His arms and legs were strapped to a bed. Normally, he could have ended this in the blink of an eye, but his current condition and state were at their worst. With a large hole pierced through one of his wings, flying was out of the question.

His expression soured as a doctor brought a scalpel close to his chest. Humans, honestly.

Whoosh—

As he wreathed his body in flames, the researchers stepped back in surprise.

He watched the scene from the back of the lab with his arms crossed. The corners of his mouth wouldn't stop curling upward. The eternal heart he had only dreamed of was now so close.

"What are you doing? Cut him open already."

A researcher, dripping with cold sweat, whispered to Dr. Neo.

"The resistance is too strong... I don't think we can extract the heart."

At those words, his lips curved into a smirk.

"Submerge him in water."