Chapter 5: The Aroma Laboratory

Gibran’s car had just rounded the corner toward the apartment complex when a silver sedan cut sharply across their path, forcing Gibran to slam on the brakes. The tires screeched loudly against the asphalt.

“Hey! Are you crazy?! Do you want to die?!” Gibran cursed, punching the steering wheel.

A bespectacled man in a neat suit stepped out of the sedan. It was Teddy. He walked calmly toward Gibran’s car, ignoring Gibran’s murderous glare.

“Gibran, relax. I just want to help our friend who’s confused here,” Teddy said calmly, tapping on the window glass.

“Teddy? What are you doing here?” Budi asked, his heart pounding rapidly.

“Budi, get out. You look pale as hell. Come with me; I have a place that can calm you down,” Teddy replied, his eyes staring intently at Budi’s neck.

“Don’t listen to him, Bud! He just wants to take advantage!” Gibran shouted, his eyes starting to turn red as he fought back his lust.

“Gibran, please. I just want to rest. I’m tired,” Budi interrupted as he opened the car door.

“Budi, wait!” Gibran tried to stop him, but Teddy quickly grabbed Budi’s hand, pulling the young man into his silver sedan. The car sped off quickly, leaving Gibran screaming in frustration in the middle of the street.

Inside the car, Teddy didn’t say much. He only occasionally glanced at Budi through the rearview mirror with a mysterious thin smile. Soon, they arrived at an unmarked concrete building on the outskirts of town.

“What is this place, Ted? Why is it so quiet?” Budi asked hesitantly as they entered a room filled with medical equipment.

“A small research lab. Relax, this is the safest place from people like Gibran or Rocky,” Teddy answered while taking off his jacket.

“Are you really going to help me? I swear, I can’t take it anymore. This smell... it has ruined my life,” Budi whispered softly as he sat on a metal chair.

“I know, Bud. Here, give me your hand. I need to check what actually entered your bloodstream,” Teddy said.

Budi extended his trembling hand. Teddy began drawing blood samples with a syringe. The atmosphere was silent, with only the soft ticking of the monitoring devices audible.

“How is it, Ted? What’s wrong with me?”

“The results are interesting, Budi. Very rare,” Teddy muttered while staring at the monitor screen. “You aren’t under a mystical curse. You were exposed to toxins from an ancient species of sea snail that went extinct. That substance reacted with your pheromone hormones, transforming them into an aroma that is... well, very tempting for men with high aggression levels.”

“Damn it! So I’ve literally become a walking perfume? Is there a cure? I want to be normal again!” Budi pressed urgently.

Teddy chuckled lightly and picked up a syringe containing a clear liquid. “Normal is relative, Bud. But if you want that smell gone temporarily, I can inject this.”

“Will it really disappear? Thank you so much, Ted! You’re truly my savior!” Budi exclaimed hopefully.

“Yes, don’t worry. But there’s a condition,” Teddy approached and gently injected the fluid into Budi’s arm.

Budi felt a cold sensation spreading through his veins. The usually pungent vanilla aroma slowly faded, replaced by a neutral scent that allowed Budi to breathe easily.

“Wow, damn! It’s really gone? Thanks, Ted! How much do I owe you?”

“No money needed. I just want you to come here every day for routine checkups. I need data on your hormonal changes,” Teddy stated, looking at Budi with an intensity that made Budi feel uneasy.

“Every day? But I work, Ted,” Budi protested.

“Do you want to go back to feeling like meat being chased by lions in the streets, or do you want to live peacefully under my supervision?” Teddy countered with a cold tone.

Budi fell silent. The threats from Rocky and the obsession of Gibran suddenly flashed through his mind. “Okay, okay. I’ll come here. Thanks, Ted. Can I head back now?”

“Go ahead, Budi. See you tomorrow,” Teddy replied with a wave.

After Budi left the laboratory, Teddy turned back to his desk. He took out a notebook and wrote something in red ink.

Subject: Budi. Aroma suppressant effect: Stable. Duration: 24 hours.

Teddy stared at the tightly closed door with a predator’s smirk. “Enjoy your twenty-four hours of freedom, Budi. Because after tomorrow, you will belong entirely to my research. This aroma... is too valuable to be wasted on fools like Rocky or Gibran.”

Outside, Budi walked with light steps, unaware that he had just jumped from the lion’s mouth into the cage of a scientist far hungrier for power. He could only smile faintly, relieved that for the first time in a long while, the world was no longer looking at him with hungry eyes. Budi did not know that the wall clock in Teddy’s laboratory had begun counting backward, tallying the remaining time before the aroma returned, and before Teddy initiated the next phase of his "harvest."