Reapers - Thirteen Brothers

XXXXIX - Rosario (2 of 2)

I was sure that when Vincent notice the moving lights, he would rush to our aid. A ray of hope.

"Look!" I pointed at the dancing fireflies with a trembling finger, glancing down at Rosario as I did.

A glassy pair of hazel eyes stared back at me. At first, it appeared like Rosario was admiring the picturesque spectacle in awe, unmoving and astonished. But then, I noticed that her chest wasn't rising anymore.

"R-rosario?"

I took her shoulder and shook. No response.

"Rosario!"

Still nothing. I held her hand. It was still pressed on my wound. Except there wasn't any wound. At least not anymore. Even now, my chest had a faint white glow about it, a remnant of Rosario's healing ability.

I felt a short line of raised white scar just above my heart. That was when the tears started to fall.

I started to do CPR. It was no use. More blood just spewed out of her mouth with every compression. Under my palm, I could feel the long slanted gaping wound on her chest-the same one she made me stitch up a few days ago.

"No!" I yelled angrily, shaking her violently. "How could you?!"

But as expected, there was no answer, no retort, no snide comment. Just desolate silence.

I crumpled in the darkness and hid my face on my knees.

For a while, I stared blankly at her face. I closed her eyes with my fingers. The instant I did that, Rosario's body glowed a bright gold it nearly blinded me. Cracks started to appear from her fingertips and toes going up to the limbs, the torso, the head and lastly, the heart. Then, it started to fall apart piece by piece.

In no time, what used to be Rosario was reduced to a glowing pile of rubble. I scooped the fragments with my hands. All of a sudden, Rosario's remains started to float, each particle sprouting tiny heads, bodies and wings.

The newly-born creatures joined the rest of the fireflies over the trees. They spiraled around me before fluttering up, up to the heavens.

Rosario. Gone. A soul lost to oblivion. All my fault.

I knew I had to move if I was going to stay alive. As hard as it was to accept, I had to. So I set off north, where I last remembered seeing Vincent. I didn't draught. I just trudged heavily, commanding my feet to step left and right, cursing this realm, Cairo, Death and all his minions.

I wanted so much to scream, claw their eyes out of their heads. To hell with all of them. Now the woods looked like a never ending tunnel. It wasn't a question of when we would get out. It was more of when we would give up. Or die.

Vincent... I tried to call through the transference link though I wasn't expecting a reply. Vincent.

Distracted, I thought of Conrad. I was hoping the Ethereals hadn't found him yet so I could have the chance to kill him myself. Rosario would want me to avenge her death.

Archie might not forgive me for all eternity. But if he ever gets in my way, there would be no room to hesitate. He spawned a demon after all.

Aramis... Vincent answered from the link after a couple of hours.

I stopped abruptly. I didn't know how to respond.

A few seconds later, he called my name again.

This time, I cleared my throat and closed my eyes. "I'm here," was all I could say.

A while ago, I might have considered yelling at him to death for leaving us behind. Now, I just seemed to have swallowed my tongue, along with the guilt that was eating away at my insides. To my right, about half a mile away, a swarm of fireflies were converging into a tower of pulsing lights exactly the same as when Rosario died.