Chapter 3 - Marked

June 5, 2020, Friday

Naples, Southern Italy

Sabbina and Kairon are still in the second floor of a clinic near the train station in Naples, waiting for Sabbina to fully recover. With only the two of them in the room, Kairon told Sabbina something that might mean danger for her.

"They all died?" Sabbina asked.

"What does it mean? Am I marked too?" she added.

"I'm not yet sure, but you must be extra careful." Kairon answered.

"Why do you want to go to Naples anyways?" Kairon asked.

"I spent the last five months studying creatures that are reported to appear in Naples." Sabbina answered.

"I believe that there is something happening in the soil of Sorrento that made the lemon trees grow differently." she added.

Kairon was about to speak when Sabbina started talking about things again.

"And also, I heard that there is a giant monster in the Gulf of Naples." she said.

"But now, I am scared to continue." Sabbina added.

"You know what, you're into weird things, that's why you are marked." Kairon told her.

Sabbina's eyes widened.

"So you're trying to say that I am marked?" Sabbina exclaimed and then she started to panic.

"What should I do?" she said repeatedly.

"Shhhh." Kairon hushed her.

"Calm down, panicking won't help. I'll be here to guide you around Naples." he added.

"No. I can't calm down, I haven't even met you formally. I want to see my friend Julia." Sabbina said.

"Julia Juego?" Kairon clarified.

"Yes, she is my research companion back in Sorrento." Sabbina answered.

"Yeah, I know." Kairon said.

"Ms. Calista told me everything about you. Well, not literally everything, but everything that I need to know to be able to guide you on your plans here in Naples." Kairon explained.

"And now I think it is your time to introduce yourself to me, Mr. Stalker." Sabbina mocked.

"Hey, I'm not stalking you. I told you that Ms. Calista provided me with all of the information I needed. You want to see the email she sent me a few days ago?" Kairon asked.

Sabbina did not answer but Kairon still scrolled through his phone to check the email, but what caught his attention is a message from one of the farmers back in Sorrento.

"Are you alright? Your machine, the one that stores memories, it seems like you are in a fight with an Artiglio. They still exist? Please tell us immediately upon reading this, we need assurance that you are doing fine." the message said.

Kairon was surprised on what he have seen.

"Sabbina, please tell me what your dream is all about earlier." Kairon said.

"And why are you suddenly interested with my dreams?" Sabbina asked.

"It's hard to explain." Kairon answered.

"But please, try to understand." he added.

Sabbina nodded.

"Back in Sorrento, I have a machine, something that I created alongside my friend years ago. It stores everything that I know, experienced, or even seen." Kairon explained.

Sabbina was amazed, but can't find the words to tell how she feels.

"But something strange happened. It seems like your dream was stored in that machine, and I have no idea why." Kairon added.

"Really? How do you input memories in that machine?" Sabbina asked.

"I installed a program in my phone that will scan my eye, and every information that I know will be recorded." Kairon answered.

"I know it sounds weird, but honestly, I wish I'm just joking." he added.

"It's not weird! It is amazing!" Sabbina said.

"Tell me more about it!" she added.

"Unfortunately, my friend and I had a deal. Some informations that we know cannot be disclosed." Kairon answered.

"Who is that friend then?" Sabbina asked.

"That information is also confidential." Kairon answered.

"Sabbina, let's not talk about other things. We're talking about you." he said.

"I have no idea why your dream is recorded in that machine. You haven't even touched my phone once." Kairon told Sabbina.

"Unless someone did that to me." Sabbina whispered.

"Are you stalking me even in my dreams?" Sabbina shouted.

"No, Sabbina. Why would I?" Kairon replied.

"Because I don't even know you and you won't even let me know some basic information about you. I know that you're keeping secrets." Sabbina exclaimed in anger.

"Fine." Kairon took a deep breath.

"My name is Kairon Kronos, the son of the owner of the lemon farm in Sorrento. I was born in Greece and moved to Sorrento to manage our family's farm, but sales went downhill after new museums in Naples opened. People visited Naples instead, and then we thought we won't be able to make a living anymore. That's until Ms. Calista, one of my mother's close friends, decided to send you in Sorrento to research about lemons. Our lemons." Kairon explained.

"So Ms. Calista asked me to research about your lemons to save your company?" Sabbina asked.

"Not just that. Ms. Calista saw your interest in weird stuff. I invented a machine to manipulate how the lemons in my farm grow. And then you conducted your research, and our place became popular again. Thank you, Sabbina." Kairon added.

"That's why the lemons have special electric components. That's great! You're a genius inventor." Sabbina said.

"Do you have more questions about me?" Kairon asked.

"I still want to know who is that person who helped you create that machine that records human memories. Maybe he had the answers on why my memories are recorded in there. Don't you think it might help us?" Sabbina asked.

"All that I can tell about the machine is that it has a name." Kairon said.

"What is it then?" Sabbina asked.

"Registratore a Memoria." Kairon replied.

"I prefer calling it Memory Recorder." Sabbina said.

"That's what it means in English." Kairon replied.

"I don't care. I still want to see this friend of yours." Sabbina said.

"Nope." Kairon disagreed.

"Yes." Sabbina insisted, and the cycle repeated again and again until Kairon gives up.

"Ok fine, we will see him tomorrow." Kairon said.

"Yes!" Sabbina said in success.

"But why tomorrow?" she asked.

"Don't forget that you are marked, Sabbina." Kairon said.

"Is it dangerous out there when it is dark?" Sabbina asked.

"Yes." Kairon replied.

"I've read online articles that Naples is full of pickpockets." Sabbina said.

"And that's a threat that you must be least concerned of. There are other strange things happening here each night." Kairon added.

"What kind of threats are you talking about?" Sabbina asked.

"Things you haven't seen before." Kairon replied.

"Like an Artiglio?" Sabbina asked.

"But have you seen a Dente?" Kairon asked.

"Dente?" Sabbina wondered.

"They're like Artigli, but instead of huge claws, they have huge fangs." Kairon described.

"They don't just fly through the window and just surprise us when we least expect it coming, aren't they?" Sabbina asked.

And then there's a loud thud in the window of the clinic, followed by a loud monstrous shriek.

"What is that?" Sabbina jumped off her bed to take a closer look in the window.

She can clearly hear huge wings flapping from outside. She can clearly remember how a flying Artiglio sounds like, and she is sure that there is an Artiglio flying outside.

"That might be an Artiglio, no doubt." Sabbina said.

"Artigli are long gone!" Kairon said before a large claw pierced through the clinic wall.

Kairon stared at the claw and was surprised on what he have witnessed.

"That really is an Artiglio!" Kairon said.

"Stand back!" he shouted.

Kairon opened his luggage and grabbed a small blade from it.

"That blade is too small! Just use the rope just like what you did earlier." Sabbina said and then she stopped.

"I forgot that it was just a dream, sorry!" Sabbina added.

"Quit talking, just hide somewhere safe!" Kairon shouted and then the blade he is holding expanded into a 43-inch rapier.

Sabbina saw it and was amazed on the things that Kairon secretly own.

Kairon pierced through the Artiglio's arm and separated the claw from the limb. The monster was heard screaming in pain as it fly away with such kind of injury.

"That went faster than I expected. I expected a ten-minute duel between you and that monster that would take one whole chapter if written as a book!" Sabbina commented.

"Sabbina, once an Artiglio loses at least one of its two claws, it will leave." Kairon explained.

"Good to hear that. Will it come back?" Sabbina asked.

"Once its claw is regenerated, it might start attacking us again." Kairon answered.

"Us?" Sabbina asked.

"You are marked, Sabbina. Everything under the land of Naples will rise and try to end your life. That's how it's been in here in Naples for almost three millennium!" Kairon explained.

"They are attracted with your interest in weird things. Even an Artiglio that I thought was already extinct came to unleash its power upon you." he added.

Sabbina looked at the hole that the monster created on the wall. The three-feet claw that has been cut off from the monster is still in the corner of the room.

"Do you want to dispose that disgusting thing right there?" Kairon asked.

"Nope." Sabbina said and then she kicked the claw through the hole and fell through.

In just a few seconds, a car alarm was triggered followed by a man screaming from outside.

"My car!" the man shouted.

"Oops." Sabbina said and then she and Kairon laughed.

"So, do you still want to see this friend of mine tomorrow?" Kairon asked.

"I'm excited to meet him." Sabbina replied.

"So does he live here in Naples?" she asked.

"Since we can't leave Naples, we must find a way out of here." Kairon said.

"Why? He lives outside Naples?" Sabbina asked.

"Yes, but it's just a few kilometers from here." Kairon answered.

"Got it! But where does this inventor reside?" Sabbina asked.

"Twenty-four kilometers north of Naples: Aversa, Italy." Kairon replied.

"But, how can we leave Naples? This place is in a lockdown!" Sabbina asked.

"When it is night, I'm sure that there are no guards patrolling the streets of Naples." Kairon said.

"How can you say so?" Sabbina asked.

"Monsters rule this place every night. Before the sun sets at six, people are already locked inside their homes if they don't want to deal with either an Artiglio or a Dente." Kairon replied.

"So you're trying to say that the perfect time to leave is now?" Sabbina asked.

Kairon nodded.

"How about our luggages? Where are we going to keep all of this? We can't escape Naples, running with heavy baggages in both of our hands. We can't even leave our belongings in this clinic." Sabbina worried.

"I think I know someone that can help us." Kairon said with a huge smile in his face.

"Who?" Sabbina asked.

Before Kairon could answer, his phone rang. He grabbed his phone to answer it. It is another call from his only friend left in Naples, Vien.

"I saw something flying in the sky just a few seconds ago. It seems like it is an Artiglio! Have you seen that?" Vien asked through the phone.

"I defeated it." Kairon replied.

"Vien, I need your help." he quickly added.

"It is such a pleasure to help you, Kairon." Vien replied.

Sabbina looked at Kairon's reaction after hearing what Vien said.

"I think this girl named Vien is the one he's talking about. The one that changed his life. You think I'm not that observant, huh? You're being too obvious." Sabbina told herself.

"Thank you, Vien! We'll be on our way." Kairon said before the call ended.

"Wait, what happened?" Sabbina asked.

"I thought you're listening, but you're just staring at me while your mind is somewhere else." Kairon said.

"We will see Vien later, leave our luggage at her home which is not far, and then she will help us escape Naples after." Kairon explained.

"Is Vien a special friend for you?" Sabbina asked.

"More than special." Kairon said.

Sabbina smiled.

"I knew it." she said.