Zeo

As the waves of life, voices echoed in the midnight of an everlasting dream. Sleepless nights, restless mornings. A caring touch, reaching the depths of a broken soul, trying to persuade a vacant mind.

The same cycle, repeating itself, over and over.

Like a curse, a burden, the weight upon sore shoulders.

But death was never a choice.

Once again, Zeo returned to hell. A familiar fiend who would not abandon his side.

Through a slim opening of his right eye, Zeo glimpsed the blurred face of Maria. She pressed a cold, wet cloth against his head and murmured something through trembling lips.

She looked like a lost angel, searching for her way home.

"Maria," Zeo mumbled.

"Don't talk, please," Maria said in a soothing voice. She was kneeling next to him, dried tears on her cheeks and messy hair, the consequences of several sleepless nights.

Zeo lay on a thin blanket, his back suffering the unyielding stone floor.

Why am I still alive?

Despite the torturous pain, he remained still and took a deep breath before gathering the strength to speak again. "Take a rest. I will be fine,"

Maria didn't seem to hear his voice and kept pressing the cloth against the left side of his face, where his left eye used to be.

Zeo was cold and numb, his life worthless. He had paid the price of his actions. In the end, that was his fate.

"This is just the beginning," Zeo said, "There's no point in trying to help me."

Maria stopped to look at him, her lavender eyes glistening with tears. "Am I supposed to let you die?"

"I won't die," Zeo said like a robot.

Covering her face with blood-stained hands, Maria began sobbing again.

Zeo grabbed her arm tightly. "I've not given up yet."

Maria sniffled and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "You were gone for twelve days. . ." she mumbled, her voice cracking. "This time, I truly thought you were. . ." She swallowed and shook her head before letting out a squeal of pain and frustration.

"They won't let me die. They need me." Zeo stared deeply into her pupils, witnessing the remains of a broken soul.

Maria averted her eyes, her body shaking.

Zeo caressed her arm and then took her hand between his. "I'm in no position to make promises right now, but," Zeo tightened his lips, holding back a grunt of pain. "I'll do my best to get you out of here."

Maria looked at him tenderly but deprived of life and hope and then returned an empty nod.

His brain questioned his words. But deep down in his heart, Zeo knew it wasn't over yet. Fate had kept him alive for a reason, and he would fulfill his goal before death.

*°*°*

In the morning, the pain had reduced.

Zeo realized his body was quickly adapting to his one-eyed vision. He lay still on the ground staring blankly at the ceiling, wondering if Maria would ever get to see the stars again. She sat next to him, disinfecting the wound, now almost closed.

Scanning Maria from head to toe, he understood such a gentle soul wasn't meant for that world. He twisted his lips and reached for her hand, holding it close to his chest.

Maria stared at him for a moment and then smiled. "Are you hungry?" she asked.

"I'm good." Aided by his other arm, Zeo sat up, feeling his cranium on the verge of falling apart. "But you need to rest."

"Zeo, you—"

"Don't even say it," Zeo cut her off and scowled. "Rest. I need to exercise anyway. My body is still weak. I need to recover as soon as possible." He stood and stretched his arms and legs, ignoring the pain traveling from his head to the tip of his toes.

Maria let out a sigh of resignation and nodded. Zeo knew she was at her limit; her pale face and trembling legs gave it away, and it was his fault. Self-loath devoured his insides since the day he woke up. The least he could do was to punish his pathetic self with training.

She sat on a blanket in a corner and observed Zeo while he started doing push-ups. Her eyes were melancholy, yet her sweet expression brightened Zeo's darkness.

From then on, the days flew by with little to no words.

Someone fed them twice a day through a hole in the door. Insipid meals Zeo never finished, hoping Maria would, but she just stared blankly at her plate, took two bites, and returned to her corner again.

Their bathroom was the darkest side of the cage. Zeo had lost almost all sense of shame, but a lady like Maria still struggled. He would often pretend to be asleep to give her some privacy.

Taking a shower happened once a week when someone shoved a hose through a hole in the door and shot icy cold water at them for one minute.

At night, the nightmares became less frequent, as well as the dream of Remnya rescuing him. Zeo had accepted his fate and concluded Remnya shouldn't return for him. She had to be happy, alone, and far from him.

He had to follow his own path too. Alone.

Alone.

To keep his mind busy, Zeo trained nonstop every day until all his energy drained and he passed out from exhaustion. That was the best way not to think about the future and shut down his brain.

Yet, intrusive, almost animal thoughts wandered his mind.

Maria always watched him train. It seemed to calm her down. And he looked back at her.

Zeo realized the isolation was playing tricks on his mind and body, injecting nasty ideas into his brain. Thoughts he had to murder before they became dangerous for him or for her.

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Days became shorter, and the line between morning and night blurred. Even the memories of Rem began turning into a distant illusion.

Rem had no reason to return for him.

He had risked it all to save her. She couldn't throw it all away.

No.

That would be stupid. Rem had to live her own life far from him.

Far from him.

He was on his own.

. . .

In the third week, Maria spoke again.

"What will you do when you leave this place?" she asked, holding her bent knees against her chest.

Zeo stared at her and searched in the void of his mind for an answer.

There was none.

"I'll think about it when the time comes," Zeo said, stretching his neck before his daily training routine. "You?"

Maria cracked a lifeless smile. "I'd love to have a normal life, for once and for all. That's it."

"You will." Zeo's words meant nothing to him, but if they could lighten Maria's soul for an ephemeral moment, he would spit those merciful lies.

"When the Lady found me," Maria started. "I was just a little girl. Did I ever tell you I was raised in an orphanage too?"

"I didn't know that."

Maria nodded. "I was around eleven when she adopted me. However, in the mansion, I was raised by her servants, yet the few times I could share a moment with the Lady, she showed me that she wasn't the monster everyone thought."

"Magenta lived her life for revenge," Zeo said, clenching his fists. "How many innocent people perished because of it?"

"You're right." Maria lowered her head. "I'm not justifying the horrible things she did, but to me, she was like the mother I never had. A mother who didn't choose to be a monster." A tear trailed down her cheek. "I know all the pain she caused, but trust me, in the end, she did everything she could to save you both."

Zeo stared at her for a moment, his gaze cold and numb. "It doesn't matter." He began doing push-ups. "Whatever she wanted doesn't matter. Just like whatever we want means nothing."

"Zeo," Maria whispered, her voice trembling as she shook her head. "Don't let it take over you, please. . ."

Zeo chuckled bitterly, feeling how the shadows of his past embraced his heart with blood-stained hands.

How naive and stupid can you be, Maria?

There's no more room for dreams anymore.

There's only misery.

. . .

No other word was spoken.

*°*°*

Remnya

That night, Remnya tossed and turned in her bed for hours, thinking about all the possible mistakes that could lead to her death. Failing wasn't an option; for them, she had to survive.

When sleep finally arrived, birds already chirped outside.

At 6 a.m, Debrin's alarm clock blared in her ears.

Her dilated pupils met the alpenglow of the morning, seeping into her room like a coral mist. Despite the lack of rest, she felt full of adrenaline, running through her veins like boiling water.

Remnya sat on the bed, a bead of sweat rolling down her face. She looked out the window, seeing the morning star rising behind thick canopies.

The unknown awaited.

Despite the uncertainty in her heart, the thought of finding Brisa gave her the strength to stand up and walk forward. Remnya left the room and headed to the entrance door.

As she stood outside, the cold breeze of the morning sent shivers down her spine. White smoke from dying campfires lingered in the forest like fog, with the smell of burnt wood.

Everyone slept in their tents except for Vladimore, who stood unpacking boxes from an SUV parked under a tree.

Remnya exhaled, filling her lungs with the fresh air, and walked toward a pile of firewood to prepare tea. With the tips of her fingers, she set the wood ablaze carefully not to turn everything into ashes.

Vladimore glanced at her, his eyes displaying a hint of annoyance. "Girl! Stop wasting time and go to change your clothes right now. You can't go wearing that attire."

Remnya stood straight like a statue. "Yes, sir!" she rushed to say but realized she had no other clothes than her shirt and sweatpants. "What should else I wear, though?"

The big man frowned and shoved his arm into the trunk of the SUV to grab a package. He tossed it at Remnya, who caught it mid-air and soon noticed its heaviness.

Remnya stared at the package, tightly wrapped in plastic and thread. She nodded at Vladimore and bolted back to her room.

Unwrapping the covers, Remnya found a uniform: a shirt with Kevlar protection around the torso, a black jacket made out of a strange material heavier than Kevlaar, and pants made from a lighter material, yet with a thick fiber that protected the crotch and joints.

Remnya rushed to change, noticing the V-shaped emblem of Karx on the jacket's shoulder. As Remnya adjusted the last piece, she realized her body had gained about ten kilos and struggled to move.

"How can they wear these things?" Remnya grunted and tried to stretch her pants, but they felt like solid leather.

Waddling out of her room, she bumped into Merle, who had just woken up.

"Good morning." He beamed at her, the reek of alcohol punching her in the face.

Remnya covered her mouth and nose. "Morning," she mumbled.

"That uniform sure suits you!"

"Thanks." Remnya tried to raise her arms but couldn't and let out a sigh of frustration. "But, how can you move in these clothes?"

Merle shrugged. "I forgot, I've not worn that in years. It's very uncomfortable."

"What?" Remnya's jaw dropped. "Why do I have to wear it then?"

"Because it's part of your training." He smirked. "Plus, it can save your life, so get used to it."

Remnya gritted her teeth, resignation filling her chest.

"It's not yet complete, though, so please wear these too." Merle handed her a pair of boots he had been hiding behind his back.

When Remnya took them, the weight sent her to the ground. "WHAT IS THIS?"

"Boots!"

"What is this made of?" She struggled to pick them up and then scanned the materials. It looked like leather but felt solid, like a rock.

"Aramix."

Remnya stared at him, clueless.

"It's the same material as your jacket and pants. It is heat-resistant and extremely durable. It should be able to stand your fire."

"That's cool and all, but how am I supposed to move?"

"You'll have to figure it out, yourself." Merle's merry expression turned into a serious one. "If you can't do that, then you can't come."

Remnya swallowed and clenched her fists. "I can do it."

"Good!" Merle messed up her hair. "I'll meet you outside in ten minutes."

He left, whistling a happy tune as his flip-flops slammed the floor.

"I can do it. . . I know I can!" Remnya scowled and wore the boots, adjusting two metal locks around her feet.

Fueled by sheer will and anger, she took the first step forward.

The muscles of her legs felt like they were tearing apart, but she managed to move. Remnya knew she had to keep the fire burning in her chest if she wanted to stand a chance out there.

"I know what you're doing, old man," she murmured, clenching her teeth as she advanced. "You want me to give up before even trying." She buried her fingernails in her hands, sweat rolling down her forehead. "Well, screw that! I said I'd go, and I will!"

When Remnya made it outside, her face was red like a tomato, and all the muscles of her body throbbed. The sweat on her face reflected the first sunbeams peeking from behind the mountains.

Despite the pain, Remnya found herself smiling. It wouldn't be easy, but nothing would break her spirit.

"For you, Zeo, for you, Brisa, and for the ones who are not here anymore. I will do it for every one of you!"

Remnya's eyes glowed crimson once again as she took a confident step toward her fate.

Strangely, her legs felt lighter.

Merle smoked under a tree and drank from his liquor flask. As he noticed Remnya, a smile pulled at his lips. "Good job! It seems like you're beginning to understand."

"Understand what?" Remnya asked.

"That you need to push your body to its limits to awaken its full potential."

She sighed. "I wish I could control it better."

"Give it time. The stronger your body gets, the more powerful the fire you'll be able to use."

Remnya nodded, cracking her knuckles. "Are we leaving soon?"

"Yeah, just allow me to finish my breakfast." Merle chugged his liquor, emptying the flask quickly.

Remnya shook her head and wondered how such a person had survived so long.

"Is Debrin awake? I want to say goodbye."

"Debrin left earlier this morning."

"Oh. . ." Remnya lowered her head and twisted her lips.

"Honestly, I don't know where he is. That fool enjoys solitude way too much." Merle shrugged. "It's annoying."

"Perhaps a mission?"

"That's likely." Merle dropped his flask over a bush, where ten more piled together. "We'll clean this mess when we return." He began walking toward the main road.

"Are we going by car?" Remnya asked as her heart raced in her chest, fearing the answer.

Merle guffawed. "No, why would we? We're going by foot." He pointed at two massive travel bags sitting next to the SUV.

Remnya's jaw dropped. "How many kilometers do we have to Crysalton?"

"Over one thousand." He smirked and pointed at two large travel bags by the car. "Pick those up. All our supplies are in there, so keep them safe."

Remnya swallowed through a closed throat and tested the weight of the bags with her foot.

I won't let you win, old man. I will go with you no matter what!

She picked up the heavy baggage on her back and forced her boots to move. A long journey awaited her, but deep inside, her chest itched with joy and hope.

Brisa, wait for me.

And Zeo.

I've not given up on you yet.

Please, don't give up on me, either.

*°*°*

Next Chapter: November 23