Two felines pt.3

Ada looked at him cautiously. A wound ran from his cheekbone and almost reached his chin passing through the two lips, now split. A great sense of guilt enveloped her, but that didn't stop her from asking: "Who are you? Why are you looking for me?"

The boy smiled, a smile that seemed to light up his entire face, despite the blood on it. He immediately began to bandage her wounds and press against them. He didn't know how to improve the situation, the best he could do was keep her stable while waiting for a healer.

"Now don't talk and stay still, everything will be fine."

Rutia's daughter clung to the white armor with the last of her strength, "Answer."

"We are like you. Children of gods, destined for something greater than this."

He gestured towards the ruined asylum. "We are here to free you, to take you where you truly belong."

Ada felt her heart pounding in her chest. Freedom. It was what she had wanted for so long, yet now that it was within reach, she felt terrified.

"How did you find me? Why were you looking for me?" She asked again, thinking about the lion and how it could be his doing.

As if summoned from his thoughts, Nadim appeared on the roof of the asylum and stared up at the sky, his yellow eyes glittering as it reflected the light. He was curious to find out whether she would accept the demigods' offer or retreat into her shell as she had been accustomed to doing.

"So who are you really?"

The boy swallowed, "The monsters will arrive soon, we have to move..." he looked back at her, "Your mother, the goddess Rutia, reported your presence here and ordered us to retrieve you as soon as possible."

"How do you know it's me?"

"She said this words: 'And finally my progeny, the one who abandons life in the lion's grip', That's pretty specific, don't you think? Can I help you now?"

With a deep breath, made difficult by her wounds, the demigoddess let herself be picked up and led by the demigods. She still wondered how she could hold a conversation in the state she was in.

After they arrived, he set her down and whispered, "You're safe now."

A couple of boys set to work to repair the serious situation in which the lion had left her. The blond warrior was still there, his hand reaching out on her wrist to reassure her. Ada hesitated only for a moment before shaking the demigod's hand. The moment their fingers touched, she felt as if an electric spark was racing between them. The shadows around her danced frantically, mixing for an instant with a red glow that seemed to emanate from him.

"Everything will be fine, don't worry. The sons of Mardi will heal you."

The demigoddess nodded slightly, Mardi must be an important deity. The boys took a quick look at the blonde's wound, then focused on her.

"We have to get her out of here," said one of the two demigods, "We can stop the bleeding, but we can't cure her in this situation."

The other added, "It's not normal, this shade…"

That shade, her blood, had something strange about it. She tried her best to check, but she could only see a black film on her hands.

What was so strange about her blood? It was black, like everyone else's, even the wolf-boy and the snake-girl were like that.

The blond demigod interrupted them, "It's not something to worry about right now, Darryl will burn this place down. We're leaving."

Mardi's two sons took a pair of sticks from their saddlebags and unrolled them to create an emergency stretcher on which Ada was placed. 

The blond smiled at her, "I already told you but I'll tell you again: everything will be fine."

"Name," the demigoddess said weakly, wanting to know the name of her rescuer.

"I did not understand."

Ada cursed herself, her eyes were heavy. "Your name."

"Havel Granbish, what is your name?"

"Ada, it's Ada."

The demigod nodded, "Good, let's get you out of here."

Havel walked through the smoking corridors of the asylum called 'the orphanage'. Chaos reigned supreme: alarms blared, rescued patients ran in all directions, and staff desperately tried to maintain a lost order.

It didn't take them long to find the hooded demigod and join him. Darryl led them, his hands engulfed in flames lighting the way. 

"This way!" he shouted, turning sharply to the left. Ada could feel the heat of his flames, so different from the cold embrace of her shadows. Suddenly, a group of armed guards emerged from a side corridor, blocking their path. 

"Stop where you are!" one of them shouted, raising his rifle.

But before they could do anything else, Havel struck one of his axes at the rifle, rendering the guard disarmed. 

They ran through more corridors, avoiding rubble and raging flames. Ada could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins, an excitement she had never felt before. She didn't know whether to consider it fear or joy, but she felt like it was the only thing that was still keeping her alive.

She didn't die that day. The lion had not won.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they reached the exit.

With a final sprint, the group emerged into the open. Ada found herself overwhelmed by the sight before her. The sky was a deep blue, dotted with cotton-white clouds. The grass beneath her feet was a bright green, so different from the monotonous gray of the asylum.

Ada took a deep breath, feeling her lungs fill with fresh, clean air. The air was sweet, crisp, full of scents that she didn't recognize but which made her feel inebriated.

She turned to Havel, her eyes filled with tears. He looked at her with a kind, understanding smile.

"Is…is this real?" She whispered, almost fearing that everything could vanish at any moment. 

Havel nodded and Rutia's daughter felt something relax inside her. Years of fear, of loneliness, of desperation seemed to melt like snow in the sun. Tears began to flow freely down her cheeks, but for the first time in her life, they were tears of joy.

She turned to look at the burning asylum, the black smoke rising into the sky like a monument to her now-over captivity. 

"Let's go," the blond said, his voice firm and reassuring. 

As they walked away, Ada took one last look at the asylum that had been her prison and her home. Darryl's flames were consuming the building, erasing years of suffering and fear. It was the end of a chapter and the beginning of something new.

She didn't know what awaited her out there, what dangers or wonders she would encounter. But for the first time in her life, she truly felt free.

The screams and chaos seemed to fade into the distance, replaced by the sound of wind and the crackling of flames. Ada took one last look at the building, 'the orphanage', and saw the figure of the lion on the roof, watching them from above.

The creature bowed its head in a gesture of greeting and respect. 

"See you, panther," his look seemed to say. "We'll see each other again someday."

Then the flames reached him and the lion was enveloped in an inferno as orange as the sunset.

Ada began to tremble again, but Havel's hold gave her the minimum of reason necessary to understand that the demigods would keep her safe. 

The scene faded and the vivid colors dissolved into cooler tones.

Ada opened her eyes, returning to the present. She was no longer the little girl of that distant day, but although a woman now, she still felt equally frightened by the past and by the figure of the lion.

She looked at her hands, where little bits of darkness danced between her fingers like old friends. The power that had once saved her was now an integral part of her, an extension of her will.

She thought back to that day, to the moment everything changed. The awakening of her powers, the escape from the mental hospital, the first breath of freedom. Years had passed, but the memory was still vivid, etched into her mind and soul.

That day marked the beginning of her true journey. 

An adventure had begun, full of challenges, dangers, but also deep friendships and wonderful discoveries. She had learned to control her power, to use it both to protect herself and others.

There were the Equinox Flowers, with Darryl, Elaine and the latest Shirei. 

Then there was Havel, the one who had taken her away the moment she accepted her fate, the friend who had stood by her side and guided her into the outside world, the person who had provided her with a new light , the demigod who had given her freedom.

Havel was right in front of her like that day, but their roles were reversed. He was dripping with blood, she was unharmed, yet their situation had not changed. Sidal's son was protecting her from a fear that she should have left in the past, and he was willing to sacrifice his own life to do so.

Havel… it's not true… what others say isn't true… she remembered the scene that happened after the duel with Shirei, You are a hero.

Ada stood, shadows gathering around her like a cloak. She looked ahead where Nadim was present in his feline form. The lion was there, but this time they wouldn't play, there would no longer be any hunting between predator and prey.

She was no longer a victim, no longer a prisoner. 

Her name was Ada Bonaventura, daughter of Rutia, Equinox Flower.