She stared at Snow, watching her eat raw meat out of her hand. Claire sat on the floor while I sat on top of the kitchen table, watching how easily Snow grew to like Claire.

“Just how in the world did you tame a Nakedae?”

“She hated me for the longest time.”

“As she should. Don’t tell me you’re keeping her as a pet.”

“Can I?”

“It’s not a regular cat, Rae. Are you prepared to handle the responsibility?”

“I’ve been doing fine so far…”

“Listen, they can’t be pets. They’re-” Claire stopped herself. “Ah, never mind. I’ll tell you when it’s important,” she said while petting Snow. “Protect Rae when you’re older, okay? You’re so small, just how old are you?”

The kitten brushed her head on Claire’s fingers and meows. Even though it was just a meow, I understood it.

“She’s five.”

Claire scoffed. “Frierenlus was right all along? You really were born inside The Garden.”

“Are you going to kick me out?”

“No, Silly,” Claire stood and poked my chest. “But we do have to go back to our house.”

“No…I like it here…”

“Just for a bit, Rae. I have someone waiting there. We’ll leave in the morning okay?”

“Okay…”

-

Another human sat in our home. The first human I met. An old man with ugly and wrinkly skin sitting in a black and gray chair that had wheels on the side. He wouldn’t stop coughing.

“Rae, this is Bellas,” Claire introduced me.

“You’re old!”

Bellas’ laugh was mixed with a cough. “On death's door, I’m afraid. My, how you’ve grown, Rae. I wish I could live long enough to see the woman you become.”

“Bellas.”

“Right,” he chuckled. “Rae, do you know why I’m here?”

“No.”

I didn’t notice the big black box Bellas had on his lap. He opened it and pulled out a transparent tube with a needle. “I’m here to see just how special you are. Lovely Claire here hasn’t bothered to get you examined. She forgets that you’re still a kid. Can you hold out your arm and squeeze your fist?”

I do as directed and Bellas stuck the syringe needle into my elbow pit. “What are you doing?”

“Drawing blood. It’s time to find out a little more about you, maybe where you came from too.”

Bellas took the needle and stuck it into something inside the box.

“How long is this going to take?” Claire asked.

“Not too long. Rae, Claire tells me you want to go with her when she ventures off the island. Don’t you want to do something else instead?”

“What do mean?”

“Like school. You can go to a place where you’ll meet lots a friends and live a normal life. Ne a regular girl”

“Nah, I’m good. I want to fight monsters!”

“Following in your mother’s footsteps, huh?”

“She’s not my mom.”

“She’s not my kid,” we both said in unison.

I heard a ding coming from the box and Claire leaned over to take a look.

“Hmm. Quite interesting.”

“Well?”

“She’s a normal human.”

“Impossible. She was born here, she has to have the gene. What about her hair? It’s not possible unless-”

“Rae,” Bellas interrupted. “Do you like it here? Claire has kept you here just so she could watch over you but isn’t teaching you how to be a girl. I’m sure she’s been cold to you. I’m positive you resent her. Claire isn’t a person a girl like you should have a mother. She’s incapable of love. You deserve to be with people who will care for you.”

“I’ll send you to the heavens early, old man. Don’t forget who you’re talking about.”

“Then forget what I just said,” Bellas coughed and didn’t stop for a minute. “I’ll be staying here for a while. Let's enjoy our time together.”

“Rae, can you go to the forest and fetch something to eat?” Claire asked but I’m sure it was just to get me out of the house. The low and cold tone of her voice made sure I stayed far away from whatever conversation she was going to have with Bellas.

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-

Bellas didn’t stay with us for too long. I think it was just three or four days. I didn’t talk to him much either. He spent most of his time out in the field doing nothing. Not nothing, admiring nature’s beauty around him.

Bellas was a man who held many secrets about Claire. I wish he was around longer so I could learn about them. When we talked, he didn’t say much like before. He gave short answers to any questions I asked or dodged them all together. I think Claire forced him to be like that. Looking back now, I think she was protecting me by not letting me get too attached to him. Bellas was here to die on this island, that’s as much as I knew.

If I was a little bit older, I wonder if I would have taken his initial questions into consideration. I was still too young to give anything much critical thought besides my childish desires. Would it have even changed anything?

.

-

Because the cabin only had two beds, Claire let me sleep with her for the next few days. Unlike before, she didn’t wrap her arms around me. Perhaps I was too big now. We slept back to back in the shape of a butterfly.

“When can I go back to The Garden?” I asked her the night before we would.

“Just be patient and go to sleep.”

“Why were you gone for so long?”

“It’s complicated.”

“You never tell me anything.”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Frie said you left because of a war. It wasn’t a monster?”

“Those damn old men”, Claire sighed and whispered to herself, “No it wasn’t a monster this time. Humans are greedy and stupid. They go to war for things that don’t matter and destroy the very land they live on. I had to go and destroy a weapon they’ve built before it could cause any harm.”

I would later learn she only told me was because Frie and Bellas both scolded her for withholding so much from me.

“Must be a scary one if you had to go.”

“Yes, it was,” Claire yawned. “No more questions. Go to sleep.”

“What was it, Claire?”

“It’s complicated. I’ll tell you someday.”

-

When I woke, Claire was already gone. Hungry and wanting breakfast I limped outside to look for her. I found the old man feeding the cows in the field.

“You know people aren’t supposed to know about this island,” I told him.

“I know. I’m one of the few who Claire allowed.”

“How do you know her? Do you go on adventures with her?”

“Once upon a time, but that was a long time ago,” He coughed violently. “I do feel sorry for her.”

“Why?”

“Has she not told you? Ah. Why would she?”

“Tell me what?”

“She lives in a hell that no person can ever comprehend. I’m amazed she still walks and upholds her duty. It’s a testament to just how powerful she is.”

“I know right? I want to see her fight someone just as strong!”

Bellas laughed. “Rae, there isn’t a thing alive that can ever fight her evenly. She’s the strongest thing to exist.”

“Nuh uh, Frie is the guardian of the sky! He’s just as strong!”

“If he was in his prime, maybe. Do you know about the other two tutelary creatures? All just as strong as each other. If all three were to fight her, I’d say she would still come up on top.”

“There’s more?! And she’s the strongest?”

“Like you couldn’t imagine,” Bellas laughed.

“Then why is she in hell?”

“It’s not for me to say, I’m sorry,” he paused. “Do you really want to follow in her footsteps? She will only hurt you.”

“I want to get super strong!”

“Strength for what? Power only makes you arrogant. Its only purpose is to dominate.”

“No, stupid! I read a lot of books. I want to be a hero like them. Claire is a hero too! I’ll be just like her!”

Bellas gasped, laughed, then smiled. “Now where have I heard that before?”

“Don’t tell her anything unnecessary,” Claire sneaked up behind us.

Bellas coughed up a storm. By the end, blood was coming out. “I’m relieved that such a child stumbled into your life, Claire. I can finally rest easy.”

“It’s time.”

“Yes.” Bellas turned to me, “Rae. Don’t ever lose that heart of yours,” then turned to Claire. “And you Claire, child chosen by the Goddess. I hope that one day you open that heart of yours.”

“Are you really going to make those your last words?”

Bellas let out a long exhale before looking up at the sky. “I’ve lived too far of a life. It should have ended countless times. We met by chance, Claire, but I’m glad I can call you a friend,” Bellas weakly laughed. “You still look as young as the day we met. How my wife envied you. How my kids are bewildered by you. How the world foolishly worships you. I’m sorry for the cards you have been dealt; forced to forever walk this beautiful earth, numb to it all. Why is it that you continue to serve the Goddess? Why do you share your magic with us? None of us deserve it. We are just a parasite to this world. Why do you still allow us to exist, knowing that one day we will bring the end of the world?”

“Do you want me to tell you? A dying man’s last wish?”

Bellas scoffed, “I’m not going to waste it on that.”

“Then anything you want, one last gift of mine.” Her voice was low and somber. Quiet. Soft.

“Before I ask, can you answer one question of mine?”

“Fine, I won’t count it.”

“The Goddess. Did you ever meet her?

“Yes.”

“Inside her tower? Like the legends? What is she like?”

“Those are more questions.”

“Please.”

There was a pause. “I’m here, aren’t I? Cursed.” Her voice was so sweet. So warm. “It’s been so long I can barely remember. She told me her name. She told me the burden I had to carry. She showed me what it was all for. There is nothing I can tell you that you won't learn when you return to her side.” Claire kneeled down to Old Man Bellas and held his hands. “It’s time, you don’t have much left. What’s your wish? What can I do for you as the angel you call me so much?”

“Show Rae the world. I ask of you, Divine Child. I ask you, Enemy of Humanity. Savior of Humanity. Claire de Lune. Take Rae as your daughter. Treat her well. Learn to love again. Become human.”

“You ask the impossible.”

Bellas exhaled again. “Mother Gaia, Goddess of the lands seas, and skies. I offer thee, my sinful soul, may it be reborn and cleansed. I speak thee true name out of love, not vain. O [redacted], bless these two children of yours. Lead towards the path of…” Bellas suddenly quiets.

Claire sighed, resting her forehead on Bella’s. “You fool. That’s not even her true name.”

I watched this all without my interruptions. It took me a second, but I came to understand that this man just died. He died peacefully in the hands of his friend, enacting a prayer for us. I didn’t know him for long so I can’t say his death saddened me much.

I can’t say the same for Claire. I’m not sure how she truly felt. She never brought him up. She never talked about it. I’m sure it had to be painful. They had known each other for nearly a hundred years. Bellas was someone she was close to, I’m sure. The pain she must have felt is what she wanted to avoid with me. It was what Frie was talking about.

He was buried a few miles north under a lone tree that stood on top of a cliff. Claire had already dug a hole, knowing that this day would be his last.

Once the ground was filled, we stood together in silence. I wanted to say something but nothing felt appropriate. I was even afraid to look at Claire. I managed to take a peak and saw a small smile accompanied by envious eyes as if she were jealous.

Claire longed for death.