“Meryl.” Jacob’s hands held onto her causing a chain reaction.
Caleb once again looked toward the front and saw that Epsilon was surrounded by spawn. His smile had vanished and his face looked empty and expressionless. Caleb concluded that seeing his father and sister had made Epsilon’s sick mind remember a distant past that was rising to torment him.
“I suppose that I should thank you for killing my father,” Caleb’s voice suddenly rang out, wanting to take advantage of Epsilon’s confusion. “You’re the only one that’s left, brat.”
“You dare to speak to me. You? Someone inferior,” Epsilon said after a moment of silence. He tossed Akad’s head to the side and stood up from where he had been sitting. “You’re nothing but an obstacle in my path. Imperfect and unnecessary.”
“We should retreat,” Jeoff whispered when he saw that they were being surrounded and had no way to escape.
“Not yet.” Caleb looked up at the sky and saw that it was empty. “Not until the planes arrive. When it starts raining we’ll go back. I have to buy us some time.”
Epsilon hadn’t moved. It looked like he was waiting for something. Maybe a nice conversation because he was certain that he would win. It certainly wasn’t unfounded when taking into account the hundreds of spawn that crowded around him like thirsty devils.
“I have a question. Why did you kill Akad?”
“He was also imperfect. He wanted to have a child in order to be happy. Can you believe that?” Epsilon lifted his hands while he laughed like a madman. “He nearly destroyed the world to start a new era and all to have a child like him.” He laughed again. The thought seemed to amuse him. “Evidently someone like him isn’t suitable.”
“And you are?”
“Me?” Epsilon was offended. “I am a god. A supreme being walking among mortals. I decide who lives or dies. I create.” He motioned toward the crowd of spawn. “I am unique.”
“I’m not so sure of that,” Caleb said with disdain and provoked a visible fury in Epsilon. “Let’s see. I don’t know much about science,” Caleb admitted, “but weren’t you created with Axel’s blood.”
“The first vampire capable of creating others. The first evolution,” Epsilon said with conviction.
“Meryl was transformed by Akad. The original vampire with a pure bloodline. Without experiments and a forced evolution.” Caleb saw that Epsilon was disconcerted. “Didn’t he tell you?” Caleb smiled triumphantly. “He made an incursion into our base camp and bit Meryl. It could be said that she is superior to you and your dirty hands aren’t so glorious that you can touch her. In conclusion and basing myself on your thought process. You are nothing, but a false god and she isn’t.”
An angry scream echoed off the nearby buildings. Epsilon was furious but in a few seconds, wore the macabre smile that he liked to show the world.
“She is mine. She always will be and you will die here with your friends. You won’t get to see the magnificent future that I have prepared for everyone.”
Epsilon’s voice disappeared when they heard a strange buzzing sound that tore through the sky. From one of the dark clouds that covered the sky emerged two gigantic machines. Everyone’s heads lifted to look at something that hadn’t been seen for two hundred years.
“Now Jeoff,” Caleb shouted. “Legrant grab Johana. Jacob take Meryl,” he ordered.
Taking advantage of Epsilon’s confusion they ran back on the same path that they had arrived. With each step leaving the hell that they had entered. Caleb knew that it wouldn’t take long for Epsilon to follow them. However, they all wished that the virus would kill all the spawn and maybe with a little luck, kill Epsilon as well. Despite the distance they had put between them and their enemies they heard screams of pain. It was a good sign. It meant that the solution that Amanda had created was working. Or at least that it was having some effect. If it didn’t kill the spawn maybe it would weaken them.
“What now?” Pain asked, his face showed terror mixed with confusion.
“We wait.”
“For everyone else to arrive?” Johana was hysterical and shook Caleb. Legrant pulled her back. “And if they didn’t die? There were hundreds of those things,” Johana said.
“There’s no going back.” Luxt crossed his arms. “We need to face what is coming.”
“For the moment and until they can focus we have a few minutes. Jacob, I need to talk with you.” Caleb motioned for Jacob to follow him for a private conversation.
With each torturous moment that passed their nervousness increased. They looked in all directions waiting for a devastating attack. While Caleb and Jacob talked a few meters away. Johana’s face showed her terror and her body trembled so badly that it was visible.
In that moment everything seemed to stop and something clicked in Meryl’s mind. She observed all of the people that surrounded her and feeling overwhelmed her. A strange voice whispered in her mind. Meryl couldn’t understand it and wasn’t even sure if it was her conscious or someone else. Despite that strange things started to happen within her brain. Under Luxt’s watchful gaze Meryl walked to the bag of supplies. She grabbed a bottle of water and drank it while she felt herself frown. Meryl put up the bottle and waited a few seconds before standing. It was clear to Meryl that some mystical being, perhaps the one that had claimed it was her mother after her transformation, and that now whispered to her had revealed Meryl’s destiny. Meryl would do what it wanted because it was the right thing to do. She was the only one that could do it and it had to be done.
“Attention everyone. Someone’s coming,” Legrant suddenly shouted. Johana tensed and started trembling once again.
There on the outskirts of the city, between fallen buildings, and ruins that they had no idea what capacity they once served in the past emerged several people.
Their faces had changed. Some of their skin had peeled off due to Amanda’s solution. It made them angry. They were a considerable number of people. The movement of the spawn was much slower and that gave Caleb and his group a slight advantage.
“Take care,” screamed Caleb. Jacob moved to protect Meryl.
“Father.”
“Calm down. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“I’m okay. I’m no longer human.”
“You’re the closest thing to a human. You don’t have any powers.”
Meryl grimaced and couldn’t respond to the uncomfortable truth. Remembering the past Meryl was surprised that her change hadn’t shocked her. There were some small differences within her and that made things easy. After all she had fallen in love with a vampire.
“You’ll pay for this,” the voice was heard from behind a fallen slab of concrete. A few seconds later a hand punched through the concrete and a head peeked out.
“Hello Epsilon,” Caleb said arrogantly. He knew it would infuriate Epsilon.
“Don’t think that you have beaten us.” Epsilon tripped slightly due to the weakness that coursed through his body. He had no choice but to lean on one of the spawn. Which he tossed aside as soon as his legs became stable enough to stand.
There came a few tense moments when the gazes of both leaders collided. Epsilon’s grimace of pain and disgust changed suddenly to his famous smile. He removed a device from his pocket and pressed a button. It looked a lot like the device that Caleb had used with Alexander to send messages and call each other.
“Careful!” Meryl shouted taking a step forward, but Jacob held her back.
A millisecond was enough for Meryl to smell the scent of individuals that she hadn’t met before and couldn’t remember and that seemed to spark something in her brain. Something fell from above and Caleb was able to avoid it hitting him thanks to Meryl’s shout. Meryl sighed in relief. Everyone looked to the right where the ruins of buildings older than those in front of them stood. From one second to the next they were s
urrounded by enemies. It wasn’t spawn but normal vampires led by Mat and Edel.
“I’ve waited a long time for this moment Caleb,” Edel said as a greeting.
“Edel, every time you try to kill me it goes wrong.”
“But not this time. Though you try to hide it I can see on your face how surprised and scared you are.”
Caleb cursed because Edel was right. He never thought he would be surprised with Edel and Mat, but then again, Caleb never imagined that Epsilon would leave his normal vampires in reserve for the second wave of attack. It was dangerous… Caleb could recognize the faces of several of the vampires. They all belonged to a past filled with problems. They were radical vampires who thought that humans were nothing but food. Or were to be bred for food. They had no souls, no feelings. A mortal enemy. And though he had some people that he counted on hiding in the shadows Caleb knew they were outnumbered fifty to one.
“Fuck! We’re dead,” Pein said.
“God… dear God …” Johana’s cries attracted Meryl’s gaze. Surprised she closed her eyes. Johana had always been so strong and had helped Meryl after she had awakened and now her mind bordered on insanity from her fear.
“I think that this can be called,” Epsilon said with pride, “an endgame and a very good one at that. If I do say so myself.”
“I’ll go with you but only if you leave them alone,” Meryl offered.
“None of that.” Caleb grabbed Meryl’s wrist. He looked her in the eyes and was terrified of the certainty he saw in her eyes. Meryl was firmly decided on her actions.
“Truthfully, you’ll come with me whether I kill them or not,” Epsilon told her with a serious air about him. With a wave of his hand, he pushed back hair that had been stuck on his forehead with blood. “You’ve lost. It’s a fact that you must accept. You’ve tried to take on more than you are capable of.”
The speech that had started with such bravado started to diminish. Caleb squinted his eyes and took a step back according to his second plan. He needed to buy some time and for that he needed Jacob. Jacob placed himself in the same position that Caleb had been in a few seconds earlier. He embraced his daughter with one arm and this disturbed the mind of the one who tried to hide his soul.
“George, that’s enough,” Jacob said after a brief silence.
“You… what right do you have to touch her,” Epsilon shouted furiously. “You left... she paid for it more than any of us! She worked without rest, had no life, and was unable to do what she wanted. You are the least indicated to say anything, bastard!”
“No Ep… George,” Meryl corrected herself, finally understanding their strategy. “Father left to protect us. He’s no longer human.”
“I know that,” Epsilon said with disdain. He waved a hand in the air. “Akad told me everything a long time ago. But instead of staying and protecting his family the coward left with his tail between his legs. You’re the most impure one here.”
“Your fanaticism hurts me son.” Sorrowfully, Jacob lowered his head and hugged Meryl. “I’ve treasured so many memories… Christmas, where I saw my children smile with pride that inflated my paternal ego… everyone was happy. Do you remember that weekend in the country? Just you, Meryl, and I… mom had to work a shift. I told stories around the campfire and you were scared, you wanted the three of us to sleep close together…
“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Epsilon’s voice sounded almost heartbreaking. A few seconds later he placed both hands on his head and let out an awful scream that put both groups on alert.
A sudden silence took hold of the place despite the fact that there were hundreds of mouths wanting to talk. Caleb felt strangely nervous. It was the first time that he thought himself so close to true death since his mother had killed him all those years ago. He couldn’t help but remember the night that his mother killed him in that old pier with the moon overhead. In that moment Caleb hadn’t cared about dying. He had surrendered under a life filled with pain but now… Now it was different. He had found happiness. His other half was now with him and it wasn’t fair of them to try to snatch his happiness away once again.
“Destroy them,” Epsilon said after a few minutes. “Rip them apart. The one who touches Meryl will be skinned.”
“Dammit,” Caleb yelled. “Form a circle.”
A few spawn remained standing near Epsilon. The vampires followed Epsilon’s command and launched themselves away from the ruins and on the group in the dozens. Epsilon started throwing punches at anyone who dared come close.
“We can’t take much more,” Legrant shouted.
“Shit! We’re surrounded. There’s no way to escape,” Pein added.
Their attack didn’t take long to distract the group. It was difficult for the group to fight them off with so many enemies fighting them at the same time. Caleb prepared himself as soon as they started fighting. He was sure that it wouldn’t take long for Edel to attack him. Edel’s eternal hatred had blinded him and this would be their final fight. Caleb regretted not killing the sadistic bastard that enjoyed the suffering of innocents long ago. Caleb had had dozens of opportunities to cut short his life but he wasted the opportunities because Caleb hadn’t wanted to break one miserable rule and now he was paying the consequences.
A few meters away Epsilon couldn’t take his eyes off the fight. He heard the screams with pleasure. He was victorious and he knew it.
“This is getting ugly.” Luxt was starting to feel tired after eternal minutes of fighting.
“Hold on.” Even with his glasses broken Jeoff didn’t stop for a single second. He continued throwing punches and kicking out at anyone who came close to them.
From one second to another Caleb’s vision came true. After trying out a surprise attack and hiding behind his men Edel kept moving closer to Caleb’s position. He thought Caleb wouldn’t notice him, but Caleb had been waiting for Edel’s obvious oncoming attack that he’d prepared for it and the moment that Edel’s gloved touched his neck, Caleb would rip him apart with all the strength in his body.
“I have you, bastard…”
“That’s what you think?” Caleb asked him without an expression.
It didn’t take long for Edel to realize that his strategy had backfired, and it was a total disaster. The punch that Edel threw went wild and hit one of his comrades. With uncertainty clouding his mind Caleb’s fist connected with Edel’s face. The sound of a loud crack told him something broke. Edel placed his hands on his face and Caleb had no other option but to break formation and move two meters away with the intention of finishing him off. There would be no more opportunities and Caleb knew it because one thing that Edel did was learn from his mistakes.
“Cover my place,” Caleb asked without wasting time.
Caleb’s fury allowed him to move aside anyone who got in his way. In the end, Caleb was stronger, faster and more dangerous than anyone there. He felt a strange emotion when he managed to grab hold of the front of Edel’s shirt, Caleb pulled Edel toward him and wrapped his fingers around Edel’s throat. They looked each other in the eyes. As Caleb’s fingers tightened he could see panic fill Edel’s dark eyes. Edel tried to talk, scream, but the pressure of Caleb’s fingers was so great that his words simply suffocated. Small cracking sounds as if something giving way under great pressure were heard. Several of Edel’s henchmen tried to move Caleb but none of them were victorious and fearful that they would suffer the same fate. They determined that their lives were worth more than Edel’s and fled. Caleb enjoyed the growing brightness in the eyes of the man who would receive the end he deserved after causing so much suffering. Extinguishing Edel’s life had been easy, terrifyingly easy. Caleb looked at the body that lay at his feet. Its neck was destroyed and it was covered in blood. Mat’s screams came from the other side of the circle and woke Caleb out of a stupor. Pein fought fiercely to keep Mat on the other side. Caleb felt as if everything was s
urreal.
“Edel! Edel!”
“Your friend is dead.” Pein punched his opponent in the ribs.
Mat fell to his knees. Pein had some doubts. He didn’t think he had hit Mat hard enough to cause that reaction. However, it didn’t take long for Pein to realize that Mat’s reaction wasn’t because of his physical punch but by the emotional punch he had received by the death of his friend and companion.
“I’m sorry, but keep in mind,” Pein placed his hands on Mat’s face, “that if it weren’t for your shitty war, my brother would still be alive.”
Mat didn’t scream or fight. During the seconds it took for Pein to twist and rip his head away from his body Mat maintained a strange calmness that made Pein shiver. Mat didn’t want to live without Edel. However, the deaths of those two had been so easy to accomplish and meant absolutely nothing. They didn’t influence the outcome or bring a possible victory closer. In fact, at the moment victory was farther away than ever.
Exhaustion and wounds were wearing down the group, each wave of attacks was preceded by another one and another one… they were in the final battle. Meryl watched from the center of the formation. Guilt crushed her and her doubts increased. Was she the cause of all of this? If she hadn’t awoken would everything be different? Meryl shook her head in the hopes of getting rid of the negative thoughts and looked at Epsilon, sitting there enjoying the spectacle.
“You have to think of something Caleb. We’re about to lose,” Jeoff yelled.
“I know,” Caleb’s response, full of anger and frustration, chipped away at everyone’s emotions.
“Stop playing!” Epsilon yelled, getting the attention of both groups. “It’s time to give the final blow.”
After a few seconds, the attacks stopped, the tension, the stares, and the silence was terrifying and suddenly dozens of enemies, some running, and others leaping through the air with the intention of landing on top of the group, attacked. They would never win against so many attacking at the same time. They’d lost and would die.
The pain provoked screams and the scent of blood caused fear.
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