SIX

For a week, she continued teaching them, and they learned quickly. They absorbed every book on the heart from the ground and memorized them in less than a night.

During this time, she also adjusted her voice. They listened so intently that even a slightly raised tone made them cover their ears. Joseph would hide a smile, amused, and she was forced to speak more softly.

"What's next?" she asked on the final day as he returned. She could almost feel death creeping up on her.

"The best heart we have is ready to be placed into someone's body."

"What? That’s a great joke. Who are you planning to impress?" She couldn’t believe how casually he was speaking.

"Me." He settled comfortably on the sofa while Elsa leapt off the bed in shock.

"You're joking."

"No."

"Well, who’s going to fit this heart inside you?"

"What kind of student are you? I brought a medical student for this very reason." He was smiling so widely that she felt the urge to throw something at him.

"I'm a student, Joseph. I haven’t even done a house job, let alone performed a heart transplant!"

"You'll manage. My people will handle the technical part; you just have to oversee it."

She turned pale.

"I can't do this, Joseph. You’ll die."

"I’m not human. I don’t need a heart to survive. Either the heart will work, or it won’t—in both cases, I’ll live." He shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"Oh God. And how will you know if the heart works?"

"Should I explain everything now?" His smile seemed almost poisonous to her.

"Wow, brilliant. Whose genius idea was this?"

"Mine. I'm their leader, their king. All their experiments are my responsibility, and all the power rests with me," he said calmly.

"Don’t, Joseph. Don’t tamper with nature."

"Spare me the advice," he replied coldly.

"It's free advice, and you’ll regret not taking it. I wish you’d understand."

For a moment, he paused, sensing the sadness in her voice. He knew why she was upset, but he carried on.

"I’ve changed my mind."

"About what?"

"Killing you."

"Don’t joke."

"I'm not human," he said, his tone suddenly serious.

"I still don’t believe you’ll send me back to Earth."

"Who said anything about that? You’ll stay here, like the others on this planet. I’ll make you one of them."

"Oh God, please, just kill me. Don’t turn me into one of these emotionless creatures."

"I’m not asking. I’m telling." His voice had an edge, and she fell onto the bed, gripping her hair in frustration. Joseph felt her anxiety, and with a subtle influence, calmed her down until she fell asleep. Whether she liked it or not, he was always the cure to her pain, even though he was often the cause of it.

The Next Day

Joseph lay on a wooden table in front of her, his chest cut open by a sharp instrument. Unlike humans, his blood didn’t flow from the wound. The place for the heart was marked, and Elsa held the organ in her trembling hands.

"Think this through, Joseph. There’s a price for this heart."

"Be brave, Elsa. Don’t worry, nothing will happen. You can do this." Those were words she used to tell herself in times of panic. Now, Joseph was saying them to her as he lay on the operating table.

With shaking hands, Elsa placed the heart into the right position and stepped back. He remained calm, showing no signs of pain. His subordinates moved forward with their micro-devices to complete the procedure. Elsa couldn’t bear to watch.

Two Days Later

Joseph entered her room, placing his hand over his chest.

"Elsa, feel it. It’s beating."

"If there’s a heart, it’ll beat," she replied, relieved to see him alive after two days of silence.

"But look at the speed." His hand remained pressed against his chest.

Elsa placed her hand on his chest and counted the rapid heartbeats—far faster than a normal human's.

"Are you in pain? It’s beating too fast," she asked with concern.

"No, I don’t feel any pain. Maybe it’ll return to normal."

"What if it doesn’t?" she asked, folding her arms.

"I’ll take it out."

"It’s not a game, Joseph. If you remove it now, you’ll die. You’ve given it a place in your body, and just like it controlled you before, you can’t control it now." She spoke firmly, but her words didn’t seem to affect him.

"We’ll see."

"Do you feel anything—happiness, sadness?"

"No, just the beating for now. But to stabilize it, I need to spend time grounded on Earth. I’ll need to be there for at least 15 days."

"Oh, so you’re going to Earth?" Her voice softened as memories of her old life returned.

"We are going," he said with a smile. She wanted to tell him how much she loved his smile, but her shock overtook her emotions.

"What?" she finally screamed after a long pause.

He shrugged and walked out, preparing for his rest, unaware that when he returned after those 15 days, he would be reborn in a new form. Everything would look the same, but inside, his world would change. A heart, the greatest enemy of its possessor, would beat within him. He, the King of his planet, who never bowed to anyone, would soon find himself yielding to his own heart.