THE ROAD

IN THE DUNGEON

I was standing in the dungeon, a big room with a dome vault,  solitary on sides, and flambeau on walls to lit that dark place. As I shouted, my voice echoed and suddenly a light distracted me from the place at the end of the dungeon, I followed the light and encountered a cemented podium on which a book was kept. I looked at Stephanie and she made an expression with her eyes asking me to step forward. I stepped forward and was amazed to see it there, 'fons et origo'. Yeah, it was there in the dungeon as written in Francis's autobiography. 

'Okay, the book was here for over a century. A whole damn school, not a normal school but a high school having almost 2000 students, was built 40 years ago, the whole place renovated and no one ever tried to sneak in here. Are you kidding me, miss, whatever you are?' I said surprisingly.

'Will you give it a rest? You lack patience. You are quite opposite of the royals. You do not behave like one...If you are asking me nobody tried to get in here, it doesn't seem like an important place to a normal person and high school or whatever it is, I don't think for people like you entering an old storeroom or even coming to this place is even worth. Moreover, it's witch's spell a normal person would never be able to get in here.' Stephanie remarked.

You know when you meet someone, what you first notice is their personality and the way they talk or handle a particular conversation. Well, I guess she was right I wasn't behaving my normal self like I used to be. After whatever I encountered in the past few weeks, perhaps, was the reason.

'I sighed, looked at the book, it was beautiful, gold plated, with words engraved in red, 'Fons et Origo'. It was shiny and attractive and I felt mesmerized. For a while, I forgot where I was, I felt like there was no one in the dungeon except for that book and me, I stared at it for a while and then stepped forward, and touching it I said, 'Why nobody opened you?   you have waited so long.....' I didn't know from where that came but I said it. I felt like the book was asking me to open it. As soon as I touched it, I felt electricity passing through my body and I felt a power within me, it felt like a spark lit inside me, the void that vexed me from the beginning felt like filling up. I had my eyes closed and I was just feeling that energy, I was interrupted by a voice familiar other than Stephanie's, 'So, you read it.' I opened my eyes and looked around and it was Roisin, but this time I didn't act crazy, I acted all mature and understanding, I looked at her and said with full confidence, 'You're not Roisin.'

'Rightly guessed, I am not.' The girl replied wickedly.

'you were the one that kept that autobiography on my couch, weren't you?' I asked.

She said nothing and walked forward and stood near Stephanie, I observed carefully and figured she was not Roisin, she looked like her but was a bit older, and she was just dressed like Stephanie but no jewelry, no belleat, just a normal brown gown and normal ancient French slippers.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and walked near them, and said,

'you know what, it's been weeks I haven't slept peacefully, all the things and questions I have been encountering since the day I have traveled through that road. I don't know who you are with the appearance of my best friend, but the book you kept on my couch wasn't an autobiography, they were kinda letters or the truth written for me, I suppose. My prior business is you, Stephanie Ramirez,' I smiled, and then added in a serious tone, 'I don't think I need to ask you to answer.'

Stephanie replied very politely, 'I would answer your every question' she paused and then added, 'See, I don't belong to Laurants but I have always been loyal to them. They have given me everything, Dia gave me people to live for, a name, and Francis gave me his love and life. When he went to fight that entire army alone I wanted to go with him but the ritual of 'Muerte' needed me but as soon as the ritual got over, I ran inside for him. He knew he would die and I wanted to die with him as well but the spell made me immortal. He grew weak and pale and decided to write everything needed to know by the next Alessandro. He died two days after the battle.'

'You said spell made you immortal. Aren't vampires immortal?' I commented.

'They are unless killed by wood or burnt or killed in a fight by other vampires by breaking their necks. I tried everything but nothing was able to kill me; Stephanie answered and the pain of Francis's death could be seen in her eyes. 

'Francis and Dia were Alessandro, the powerful, the demigod. They died of a spell, just a spell?' I questioned.

'Muerte is not, "just a spell". the girl replied and then added, 'Eabha, I am sorry, to barge into your house like this but it was necessary. I am .......(gasps) ...Sirena Jane Evanora. Yes, you are sensing it right. I am the witch that casted muerte. I am a direct ancestor of Roisin, and yeah I know she looks like me because she's a doppelganger."

' So that spell made you immortal as well, but what about Francis's mother? She was also one of you to sit in the ritual and doppelganger...umm....' I stopped.

' See, I told you it's not just a spell not everyone can tolerate its impact. Francis's mother was weak and wasn't able to take much power, so she died.' Sirena paused and then added, 'doppelgänger....... evil twin. Roisin and I, both look exactly like each other but both of us can't be good. I was, I am and I'll always be with Alessandro, but I fear your best friend. 

'I know she has been your best friend for years and I know you can't hear anything bad about her, but I would just say be careful.' Stephanie remarked.

I knew what she wanted to say but I was not ready to accept it. Doppelganger means evil twin and it's a bad omen and one of the two must die. Sirena was with Francis and she helped him in every way possible but I can't doubt a person who has always been by my side since I was born. Roisin and I were born on the same day, same place, and precisely at the same time. Our bond was made by the universe itself and it can never be broken so easily. I was proud of calling Roisin my best friend and I was reluctant to hear against her. I looked at them for a while, turned towards the book, and said, 'I am not here to listen against my best friend. You don't know her but I do, you guys leave her and tell me about muerte.'

'I know it's hard but you'll realize it soon. ..........You wanna know about muerte, it's not just a spell, it's Alessandro itself.' Stephanie remarked.

'what do you mean?' I asked.

'Eabha, muerte is Alessandro itself. See, Alessandro has the blood of a human, a vampire, and a witch, and together they form a power, 'muerte' that means death. Alessandro himself means death. Alessandro has to die in order to give life and the ritual is just performed to awaken that power.' Sirena reclaimed.

I was surprised to hear this and remarked in anger, 'what? Alessandro....... is just like a pig to slaughter. This is nonsense. .......I shouldn't have entered the gate.' 

'it's necessary, if Akuma won, not only us even the human race would suffer. Moreover, if you wouldn't have entered in they would have made you enter, anyway.' Said Stephanie.

Sirena came towards me kept her hand on my shoulder to comfort me and said while looking at the book, 'This book is the source, it has secrets on how the universe is formed and how it will end and everything in between. For over centuries different tribes like us have died protecting it. This time it's our turn to contribute, no matter what, and believe us we are all with you, 'Alessandro'. Fate has chosen our tribes to protect it. When you first entered the dungeon the book glowed with all its glory and the protection spell I casted to hide this book was broken........... You are the next Alessandro.'

'That's not important what I am, but what did you just say is more important. What do you mean? There were more like us.' I startled.

..........'yes'..........