she was dreaming. Mimi was instinctively aware of this fact.

in front of her, there was a man giving her a choice. he was dressed in a white researcher's robe and speaking slowly. she only managed to catch his last sentence.

"...now then, will you choose to save yourself for the life of another, or save someone in exchangefor your own life?"

Mimi faced this question seriously. she had a feeling the man was referring to the boy she had met earlier.

after a while, she spoke. "my choice is..."

---

the boy woke up in a room. he was strapped to a chair, and some needles were stuck in his body. he tried to struggle, but found that he couldn't muster any strength.

"so, the little prince is awake." he looked up and saw a researcher standing in front of him. the boy strangely didn't feel any resistance towards him, and even felt a bit of submissive intent. he found this baffling.

"i'm sure you have a lot of questions, but those answers will come in time. for now, let us finish what i have already started."

he walked behind him and started fiddling with something out of sight from the boy. he began to speak, as if to himself.

"for hundreds of years i have researched. methods to slowing down ageing, avoiding death, superhumans. after so long, i think i have finally succeeded."

a beep rang, and one of the needles on the boy's body began to inject an unknown liquid into him.

"but, i grew old, weak. i had to find another way. one that would allow me to continue my research."

another needle began injecting fluid into the boy.

"the fountain of youth had run dry. the wine of immortality was nothing more than a myth. but in my despair, i found a chance. abandoning my body to take one belonging to another."

the boy seemed to be resisting a lot of pain now, but he could not scream. he wanted to hear what the man had to say.

"this could theoretically let me live on forever. i unfortunately had no time to test it out extensively, but i found a way to increase the success rate."

the scientist looked at the boy, though the boy could not see it. "you, little prince. you are the key i so desperately needed. as someone from the same race as me, the success rate increases drastically. once i take over your body, i can continue my life. and with your identify, things will only become easier."

the needles finished injecting whatever liquid they had been injecting before. the scientist then picked up a needle filled with a liquid glowing ominously red.

"now then. let's start the procedure. little prince."