Chapter 14: The Man

"We made it!"

The others cheered running out into our new world. Titan handed me Ambrosia. I walked up to the edge of the cliff overlooking the world. I took it all in.

I inhaled again the sweet air. I looked out over the city as the sun rose higher and higher.

How fitting.

"This is the beginning...A new beginning...Our beginning."I trailed off, happy to have led my friends to freedom. I snapped back into reality.

"We have to get as far away from this place as possible."I stood up, beginning to walk down a path towards the tall buildings that made up the city.

Everyone followed me. Soon we were walking through broken side walks overgrown with weeds latching onto life. The windows were broken and the buildings were crumbling.

"Where are we gonna go Kaiser?"Shira walked next to me.

"I don't...I don't know..."I looked back up at the cliff where the facility was. "But we aren't ever going to go back."I would make sure of that.

A long black creature, called a snake stopped in front of the group, staring us down with lifeless black eyes. Eyes that were nothing like the shimmering eyes of Ambrosia. Then the snake hissed spitting out a green semi-liquid fluid that melted the asphalt, before slithering away.

"Oh shit."Titan jumped back. He was tortured with snakes, so naturally he had become afraid of them.

We had been walking for hours. The sun began to set and Stella began to cough.

"I think we should stop here."Fenrir said gesturing to what looked like an empty corner store.

"I think we should keep going."Alistair looked anxious."We need to put more distance between us and that horrible place."

I stopped walking. "I want Ambrosia to wake up to a new and beautiful world. But I think it can wait until morning."

"We really should keep moving."Alistair urged, but reluctantly followed me into the store.

Glass crunched under our feet as we each stepped over vines and the overgrowth of plants. The windows were busted in, but there was an open space just big enough for all of us in the back of the store.

"Gather supplies and whatever could be useful."I said, setting Ambrosia down. "Stay in pairs."

Alistair and Titan went off to search for supplies.

"Stella...Stella?"Fenrir said softly, "Stella!"he yelled, gently tapping her shoulders. Shira rushed over.

"She is alright, just unconscious. It's a good thing we decided to stop and camp here for the night, she really shouldn't be moved around a lot right now."

Fenrir curled up next to Stella, he looked like a lost puppy. He put his arm around her, pulling her close protectively, before grudgingly drifting off into a light sleep.

"We should take turns on watch."I suggested. "You should get some sleep Shira."

"What about Ambrosia?"She looked surprised.

"We can worry about that another time. Right now we need to focus on getting as far away from this place as soon as possible. Besides we still have these collars on. We need to find a way to get them off as quickly as we can, for all we know there could be trackers in them."

Soon Alistair and Titan returned with gathered supplies in duffle bags.

"I'll take first watch you guys."

They quickly settled in and went to sleep.

Hours had past as I stared at nothing, watching the doorway.

"Kaiser..."Titan said groggily, sitting up rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah?"I said not taking my eyes off of the doorway.

"Do you...Never mind."I felt his stare on me disappear as he looked off somewhere else.

"You can talk to me Titan."I continued watchfully.

"Do you think Phoebe is...on that man's side?"His voice cracked as the words spilled from his lips.

"That man...He is my father..."I said bitterly, the words tasted metallic in my mouth.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"Because I...Because I didn't want him to be."I said truthfully ashamed.

"I understand you not wanting to tell us, but what about Fenrir?"

"He doesn't know."I held my gaze on the door, Fenrir was my best friend.

"How could you not?"

"I haven't found the right time."

"He is your best friend. You have to tell him eventually."

"I will."

"That man can't be human..."Fenrir piped in.

I broke my gaze on the door. "Fen I."

"It's ok. I smelt it. That man isn't human. And I sense you are ashamed of what he is and even more so of what that makes you. Am I right?"

"Yes..."I hated his animal instincts.

"How long have you been awake?"I said uncomfortably, staring at him, his arm still protectively around Stella as she slept.

"Long enough. I think it's time you get some rest."

I didn't argue, I didn't have enough strength to, so I laid down and let myself float off into uncomfortably light sleep.

I woke up to the sound of screams, it was still pitch black outside. It was Stella.

"Stella what's wrong?!"Fenrir roared frantically.

"That man!!"She screamed, even in the blackness in the moonlight I could see her gripping her head.

She let out an even louder scream, like she was in pain.

"That man is!!...The Devil!"She slammed her head on the ground trying to make whatever she was seeing go away, but Fenrir didn't let her get very far, he held her, her back to his chest. "Calm down."

Everyone was awake now.

She began punching and clawing at him, he sat there and took everything she had to throw at him. When she finally calmed down he stroked her hair.

"It's ok...I'm here for you...And I always will be."He cooed softly.

"That man is the Devil.."She sobbed into his bare chest.

"Stella calm down. That man isn't the Devil."He rested his head on hers, he continued to stroke her head.

"Actually...He is...And he is my father..."