Meryl let Johana rest as she looked around. It was getting cold and the deeper the night, the worse. True, making a fire was dangerous. It could attract anyone, but freezing to death was not an option.
“Let me help you,” Johana said, trying to get up, but Meryl stopped her.
“You’re exhausted. Don’t worry. Also, it’s almost lit.”
“Do you know, Meryl?” Joanna said. While Meryl was trying to light the fire. “You have become strong, very strong. I remember your fear, your anguish, and your weakness. All that has disappeared.”
“I’m still a cry baby.” Meryl sat up and felt pangs of pain. “But I think you’re right. It’s been some difficult, frightening months, but something has changed here,” Meryl added, placing her hand on her chest.
“Something other than love?” Johana teased.
“Yes, other than that. I’ve been thinking a lot lately. I’m always like a child. Always in need of protection. When I saw that fragment of Caleb’s past thanks to ‘the melodies of blood’ I wanted to protect him even if it cost me my life. I can’t remain a useless person who needs everyone. There will be times when those who protect me need my help.”
“That is very beautiful. I need you now. I’m dying from the cold!” Johana shrieked.
With a smile, Meryl hugged her friend, who immediately fell into a deep sleep. Meryl simply stared at the flames, and though her eyes were closing, she stayed awake for an hour.
A faint sound of a footstep woke up Meryl. She instantly saw the fire was almost extinguished. However, the low light from the flames let her see a person she easily recognized.
“Luxt? What are you doing here?” Meryl asked, waking Johana.
“I saw you leave,” Luxt said, squatting down and staring into the soft flames. “You are idiots. I have been following you since you left the tent. If I had been an enemy you would be dead.”
“You’re right,” Johana yawned as she stretched out her numb arms. “Thank you, for watching over us since yesterday.”
“Don’t get confused,” Luxt continued, staring at the same spot, as if talking to the bonfire, “I’m just returning a favor.”
“We still appreciate it,” Meryl said this time. “Shall we continue?”
They both stood up. Luxt threw dirt over the debris to extinguish the fire and they began to walk through the enormous place.
♫♫♫
“Jeoff?” Alexander called to his companion, who seemed distracted.
“Someone is following us,” Jeoff murmured, tensing his body for a fight. “For longer than I initially thought. This isn’t good.”
“Are you sure? How is it possible that you didn’t realize it.”
“That’s why I say it’s not good. Listen,” Jeoff said, pulling off his sunglasses to watch the infinite darkness that stretched across a double door. “Steps.”
“Is that who is following us?”
“No. He comes. Let’s hide. He’s not human.”
♫♫♫
Luxt walked in front of both of them to be able to guide them. They couldn’t see in the darkness of the entrails of the place, where there was no longer a single window. At last, after almost half an hour. He saw twenty meters of clarity. To accelerate their pace a little he grabbed both of their hands. If they fell and bled it could attract any undesirable that was nearby and the thin, smelly air didn’t hide what he thought. It smelled of someone else. They were not alone.
The intense light blinded all three of them for a couple of seconds. After so many hours in the darkness, it felt like they were being stabbed in the eyes.
“Meryl?” A scream echoed desperately on the walls.
With strength, Luxt threw them both to the sides as a blow fell from somewhere. He managed to dodge it and it hit with a burst breaking some of the rock on the ground.
“Jeoff!” Meryl shrieked. “No, no!”
The blonde stopped. His fist remained an inch from Luxt’s serious face. Which looked at them with a mixture of distrust and superiority.
“I should kill them,” Luxt murmured.
“No Luxt,” Meryl said, grabbing his coat. “They are Caleb’s friends.”
“Okay.”
“God, Meryl! You’re here!” Smiling, Alexander rushed over to embrace her.
“How?” Johana asked.
“We’ve been trying to reach you for weeks. Apparently, Caleb’s here,” Meryl said.
“Weren’t you with Epsilon?”
“Let’s sit down for a while. We’ll tell you everything,” Johana said, she needed to rest after the stress of the moment.
Meryl began to tell them what happened the past weeks. When she arrived at a certain part of the story her voice began to tremble. Telling them about her brother’s words was too painful. Johana continued with the story and their faces showed their feelings on the matter. Including Jeoff, who was the most serious person in the world and rarely showed his emotions. His frown and his exasperated gaze expressed perfectly the disgust he felt when he heard Meryl’s story.
Later both women wanted to know what had happened in the Alpha Zone. Their faces showed the opposite of the men at the news, surprise, joy, and disbelief. Discovering that it was now a completely free zone and that it was now a civilized part of the chaotic world, it was wonderful. Knowing about the truce between the two sides eased Meryl’s heart a little.
“Amanda the scientist knows how we can stop this with a single blow,” Alexander added.
“Are you serious?” Johana couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “What are you waiting for? Have you seen the city?”
“That’s why we need Meryl,” Jeoff said. “Amanda needs your blood,” he continued, addressing Meryl directly,” she can use it to create a modified virus. It will kill everyone who is infected.”
“Wait.” Meryl began tying up loose ends in her mind. “I don’t know much about science, but I saw thousands of documents with my brother’s name on them. The virus ... can it affect everyone?”
The answer did not come. They didn’t speak but looked at each other. This caused Meryl to frown.
“Come on. That will put you all in danger. I don’t plan to agree.”
“I think Amanda has a plan for that, Meryl. I think she wants to use some humans to transport it.”
“What?” Meryl’s anger increased with that explanation.
“Nothing will happen to them,” Jeoff said.
“I won’t agree until I know all the data and the risks,” Meryl said, standing up. “I must speak to Caleb and Amanda to decide. No,” she repeated firmly when Johana and Alexander were about to speak. “It is my blood. I decide. If it will kill you all I won’t allow it. We will have to look for another option. There’s nothing more to say about it.”
Alexander smiled. Deep inside he knew that the mere thought of putting them, her family, in danger was simply unthinkable. He knew that though she was determined not to agree as soon as she spoke to Caleb her determination would waver.
They set up camp lazily. They were tired, hungry and mentally exhausted. Alexander tried several times to talk to Luxt, but he was unresponsive. Finally, Luxt found a comfortable spot next to Jeoff. He walked unconcerned and did not speak.
“They’re very similar, huh?” Alexander whispered as he walked alongside the women and behind the duo.
“Yes,” Meryl looked at her best friend and slowed her pace to distance themselves from the other two. “Luxt knows Caleb.”
“Really?” The surprise appeared in his gaze. “That’s quite unexpected.”
“Caleb saved him when he was a child. I saw things Alexander,” Meryl added with concern, causing Alexander to frown.
“Things? You almost died,” Johana recalled the attack Meryl had suffered. “It was the melodies of the blood,” she continued, as she heard Alexander sigh.
“Caleb’s past is full of pain and not the kind of pain that comes with the grief of having lost someone you love or growing up in poverty. It’s pain that comes from truth. The kind of pain that changes you and distances you from others. I shouldn’t know the details. Caleb doesn’t talk about it, but Amadeus told me a long time ago.”
“About the men?” Meryl wanted to make sure she did not screw up.
“Yes.”
“Luxt told me that he was saved as a child.”
“Is he the child they saved on the day that they went to take revenge?”
Meryl nodded.
“Amadeus told me that when they got to the tower there was a child going through the same thing that had happened to Caleb. So it was him. Heavens, who would have thought it!”
“The truth is that I can’t stop thinking about those things. I only saw a fragment but I can’t describe the feelings that it caused within me. It’s not fair.”
“No, it’s not. What’s wrong?”
They stopped about fifteen meters ahead and saw that Jeoff and Luxt were slightly crouching, like two cats about to launch into an attack.
“Stay here. Jeoff being in that position is not good. Do not move!”
For half a minute or so both men looked at each other and their position changed suddenly. That told Meryl that there was an enemy, one they already knew.”
“Is it Epsilon?” Johana asked with concern, almost reading Meryl’s thoughts.
“I hope not.”
“But…”
“If it’s him then I’m the only one who can buy us some time. Come on,” Meryl urged.
When they were halfway there they heard a voice, but didn’t understand anything. The three men lunged forward disappearing from their sight. Meryl halted her progress. Suddenly her heart was pounding, a bad feeling imprisoned her until she felt like she was drowning and did not know why.
“Meryl?” Johana called, her face showing fear.
“I don’t like this, Johana.”
Something wasn’t right.
A clatter struck the walls around them. The empty place intensified the power of the loud sounds that came one after another. In the room in front of them, a bestial fight occurred.
“Meryl!” Johana shouted again.
From the doorway, they were determined to cross. Suddenly a wave of smoke and dust rapidly approached them as if a powerful bomb had just exploded.
“It’s finished ...” a whisper pierced her mind.
“What did you say?” Meryl asked Johana.
“Me? Nothing.”
“I just heard…”
Confused they saw Jeoff suddenly appear in front of them, both he and Luxt were covered with blood and dirt.
“Where...?”
The question hung in the air at the sight of Caleb’s bodyguard.
Meryl pushed Jeoff with all the strength in her body. With a strength, she never imagined she had. She ran without hearing their screams for her to stop. At that moment nothing mattered but him, her best friend. Where was he?
The dust that rose like a venomous mist entered her lungs, drowning her and causing her to begin to cough desperately, but that wasn’t enough to prevent her advance. She used the front of her dress as an improvised a mask. It helped her to breathe better. Her attention returned to what mattered, finding Alexander.
“Alexander!” Meryl shouted when the dust came back, ripping at her throat. It was as if it were carrying metal chips.
The seconds passed quickly, relentlessly, every fear was swallowing a little more of Meryl. With her eyes clouded by anguish and heavy dust, she crossed the hole of a shattered wall. There the dust barely flew in the air. The dust covered a horrible scene that paralyzed her. An outcome that her mind simply blocked with despair.
Meryl took a step and staggered unable to stand. Then she took another step and another. When she, at last, managed to focus her sight she could see the horrible brightness of the blood, until it almost blinded her.
Axel, the teenage boy she had found months ago, was standing with his back to her. In his left hand, he held Alexander’s arm. Alexander’s body was almost resting on the ground. When Axel let go of Alexander the dry thud of his body crashing against the cement snapped Meryl out of shock. She screamed in despair at the childish idea that maybe this way she would wake up from a nightmare she would never get over. Then her body reacted by pushing her forward. Meryl stumbled and fell into a puddle of thick blood that still felt warm.
“Alexander ...” Meryl called out, reaching for him. “What have you done Axel? You killed him!”
“His sacrifice was necessary,” muttered the boy whom she once treated as if he were a brother. “Hell will only be unleashed with his blood. I dreamed of it. It had to happen like this.”
Though she screamed over and over again, Axel simply started to walk away. He never turned back, never looked at her, because she had the reflection of his sister Agatha’s soul in her eyes. It was as if Meryl, a direct descendant, was her reincarnation. And she would be able to make him feel such pain, that only death would appease his heart. No, it was not time for his death, yet.
“No,” Meryl gasped when she was alone.
Meryl dragged the weight of her body. Her legs were immobile. She reached Alexander who watched the cracked ceiling through which only a soft bit of moonlight penetrated.
“I- I wanted to see the stars at least once,” Alexander murmured.
Meryl’s heartbeat accelerated. There was still a breath of life in him.
“Don’t speak. Don’t speak!” Meryl repeated desperately. He smiled in such a peculiar way that managed to cause tenderness in anyone and yet the sadness on his face was almost palpable.
“I wanted to see them with Caleb,” Alexander continued. “Reflected in your eyes.”
“Alexander you ...” Her lips trembled at her thoughts. “You love him.”
Though Alexander’s smile continued his eyes closed tightly. It wasn’t from physical pain, but from the blood spilling from his heart after more than a hundred years of secretly loving Caleb. Alexander never thought that what people said about life passing before your eyes when you reached the end of your existence was real, but it happened, he saw ...
Alexander saw their first encounter. In which his dead mother was already holding his hand to take him away with her. Caleb appeared before him with his fierce face, trying to convey a cold seriousness to a dying man. They looked at each other and Alexander glimpsed during the last seconds of his life the suffering and broken heart in the stranger’s bright red eyes. Alexander couldn’t do anything to ease his negative feelings. He only gave Caleb his best and last smile in the hopes of soothing his pain for an instant. The stranger whose heart was surrounded by impenetrable metal walls took pity on Alexander. Alexander’s smile touched Caleb’s soul and Caleb gave him another life next to him. From that moment Alexander took a few weeks to lose his heart to Caleb. Caleb who distanced himself emotionally from everyone and whose gaze from a safe distance made Alexander fall into the depths of a dark love.
Under the pressure of closed eyelids because of the enjoyment of the memories of his life two small tears fell, venting that terrible pressure from his chest.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Oh my...” Unable to contain her crying Meryl buried her face in Alexander’s chest as she clung to him.
“You must care for him.” Meryl heard Alexander murmur as softly as if he were telling a secret impossible to pronounce. “You are everything to him and promise me,” he coughed up blood, “that you will never allow Galatea to get close to him. She will use false declarations of love to get close to him. He’ll fall for it. Caleb can’t... avoid it. She will kill him. Promise me that you will watch over Pein. He’s just a needy child.”
Alexander managed to place a hand on the nape of
her neck, pressing it in a last embrace that she wished lasted forever. When that tender hand slid down her back it had no strength and fell to the floor. Meryl didn’t have to look up to see him, he was gone. Alexander would never smile again.
“I swear to you, Alexander ... Alexander!”
How much time had it taken? It was not something Meryl wanted to know because those last few minutes with Alexander only belonged to her. However, the rest of the group arrived and Johana’s trembling hands clung to her from behind, embracing her, wanting to share her pain. Jeoff watched the body of his companion, of his friend. With regret and respect, he took off the sunglasses he always wore and closed his eyes remembering hundreds of little things. Alexander’s memory would never disappear, but his death would unleash a hell, just as Axel warned. It would be a madness full of a vengeful frenzy that would spill thousands of liters of blood.
“We must go,” Luxt said.
“We can’t leave him here.”
“No, we can’t and must not. I’ll take care of him,” Jeoff said, causing Meryl to lift her head at last, for she could feel the soft vibration of the ever steady voice.
Meryl finally let Johana help her get up. Jeoff covered Alexander with his dark jacket and lifted him up as they began to walk. It was as if they were in a funeral procession.
In the street, they heard a couple of people comment that hundreds of people had arrived to occupy a small town a few hours walk in distance, no doubt it was Caleb. He had already set up a base of operations. It was difficult to leave the city. The news spread like wildfire until it reached Epsilon’s ears. He began to mobilize his men by placeing lookouts at all exits, but using sewers and difficult access areas they managed to exit through another collapsed building.
During the dark walk, there wasn’t a whisper, not a word. Meryl was trying to assimilate that Alexander had died in a cruel way that he didn’t deserve. He was the kindest person Meryl had ever met in all her life.
“We’re close,” Jeoff said suddenly, as they saw a small town on the outskirts of the city.
Melody N 8
Melodies of Blood 2 Page 12
