1 Renascence

"Good morning", someone whispered in the hallway.

One more day was starting. I was lying down when I heard the voices in the corridor saying something very unpleasant. It was the day of the generals' visit and they were scheduled for interrogation of prisoners. As always, some of them would come to me and question who I was, what I was doing there.

As always, I had no answer. At least, no convincing one. So, I knew that I would return to my cell covered with wounds, due to their endless search for some 'truth' that was unknown even for myself.

It would undoubtedly be a long day. Not that I was not yet used to this type of treatment, but the pain would be an extra nuisance that was not welcomed, and, at that moment, nothing could be worse than feeling the smell own blood until the next cleaning day.

A sound. A very close sound. I didn't know where it came from, but it was uncommon. Was anyone looking at me through the bars? But it came from the opposite side.

"What is your name? " I heard someone whispering behind me. I turned towards the sound as much as the chains in my hands and feet allowed by instinct. However, that was useless since I could not see. The heavy iron mask that covered my head for several years was still there, keeping me in darkness. Was anyone inside there with me?

I remained in silence. Another possibility is that I was finally losing the little sanity I had left.

"What is your name?" Repeated the male voice. Was there a window in that direction? It would be a reasonable explanation for what was happening. "Why are you stuck there? This is a maximum security prison, but you don't seem to be a regular convict."

That was it. He was certainly a general or some soldier from outside that base. Apparently, my presence there was something considered unusual by most of them. I assumed that there were not many women in that prison. Or it could be that it was unusual in this world to hold children in such heavy chains.

A quick thought passed through my mind. Was I still in the age of being considered a child?

"My existence is considered a threat against the government and the world." I answered, in a voice that was lifeless and somewhat hoarse. It had been a long time since I last spoke, but I wasn't in the mood to talk, though. I was only automatically repeating those exact words. For years I heard that question, and I always answered it in the same way. The same way that my aunt had taught me.

The man was supposed to leave after he quenched his curiosity. But to my surprise, he spoke again.

"No one can be called a criminal just because they exist Althea." He replied with a serious voice."The government is wrong; it is corrupt and cannot judge people just because it is convenient."

Silence. I felt strange to hear those words. I'd never heard anyone speak against the government so blatantly before. And... had he said my name? No. That was not possible.

That was it. I had gone mad at last.

Then I heard another sound from the same direction. It was also a male voice, but I felt as if I had heard that voice before. I could also feel the presence of that man, even with the distance. He was for sure a powerful one.

"Joseph, nothing in the eastern sector... What are you doing up there?"

"I found her. She is exactly like my vision and as your description." Those were his reply words. I did not quite understand. A moment of silence once again took place. How come he had found me? What did that man mean by that?

The second one said something I could not grasp. Then the first man spoke again, in a slightly louder tone. I could now feel him even closer to where I was.

"Right. Be quick, Joseph." Said the second man.

"Stay away from the window Althea." replied the one who was called Joseph.

I obeyed, leaning against the wall that was the opposite side to the sound and shrinking myself. Why not follow the imaginary voices...? What was happening anyway?

Soon after came a crash. I felt the ground trembling and the sound of rocks rolling in front of me. Again, I had heard my name " a name which I never mentioned to them. In fact, so long time had passed since I last heard that name that I couldn't even remember how it sounded anymore. Was that really the sound of my name? Did I still have a name anyway after all that time?

"Done. Help me release her."

"Finally. You are right, Joseph; I am sure it is her."

Nothing made any sense. I stood still while I absorbed the information.

Suddenly I felt hands touching my head. I shuddered at first, preparing myself to be hurt as usual, but those hands just lightly stroked my hair and broke the locker that was holding my mask. I also heard the noise of chains falling to the floor and felt my arms and legs free of that weight.

When the mask fell, I tried to open my eyes but instantly groaned in pain and closed them again, shrinking myself. Light. It was so strong that I could not even open my eyes without pain. Then I felt again those warm hands touching my face and fingers passing softly over my temples.

"Excuse me." said the second man's voice as he raised some kind of tissue over my face and tightened it behind my head. "I believe you are no longer used to the daylight. I'll put this on you until it dims a little."

"We'd better hurry" Joseph said.

I felt my body rising in the air while a pair of arms held me firmly, giving me no time to ask where they were taking me.

Wind. It seemed that we were moving too fast. I felt the warmth of the sun touching my skin, and my heart skipped a beat. If that was a dream, I didn't want it to end. All those feelings... it was as if I was alive again.

After a while, they stopped. I heard the sound and felt the smell of the sea. The man's arms moved, and he dropped me sitting in a soft place.

"Wait for a little here Althea. We will start sailing now, and then we can talk." He said. " Joseph, we must be faster. They started moving."

I shuddered. Who was coming? The soldiers? Was my beautiful dream about to end?

"Don't worry, they won't reach us." the man continued.

Several minutes of silence took place afterward. From what I could grasp, we were currently in a boat. I could feel the water moving under us very quickly while the sea breeze touched my face. It was a good feeling. The "me" in the past would possibly be crying tears of joy. But the "me" at that moment didn't know how to shed tears.

I lifted my hands, still unused with the light feeling of being without the chains. touched the tissue protecting my eyes and lifted it slowly, afraid that someone would interrupt or punish me for doing that. Nothing happened, however.

I tried to open my eyes, bit by bit. Pain. Gradually, I was getting used to the clarity, and could see a glimpse of the wooden floor beneath my bare feet. I tried look at the owners of those voices, but having a complete vision was still out of the question. Several minutes passed while I was in that small battle, opening my eyes from time to time and closing them once again.

"Take your time." said a voice beside me.

I swallowed compulsively. That was reality. There was a person sitting there with me.

"Wh... who are you? What's happening?" I asked so low that it was almost a whisper. My voice still sounded hoarse and shaky, and I couldn't hide my fear of what their answer could be.

"Excuse us for being so rude." Said the man called Joseph. He seemed to be walking from one side to another, and his voice sounded happy. "The rush, unfortunately, prevented us from a fair presentation. You can try to open your eyes now Althea; I just closed all the windows."

I followed his suggestion. My eyes still hurt a little, but the light was minimal in comparison to the minutes before. I could see that I was in a pretty big room, lit only by the light of a candle and by small sun rays crossing the borders of the closed windows. I saw a tall figure sitting in front of me, staring at me in silence. The other man was finishing lighting another candle and approached us as well.

"My name is Joseph, Althea." Said the man who now sat beside me. He seemed to have around 20 years old. His hair was blonde, long, and was tied in a disorganized way. He appeared to be around 1.80m high and appeared to be extremely strong, but something in his dark eyes flashed me the feeling that I was safe. Then, he continued to speak, now pointing to the man in front of me. "And that's Dominic."

I looked at Dominic, and immediately, my heartbeat accelerated. He seemed to be also around his 20's and, though he was sitting, I could notice that he should be even taller than Joseph. His black hair fell over his beautiful green eyes, which stared at me with such intensity that I could feel every centimetre of my body shivering. Once again, I felt as if I had some connection with that person. My whole body seemed to be awakening and reacting to the presence of that man, but most of all, I could feel the power emanating from him. He was no ordinary man.

My head was confused. They continued staring at me in silence, waiting while I tried to calm my breath. Then I finally took the courage to talk once again.

"Excuse the boldness of my question... but what is happening? Why are you... going against the Government and... releasing something like me?"

"Why do we challenge the Government? "said Joseph, smiling. "I can say that, in my case, it's a bad habit of my family since my father died fighting against the Government's oppression. My mother had a similar destiny."

"So... Sorry to touch such a personal subject..." I spoke with my voice still failing. "I didn't realize my question was insensitive."

"No need to apologize, Althea. Dominic's situation is a little more complicated, but his objective is the same as mine. So, now that I told you something about us, you have to tell us something about you. Tell me how you ended up at that location and what exactly you know regarding yourself."

I faced him, confused. He didn't yet answer my main question and seemed to be changing the topic. However, they had saved me, and I saw no other way besides complying with their requests in that situation. Even so, I was afraid of telling them the truth about what I was. I didn't want to be taken back to the darkness.

"It's better, to be honest" I thought. I had a feeling that they already knew something about me, so there was no point in lying. Then I started talking.

I spoke of my childhood and how I was arrested when I was six years old. Tough I wasn't sure about it, I told them that I believed that my parents were against the Government and that was one of the reasons why I was imprisoned. Also, the possible reason why they died. When I finished, I saw Joseph's grave semblance. He then looked at Dominic, and shivers went down my spine. Dominic, unlike Joseph, seemed to have anger in his eyes. Maybe my past reminded him of something disgusting, or maybe, he was against my presence there.

His eyes then found mine, and in an instant, his face softened. I turned my face to the other side, unable to maintain eye contact. Dominic then stood and came close to me, making my body shudder with fear that he would hurt me. However, he simply bent over, touching my face, making me raise my head and look at him again in the eyes.

"I think you should rest for today." He said. His beautiful voice brought me back to the feeling I knew him. "You've spent a lot of time in that place, and you're not used to living out here. Take a shower and try to lie down for a while; I already prepared everything you might need. We will keep the conversations for later. In the meantime, I ask you to trust us, and I promise that soon we will clarify all your doubts."

I just nodded in agreement with what he had said. I indeed felt my body weak and heavy. Dominic then left the room, and Joseph guided me around the place, showing me where the bathroom was and where it would be the place where I could sleep. Before, however, he insisted that I feed and hydrate myself. Only at that moment, I noticed how thirsty and hungry I felt.

It was the first time in many years that I could feel anything at all.

After a wonderful warm bath, I put on the clean clothes given to me (too big for my skinny body) and headed for the bedroom Joseph showed me earlier. My legs ached considerably, and the atmosphere was so comfortable that I did not hesitate to lie down in that cozy bed. But, at the same time, I was afraid to close my eyes. I feared that when I opened them again, everything would have been a dream. I was afraid of returning to the darkness.

I was aware that I was being a coward for avoiding asking questions to both Joseph and Dominic. Still, I knew that during the next day, I needed to be honest. First, I had to understand why they freed me, and then, I would tell them of my powers. I would tell them about my curse and about what I really was.

The tiredness quickly took over my body, and I could not stop my mind from fading. It was time for that dream to come to an end.