by Andre Pisco
"Am I seeing this?" James asked, rubbing his eyes several times, his mouth open, incredulous at what he saw in front of him.
A modern city, moved by cutting-edge technology, was hidden in that mountain. Behind defensive walls, there was in all its splendor, Relics. Lamps in every corner, yellow and radiant lights, marble floor, clean to the touch, and huge buildings that made the academy look like a mere sketch. The streets were full. According to Lomi, it was Saturday, which meant market day. People would leave the house to take advantage of the promotions that only existed that day. Hundreds of people filled the wide streets of Relics, once imagined as a poor city and populated by only a few dozen people. Inside, there was no roof, but a transparent barrier. There was no natural wind. There were fans on all the walls and some strategically positioned on the streets. The sun burned over the people, who, for the most part, were all dark. There were no cars, but in such an isolated city they were not needed either. Relics was the perfect blend of a city using technology to isolate itself and at the same time look like a normal city where anyone could find a place for themselves without feeling dislocated. Even Alec, who stared at everything with astonishment, thought of the resemblance to his city-the frenzied rush in the market, the screams of the vendors, each one raising their voice to surpass the others and the children running from one side to the other. The other, still happy, still with hope.
"I couldn’t even remember the days..." Lucy said.
"That makes two of us. Saturdays were good," James said, thinking to himself that Saturdays were the days when he didn’t do anything and forced his cousin to do his work.
"Follow me," Lomi said, pushing his way through the crowd.
No one stepped aside. They treated him as if he were just another citizen trying to take advantage of the promotions before them. They pushed him and even nudged him if necessary. There was no trace of respect in them. Crazy, running from side to side, taking the saffron that surrounded that street and the surrounding ones. Relics was the opposite of everything they expected. There was no class, no calm, and other than the four who received them, the rest were weaker than them. They didn’t even look at them twice. They didn’t seem to be surprised to have visitors. Not even the tired aspect of them, still with dark circles under their lips or their improvised clothes, had their eye caught by the group.
They walked in a straight line until they reached the city center. All the streets gave access there. Like the arms of a river that flow in the same place, there, the center was the stage of all the great events. A building was erected, superior to all the others, surrounded by guards as strong or stronger than the young ones. They had top armor and weapons of every power. They couldn’t see the eyes of the guards, let alone whether they were male or female. Protected by an aura of mystery were the 16 guardians of Relics. Lomi did his best to explain everything. He had a captivating voice, appropriate for a teacher. It was far away and penetrating through the ears without irritation.
"I beg you not to get confused now," Lomi asked, explaining that they would have to be searched.
"We will not," Alec replied, glancing at James as if he knew what was in his head.
"Ready, ready. You don’t have to think I'm going to ruin it myself." James countered, indignant at the prediction.
"You even have your joke." A voice behind them said.
"Alice, did you do what I asked?" Lomi asked.
"Yes. The guards are standing in silence. They don’t want to scare the population," Alice replied. When she talked to him, all the sarcasm inside her hid and waited for another time.
"Maybe we'll have to evacuate," Lomi added. There was something about him that had changed since he read the letter. A certain security that ceased to exist, which had been at a time when he was ignorant of what was said there.
"Is it so serious? What the hell did these boys bring in here?" Alice asked. She was beginning to wonder. She'd never seen Lomi so worried and knowing him, it was clear that he was scared of something.
"The truth, Alice. They brought the truth. One that many people don’t want to have to face. One that's been hidden for far too long." Lomi started in the middle of the street, stamping his foot on the floor. Time passed and anxiety increased, "But we don’t have much time for this now. Come. I'll explain everything in there."
Before entering they were asked to raise their arms and open their legs. Different guards approached them and touched them from one end to the other until they were sure they were not armed. They made them open their mouths and show the tongue, tickle under their arms and felt the entire leg area. Even Lucy suffered from the same fate despite her complaints that it was a lack of respect to be treated that way.
"We're sorry, but it really has to be," Lomi said, also asking them to realize that it was the most important building in town and they couldn’t risk it.
"The little princess is not used to these treatments." Molly threw herself into the air and let out a venomous laugh.
"Princess?" James asked, looking at both of them.
"She thinks she’s funny..." Lucy replied, looking at Molly. Her wide eyes conveyed anger and mercy at the same time.
Molly realized it was a secret and said nothing more. She liked to play but didn’t want to cause a break in the group. If Lomi saw them as important it was because they should be. After the pat-down, one of the guards went to the door and opened it. The golden color and the elaborate lines of yellow were replaced by blue-light lamps that illuminated the entrance hall. Grant was waiting inside, accompanied by two other soldiers, older men with stubble, a belly that shamed Neil's, and guns on his shoulder. One had a double-barreled shotgun and another with green striped gloves, similar to Alec's, perfect for spreading the energy that flowed through his arms. They were a meter behind the other boy who whispered to them as the group entered. The men didn’t react. Their lips didn’t move, let alone their eyebrows. They didn’t have faces so unformed, their beards not aligned and a cut over their left eyebrows could perfectly pass through statues.
"The food will be ready in a few minutes.” Grant said, "Not that they're used to eating in such a fancy place."
"I'm going to hit this guy if he doesn’t shut up," James said, loud enough for him to hear.
"As if you could even get close to me," Grant replied and opened his mouth wide enough to utter a malevolent smile, adding a wink of his right eye.
James was about to get carried away by his fragile temper when Alice grabbed his arm. All it took was a slight turn of the head to calm down, realizing that it was neither the place nor the right time to do so. He took a deep breath and turned to Lomi.
"He's right. We have to hurry."
"Yes. You better take a quick shower and change your clothes. You'll have new clothes on the beds as soon as you get out of the shower." Lomi said, "Follow me."
The ceiling was transparent, and the light came in all its splendor. There was no place where the rays of light couldn’t reach, where the faces could conceal their faults or where to hide in the shadows. Everything was more beautiful there - from the walls with pictures that had once hung, the decorative statuettes on the way and the red carpet they stepped on. They were lords in a world of kings, knowing that they had never been more than students who had fled from certain death. They reached the end of the hall and waited for Lomi to move. He looked lost, looking both ways, deciding which one was the right one.
"Lomi, right," Alice told him, ending with a yawn, as if not for the first time or the second time she had to say it.
"You know my memory is not what it used to be," he replied, showing a smile for the first time. He didn’t have any teeth, but instead had deep cuts in his gums. Someone had done them and had fun doing so. The way they started on one side and zigzagged to the other was exquisite "We're almost there."
They went upstairs, wide enough for all of them to fit in a single row. The second floor was similar to the first, except for the rising temperature, and a corridor in
shadows, covered by a golden ceiling that stretched to its end. More pictures, statues, and family coats covered the red, wine-colored walls.
"Do you see that corridor without light? Your rooms are there. There is a fireplace in each room. You can choose which one you want, but Lucy's is the last one on the left." Lomi said, "The bath is that door over there. There is room for everyone. Molly will bring you the clothes," he added, pointing to a door on the left.
"Will I?" Molly asked, unhappy with the certainty in Lomi's voice.
"I thought I had taught you to treat our guests well. I need them ready for a long night. There is much to discuss.”
She yawned, turned her back, and walked downstairs, saying she'd take care of it. Lomi apologized for her rebellious attitude and said he would be waiting for them in the dining room.
"Down the stairs and down the hall. Impossible to miss it. It's the door that has a picture of a fork and a knife on it," he said before leaving as well.
Chapter XXIV
The group was alone again. A sense of inertia took possession of their bodies, and at times no one moved. Only their eyes moved, exploring their surroundings, so different from what they were accustomed to and at the same time welcoming. They were bathed in golden threads of heat and they smiled at the world as he did them after so much misfortune had fallen upon them.
"We... we did it!" Neil said, saying the words with hesitation as if he still expected the party to collapse on them.
"I never doubted it. It was obvious we were going to get it done," James said. For the first time, he patted Neil on the back and smiled.
"We're really good," Neil replied and put his arm around his friend's neck.
"Good? We're even better. Nobody could get us out of the way. The director would be proud of us." James added.
They followed the two of them to the bathroom, glued to each other, praising themselves over and over, talking about the deeds they had produced up until now and the obstacles that had been overcome. Seen from the outside, they seemed to be long-time friends acting as if they had not seen each other for more than 10 years and now had an opportunity to reminisce and enrich old conquests. They even hummed such happiness. The corridors were not big enough to harbor their ego.
"Did this just happen?" Lucy asked, looking at Alec and Lucian, rubbing their eyes more than once.
"It seems so. It's good for them. We all deserve a break," Alec said but didn’t smile. There was something that still kept him alert even though they had reached their destination.
"It's not over yet, is it?" Lucian said, chanting a question to which he already knew the answer.
"I think not. Whatever the letter contains is important and they will not give it up. Not for you, Lucian. We won’t let them get you. Promise."
"We're in this together. Until the end," Lucian replied.
"Our emotions are really on our sleeves," Lucy said, "but you're right. We are together until the end. There is no going back."
"We better get going. I'm curious what Lomi wants to tell us. Hopefully the contents of the letter," Alec said. It took just one step forward for the others to follow.
"Perhaps. Do you trust him?" Lucian asked. As he entered the heatless area he stiffened, and his bones snapped one by one. He was reborn in cold places, home of breezes and shivers, where the cold itself spread through the body and made him shelter.
"I don’t think we can genuinely trust anyone but us. But if the director sent us here, it was for a reason.”
Lucian agreed. They reached the bathroom door and entered. Lucy stayed behind, tugging at her hair as she paced back and forth and peered inside.
"Aren’t you coming?" Alec asked.
"Ah... Is there a room for girls? Don’t think I'm going to bathe at your side!" She replied, embarrassed, trying to remain serious but being betrayed by her pink cheeks.
"Yes, it does. Right side for us, and left side for you," Lucian replied, finding it funny.
Alec and Lucian entered the space for men, where James and Neil were undressing, ready to enter the hot springs. It was hard to see something with so much steam inside the room, but at least they didn’t have to bathe in cold water like the last time. They entered the water, leaving out the shyness and the fears. Lucian held his breath as the water touched his wounds. He didn’t want to draw attention but was unable to stand without locking his jaw and closing his eyes.
"Is everything okay?" Alec asked.
"Yes. Just some pain. Nothing more. James must feel it, too.”
"Yes, but it's a very slight pain." James replied, "Maybe you should just run your hands over your body"
"I am fine. Don’t worry. This will pass as soon as I get used to it." Lucian replied and leaned against the marble walls.
They washed, dunked, rubbed their bodies with soap scented with camellias and lost themselves in thought as they gazed at the ceiling with a golden candlestick that illuminated the space. They exchanged neither words nor glances. A pact made between the lines that the moment would serve for all to rest and that later, at dinner, they would talk about what tormented them. Neil struggled to wash without ever placing his right hand in the water. He looked at it with contempt, a finger still missing, unable to close it at all.
They didn’t rush through their bath. They had never bathed in such a classy place, let alone one where the sweet scent made them smile and breathe with relief that they had arrived. They were all leaning against the exit when someone knocked on the door. Twice with little force, but enough to hear and activate your senses of reaction to danger. It was the kind of people they were now, sensitive to any touch or noise, not hesitating to pick up the weapon at an unreasonable pace.
"It's me, guys," Lucy said, her voice muffled by the door and steam.
"Come in," James said, already wiping his hands, hoping the world would reward him.
Neil nudged him and told him to behave. Lucy opened the door and just peered inside. She had a towel covering most of her body, but her shoulders were bare and the protruding clavicles attracted attention. James and Neil both gaped, no reaction to what she told them, the sound disappearing before reaching them. They heard her thank them, apologize, and close the door again.
"What did she say?" James asked.
"You are always the same. She told us to hurry up and that they were already waiting for us." Alec replied, taking a deep breath and letting out a sigh that made the foam around him fly and dance through the steam until it disappeared.
As soon as they were finished, they got out of the water, dried themselves, and headed for the rooms. The contrast between places had accentuated; where they were, the lack of clarity prevented the existence of a shadow while the opposite side, near the stairs, shone, even more, creating shadows and projections that previously didn’t exist. Someone had pasted papers with the names of each of them at the doors. Lucian and Alec in one room and Neil and James in another. They opened the doors at the same time and found rooms which they thought were mere fables.
They were bigger than they any room they had ever been in, making Alec's bedroom in his town look like an ant in the face of a six-foot monster. There were no differences between the two except for Alec and Lucian's having two more windows, both facing the city. Alec sat on the parapet and breathed in the fresh air, so different from what he was accustomed to, putrid and able to contaminate the lungs. There were doubts in his mind. He had not forgotten the promise made to Tommy, but for the first time, he was afraid he would not make it.
"Different isn’t it?" Lucian asked as he raised his arms to put on a shirt. His body marked by the anger of others, an almost purposeful target for the light that fell upon him from the three lamps swaying on the ceiling. A gentle breeze made him squirm, and he sat down on the red satin that covered the bed. He relaxed his muscles and lay down in the free space on the bed, avoiding rumpled clothing.
"Are you okay?" Alec asked, averting his gaze from the modern landscape in front of him, "Yes. I've nev
er seen anything like it before. People walk unconcerned in the streets, there are no constant screams and supplications, or dry blood in every street. I wish my parents moved here. Maybe one day," he said, turning back to the tall buildings blocking the view beyond the horizon.
"I don’t remember my city as well as you remember yours. I didn’t forget the smell of rotten fish behind the crates, or the droplets lying on the floor with the strong odor scattering around them as well as the caramel-colored liquid coming out of their mouths." Lucian began, standing up, "We better get going. It is not good for us to think too much about the past or the future. I don’t think the present is going to stick around for us," he said, this time wearing the white pants that had been at his side.
"It would be nice, but I don’t believe it either." Alec said and closed the window, covering it with the curtains so that most of the light would not reach the whole of the room, "It's best to hurry up."
Lucian was already dressed and Alec was about to finish when they knocked on the door. Whoever it was didn’t stop and the touches were made with a force that grew with each beat. Murmurs outside dispelled the silence and increased the heart rate of the young people. Lucian grabbed the sheet under him so hard it made it unrecognizable was it not for his unique color. Alec got up and took a few steps toward the door, never making a sound, but stopped when a voice rose above his fears.
"Hurry up. We're waiting for you!" James shouted.
"I'm sick of being here alone with this guy. He has no patience at all." Neil answered, too loudly.
"I've had enough of you, too. Can’t they be on time?" James shouted.
"There are hours! They just don’t want to wait too long." Neil countered.