PART FOURTEEN We slept like we were all drunk, sprawled on the ground without any will to move. Even Nick, who kept on mumbling and moaning in his sleep eventually drifted off. And we definitely needed the sleep because for the next week, we roamed the country non-stop, never once pausing to rethink our plans. Actually, I didn't think we had any plans. We just worked off of our curiosity, our speed hastened by our desire to cure Nick of this curse that Vincent had placed on him. At times, he looked very lucid, talking to me about the present, telling me that his muscles were aching and that he was tired. But 99% of the time, he had such a distant look to him. His eyes were either filled with fear or sadness. He talked to himself more often as well, wondering why people were chasing him down some tunnel. But the most intriguing part of his soliloquys were when he spoke of his 'father'. It was difficult to follow because I didn't know if he spoke from his false memories or if he was speaking of the one who took part in creating his current body. But he would look into Kevin's eyes really deeply and call Kevin his 'father'. Funny, although I didn't think that Kevin found that amusing. Aj, rather, laughed his head off. And Nick would continue to stare into Kevin's eyes until Kevin got really nervous. Two days ago, we actually had an interesting revelation. "Father," Nick would whisper as he always did when he looked into Kevin's eyes. His voice was gentle, his eyes melancholic. "Sooner or later, they will find and destroy us. These walls won't conceal us for long. They will find us." Nick's lips quivered ever so slightly. And Kevin played off of Nick's false memories, just to see where he could go with it. "But we're safe here," Kevin whispered back, gazing into Nick's eyes just as intently, making me blush from envy. I tried hard to brush the feelings off. Nick shook his head. "We won't make it. They're getting closer. They'll find us and destroy our remains, and the empire that we have created will crumble." Nick reached out to place his hand on Kevin's shoulder near his neck. It was a purely loving and chaste gesture, but my body swelled with jealousy. I once again brushed off the feeling. And then . . . Kevin made a brilliant statement, bringing us one step closer to the truth. "But we have Vincent to help us." Nick's eyes suddenly looked keener. He noticeably flinched when he heard Vincent's name being mentioned. Then, he pulled his hand back and cautiously placed it on his own neck, as if feeling for an invisible scar. "Vincent won't help us," Nick answered, hurt. "He won't help us without any gain. He had abandoned us a long time ago." Kevin was quick with his thinking and responded, "What did he do to you?" Kevin's hands lightly brushed against Nick's neck, pointing at Nick's invisible scar. By now, Nick's lips were trembling and his eyes started to water. Then, Nick looked down towards the ground. "He told me that he loved me . . . so I . . . I was flattered. I let him . . . feel me up . . . and then I couldn't stop him . . . the feelings were so overwhelming. I . . . We made love." Nick's eyes showed guilt and shame. "Father, please don't be angry with me." Me, Aj and Kevin were all dumbstruck by Nick's confession, albeit all the things he said were not of his own real memories. It couldn't be. Kevin smiled at Nick. He looked worried, but I think he too believed the memories were not real for Nick. "I'm never angry. You're young. Sometimes, impulsivity works against you." Nick had a shy smile on his face. But within minutes, he started shivering. "It's so cold in here." It almost seemed as if he and his 'father' were trapped in some sort of chamber. Kevin simply pulled Nick to him and said, "Rest for now. The cold will go away." But as he said that, he looked up into the clear blue sky. **************************** Nick's words were starting to seem less creepy to me, for some reason. He appeared harmless enough, just walking around with these images in his head. He never acted on them. He only recited them. But today, things took another turn. We were about a hundred miles from Sangria, in a vast forest. Only a few more days of this restless trek before we reach our destination, and I was beginning to get excited. Soon, we will find answers! However, to my shock, Nick started to see me as the Vincent from his false memories. He came up to me while I was resting under a tree, completely exhausted. Without warning, he sat down next to me, his legs touching mine and he placed his hand seductively on my lap. He moved so that he was kneeling between my legs, his face to mine. Then, he smiled less than innocently. Nothing prepared me for the few words that were about to come out of those lush lips. "Let's make out again Vincent," Nick urged with a huge smile on his face. "I loved it my first time. You were so good." I keeled over from shock and resentment. Someone actually found Vincent to be a good lover? Before I had the chance, Nick moved closer so that our chests were rubbed against one another. My swollen hardness was pressed against his abdomen in anticipation. I felt kind of bad, taking advantage of him like that so I pushed him back. "No," I responded firmly. Nick looked at me worriedly. "Why not?" he asked, confused. I grabbed his face, slightly agitated. "Look at me, Nick. I'm not Vincent! I'm Brian. You know, the silly vampire who you've shared a room with the past six or seven years! Your partner in crime when it comes to pranks. Don't you see me for who I am?" I was getting rather worked up, but I couldn't take it any longer. I couldn't let Nick keep sinking into this hole that Vincent had dug for him. I gazed at Nick feeling pretty lousy when his big eyes started to water. He looked so youthful . . . so vibrant. "But you said that you loved me!" Nick asked, confused. I gripped his shoulders and shook him gently. "I do love you Nick, but I want us to be more than just lust. I mean, I would do anything for you to be with me every minute of the day, for us to be a couple! I mean it. I love you. But you don't recognize me at all. I'm not Vincent. I'm Brian." I thought my little speech had cleared his head a little because his eyes looked pensive and thoughtful. He turned to the side, his eyes focused on a tree, but I could tell he was thinking really hard about something. "Brian . . . " Nick whispered to himself. Then he turned his head to face me once more. "Brian . . . " he whispered again, his eyes looking deeply into mine. "That's a cute name." He smiled gently, but he didn't look like he recognized me one bit. "What does it mean?" I shook my head. "It doesn't mean anything, Nick. It's just what people call me." "Why are you calling me Nick?" he asked, upset. "That's your name," I answered more upset than him. He looked at me defiantly. "My name is not Nick. It's Nickolas!" He pushed himself back violently, but I held onto his arms and pulled him close to me. "My fault," I murmured into his ears. "Sorry, Nickolas." I knew I shouldn't have done that. I knew that Nick's body was truly being possessed by these false memories, but I couldn't help it. I didn't want him to run away from me. Not now, when we were probably very close to finding out the truth! I pulled NIck's face into mine and started to french kiss him longingly. He made no move to stop me, but rather, he responded very quickly, opening his mouth to mine. We kissed deeply for about five minutes, never once breaking for air. My arms were firmly placed on his back, pulling him even closer while he had sat on my lap, shoving his body into mine. I knew he wasn't the Nick I knew. I knew the inside package belonged to somebody else, and for a while, I didn't know if I were in love with Nick or in love with his body. I just knew that I needed to feel him inside out, to access his flesh. I could feel the soft skin of his back, chest and arms on my palms. It was exhilarating and passionate. Finally, Nick pulled back and smiled. "Father doesn't have to know about this. I'll keep it a secret." I nodded eagerly while he pointed to a patch of grass on the ground. Within seconds, we lay on the ground, our hands trying to remove each other's garments. He had no problem with mine, but I couldn't get his gold pants off. They clung to him desperately, as if willing me not to access his more intimate areas. All the while, Nick was moaning in ecstasy, thinking that I was just playing with him. He smiled and groaned under my constant attempts to pull his pants off. Sweat started to trickle down his forehead as he kept on calling my name. "Brian . . . Brian . . . " His voice was sultry, sensuous, making my attempts to remove his clothing more desperate. But the harder I tried, the less successful I became. "Nick . . . I can't pull it off," I finally said defeatedly. "Nickolas!" he said, perturbed. He now placed his hands over his own pants and tried to pull. To his dismay, they wouldn't come off. We tried for twenty minutes, until the sexual tension in the air had dissipated. Finally, Nick gave up and pouted unhappily. I couldn't say that I was better off. I still had proof of my raging hormones visible to his eye. He took notice finally and realized that I needed some relief so he began to kiss me hard on the lips and worked his way down. He was . . . incredible. I climaxed slowly, but ecstatically and fell onto him, exhausted. We went to sleep, entangled in each other's arms . . . until Aj and Kevin found us that way an hour later. Both looked pretty shocked at our compromising positions, especially at mine. Nick actually looked half decent. He slept right through while Aj and Kevin plucked me from my supine position and pulled me over to a nearby bush. "What the f---?" Aj whispered loudly. Kevin shoved Aj back. "Aje, stop the cussing." Kevin then stared into my eyes. "Brian . . . Nick is confused now. Wouldn't it be better to think things through before doing the kid?" I shoved Kevin back spitefully. "You think I didn't try? He was throwing himself at me?" I knew I was being rather selfish, making excuses to rationalize my behavior, but I couldn't help the way I was drawn into him. I threw my hands up in the air, the frustration all coming back to me. I looked towards Kevin and Aj once again. "We're losing him! Don't you see that? He's not our Nick! He's from some other dimension, some other period in time. And we don't have a clue as to what the hell is going on. I don't want to lose him, not after all the things that we did to save him!" Aj remained quiet. Only Kevin spoke, or at least tried to allay my concerns. "I know you're scared. Me and Aj love him, too. We're so near Sangria. The answers are at our fingertips. Tomorrow. If we travel by night really quickly, I think we can make it to Sangria by tomorrow night." I sighed. "Sorry," I mumbled. "You know, sexual tension is hard to fight." "Ya think?" Aj commented weirdly. I turned to face Aj who looked rather flustered, as if he said something wrong. Which he did, in my opinion. Kevin sighed. "Stop being so jealous, Brian. If you're in love with him, you might as well get used to the idea that other people want him, too." I gaped, but before I could say anything, Kevin walked over to where Nick lay and gently shook him. "Nickolas," Kevin called out. Nick moaned before opening his eyes. "What?" "We're getting ready to head back to Sangria," Kevin responded confidently. "I don't wanna go home," Nick muttered. Odd. Why did Nick call Sangria his home? Kevin looked at me and Aj alarmingly. Then he looked to Nick. "We've got to go back to Sangria. We need some answers." "But they're waiting for us, father!" Nick said worriedly, his eyes now big and wide. "They're going to kill us soon. We're too much of a threat to them. They'll kill us before we have the chance to run." "They won't kill us!" Kevin replied harshly. Nick pushed himself away from Kevin. "I'd rather they did than try to use my body in other ways!" Nick responded sharply. "I've seen the way they looked at me last night. I'm as good as fodder for their entertainment!" Aj looked at me incredulously. Nick's memories were slowly tying themselves together. Sangria must have had an explosive history. And my curiosity was getting piqued. It was actually exciting to be back in Sangria. Kevin pulled Nick up quickly. "We're going. No buts!" Nick pulled away defiantly. "Since when did you become so mean, Kevin?" Me and Aj froze. Since when did Nick remember Kevin's name? Kevin, on the other hand, was very baffled and upset by Nick calling him mean? His face flushed ten shades of red, and I thought it was rather amusing. Kevin stiffly walked away from Nick, obviously very upset about being called mean. Slowly, me and Aj were alongside Nick and convinced him to start moving again. We had to pass through the forest, two meadows a few lush hills . . . and still we had a ways to go to reach Sangria. Reluctantly, Nick agreed and we set off for the last part of our endless search for the truth. **************************** I expected a big ugly welcome the moment we stepped beyond the gates of Sangria the next night. I expected screams of hatred or maybe even curious vampires peaking out of their windows to behold the sight of Nick and marvel at his beauty. I expected a luminous city and the sounds of revelry and drunken vampires about the streets. But I was unprepared for the deathly silence of an abandoned city. The streets were littered with rubble and garbage. The city was aglow with lights but no movement save the breezes that brushed past the lampposts. I stood shocked. Aj held onto me for comfort while Kevin placed an arm around Nick's shoulders, trying to balanced himself. I looked to Nick, whose eyes had widened in recognition. He pushed Kevin's arm aside and scanned the city, as if recognizing every inch of it. After a few minutes of bewilderment, Nick suddenly bursted towards the palace, crying madly although I couldn't understand his words. The only word I could make out was "father". Me, Kevin and Aj followed Nick desperately into the palace. We were amazed at the way he moved through the hallways and the passageways. He moved as if he had always lived there. He moved as if he knew exactly where every brick was placed, where every door was located. He even knew all the secret passageways, which shocked us even more. Nick's feet were as agile as ever, darting obstacles without a second glance. I tripped three times, but not as bad as Kevin and Aj, who both tripped at least a dozen times. We did manage to follow Nick though. Or rather, he slowed down for us. He finally stopped in front of a wall in one of the diners of the palace. He walked up and placed a hand on one of the bricks, and part of the wall disappeared to form an opening. Me, Kevin and Aj were all dumb and mute from the entire event. We mindlessly followed Nick down the dark passageway, wondering whether we made a mistake coming back here. The passage seemed endless, and when we were about to pass out from shear exhaustion, Nick stopped. Beyond the passage was a deadend . . . a room with a bed. And on the bed lay the remains of something or someone. Nick slowly approached the rubble and cried out in sadness. "Father?" Nick's voice wavered. He touched the remains longingly. "I'm sorry!" Nick said dejectedly. "I'm sorry!" He kneeled beside the bed and stared at the dusty remains. Kevin walked up to Nick and placed a hand on his shoulder. Slowly, he too kneeled down and hugged Nick tightly from the back. "He knows you're sorry!" Nick shook his head. "I never told him . . . until now. I never had the chance." The tears started to fall from my eyes freely now. I felt this overwhelming melancholy wash over me as if I too felt Nick's loss. Aj looked at me strangely. "You okay, Bri?" I shook my head. What was going on? Why was I feeling the sadness that Nick felt? Why could I touch his emotions and be drawn to them so tightly? Before I had the chance to sort out my emotions, Nick lifted his gaze to suddenly look back at the way we came in. He stood up warily and Kevin, Aj and I all stiffened. Nick walked through the opening of the room and retraced his steps from where he came. We followed quietly, all disoriented and confused. Nick now moved with a sense of calm purpose, each step calculated and quiet. He slowly left the secret passageway and we found ourselves back in the diner. Without another thought, he continued out through the diner, down the hall, until we went to the armaments room. All sorts of fascinating weapons lay strewn on the ground, but Nick paid no attention to anyone. He was focused on the wall. But this time, he wasn't looking at any secret openings to any passageways. He was looking at a glass case, beautifully decorated with diamonds. The lighting was dim in the already dark room lined with gray bricks. Some gold lamps stood on the corners, but did nothing to illuminate what lay inside the glass case. My body froze from the sight, as did Kevin's and Aj's. There in the glass case was a decadent body strapped to a pole. The hands lay tied above the head, the flesh nearly green from decay and mold. Yet somehow, the body looked well preserved and the golden blond hair remained immaculate just like the blond silky hair that Nick now had. I stared sickeningly into the glass case. As my eyes roamed downwards, I started noticing the cuts and bruises that lay on the chest and abdomen of the body. My eyes roamed even lower to find the golden lining of the pants that looked like the exact same golden pants that Nick now wore on his warm, soft body. I gulped and took in a deep breath. I looked at Nick, whose eyes now shown of fear. Kevin let out a soft cry of disgust. The body had been tortured and used and ultimately killed, yet the tortured body remained displayed in a glass case in the armaments room to be forever humiliated. Nick walked up to the glass case and placed his hand on it, as if yearning for the body that used to belong to him. So now, his false memories had an identity. He placed a finger on the glass case and I heard a pop. Near where Nick's finger lay, the glass started to crack. Nick kept on staring at the crack until it widened and expanded to include the entire glass case. The glass shattered and fell to Nick's feet in a fantastical display. The body that lay strapped tot he pole fell towards the ground, dissipating into dust, but not before I had a good look at the lavender eyes whose decayed eyelids had been torn off earlier. I gasped at the cruelty of the torturers. Nick jumped back and fell into Kevin who held onto him tightly. He started breathing raggedly, as if trying to digest the horrific images in his mind. Nick started shaking frighteningly. "They killed my father. They raped and tortured me to death. How could they?" I freaked out by Nick's words. "No, Nick. You're not him. That's what that body just proved. You're not that guy that they killed. You're different. You're only carrying his memories! You're not him, damn it!" I cried out in desperation. Oh please don't let Nick live by these memories, which weren't even his to start out with. Kevin shook Nick abruptly. "Brian's right! You're not that body there. You're Nick. You've been raised by the Almans and then spent six years of your life with Backstreet. Look at me, Aje and Rok! We're your best buds. And Howie too, once we find him!" I cried out as Kevin and Aj did. Yet, something still disturbed me. If those memories truly belonged to that body that was strapped to the wall, how come that body looked like a spitting image of Nick, from the lavender eyes, to the bright golden blond hair, to the well-defined muscular body, to the gold-laced pants that wrapped snuggly around his lower body? I wanted to ask Nick, but to my horror, he suddenly collapsed. I didn't know what caused him to be unconscious, but kevin had to hold onto his limber body before he fell to the ground. Quickly, Kevin picked up Nick's legs and stared at me. I felt the slap of cold air against my face. I could feel Nick's emotions swarming around me. Nick had collapsed from the shock! Yet how did I know that? I looked towards Kevin with a renewed confidence. "The lady in the shop! We must find her!" Aj and Kevin nodded as we all filed out of the room. I led the way out of the palace, suddenly feeling very light and clear-headed. I felt my way back to where the lady that sold me the blood lived. I felt her presence, surprisingly enough. I knew she remained in Sangria. I led Kevin and Aj down the deserted streets to the farthest house on the main avenue. I led them into a dark, but warm shelter where a candle lighted up the one room I knew the woman to be in. And once we stepped into the warm, dimly lit room, I saw the woman's face quite aged, as if she had lived through thousands of years. "I had wondered when he would come home, my little boy!" she said softly as the tears slid down her face. She stood beside Kevin's towering form and swept her fingers over Nick's beautiful face. PART FIFTEEN Kevin lay Nick's lithe body on the worn down mattress, careful not to let his body slip. In a fit of bitter envy, I quickly pushed his hands away from Nick and placed myself between them. I knew I was being brash. I knew I seemed like a jealous fiend, but I couldn't help myself. I was scared enough as is just seeing Nick's unconscious body on the bed. His fair skin exposed to us all, unlike the pale green skin of that body we found inside that glass case. "Nick?" My voice wavered until it finally cracked. "How ya doing?" I managed. Kevin tried to push me away from Nick, but I shoved his hands away again. I then turned to look at the woman who I knew had the answers. I gazed at her with nothing but upset eyes, my body aching for some answer to all this absurdity. The woman's pale gray eyes stared back at me with something slightly more than compassion. She nodded knowingly. "You come to seek answers from me," she stated simply. I nodded quietly. Kevin and Aj could only verbalize a weak "yes". The woman's eyes watered, the sadness now showing on her frail body, her face devoid of happiness. She gazed at me intensely before speaking . . . "I shall speak of the beginnings then . . . " She paused, collecting her thoughts into something coherent before she began. "His father named him Nickolas, just because he thought that name had sounded so elegant, so polished . . . " the lady lightly touched her fingertips to Nick's smooth face. She sighed. "Thousands of years ago . . . when neither vampires nor Almans existed, one man had this incredible knack for the occult. He dabbled in black magic and crossed the seas to learn all the wonders of the world, absorbing information like a dry sponge, yearning for more knowledge. He was clever and brilliant. At the age of 30, he had unraveled many of the mysteries of the different religions and mysterious forces on Earth. So full of knowledge was he that he finally decided to settle in the Misty Mountains, turning all this knowledge and magic in his head. He led a secluded life in the Mountains, although rather discontent with the knowledge. He began to mess around with them, mixing religion with magic. He was eclectic and crazy. Yet within five years, he had developed an art far more dangerous than anyone would have ever imagined. He delved into the art of the soul and of the body, separating the two and developing each separately. With the soul, he learned to materialize it and control it with powers of another dimension. With the body, he learned to utilize it without the need for blood nor oxygen. Hence, he had created within himself two fascinating worlds of power and mystery. By now, he no longer wanted to remain on the Misty Mountains. His mind started drifting to his well-practiced powers and he had descended the Misty Mountains to claim fortune and glory. And he did. He created himself an empire, attracting multiple youths into his army with the promise that they too would share some knowledge. Yet no one was bright enough to master both the art of the soul and the art of the body. Hence, he divided his followers into two groups--the Almans . . . and the vampires. Each with special, although not mutually exclusive, powers. The two groups fought hand in hand to help create the empire. Soon, this leader's dream had matured and he was sitting on top of the world, women flaunting at his feet, yearning for his attention, fawning for his love. Yet, none of his love interests were able to produce him a child, which had baffled him greatly. He wanted an heir. He wanted a son. But no womb was strong enough to nurture one . . . Until one night, the coldest night of that year, he was blessed with the seed that would withstand time and grow into a fetus and later an infant boy. He named his son Nickolas . . . " I took in a deep breath, hearing Nick's name being called out in such a gentle way. I shared this lady's sentiments. I too, sighed. Yet, I was too awed by the story to interrupt. The lady continued. "Nickolas' mother died the moment he was brought out of her womb, unable to sustain the pain of labor. Nickolas was placed under my care. He was . . . amazing . . . just like his father. His abilities to command the forces of nature came intuitively. But unlike his father, he was at peace with himself, never once bothering much about leadership and power. He much preferred taking quiet strolls in the garden or reading. This upset his father greatly. Yet his father never yelled at him. The man loved Nickolas to death despite their differences. He would allow Nickolas to do anything the child pleased. Yet, Nickolas was so easily satisfied with his life. It had seemed that everything looked calm and quiet. Nickolas' father ruled justly. And during the night, he and Nickolas would share ideas and exchange new abilities. Nickolas had a knack for creation. But the more Nickolas learned, the less settled the Almans and vampires were. Knowing that separately, their powers would not be strong enough to control Nickolas and his father, they decided to join forces, to oust the leadership. They sent Vincent to seduce Nickolas and create a rift between him and his father. However, their plan backfired. Nickolas was edging towards his prime, his face gentile and absolutely beautiful. So many women had fallen for him hard, only to find out that he did not even notice them. So many men had wanted him so badly that they shamelessly embarrassed themselves to no end. And Vincent was no exception. His job was to seduce Nickolas, but eventually, he had fallen hard, fighting between his lust and his duty. He succeeded in winning Nickolas' heart, making the boy yearn for him and forget about the empire that was to be handed down to him by his father. Nickolas was unsuspecting at first, but as time drew near, he felt the weight of terror on his shoulders. He had sensed the weariness and discontent of his father's followers. And then, Vincent disappeared rather abruptly one day. By then, my young Nickolas knew that the time had come, when the followers would usurp the power of the leader, that he and his father were fighting a very unforgiving battle. Nickolas ran to his father that night that Vincent had abandoned him after taking away his virginity. He ran back to the castle to plead his case to his father, to beg his father to run away with him. That night, the two of them argued for what seemed like an eternity. Nickolas knew a way out. True it was a bit risky, but they had no other choice. It was them vs an entire legion of raging followers who feared their powers too much. But Nickolas father refused to remove himself from the empire he took his whole lifetime to create. The two stayed in the hidden chambers of the palace, blocking out the advances of their followers turned enemy. They argued, Nickolas refusing to leave without his father. They argued to the wee small hours of the night. They continued to argue until it was too late and they could no longer attempt their escape. The vampires and the Almans had joined forces and stood firmly rooted outside their chamber. Nickolas lay kneeled by his father's side in the cold gloomy chambers, realizing that there was no way out, that they both would die that night, alone in the cold chambers. They were to die without sympathy and without hope. The vampires and the Almans waited as they slowly drained themselves of their powers without much to feed on. In those chambers, Nickolas and his father waited to die. They had long discussions in there, which I am forbidden to reveal, but the discussions were often bitter and depressing. Just think . . . night after night of endless torture and no hope . . . for ten years. They were locked in those chambers with no escape for ten years . . . And suddenly, one day, the vampires and the Almans no longer had the patience to wait. They barged into the chambers and found the two men, the father laying on the bed, his body already decayed beyond recognition with nothing but bones left. And then, there was Nickolas, his body still and quiet, albeit still alive. The vampires and Almans were upset by this revelation. They had spent so much time ready to destroy the father, only to learn that he had died on his own, painless, untortured. So they took it out on Nickolas, who by now, was fighting his own battle. They took him to the prison chambers and tortured him greedily, making up for ten years of waiting. The only people that heard his cries of anguish were the ones who didn't give a damn. They cut through his skin with the bluntest of knives, seeping his wounds with alcohol and salt. They dragged his body around the castle grounds, making sure that he was thoroughly humiliated, that all modesty was gone. And then, the men took him to their sleeping quarters, using him to quench their feelings of domination and lust. Yet they didn't let him die. They wanted to prolong his agony as much as he and his father had made them wait those ten years. He had no one to sympathize with. He transformed from this gentile, elegant heir to a dirty, haggard prisoner before our eyes. He lost so much weight, his skin becoming an unhealthy pale green. His body became more fragile, more disposable. His cries of pain only reached deaf ears. So many nights, I had to hold my tears, knowing that I could not help him until he was dead. I could do him no good until they finally had mercy on him and killed him. And they finally did . . . after ten years of torture, they killed him in the most brutal, merciless way they could think of. They tore his eyelids off, letting him witness his death to every last second. They chained him to the walls in the Armaments room and used every weapon imaginable to destroy his body. They seared his skin with fire, mashed every bone in his body. They slit his limbs, his abdomen, his chest and then his throat. And they left him there in the cold room to die by himself. It took him five days in that room until he finally let go of his final breath without anyone to care for him, without anyone to watch. It was simply pure silence that accompanied him those last five days. They took his body and sealed it in the glass case for all to see. But the torture was over. His soul was free. As good as the Almans were at stealing soul, they could not destroy them. So what they did was confine his soul. They confined it to a place that would see no living forms. They brought it to the edges beyond the Misty Mountains to the fiery volcano. There, they linked the soul deep into the hot melting lava, to be forever tortured by the heat and loneliness. And there, the soul had been confined since. The father's soul was never to be found. I suspect that Nickolas had something to do with it. Soon afterwards, the vampires and the Almans had made a rule. No vampire shall have a sexual relationship with an Alman, for if the two were to create a child, that child would be strong enough to harbor Nickolas' soul, if he were to ever get a hold of the body. The rule set a rift between the two races, and the two races soon grew into disfavor as they began arguing over the most minute of events. And now, see what has happened to the two races. They virtually try to destroy one another!" We were all breathless by the magnificent history behind the two races and none of us could think of anything intelligent to say at first. I stared at Nick's face and suddenly felt a pang of jealousy. I didn't know why that feeling consumed me. Maybe it was because he could never belong to me, because his existence is the crucial link between our two races. He was too significant of a person to be able to hide him in my own home, to keep him away from others. I looked back to the old lady and finally asked, "so the soul that is now in his body . . . is that the soul of the Nickolas from thousands of years ago?" The lady sighed. Nick's body was born twenty years ago to the heirs to the Alman and vampire kingdoms. When he was born, his soul was new, chaste, just as his body was. He grew up, knowing his destiny and fearing that his body would be used for evil if another soul were to consume it. He was afraid that this ancient soul that the Almans and the vampires so desperately discarded would control him. I think a lot of it had to do with this fear that the soul from thousands of years ago would come back to haunt and take vengeance upon your two races. I think your Nick, the one you grew up with, was very concerned about your well-being and wanted to discard his body before the soul that had lived in pain and loneliness in the volcanoes would take over his body. He would have succeeded. His powers were strong enough to fend off unwelcomed souls. But he must have been weakened in some way, to render his body completely exposed. Thus, the soul that had been strapped to the volcano beyond the Misty Mountains had found its way into Nick's body and began to control his every move, his deepest thoughts. Once that ancient soul and the new body clashed, the body started to yield to a new master, and the memories started to rebuild themselves. In essence, you are correct. The body that you now see harbors the memories of the ancient Nickolas, not the one that you grew to love." I cringed and asked, "So you're saying that the Nick that I know . . . our Nick from the BSB . . . is gone?" My heart pounded mercilessly. The lady shook her head. "Yes. The Nick you know and that child I knew thousands of years ago . . . are two separate entities, both drawn into the same body, but both with different memories." Kevin suddenly spoke up. "That spirit from thousands of years ago must have been drawn to Nick's body in some way. I mean sure, Nick is created by an Alman and a vampire, but all that torture that he endured in these past years must have attracted that ancient spirit into his body." AJ shook his head violently. "Nuh uh. I don't want no strange spirit inside Nick's body. If anything, it's creepy and uncalled for." My lips quivered. "What if . . . what if that soul didn't have a choice. What if the soul was sucked into Nick's body . . . like a vacuum?" "Or maybe, the two souls are sharing one body," the lady offered quietly. "It's a symbiotic relationship." It was my turn to shake my head in disgust. I finally looked away from the others to gaze back at Nick. But to my shock, his eyes were open, his expression intent, as if he focused on every word that we said. "Nick . . . " I whispered, awed. Those lavender eyes blinked once to the sound of his name. Then he turned his head to face me, smiling gently. "You're cute!" he remarked, making my heart skip a beat. No . . . he's not the Nick I knew. I felt like crying my eyes off, but held back. Nick then looked at the lady and sighed. "Nana," he called out to her. The tears flowed freely from her face now as she approached his supine form and hugged him in one of the most emotional moments I had ever seen. I started to cry, too. I didn't cry because of my joy that the nanny and her ancient child had found each other. I cried for the loss of my Nick. I cried for the cherished times we spent together, playing pranks on all the other guys. I cried for those erotic nights when he would simply lay there and expose his neck to me, letting me drink the nectar that flowed through his veins. I cried for that night when he placed those fireflies into my hands and created the most beautiful night for me. And worse, I cried for the unspoken promises of love that were lost. No . . . this creature was not my Nick. This soul is not mine to keep. PART SIXTEEN "Nana!" Nick cried out as he hugged the lady tightly, his voice quivering from joy, relief and some sadness. His eyes were wet as he held onto his Nana for dear life. He was like a little boy that was lost and too afraid that he wouldn't find his way home. "Nana!" Nick cried again. Nick's Nana, too, had her eyes swollen from tears, and she had cried in earnest. She held Nick in a possessive hug, afraid that if she let him go, he would slip from her arms. She pressed his face to her bosom, her head pressed tightly to his. She weeped unlike anyone I had ever seen. I now cried in earnest, feeling rather elated by the entire situation. The bonding between Nick and his Nana was overwhelming to watch. "My poor little baby," Nana called out to Nick. "My little baby! Shhhhhh. It's all over child. They are gone . . . those bastards. They cannot touch you. You've come to another dimension, another period in time. You now have a second chance." Nana gripped Nick's chin firmly and looked into his eyes. "You do not have to suffer under those bastards anymore!" Nickolas' wet eyes gazed back at his Nana intently. "I'm free!" "Yes! You're free. You have a new life now. You can start all over." Nana smiled at her child belovedly. "I can start all over?" Nick asked, confused. He suddenly looked down as if seeing his body for the first time. He took a good look at the gold-laced pants. He let his left hand drift over his right arm, as if noticing for the first time that his body was not bruised nor injured. He shivered from the haunting nature of it all. And then . . . I saw in his eyes the memories of that pale body in the Armaments room. Nick's face paled. I knew now that he recognized that body in the Armament's room as his own. He gazed down at his body once more to ascertain that what he was seeing was the truth. He hugged his own body with slight desperation. "I'm free," he whispered to himself. I felt my heart sink at those words. I looked to Kevin and Aj, who had these contented looks on their face, as if they were very touched by the entire situation. But I couldn't feel the same. No! I couldn't accept it. How could it be that this ancient spirit could relive his life in Nick's body? The concept seemed so wrong. True, the Nana had made this ancient Nickolas appear truly noble . . . but what about our Nick, the one who was soft-spoken yet honest, the one who we had grown to love and who loved us so desperately. What about my Nick who was soiled by our race for no reason, who had tried to do everything in his power to protect us? What about his right to own his body? I felt my heart ache from the fact that this was so unjust, for Nick! My Nick! As touching and heartwrenching as the story of this ancient Heir was, I didn't want to accept it. I didn't want to accept him. With a soft cry, I turned around and ran out of the room. I could not find it in my heart to let my Nick go. But I had no power to fight this. It wasn't as if the ancient Nickolas didn't deserve a second chance. It was just that my Nickolas never had one. I bursted out of the little building with desperation. I heard footsteps following me, but I tried to ignore them. I thought I was successful when I felt an arm over my shoulder, swiveling me around. "It is a prophecy we cannot change," Kevin spoke calmly. "Think of it as a second chance for a spirit who probably knew so much more torture than anyone ever had. Think of it as compassion for someone who never received it. He deserves some, don't you think?" I shoved Kevin's arm from mine. "Don't speak for that stranger. I don't care how much they tortured him thousands of years ago. I don't care whether they raped him until he was numb all over. I don't care whether they chopped him up or mashed him to pieces. I just don't care whether that soul needs compassion at this moment. All I know is that I seem to be the only one left who yearns for the Nick we knew to come back to us." I felt the tears falling freely now as I continued. "It's not that I'm cold-hearted. It's not that I don't want this ancient spirit to have a second chance. It's just that it should never have been a trade-off." With that, I ran off into the forest, leaving a silent Kevin behind, stunned. I knew that I had hurt him with my confession. What I didn't know was that within the walls that housed Nana, Nickolas was lying on the dusty bed, pensive and melancholic, wondering what kind of a soul had owned the body prior to him. ************************************ It was an unspoken agreement that we would not reveal the stories that were told by Nana to any creature. But who was there in Sangria to talk to? The city was dark and quiet, deserted. I roamed the streets with a heavy heart, my thoughts lingered on only one person. I had avoided 'Nickolas' for as long as I could. But as I walked towards a run-down restaurant, I saw him sitting inside, with his light blond hair and golden pants illuminating the rest of his features. I could not deny that the body had a new feel to it, the face more regal and elegant. The body was leaner, the muscles more toned. The expression on his face . . . well . . . was more solemn, more haunted whereas the Nick I knew had an expression that was more naive and benevolent. I turned around to walk away when I heard that voice that I had gotten so used to my entire life. "Brian?" the ancient Nickolas called out to me, his voice hinting of desperation. I painfully turned to look into his face, afraid. "Yeah?" I replied softly. Nickolas remained in his seat, not making an attempt to close the gap between us. "I haven't seen much of you lately." I fought the tears that threatened to escape. "So?" I answered half-heartedly, trying too hard to show an air of indifference. Nickolas sighed in earnest. I looked at him and noticed a small, sad smile cross his face. He finally looked at me as he stood up tall and slowly idled towards me. His voice was calm yet commanding. He said, "All things lost will soon be found." With that, he left me, half confused, half stunned. Sangria was becoming a very eerie place indeed. Sometimes, I could almost hear the voices of the ancient spirits whispering in my ears their feelings of solitude and despair. ************************************** I continued my little stroll down the streets of Sangria, only to unexpectedly end up near Nana's place. There was a small fire that lit tne interiors of the small house. I expected that the others would all be there since Nana's place seemed to be the only one that had any warmth or life to it. What I didn't expect was the sight of Nickolas reclined in an old wooden chair, his eyes staring with focus at the wall intently, lost in thought. Those eyes were dark and brooding, making me shudder. "Where are Aj and Kevin?" I murmured. Nick's eyes remained fixated on the wall as he replied. "Waiting near the gates of Sangria . . . for Howie." I felt a lump in my throat. I was completely confused. "Howie?" Nickolas' arms were folded in front of his chest. "Yes. They felt his presence." Funny. I found it odd and yet again unnerving. How come I did not feel Howie's presence and they did? Nick finally tore his eyes away from the wall to take a good look at me. "You should, too." "Me? Why?" I asked dumbly. "Howie would expect you," Nick answered simply. "What about you?" I asked timidly. I don't know what happened to my boldness because it dwindled every time I talked to Nickolas. Nickolas smiled softly, almost reluctantly in my opinion, as if trying to comfort me. His eyes had a distant look to them. "I'll be here, waiting for him." The Nick I knew would have laughed and ran towards the gates of Sangria. He would have shown more than the brooding he showed now for this unlikely reunion. As if trying to drive the dagger home, I added, "You might have to wait a long time." I didn't know what possessed me to try to hurt him then. I just felt these jolts of unease and anger that just spontaneously occur. Nickolas gazed at me, as if trying to analyze my statement, for the longest time before he finally responded. "I don't believe so." With that, he stood up, and I saw now a young adult, worn out by betrayal and loneliness, a young man who knew only isolation and rejection. He disappeared quietly behind the curtain, probably retiring to the bed. And then, I felt the pang of guilt coming. How could it be that I felt bad either way. I felt crummy for hurting and rejecting this ancient soul every chance I get. Yet I would feel just as low if I showed him any signs of acceptance. Why was it that these two situations, which were at opposite ends of the spectrum, made me feel the same shame, the same discomfort, and the same sadness? I quickly made my exit and headed for the gates of Sangria in search of Kevin and Aj. And I left with a heavy heart. I sometimes wondered whether life was really difficult or whether I was just making it difficult for myself. And then I wondered whether Aj and Kevin had any similar feelings. ************************************* When I made it to the gates of Sangria, I saw Kevin and Aj standing there nervously, craning their necks as if that helped any. I approached them, somewhat reserved. "You guys felt Howie's presence?" I asked Kev and Aj. They whipped their heads around, as if not expecting me. "Oh, it's you!" Kevin replied. "Oh geez, thanks," I answered rather nastily. Aj sighed. "Guys, please. Let's just focus on waiting for Howie." "So how did you guys know?" I asked. Kevin sighed. "Actually, we didn't. That was, until Nick pointed it out to us. And then we tuned our senses and indeed felt Howie's presence nearby. Then Nick told us to wait by the gates of Sangria, that Howie would be here anytime." The mention of Nick's name silenced us as we looked away from each other and focused on the trees and the gates. Sangria actually felt very haunting when it was that silent. It took us a while before we started chatting once again. "So . . . what do you think happened here?" Aj finally started. "At first, I thought that the Almans had come and battled it out with our race," Kevin admitted. "But after being here for a while now, I couldn't feel any agony or despair or any traces of strife. It just looks . . . abandoned." This was the first time we brought up this subject, and the more I thought about it, the more frightened I became. "Why do you think they abandoned this place?" I asked worriedly. Kevin looked at me in earnest. "To be honest with you, I don't have the foggiest idea of anything. I just know that the more time we spend here, the more eerie it's getting." "Plus . . . Nick is changing way too fast," Aj said moodily. "The more he talks, the more I'm convinced that all the memories are coming back . . . and the more he's keeping it a secret from us. Notice how he doesn't have these bursts of emotions anymore . . . or how he doesn't tell us about the memories from the past." I nodded and added, "And notice how he doesn't look at us with the same optimism, the same warm blue eyes. I don't know if it's fear of betrayal or if it's the fact that he's from a world we know nothing about or that we're from a world he knows nothing about . . . but he's keeping everything to himself. I can only vaguely sense his emotions, but I cannot feel anything other vibes from him. I feel like he's withdrawing from us." My eyes felt watery all of a sudden as I said this. "I . . . I don't want to lose him. I . . .we already lost our Nick . . . I don't want to lose whatever's left of him." Suddenly, Kevin's eyes darkened. "You can't accept it, can you?" I looked at Kevin, shocked. "What?" Kevin only shook his head, frustrated. "You can't accept the fact that our Nick is gone, and all you can do is sulk over it." "Kevin!" Aj said warningly, but it was too late. Kevin had tipped me over. I shoved Kevin back, my feelings all bruised by now. "Damn right I can't accept it. Do you know how much time has passed since we've left that freaking volcano? Not even two weekS! Our Nick had only been lost for two weeks, and here you are talking about this?" "We have to accept! There is no other way!" Kevin barked back, cussing madly. And then in a softer voice, he added, "because if we don't accept it now . . . we may in fact lose whatever's left of Nick." Then kevin looked at me pleadingly. "Can't you see it in his eyes . . . in Nickolas' eyes? Can't you see that we're losing him, even as we stand here. Every minute that passes by, he's thinking. Now I don't know what he's thinking about, but I'm positive that it's not about trying to worm his way into our hearts!" Kevin paused. I was completely stunned into silence. Only Aj let out a little whimper as the frankness behind Kevin's words triggered our deepest fears. My body shivered, but not from the chilly breeze that swept through the gates of Sangria. We stood there staring at each other as we came to an understanding for the first time since this whole trek to Sangria began not even a month ago. My tears truly fell now. It was so silent that all we could hear was the winds brushing against the buildings and sifting the sand beneath our feet. It was so silent that when we heard a strange, but familiar voice, we all jumped from shock. "Am I interrupting something?" the voice called from behind us. All three of us turned around to see Howie standing poised and snug. His eyes were nervous, but they did not betray the rest of his body, which remained still and calm. What I didn't get is how did Howie pass the gates of Sangria without us noticing it because the three of us--me, Kevin and Aj--had pretty much barricaded it with our bodies. So now we gazed at Howie, completely baffled by the fact that he was standing inside the gates of Sangria while we were standing right at the gates themselves. I turned to look at Kevin who only stared back at me, his mind agreeing with mine. There was something definitely wrong with this picture. **************************** BACK NEXT |
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