*Creak*, they entered one of the oldest rooms in the mansion. It was a tall space that consisted of two floors combined. All over the walls, there were shelves displaying skeletons of deceased dinosaurs. You could make out from the clutter, that there wasn’t enough room for all of his animals to be displayed. Those who didn’t make it onto the glory-wall were left in open boxes, stacked in the corners of the immense room. No wonder there was a tinge of death seeping through the mansion.

Leonard gave a soft gaze to the main attraction of his odd library. It was a giant dinosaur, about 6 meters tall. While William took in the sight of strange collections, Leonard began to explain, “This is my library… My library of former bonded dinosaurs. Or at least, what has been left behind by them. Bones, skin, and sometimes the organs, for my later additions… Nonetheless, they have all served me well, while I searched for the truth...”.

William stepped further inside the room to inspect the giant who made people fear the wild. At its feet, a plate of metal had its name etched into it: Wiselo.

“How come… Some of them have names and some of them don’t?”, William asked a bit puzzled at the difference in treatment these fossils got.

Leonard held his hands behind his back before he took in a deep breath, “That’s simple… They merely didn’t live long enough to acquire such a thing... Didn’t I already tell you, Mirabelle? I’m not a solvinian… Something like a lifetime bond is just too restricting for someone like me with vision... I needed proof! Details!... And thus I used myself and my dinosaurs as subjects… And with my own hands, I-... Well…”. William didn’t like Leonard’s tone. He was clearly implying that he had killed some of these dinosaurs of his own volition. It slightly horrified William to hear that, especially when Leonard’s collection of unfortunate children, exceeded the thousands! 

William gulped down his disgust as he took a look back at Lucifer. He could understand why it hesitated to enter this place as it was ridden with dead versions of its own kind…

Without encouragement, Leonard continued talking about his collection, nonchalantly saying, “Some bonds lasted not even a day, some years… Like this one here in the middle. He was my greatest partner in life and the one who helped me build this place… But he died from an illness… Afterward, I let myself experiment with what a bond truly was… How the experience would change depending on the dinosaur you choose… But those days are now behind me… I delight myself in Chikachila’s company and I’ve promised her that she will be my last…”.

William raised his chin to take in the gigantic stunner that seemed to fill out the whole room, “Then… Was it worth it?... This many lives? Did you learn what it means to share a bond?”. Leonard scoffed at the girl’s choice of words, quickly correcting her by saying, “... Well, first of all, it is a wrong misconception to use the word ‘share’ when it comes to a bond… A dinosaur does not ‘share’ its strength and vitality with you. That’s just nonsense!... It goes like this Mirabelle... Every animal and living thing has energy. The size and strength of the spirit energy depend on the animal’s size and engineering. This energy is not shared in a bond, for that would only weaken the dinosaur! No, the bond makes both energies of the partners enhanced! It affects everything from your senses to your body’s strength... Oh, and the more powerful your bonded dinosaur’s energy is, the more enhanced your own becomes…”.

With mild gestures, Leonard showed the duo up to his drawings that were left unchecked the day before. The first one he unfolded, had a sketch that looked like something a drug addict would create when on a high. It was very abstract with a sphere dominating the middle. William cocked his head left and right to try and understand the circle. After much effort, he gave up and said, “What is this supposed to be?”.

Leonard ran his finger around the circle’s edge, stating: “Energy!... At least what I managed to grasp after I experienced a few wild tours of the mind… Hoho… Yes, I’ve been trying for years to understand its form and meaning… I’ve learned from my many bonds that although every energy is unique and a quite complex element, it can be divided into two classes: The wild and the calm ones... The wild ones are full of vigor and tend to be easier to pick up, sense-wise... You’ll find that most creatures bear this energy. Now as for the calm one. It is quite seldom found. In fact so rare, that I’ve only chanced upon it twice before meeting you and Lucifer. And that’s quite something compared to how many years and places I’ve been through!... Hoho, I bet most don’t even know that there are these two types…………. Hmm... As for what difference this distinction makes... I’m not quite sure?… It could be that the wild one is more unstable than the calm one? I guess one needs to have the energy if they want the answers to this mystery...”.

After that final sentence, William was given a meaningful look. It made him ponder that perhaps Leonard’s hospitality wasn’t due to a bleeding heart, but the fact that he now had the chance to learn more about this type of energy? William lifted an eyebrow. He couldn’t completely stomach Leonard but his talks of science sure were filled with interesting observations.

A blank piece of parchment was fetched by Leonard, and then with a dripping quilt, he began sketching the shape of an animal, “A benefit that comes with bonding is the ability to absorb and refine outside energy into your own… You see this animal here that I have drawn, it like everything else, contains spirit energy... Now, what happens when it dies is that this life energy disappears, but where to?... Well, of course, it goes into the earth, the nearby trees, and sprouts. Basically it dissipates into its surroundings... So, what happens if you should be close to this being when it kicks the bucket?...”.

William stared at the ugly drawing without commenting on it, then he answered the man, “Uhm… I absorb some as well?”.

Leonard’s trickster trap was activated and in a burst of superiority, he laughed back, “Hoho! What a ridiculous answer!... Of course, you don’t get any! You’re already filled to the brim with energy!... Everything in this world is recycled over and over again, so without a doubt, the energy goes to the places that are in lack of it, so it can become something new. BUT! Humans are such crafty creatures. Like the dinosaurs, we have found a way to trick nature. Yes… This is an important trick to learn, Mirabelle, if you want to get stronger. When you’re close to something worth absorbing, try to shrink your own energy into a compact mass. By doing so the energy will sense the void and it will fill it up. Now, that’s not all there is to it! If you expand your energy again, the new one will be forced out. That’s why once it is in you, you have to force the two energies to adhere to each other! And, tada, you’ve got more energy”.

Leonard had scribbled the parchment black with wild strokes that made William question, “Then what about Lucifer? Will it have to learn this trick as well? And how-”, Leonard’s face fell into shadows, “No… Remember you’re the copycat?... Dinosaurs are build to do this process once they start consuming their prey. It comes quite naturally to them”.

After a few more viewings of ‘abstract’ illustrations and conjectures, they went outside to oversee Leonard’s garden.

He plucked a few ripe strawberries for his guest, who happily received them. Alas, their sweet taste was soon ruined by Leonard’s added words to his former lecture, “Oh and… As for the downsides…. Well, if you should lose your bonded dinosaur, the additional energy you have gathered thus far will fade away till only your core is left… That’s just how it is, I’m afraid… Haaaah…………………….”. The old man began smiling fondly at William and Lucifer. He was glad that this youngster showed hidden disgust once she saw the library. Not many of his guests did, for they were like his former self: Ignorant.

Leonard kept his warm smile and smooth voice on as he said, “Perhaps, all along, I should have followed my father’s path and studied medicine instead… Hoho… At the time I mocked him at how meaningless that was and how nothing in this world is permanent. So why stop the inevitable?........... I guess, I learned my lesson the hard way...”.

William scrunched an eyebrow, not sure what Leonard meant, “Does it have anything to do with Wiselo?”. Hearing the name had no effect on the old man. He simply kept on smiling with eyes glinting.

An awkward silence spread and suddenly they were both left to think about those days that had already passed… And those that had passed along with them.