Читать книгу Immortal - Tina Bright - Страница 5

"Wait, wait! Are you telling me now that everything in the children's books is true?"

"Most of it. There are some differences between the works of fiction and reality. As you know, we have supreme Gods: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, Athena, Ares, Aphrodite, Persephone, Hephaestus, Hermes, Apollo, Artemis, and Dionysus. All of them, besides the last two, reside at the Heavenly Palace on Olympus but rarely descend to the Earth. The reason is that they can only remain as mortal on earth. The Gods in this guise can be killed, and many creatures know that. They wait for the right moment to attack, so the Gods don't risk anymore. They seldom come to us in the form of spirits or voices. Hades is the only exception. He spent many thousands of years to adapt to the world of the living and the dead, so he can wander on the Earth in his usual form. As a rule, his visits are accompanied by global cataclysms.

But he acts in the framework of the Balance that is above all the things. If the Balance is broken, the Chaos will awaken and swallow the whole world, including the Gods. It just so happened that the Balance depends on many factors. We are working day and night to protect it, but there are moments when things get out of control," while Tol was speaking, we wandered through the spacious corridors of the Guardians' Abode, and Eugene trailed somewhere behind.

"I understand what you mean by the Balance, the Chaos, and all the rest, though it's challenging to accept this, but can't we move further to the part where you're going to tell me of my role in this story?"

"Be patient! I'm about to get there. A few days ago, Charon, the Guardian of the River of Times, or Styx as you call it, escaped from his post. During his absence, several souls, which still haven't found peace, also escaped. That broke the Balance, which should be restored in the near future until the irreparable damage is caused," Tol stopped.

"I still don't get how this is connected to me."

"Charon had already run away before and had been brought back. He was punished but it didn't help. He left his post again. All this happened because of the awakening of his humanity. The only way he could find to free himself was to give away his Force. No one had ever done this before. However, he managed to improve his Force in order to perform this ritual. Prior to that, he was able to take powers from those who were dying and transfer them to the Repository. Now you have this Force. In fact, you're just unlucky enough to get in his way, but you'll have to pay his debt."

"What debt are you talking about? Can't you get that out of me?"

"Only Charon can. He is now invisible for us because he became a mere mortal, having given up his Force to you. Now it's your debt to pay. You must take one hundred souls from the impure ones to restore the Balance. The only way to relieve you of the debt is to kill you, thus, the Force will pass to another person. But it's unnecessary. You certainly don't want to die, and the other person might not agree to such a life either."

"What will happen if I disagree?"

"You have no choice. If you do not restore the Balance, the Chaos will absorb everything. Haven't you listened to me well?" Tol began to lose his temper but, seeing my expression, relented. "It will be hard for the Guardians to maintain the Balance without your help. But if you do not go the destined path, then everyone will face irreparable consequences. It means death to you. The Force of Charon is too great for the mortal woman. It will consume you, drive you mad. You will become dangerous not only for yourself, but also for your family. Eventually, you will die. But it doesn't end there. You will be hunted by all creatures to acquire what is inside you. Neither mortal nor immortal has the ability to take the power of others, only Charon does. That's why you, or rather what's inside you, are of great value. You will be either killed or tortured for the sake of the Force. The attack can happen at any moment and liquidate those who are close to you. The Marker that you killed is the lowest creature with almost no power. You're lucky he was the first. Otherwise, you'd had already been dead."

"Who will carry the souls down the River while I'm hunting the impure ones?"

"No one is allowed to be carried until the debt is paid. The doors of the Shadow Realm are sealed, and only you can open them."

I looked at Tol. And he looked at me expectantly. I still could not believe what was happening. Could one blame me for that? I was a realist and never believed in the existence of such things, considering myths to be nothing but a beautiful fairy tale. And now I was a part of it. In fact, I had no other choice, and it was pointless to think of any. My life and the lives of my loved ones were at stake against the payment of some debt. Back then I did not realize how serious and dangerous it was.

But I got the feeling that Tol was not telling me everything. Did I want to know what he was hiding? For now, there was more than enough information!

"So… Tell me what I need to do."

Tol nodded and looked at his subordinate.

"Teach her everything. Answer all the arising questions. Protect her if necessary. You know what's at stake…" the last phrase was just too suspicious, but I decided to leave it there.

Tol left the two of us alone. Eugene was thinking about something, clearly not noticing my presence. And why did I get the nastiest of all the Guardians?

"Let's start with training," he stated and went somewhere to the side.

I winced. I doubted that we would be doing backflips or practicing supports. I could not do anything else. I was not a sharp shooter. That's why I did not even get into the school lacrosse team. One could even barely call me strong.

But after some thought, I decided that it was a great idea because, finally, I had the opportunity to center out this cheeky fellow and spoil his smug grin. If everything that Tol had told me was true, at that time I was very powerful. I just had to figure out how to use that power.

"What powers did the Marker possess?"

"Almost none… He was able to refract the space."

"How's that?"

"He could walk upside down, using air as steps."

"So, he couldn't fly, right?"

"No, but getting to the top floor wouldn't be a problem. He also has amazing regenerative abilities. He can even regrow his limbs."

"Can I do this?"

"We can check if you want," he grinned again, and a smug smile appeared on his flawless face.

"I think we shouldn't. I want to get home safe."

"What do you mean? You're going to live here now!"

"No way! I agreed to play by your rules, but this does not mean that I'm going to sleep here. I have a family, a job, studies, and I'm not going to give it up!"

"You don't get it. You're a danger to your family. You can be attacked in broad daylight: at the bus stop, in the supermarket, at the lecture. The demons won't stop until they destroy half of everyone present. The killed people won't be able to find peace until a new Carrier appears. You'll have to explain yourself to your boyfriend, of course, if you survive using the Force. Do you want to make the headlines of newspapers and magazines? Then your life will definitely become a nightmare."

"I'll take the risk, but won't leave my family and my life! Especially since my loved ones can be turned into the bait to get to me. I'd rather be there to protect them."

"Then, you have one option left – to hunt them down."

"Well, it's a good idea! Darsy the Murky Shadows Slayer. Sounds great!"

"Oh, Gods! Help!" Eugene theatrically raised his hands to the sky, but the corners of his lips twitched in anticipation of a sincere smile. "How old are you? You're acting like a child! Even by human standards."

"I'm sorry, of course, but don't you think it's a little illogical to accuse a human of being a human? Is it my fault I was born this way? Did you have a choice whom to be born? A Guardian, a Marker, or a Human?"

"No…" Eugene frowned.

"And I didn't have that choice either. I was meant to be born a human, you were meant to be born a Guardian, someone was meant to be born a dog, and so on. It's nobody's fault. That's why I'd ask you to restrain yourself, and not for the reasons of basic education, which you are not aware of here due to its uselessness. Deal?"

Eugene did not answer but only nodded. It was possible that he did not quite understand what I had just said. But that point was in my favor.

"By the way, how old are you? Since we're talking about age…"

"I'm 232 years old."

"Wow! Is that much? Well, I mean for the Guardian."

"Comparatively not. It's like being a human of 24-25 years old. We spend half of this time learning the art of fight and strategy, observation and technique. Only then we take up the post."

"What's the name of this place, by the way?"

"This is both a training camp and home for all of us – the Guardians' Abode. This is where we spend all our time when our parents give us away."

"Wait… Will I have to learn everything you've been taught for centuries for a few days?"

"You don't need to learn everything. But, yes – it's not an easy task."

He shrugged and wanted to add something, but suddenly a young woman rushed up to us.

"Eugene! Are you nuts? Where did you get that from?"

She certainly meant me by "that". I could examine a stranger in a second. Judging by the presence of the sword in her sheath, she was also a Guardian. And even though it seemed strange to me, I did not ask any questions. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Her long hair was braided as a fishbone and tied at the back of her head in a tight knot, apparently not to get in the way of the daily routine. The hair, like everyone else's, was of two colors: the lilac smoothly shifting to the black. The almond-shaped eyes, framed by thick, long eyelashes, were of the same color. Her body was slim, graceful, and feminine. The facial features were correct, and the skin was flawless. If I were a man, I would fall in love with that woman.

"This is Darsy, the human to whom Charon gave his Force.”

"Eugene, why did you bring her here?"

"I need a place to train her! Or do you want me to do it on the streets of Boston?" this guy sounded like a broken record…

"Anywhere but not here. That's gross."

"Hey, guys, I totally get you're not fans of people but I still can hear you talking…" I tried to defend myself, but the young woman went on scolding Eugene like I never existed, and my words meant nothing.

"Get that out of here now before anyone sees."

"Milena, Tol has already seen her and approved my decision. Moreover, he's the one who insisted on her staying here. Though, Darsy resists and wants to go home."

"Does this creature have a brain?" she was surprised.

I had only one thought in my head: why was this creature so beautiful on the outside and so ugly on the inside? Now even Eugene seemed sweet to me.

"Let's talk later! Now we need to train!"

Milena snorted and walked away, not even looking at me. It's not that I was against it, but I had not felt something like this for a long time, as if dirt was thrown at me, and dirt was not the worst part in this mix.

"Well, I see you are all so friendly that I'm already going to miss you," I said sarcastically. "Eugene, are you sure you're the good guys? 'Coz it seems that I'm in the wrong team."

"Milena's just not in the mood. And when she's like that she can be pretty harsh. She didn't like your presence, and she used it as an excuse to fight with me. She'll chill out."

"Is she jealous?" I assumed.

Eugene laughed as if he heard an excellent joke. I had to wait long for him to calm down.

"You are funny!"

"It was not a joke…" he raised his eyebrows, as if not understanding what I meant. "I thought you are close with her."

"Yes, it's true. She's my soulmate. Why would she be jealous?"

"That's what usually happens with people: when the bride sees her fiancé with another girl, she gets angry and freaks out."

"Oh! That's where you're getting… You know, it's just impossible. She can't be jealous of you."

"Why is that? Since you're so truthful, then tell me: am I a freak?"

I wanted to punch him in the sore spot, and then kick Milena's ass. I, of course, was not as stunning as his girlfriend, but to treat me like that was just beyond normal.

"No, you're not a freak. By human standards, you're quite attractive. That's not the point…" I suddenly felt better. However, it was not clear why I was so interested in the opinion of the Guardian. "Let me put it this way. I've already told you that people are the inferior race for us. Any relationship between you and us is abnormal. It can be compared to the love of a human to a dog, and not just as an animal but as a partner for life. I can't physically have feelings for a human, so it would be weird to be jealous of you. I really don't know how it works with people," Eugene looked at me.

"Interesting! Though, now it's hard to call me just a human. What are your rules about this?"

"I don't think there is a significant difference. Right now, you're just a Vessel into which the Force was placed, but, essentially, you remain a human. And it's not you who absorbs the taken abilities, but what's inside you. Sooner or later, this all can be pulled out, and you'll be a normal person again. But I'd like to warn you of the future. If you kill the immortal and absorb his immortality, you will become immortal. There will be no way back. You'll become a part of our world forever. Immortality can't be extracted. People will cease to be significant and cherished… Even your parents."

"But you're not immortal…Why can't you accept people for who they are? Why do you consider us the inferior race?"

"I was born this way. Not all higher races are immortal. But you can only become a part of our world by gaining immortality. Everything else must be returned to the Source to restore the Balance. Everything but immortality."

"How will I know the enemy is immortal?"

"It's hard to tell. Unless you study the races. But even Tol doesn't know them all, so it just must be luck… Tremendous luck."

"Are there any exceptions?"

"It's more like a pathology for us. Puzzling and strange. So be on guard."

"Nothing will change for me. They'll always be my parents. It's impossible to stop loving someone who is related by blood."

"Believe me, anything is possible. Now you know this. One can't fight immortality. It's either there or not. If you become immortal, you won't be able to prevent what's coming. Your mom and dad will no longer be the most important creatures, and your cute brothers and sisters will no longer seem dearest and closest. You'll be sick of the memory of kissing your beloved, and there'll be nothing you can do about it."

"Can I ask you something? Please, help me not to kill the immortal one and not to take his Force. I don't want to become a part of this world."

"Okay! I will help, but my abilities are not limitless."

Eugene decided to train in a small hall away from the rest of the Guardians. They always frowned and glanced in an odd way at me, as if I was a rat that had accidentally run into the kitchen of the expensive restaurant.

When we arrived at the place, Eugene threw me a sword, which was too heavy, and began to take off his leather jacket. And when he turned around, I screamed in fear. His eyes lit up as if someone had set them on fire. One could most likely see them in the dark as well.

"Your eyes…" I muttered.

"Get used to it. The Guardians always light up their eyes before a fight. That's how we warn the enemy of danger and intimidate it."

"Oh! Okay! It works," I muttered.

I could not take my eyes off those eyes: they mesmerized and horrified at the same time. Most likely, that was the purpose. But when Eugene took his sword out of the sheath, and I understood that his eyes were not the biggest problem of the enemy, that's me at the time. It was not like the laser sword from The Star Wars, I could clearly see the contours of the steel. However, the glow coming out of the weapon was unearthly. It looked tangible so one would want to touch it. The sword seemed to radiate the sunlight. The scene was fascinating!

"This is the Guardian's Sword. Each of them serves only its master, and no one else can touch it. It's hardened with Zeus's lightning, so there's no equal opponent for it – any steel breaks, bends, or crumbles in contact with it. The sword isn't given right away. One should deserve it through trials that often end with death, so each Guardian values it. Newcomers, of course, don't have such a weapon. They fight with swords like the one in your hands. We specifically invented this weapon, the one of its kind that can withstand the impact of the Guardian's Sword as the recruits have to train not only with each other, but with experienced soldiers to improve their skills.”

"Now I get it. But there's only one issue: I've never held a weapon in my life, except for a kitchen knife. How am I supposed to override blows of an experienced soldier?"

"Stop thinking and follow your instincts. The Force inside you will do the rest."

He nodded and took a stance. Instead of following the example, I focused on the feelings raging inside me. And rather a few accumulated over the past few hours. Fear, resentment, hopelessness, distrust, fatigue, and anger fought inside with no means of relief. I could feel the Force they all were talking about. It seethed, flowed the same way as emotions, and longed for release. And I let it out. A powerful flow of energy formed a sphere, took the form and crushed the Guardian with the black mass. I thought it would take Eugene long to get from point A, where he was standing, to point B, where the hall walls were, but this did not happen. He did not even move. The ball just flew through him and hit that same wall, making a hole in the next room. Those, who trained close to us, looked back in surprise and long could not figure out how half of the wall of one meter thick was blown away.

"Not bad!" Eugene said. "But I didn't tell you one thing. The Guardians are immune to almost all the Forces, except for the physical impact. We protect the Balance and must resist even the Gods, who may want to ruin it. So, your tricks won't work."

"Great! What am I supposed to do when attacked by one of you? Not knowing how to fight with swords, not having any weapon to withstand your blows and without your protection, I will become an easy prey! How will I protect myself from someone who can't be killed?"

"Firstly, the Guardian can't attack you because it will directly affect the Balance, and this is contrary to our purpose. Secondly, we can die since we are not immortal. Tol has already told you this. Thirdly, that's why I'm warning you not to go home! You're unable to protect yourself, and especially those around you. Think about it!"

"Okay! So, I need to learn how to use this thing!"

I got the sword and took a stance, awkwardly repeating the movements of Eugene. He nodded, and in an instant, the halos of his pupils lit up and scared me again. The next moment, Eugene lunged, forming an arc in space, which left a light trail. I narrowed my eyes, putting my arms forward without the slightest hope to withstand the impact and expecting that my sword would break like Eugene warned, but nothing happened. Having opened my eyes, I found that my weapon stopped the Guardian's Sword, and Eugene was smiling. He began to walk around, playing with his Sword and drawing spheres in the air. He moved so fast that it was impossible to keep track of his movements. I could only marvel at the dexterity of maneuvers and the caused hypnotic effect. It was pure grace.

"Now it's your turn! Attack!"

It was easy to say but not to do. I closed my eyes and lifted my arm, but could not even get close to Eugene, who only stepped aside. My sword dully whistled, cutting through the air.

"You're too predictable and clumsy. Stop thinking! Use your powers! And don't close your eyes before the attack."

"I've been living in the body of an ordinary person without any super abilities for almost 19 years, so I'm sorry that I don't know how to use them."

"Focus on your inner feelings. Shape the Force. Imagine how you control it. In fact, this substance is like water. It's in your powers to give it the necessary form like it was with that ball!" he nodded toward the destroyed wall. "You won't be able to harm me, but you'll be able to use dexterity, refract space, move faster, and hit harder. Do not act like a human. Do not give commands to the muscles but control the Force. Or let it control you."

Only Eugene knew what he was talking about because I, personally, didn't understand how to control something that wasn't mine and that I hadn't even felt until now. I sighed and concentrated, as I was taught to do at the first yoga classes. Meditation was not my strong suit. It always seemed a waste of time. It was not easy to find a hint of the otherworldly inside. I did not feel any special changes at rest. Even hallucinations, which literally drove me crazy in the morning, were gone. The anger that helped me feel the surge of Force just disappeared along with the huge energy ball that had destroyed half of the wall.

"I'm sorry but not today! I can't help it. This is all too much to deal with at once…" Eugene's ironical smile stopped me. "Why are you looking at me like that? Don't you know what fatigue is?"

He nodded and then said,

"Look under your feet!"

I looked up and raised my eyebrows in surprise. My body hovered about half a meter above the ground, and my feet clearly felt the solid ground. There was no slightest hint that I was weightless.

"Wow!"

"You have to understand that it's part of you now. As long as the Force is in you, everything you take away becomes yours, and you can use it the same way you use your voice or hearing, for example. You don't have to try too hard, get angry, meditate or something else you've been thinking of. Just act!"

I nodded and smiled. If it's mine, then why can't I give this blockhead some business?

Further on, everything was quite strange. The feeling was amazing like I was a passenger in my own body, an observer. My brain could only perceive the changing images, and the mind hovered somewhere near the body. It was not me, but something inside me that was acting at the moment. I did not really want to be controlled, especially by something lifeless. I needed to find a way to cooperate with that Force and not just obey.

Picking up the sword, I literally came up to Eugene and made an attack, which he easily repelled, but I did not stop there. My feet walked through the air like up the stairs, and I could easily climb higher to hit from above. I began to like it with time. I moved more boldly and hit harder, trying to find a loophole in Eugene's protection. He was too fast, and I barely had time to notice his movements, which were so light that it seemed as if he was playing rather than fighting. Sweat flowed down my back and, pushing away from the invisible wall, I hung in the air perpendicular to Eugene, while swaying my sword. He did not repel the attack but bent down like Neo in The Matrix, and my sword whizzed past him.

In a blink of an eye, I noticed that we were being watched, having lost a few precious moments of attention. When I looked back at Eugene, he was already attacking. With every attack, blows came from all sides, as if there were several opponents. I barely had time to repel his blazing attacks, having the fear of being cut in half by his magic sword. There was nowhere to retreat, and I rested my back against the wall. Eugene was not going to stop the fight, even after cornering me. As if in slow motion, I saw him lifting his hand to strike from above, holding the sword firmly in both hands. I closed my eyes and prepared for the pain, but nothing happened. Having opened my eyes, I discovered that my sword stopped Eugene's blow.

He nodded and stepped back.

"Not bad as for the first time! Not bad at all! But your fear doesn't let the Force get released in full. You don't have to control the fight. In the end, you'll just die!"

"What do you mean?" I asked, getting up and shaking off.

"You have to unleash your inner demon when you fight. I do not think, do not analyze, but obey my inner warrior."

“That's lovely! You have a warrior, and I got a demon! Why is that?"

"The Guardians are neutral. We're created to serve the Balance. But you're a different creature. You'll have to fill the Force with souls and abilities of the Murky Shadows, demons, and other creatures. You can have only their abilities, so you get the inner demon. Let's go! I'll take you to the library! I need to take care of a few things, and then we'll send you home."

The library of the Guardians was amazing. Multi-level cabinets with numerous shelves and breathtaking stairs led to the cherished goal – ancient tomes, scrolls, and even leather scraps of fabric. All the most valuable works of the ancient literature were gathered here. One had to lift up the head to see the end of the bookcase. The territory of the library could be compared to the football field gathering all the most valuable specimens. But there was no echo as if the architect had specially worked on the sound insulation so that every reader could retire with one of the numerous exclusive volumes. There were also massive tables with chairs like in the reading room of the Royal Library. This library could not even be compared with the Harvard Library, which was considered to be one of the best in the world. All that I saw now was a thousand times more amazing than the university library. I even stopped breathing because I was so amazed by the view.

Since my childhood, I was considered a bookworm, and now I happened to be in the juiciest apple in the world.

Eugene led me to one of the tables, put a pile of books in front of me and said,

"Read this. In these books, you'll find the fundamental information about what's happening and where you're now. I'll be back as soon as possible."

To my relief, Eugene quickly left, and I plunged into reading. All the books, which the Guardian gave to me, were old, but not enough to describe the world's oldest civilization. As soon as I read them, I understood why they confused me. I thought that these were the textbooks for young Guardians. All the ancient information and descriptions were summarized in these textbooks, which were very similar to our own books on history. I snorted at the thought this so-called higher race was not much different from the human race. Perhaps, they even borrowed some of our "useless inventions", like writing textbooks. Most likely, it was true, because these materials were not available for people so we could not adopt this way of presenting information. Or could we? Tol told that some representatives of so-called higher races often lived among ordinary people. What if all the most famous inventors from the beginning of times were not ordinary people? It would be interesting to know whether I was right in my assumptions.

I was captured by the information that I perceived as myths of Ancient Greece. My mother often liked to read them to me as a child, but they were a little far from reality, judging by these books. However, some of the myths were true, which seriously shocked me.

I expected to read about the ancient Greek Gods in beautiful tunics. But they appeared to be naked on the pages of the books. Do they still live on Olympus like this, given that everyone is a brother, a father or a son to each other? Strange traditions…

I recalled the image that I could not get out of my mind.

"Darsy…" someone was shaking my shoulder, except it was reaching my mind from afar. "Darsy, wake up!"

I opened my eyes and blankly looked at Eugene. He pursed his lips sarcastically.

"WHAT? Like you never sleep!"

"If you haven't changed your mind about going home yet, it is high time now."

I nodded and we left the library. Once again we saw the passage that I did not want to enter. My stomach dropped at the thought of a recent trip.

"What are you waiting for? When I enter the portal it will be closed. Don't you want to go back?"

"I want. Is there another way?"

"There's no other way out of here."

I went inside with a dull moan and immediately felt like a sausage placed in a vacuum meter.

"What am I going to tell Jackson?" it was a rhetorical question, said almost in a whisper, but Eugene heard.

"Whoever it is, don't say anything about what's happened today and what's waiting for you in the future."

"I can't lie to him. We've known each other since we were kids. He was the first to know my secrets, and I knew his."

"Spare me the details," he waved. "But remember, as soon as you tell him, if he believes you, of course, this will put his life at risk."

"Will he be killed?"

"No. We have services that make sure that our world is hidden from you. They erase the memories that occasionally appear due to the carelessness of the Murky Shadows or other creatures. But some moments can't be replaced by confusing memories or erased, so the human must be removed. He can live but in a different form. Long-term comas, total memory loss, alcohol addiction and so on – all this is convincing for you and safe for us. Who would believe a homeless man with a sign of the end of the world or demons wandering down the street? Who would believe a drug addict who saw something unnatural? Sometimes the witnesses are simply erased like they never existed. One or two – it doesn't matter, even the mother wouldn't notice. So, I don't recommend telling anything!"

It was hardly a simple recommendation, rather a warning, which, as hard as it was for me, I would have to follow. I never hid anything from Jackson. As children, we were notorious conspirators, often against the entire world. He was always my closest friend. Even when my family moved, we found a way to see each other until he was transferred to my new school for his final year. How was I supposed to keep this secret?

"Why are you hiding? As far as I know, many thousands of years ago, the population worshipped the Gods, and the prayers of the people imbued them with power."

"It was a long time ago. A lot has changed since then. The faith of the people crushed, turned into a religion. Everyone who disagreed invented his own God and forced his loved ones to believe in those Gods. Over the years, different religions caused wars and pestilences. In a moment of fanaticism, people destroyed the temples of the Gods and the ancient reliquiae, making the irreparable damage to themselves and us. They stopped to believe but not to curse. It was therefore decided to bury the truth in oblivion and to cherish the illusion. Things have changed for us ever since. We stopped worrying that insatiability and hostility would destroy the remains of your civilization. The people themselves began to preserve the reliquiae as rarities, without which everything will die. Now, we make sure that things stay the way they are, and people protect what is so precious to us from themselves.

I hardly understood the true meaning of what was said and the motives of the Gods. But if they thought it was for the best, then it probably was so. I myself often noticed the prose of this world and was amazed. But Eugene was right: people carefully preserve all the archaeological findings behind bulletproof glass, fences, and thick walls. It was always never enough for us and, at the moment, Eugene's words seemed right to me – we were like parasites. We had too little faith and too much greed. We tried to get everything out of life, not thinking about the consequences, destroying everything that could prevent us from getting what we wanted.

That's how people destroyed not only civilizations, but also the Universe, prowling other planets in search of resources for their existence.

"What reliquiae do you mean?"

"If it's the will of the Gods, you'll find this out at the right time."

The portal opened near my front door. This time I managed not to fall down, though it was difficult. I was shaking and felt sick, but carefully hid it not to experience the disdainful look of these strange eyes once again.

"We're going hunting tonight!" said Eugene as the last word and disappeared in the portal.

I was so tired that I did not ask any questions. I wanted to get to the bed and sleep for twenty-four hours in a row.

It was almost dawn, so Jackson had not left for work and was still sleeping. When I got to the door and opened it, I found out that Jackson was at home but awake. He jumped up to me and hugged. I had to explain everything…

"What happened? I couldn't get why you ran away."

"I'm sorry. I just freaked out. It's probably nerves, and you're right: I'm so silly!"

"It's okay! I'm with you!" he was stroking my back in circular motions. It always calmed me down.

"How's your hand?"

"Everything's okay. It's good that I'm not allergic to bee venom."

"WHAT?

"Well, my hand didn't swell after the bee sting, and if something was wrong, we're lucky to be right next to the hospital. Why did you run away?"

"I was scared of the bee," I lied. "And then I got lost. I left my handbag in your car. I couldn't call you, so I had to go home on foot."

Jackson made a cup of tea and cooked dinner or breakfast already. And after that, we went to bed to get some sleep before work.

I fell asleep, curling up in the arms of my boyfriend, in the safest place in the world.