizziness, nauseousness, three days of weakness at worst,” Theodore replied, his tone reflecting his annoyance.
“I see.” She nodded with newfound understanding. If it failed, there would indeed be a sign.
“Miss Welch, are you satisfied now?” Theodore’s face contorted into a displeased expression. “Don’t get the wrong idea, Sir Crane. I was simply curious,” Eleanor replied with a smile.
“Wait a moment…”
Just as he was about to say something else, his expression suddenly froze. “I can sense it now. The poison is stirring. It must be getting closer to its target.”
“Really?” Eleanor and Ezra immediately snapped to attention, their eyes fixed on him, eagerly awaiting the next development.
“It’s close-very close to success!” Theodore closed his eyes, carefully sensing it. His emotions grew rather excited.
“Almost there … just a bit more,” he mumbled to himself.
Eleanor and Ezra were excited.
“Haha… it’s happening…”
Suddenly, Theodore’s eyes flew open. Just as he was about to share the good news, his body shuddered violently, as if struck by lightning.
The next moment, he coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood. His entire body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
“Ah?” Seeing this scene, Eleanor and Ezra were utterly bewildered.
Wide-eyed, they exchanged astonished glances. What just happened? Weren’t they on the brink of success? Why was Theodore suddenly vomiting blood?
