"At that time, anyone who didn't believe in a higher being was considered a "lost soul" on Earth. What is now referred to as "atheism," Donatho; was even worse than that term, and combined with his pride and lack of empathy, every time people saw him, they shouted without any filter: "Right hand of the same malevolent one," not to mention directly calling him... "Illuminati." And he couldn't care less. "Do the Illuminati exist?" The snow-haired one asked. "I thought that was nonsense." "It's not, Laiya. The truth is, it's not." He said with a frustrated tone. "That sect has existed long before your existence, and it continues to exist thanks to the same greedy humanity that's willing to give their body or soul for fame, money, recognition, and anything you can imagine, disguising it as something good when it's actually a façade. The world of Orleans is damaged by ourselves, not by God. Because there is a God who created everything you see, touch, and admire, but just as He exist
"From an eagle." Before Fox could say it, Stuff did. "Just like it did that day, at the Mass." "So, that means... That eagle, that thing, has done something like this before?" "It has been doing it for thousands of years," said Fox. "But when it was punished for a transgression, it was locked under a thick layer of levu itologi, which roughly translates to a heavy layer of punishment. It would only break when the one invoking it holds the same density of evil, and... Mr. Donatho was like that." His voice trailed off."But despite that," Stuff spoke up, "in order to invoke it and to make everything go as planned, something had to be given in return." "What thing?" Elijah asked."Two... Lives," he replied.Elijah looked at the brown-haired man as he pieced together everything he was hearing. As he saw the sadness and anger in his voice, even if the Sheriff took it as something normal, Elijah didn't see it that way. He deduced that the same eagle had done such terrible things befor
"It takes me away, a thousand times it takes me away." He mumbled into his phone. "Melia isn't responding.""She's not responding to me either." He said as it went to voicemail."Rebekah, I can't see Elijah anywhere.""Me neither, Fox." She said as they walked across the square, far from what remained of the church. Elijah had disappeared so quickly that they had no time to do anything. They needed to find him, explain things to him better, something told them he was thinking something very different about everything, about Melia. "I feel like something's not right." She suddenly stopped, her heart was racing and there was a lot of heat, a suffocating heat.Fox took her arm and led her to a chair in a small café in the square. He sat beside her and touched her forehead. She was sweating, which was illogical given the cold, and this only happened when she felt something was wrong with Melia."I can't see what's happening… But I feel like Melia isn't okay." He said, and this time his tem
The tapping on the grand door was insistent, sometimes expected to see when the next tap would come. Fast, slow, no tap, and again fast, slow. Those inside wondered, who would knock like this when everyone in the mansion had a spare key? But they stopped wondering when they found out who the one knocking was.Approaching, they opened the door slowly, and upon seeing who it was, their eyes widened."Melía!" they exclaimed, falling to their knees, their face reflecting concern. "It can't be." They took her face in their hands.Melía looked at them, her brow furrowed, her mouth slightly open, her chest rising as if in convulsion. She was short of breath; the wounds that they saw, the ones Za recognized, pained her in the worst way. It's unknown where she found the strength to walk through the forest when she woke up, covered in her own blood.Za, unable to carry her alone, had no choice but to drag her inside. The other woman inside couldn't help but bring her hands to her mouth, terrifi
The line of her lips twisted to one side, forming a smile. The gleam in her eyes intensified as she gazed into his eyes. Could this be possible? That gesture had answered him; it was Karina, Karina Conkinova. A gasp escaped him as he released the held breath. He couldn't help but laugh, but it was the kind of laughter that made others release the air they held. He took two steps back, brought his hands to his mouth, and approached again."You are... You are..." He stuttered. "I can't believe it." Without the polite Karina expecting it, the snow-pelinieve hugged her. She wasn't used to this, so two seconds later, she reacted. She was in shock, surprised. He could feel the ecstatic exclamation from his forum for this. He had before him the woman who gave life to the woman he adores, the woman he loves, the woman who is part of great stories, a voice for many women. "Sorry, sorry..." He apologized, letting go of the embrace.Karina was a bit lost by his reaction. In her long years of lif
Rebekah decided, like the others, not to pursue the topic further. It was clear that they wouldn't change her mind.The clock struck two in the morning and everyone was still awake except for Helena. Sleep overtook her, especially when she felt so weak due to what was happening with Melia. Za was in the kitchen with Rebekah and Fox, Karina was sitting beside the Pelinieve on the floor, her back against the table. Karina pushed back some of Melia's hair that was touching her cold and rough skin on her cheeks. The black marks on her skin stood out even more, and the grayish hue of her skin as well. It had been a while since she had seen her in this state. Elijah looked at her face, hoping that at some point she would open her eyes. He really wanted her to open them, for her vibrant brown color to return, and to hear her voice.Everyone had told him that she would come back, that it depended on whether the black hole she was in allowed her to return. He was beginning to think she wouldn'
"No," she replied. "An intermittent pain I felt in my chest all of a sudden, that pain when something sharp pierces your heart, as if it's being squeezed and impaled at the same time.""A stake," he deduced. "Now it would be something similar to a knife.""But back then, it was even sharper and could tear even worse. That man did it in front of everyone, escaping in the end. How did I know it was my husband? Because when I fell and could see that I was about to go, his icy gaze told me everything.""What a wretch," he expressed with hardened emotion. "How could he do that to you? Couldn't they just... talk?""He never talked, he only acted. He was worse than what they said, Elijah. He cared about nothing, not even the inconsolable sobbing of his only daughter; that's something you never forget. He wanted it all to be unforgettable, but I thought it would be different."Elijah tried to speak, but he didn't know what to say. It was a lot to think about, to process; something that had ne
The depth of her inhalation had the resemblance of when you swiftly emerge from the depths of the sea, and upon reaching the surface, exhale forcefully. They were startled by such a reaction, even more so when she suddenly stood upright. The black lines all over her body were gradually fading, her skin ceasing to be grayish, and as she opened her eyes, they were no longer completely white. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and as crazy as it sounds, the beats of her heart suddenly focused in silence. Not even the nocturnal animals could be heard, nor the rustling of the large leaves on the lush trees. Until Karina exclaimed her name, taking her face in her hands. Her gaze was lost, agitated. She tried to calm her daughter, she had to. She patted her cheeks, speaking into her ear, and whatever she said had the desired effect. Karina looked into her eyes and without hesitation, kissed her forehead.Elijah was still frozen against the table, witnessing it all. But as seconds passed, he re