Chapter 7.1: "Fiamma"

I found myself in a completely different place: turning quickly I discovered that I was no longer within the boundaries of the capital, I was not in the middle of the streets, but in a forest as dark as the outskirts of Riviera, if not more. The darkness seemed ready to eat me at any moment and without a thread of light, I could never defend myself from any attackers, beasts or whatever existed out there that had caused it all.

It was disturbing: the absence of noise had never been so overwhelming for me, I was losing control, I would have become vulnerable. Only my breath kept track of the time that passed and reminded me that I was still alive and that reality was what I had in front of my eyes.

Was it caused by magic? Could that be the reason?

Someone... someone had concocted everything and it must have always been the same person who had caused that deep agitation that had been affecting me for months and that had become too intense that night.

The time here was different.

It seemed like the middle of the night, even if the sun had just set when I left the palace, from what I remembered.

I thought that only Alex would be able to use magic, to bend nature and reality to her will... unless Fiamma was like her and this would also explain their closeness. Of course! She understood her more than I did, she was fascinating, mysterious, just like a person who hid great magical abilities, nowhere to be found among the people of Atenarte and that inn, devoid of logic, with a non-existent activity…

I gritted my teeth in frustration: I wanted to consult the diary at that moment to find out more about Fiamma, perhaps to know her weaknesses or at least her abilities, to have a chance against her.

"I was waiting for you Empress Zeyana Voklanden... although I must say that it took you longer than I expected."

I backed away, surprised by the unknown voice that had reached my ears, but which did not seem to come from a precise direction: it resounded in that unknown and dark vegetation. Until then I hadn't heard any other noises.

"Who are you?!"

"Didn't Alex tell you about me? "

Suddenly a woman stepped out of the shadows, accompanied by a lantern she was holding in a thin, slender hand: the first detail that struck me about her was the evidence of the features of the bones that made up her limb, from the wrist with the protuberance of a part of the carpus, the metacarpal that seemed to want to escape from the cage of skin and flesh, up to the tapered fingers. Her hair was short, just like Alex had worn it in the past, slightly wavy and dark, two brown eyes that looked like real amber in the light of the lantern. Her gaze was penetrating, she seemed to read my own thoughts and fears, almost as intense as that of the witch I knew and sought so insistently.

"I'm Fiamma, but I guess you want more from me, not empty words... are you looking for her? Do you want to know where she is? "

"What have you done to her?! " I yelled advancing towards her and holding up the diary as proof of her actions.

"Nothing ... on the contrary you..." her eyes observed our surroundings and her poisonous tongue inflicted a greater pain than I was already feeling: "... you are like them, you have done nothing but chain her and hold her close to you because you wanted to use her! "

She laughed when I shouted at her to stop and answer my questions. Her body was relaxed, perhaps she believed she was in full control of the situation.

She knew a lot more than she wanted to make it believe and it was pretty obvious that Fiamma was playing with me, as she had done from the start.

I no longer had any doubts about it: it was all because of her, but I didn't understand why she had brought me to that place. Did she want to hurt me?

I was once again helpless in front of her and that made me go crazy. In my fury, I acted on impulse and grabbed my sword aiming it at her pale throat:

"Tell me immediately where Alex is, otherwise I'll have to hurt you" my voice was threatening, I had to make her understand that I wouldn't think twice before performing a beheading just for the fact that she didn't answer my questions.

But Fiamma laughed; her dark eyes never left mine and within seconds she disappeared from my sight, appearing behind me. I tried to turn around, but her arms gripped my throat from behind and my body froze: I wanted to react but I couldn't and I felt like the time Alex had taken possession of my movements on our first fight.

Like a dark wind, Fiamma's presence seemed to envelop me, upset my security and stability. It ran along my skin, brushing it, tickling it and threatening to squeeze harder, stifling my every resistance.

"My dear empress ... you have found a precious gem and you are mad with desire... you wanted to possess it, make it yours, show it to everyone. You have conquered your beautiful throne, you have enslaved her for your vile purposes... you are no better, you will never be the right person for her... but I know how you feel, do you want her back? Do you want to have your beautiful slave warm your bed again? "

"That's enough!"

"Why should I stop when you have continued to keep her alive against her wishes? You had to let her wander around Fokranstad, giving her no hope that the Eye of Time would bring back her now dead and buried loved ones... she broke the only bond she possessed on Earth! Her illusions and delusions have corrupted her. Be responsible dear executioner! "

My tears clouded my vision and although I tried to move my body to run and look for Alex, I couldn't do it. I wanted to deny everything she was saying to hurt me, but I knew some of them weren't lies: I kept lying to myself, believing that Alex had stayed with me in accordance with her wishes, her hopes, but it had never been like this, I had read it from her diary; Fiamma had also confirmed it with her words and Alex with her actions!

Fiamma had fascinated Alex and she understood her more than I could; there seemed to be no room for me.

But I felt something for her, I could not let her go, not like this, I couldn't be abandoned by the only person with whom I felt really good, with whom I could be myself, without pretending, without reflecting on every single gesture, on every single word, without believing that every moment of my life was in danger!

Was I the only one feeling those things back then? Who wanted to live together?!

In those years her constant presence had been able to scratch my heart of ice, indeed, melt it completely. Alex had a beauty that comforted you, a unique charisma, a sympathy that lightened every day. Even though it was evident that she was in a lot of pain, even if she had used me, both to find the artifact, and to spend the night together and not think about anything else, I wouldn't let her go without a fight.

It had become indelible to me, a scar on my heart that I didn't want to deny and I was short of breath at the thought of losing her forever.