DIARY OF VALERIA [ COMPLETED ]

Chapter 11

Now, that was a revelation! My jaw dropped, and my eyes almost budged out of its sockets. It took me a while to find my voice, but Valeria laughed heartily and her voice sounded like tiny bells, causing some students to turn their heads. It was so hard not to notice her, because her laughing was all over the place.

"You know what, I like you. You're a funny guy, Isaiah," she said as she recovered.

"I didn't say anything," I said while blushing.

"Oh dear, don't worry. The reaction from your face says it all," she laughed once again, but this time, it was more contained.

"Well, your revelation was shocking, Valeria," I still find it odd addressing her by her name but I didn't want to offend her.

"I know. But, what can I say? It's the truth," she sighed.

A shadow passed over her small face, and suddenly, her eyes moved farther away. I watched as she drifted away to her thoughts, for it was the only thing I could do. I wish I could follow her while picking up pieces down memory lane, but I couldn't. Therefore, I waited. Wherever her mind went, she was the only one who could take the journey, even if I knew history by heart.

I wanted to say something, but I didn't want to distract her from her musing. As I watched her, I noticed the sadness in her eyes. A resonating sadness, embedded, and rooted so deep. I wanted to ask her, but it seemed that in this particular moment, I lost her. She was here with me in the café, but somehow her whole being was somewhere else - lost in the waves of time, and eras of the past.

"He was the love of my life," she started. A sense of melancholy in her voice as she spoke again, "He is, still. But, he is no longer the man that I used to know. He changed. The hero that I once knew is no longer there, and it's all my fault."

"Are you talking about Andres?" I asked in a soft voice.

Upon mentioning his name, her eyes blinked a few times and met mine. This time, I didn't look down. There was something hypnotic in her eyes - it was brown, deep, and magnetic.

"Yes. Andres... That was his name. That's the name of the man I fell in love with. But since he became one of us, he hasn't used that name ever since," she said, and inhaled deeply.

"But, he's still Andres, right? I mean, he's still the same person?" I was confused.

Valeria looked at me, and her eyes searched my face before answering my question. I guess she wanted to see sincerity in me. And because she was not human, I assumed she could see it in my soul just by looking at my eyes. Just like the old saying, "the eyes are the window to the soul".

"It's the same body, if that's what you're asking. But, the being inside is no longer the Andres who was once human. I was the one who turned him, despite the tribe's rules. It's a crime to turn humans into one of us. But I was blinded by my love for him, and I couldn't suffer to see him die. He was badly wounded, and if I didn't do what I did – he would die a painful death," she said sadly.

"How? What happened?" I asked curiously.

"He was murdered. Along with his brother, they were killed," she paused for a while and continued, "It was all because of me," I could see the pain in her eyes as she admitted.

"But how?" I asked.

"It's true, what you said in your blog post. My death was the very reason that the great revolution ignited. Ironically, it was a fake one, as you can see. But you have to understand; I didn't have a choice back then. Faking my death was the only way to fuel the rage between our two great leaders. But not against each other, but to our enemies."