Chapter 143

ACHILLES.

So it has started. The big war. The end. It has begun. If that is not the first shot, then I don’t know what is. Tristan just opened fire and now we just have to know how to react.

I have to admit that even though I believed Claudia a hundred percent when she told me about her dream, a part of me wanted to believe that it was all just a dream and not some form of reality. I wanted to believe that Tristan is not out there doing that to people, but why not? I know he and Kiernan probably spent some time developing that formula to attack people, and now it’s happening.

It’s his dream come true. And a true nightmare for all of us.

I know I have to fight back. I can’t imagine him turning all the population into those creatures. I don’t even know why he’s doing it, why he’s so obsessed with populating the world with those vermin like that.

I’m starting to realize why. I’m starting to have some ideas but I can never really arrive at the real reason.

But how do you respond to such an open attack like that?

“Where is the mountain?” I ask at last, my voice sounding like it doesn’t fully belong to me anymore. “Where did you find this place? How did you get there undetected?”

“We didn’t get there undetected,” Henry says. “I almost got caught and put into one of the cells in the caves. I almost became one of them, and I barely escaped….”

He trails off as though the memory is too much for him to bear. Ruth holds him in her arms and comforts him, but then he just shakes her off and faces me again. "I wanted to come here not just for shelter, but to tell you what you need to know about everything that happened. It's information that might help you win this fight. And we do hope you're doing something for this fight."

"We are, and this is very helpful," I tell him. "But you should have brought the rest of the villagers here so you would have some survivors."

"I'm afraid that was not possible," Nana says, speaking for the first time.

"Why?" Carlos asks.

Nana swallows hard. "They raided all the people last night, and we're the only ones left now."

* * *

CLAUDIA.

I make my way to the room where Aristea is staying in. But the more I walk, the fainter I feel. Something feels strange in my environment and I don't know what it feels like. I'm faint and I can't stay up all of a sudden. I'm growing weak. My knees feel like they're going to buckle at any moment and it's getting harder and harder to stay awake and alert.

"Achilles," I try to call out, but it's like I'm falling asleep in the middle of the day.

I take one step forward, only to fall face-first into the floor and passing out completely.

When I finally doze off, I expect the usual darkness that precedes a dream, the gentle transition into deep sleep that relaxes me.

But for some reason, that doesn't come. Instead of darkness, the only thing that comes is a bright zap of color and shape that immediately takes form.

I'm in a forest, but it's much more different from the ones I have been in. This one is not full of trees. The sky is not covered in a canopy of leaves and branches. It's open to me, a soft sloping dome of fluffy white clouds with a gentle blush of blue. Snow is falling on me like little cotton wisps, landing on my face like kisses as I look up.

The ground is also covered in snow, crunching under my feet. The roots and the empty branches of trees are the only stark contrast in the land of white, breaking through the color like little veins.

It's beautiful. I find myself holding my breath even in dream form.

But it doesn't end here. When I look down, I see that I'm wearing a bright blue dress with silver trimmings. There are embroidery patterns on the bodice that are inlaid with little blue gems and pearls, and it looks like the big ballgowns that the actresses wore in the old times, that my mom used to love so much.

The urge to giggle and spin around like a little girl is strong. I feel good in this place. The coldness of the snow is making my cheeks burn up, but I love it. It's wonderful.

I keep walking, enjoying the crunch of snow under my feet and loving the way the little snowflakes are fluttering on my hair.

I follow the slope down, vaguely wishing that my kids could see this. Finally, I reach a frozen lake stretching as far as I can see.

I gasp. The lake looks like a dusted mirror, and it's just so beautiful that it's almost painful to watch.

However, this is not what's freezing me in my spot.

It's the person standing in the middle of the lake.

It's a man, a handsome man almost as breathtaking as the lake itself. I find myself staring at him, wanting to be close to him just to see his face clearly.

Then I realize that it's Achilles.

Even from afar, I see him raising his hand to beckon me to come to him. As though in a daze, I follow, dipping my foot onto the surface of the frozen lake.

I thought that I would plunge right through and sink into the depths of the freezing water, but the surface of the lake holds my weight effortlessly. I don't slip either. I just walk on the surface as though I weigh nothing, slowly coming closer and closer to him.

Finally, I'm facing him.

And I come to realize just how beautiful he actually is.

He looks like a god, like a Renaissance portrait come to life. He gives me a soft smile, and I can almost swear that he has a paralyzing effect.

But of course, this only gets more intense when he opens his mouth and calls out my name in the deepest, smoothest voice.

"Claudia... at long last, we meet."

I wonder what he's talking about. It's Achilles and I know that. He should know me. But the closer I get the more I realize that something is off. There's something about his eyes, something irresistible. I can't look away from them. It's almost like he has me under a spell.

He closes the distance between us, reaching out and touching the side of my face. His hand is cold. Deathly cold. But his touch is leaving hot streaks on my skin.

"You are a rare jewel," he whispers, leaning closer to me. "You are intoxicating."

With that, he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me close to him. My hands fly to his chest, feeling his firm muscles. I swallow hard, and he smiles wider. This time, I see his face changing, melting. It's like he's wearing a costume and it's now falling off him.

Until he takes on the form of Tristan.

"You are truly exquisite," he whispers, bending his head down to my neck. "And I cannot wait to take you."