Belial remained silent and tried to grasp what he had heard. Aleks knew I was going to die, and he prevented it. Suddenly he felt a drop on the back of his hand from the thick tears that ran down Aleks' cheek. "I know, I'm a monster. That's why they wanted to kill me that time."
Belial got up, walked around the table, and pulled Aleks close. He could imagine what had happened, even if he hadn't seen it. "The only monsters are the ones who have done such a thing to a young child. How did you survive that?"
"I don't know. When I couldn't take it anymore, everything around me became bright. When I opened my eyes after that, everyone around me was dead. I ran outside. At some point, a policeman found me, and I was taken back to the orphanage. I never talked about that night again. You're the only one who knows about this," Aleks sobbed. His hands clawed at Belial's T-shirt as cried into his chest. Had Belial not held him, his knees would have given way.
Belial gently lifted Aleks, carried him to bed, and laid down with him. He gave Aleks the time he needed to let it all out while he held him in his arms. After a few minutes, the tears became less, and the trembling stopped.
Aleks somehow felt liberated. He had never dared to talk about this trauma because he had been afraid that they would find him again.
"Do you know why they kidnapped you?"
The reason why he had been kidnapped had only become clear to him later. These people had seen him heal an injured woman. A stupid mistake that he had never wanted to repeat until he met Belial.
"It's easier to show you." Aleks got up and went to the kitchen. He opened the top drawer and fetched a kitchen knife. He then closed all the windows as well as the shutters. With the knife in his left hand, he went back and sat next to Belial. "Give me your hand."
Without hesitation, Belial lifted his left hand and held it in front of Aleks, waiting patiently. Aleks raised an eyebrow. He has confidence, you can't deny that. I wouldn't hold out my hand to anyone with a knife. Trust... "I'm going to cut your hand, there's no other way."
He carefully pressed the knife into Belial's palm and made a deep cut. Belial didn't even flinch, he just waited patiently. He watched as Aleks pressed the tip of the knife into his thumb, causing a drop of blood to emerge. He then squeezed his thumb so that this drop landed on Belial's injured hand. Afterwards, he put his hand over Belial's and closed his eyes.
Suddenly, Aleks' hand began to glow. At first, it was faint, then it started to brighten. He felt a warmth flowing through his hand. Soon after, the light disappeared and Aleks retracted his hand revealing that Belial's hand was completely healed.
That's impossible. What the hell? "You are incredible. You have the ability to heal others with your blood." No wonder they wanted to open him. They wanted to get to his ability, which was invaluable. "Do you possess any other special abilities other than this healing ability?"
"Yes, there is one more, but it is both a curse and a blessing."
Belial looked at him with anticipation. What could it be?
"Like you, I can "taste" lies, but I'm not able to lie."
Belial didn't respond. His eyes widened and he opened his mouth but said nothing.
That worried Aleks immensely. The ability to heal and see the future wasn't a problem - but the ability not to be able to lie is? Why? "Where's the problem, Bel? I mean, you have it too," Aleks said, breaking the silence.
"No, Aleks, I don't."
"But... but you said..."
"Aleksander... that is just a saying. If you can't taste lies, you have to believe me. This is a phrase used by demons. It is based on a legend. There are demons that can taste lies, but I know only one who can do this, Lucifer. And even with him, you're not quite sure."
"Does that mean you don't know if I'm lying?"
"No."
They both remained silent for several minutes.
"Belial, what am I?" This was the question that Aleks had asked himself since he first realized that he was different from others.
"You are Aleks. You're a miracle," Belial replied.
He had simply ignored it, displaced it, locked it away. 'I'm no different, I'm like everyone else. I'm not a monster.' He had been saying this mantra to himself for years. Eventually, he began to believe it, but deep down he knew it was a lie. Now everything he kept buried deep for years came to the surface. Everything, because of a demon whose death he had seen. A demon whose life he had saved. A demon who, for the first time, made him feel alright, feel normal. A demon who had torn down the iron wall that he had built around himself. A demon to whom he had lost his heart. All this became clear to him at that moment. And he expressed all this with three small words that he had never said in his life.
"I love you."
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That is the time. The three little words you have been waiting for for so long. But will that change anything?
Your Mouse Goddess