(20) Epilogue: In Darkness lies Secrets and Deceit

~2 years later~

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Cathy asked Alex as they walked the halls of the prison. Alex shrugged and shook her head.

"She keeps threatening to kill herself if I don't," Alex said urgently.

"But today of all days?" Cathy responded.

"I don't have a choice my love," Alex said stopping in front of the maximum security block. She turned to Cathy. Her face no longer serious and cold but soft and gentle. "Sweetness, I'm going alone, but I promise you, she won't win a second time," she said softly caressing Cathy's cheek. She stared at her wedding ring and smiled. Cathy sighed and leaned into her touch.

"I know, just be careful, please,"  she asked holding Alex closely, softly pecking her lips. Alex smiles,

"I love you Cathy,"

—

"You've got a visitor," the guard says as he opens the door.

"Alexis is that you?" Sali asked reaching out from her prison bars. Alex enters and keeps close to the wall.

"Yeah it's me Alex," she responded curtly. She fiddles with her ring slightly nervous.

"You came," Sali said standing as close as she could to the bars.

"I had to," Alex responded shortly.

"I wanted to see you," Sali said quietly. it had been years since her arrest. Alex said nothing."I heard you got rid of the monarchy," she asked leaning on the floor. Alex nodded sitting and leaning on the prison wall in front of her mother's cell. "How was that?"

"It was a little hard, it took a while to get it all organized, especially while fighting for the integration and full rights for the Zenzontle people, but I've finally done it. No more kings and queens, no more absolute power," Alex said firmly. Sali nodded her head and looked at the floor.

"What will you do?" She asked, picking at the floor. Alex shrugged.

"What ever I want I guess. After all I wasn't raised to rule. Anyways They've left me the summer home. I suppose I'll live there, although me and Cath want to travel, see the worlds, meet people. We probably won't even familiarize ourselves with the house," Alex said looking at the conditions of her mother's cell.

"Will you have to work?" She asked quietly. Alex wasn't sure what to make of this, her mother asking questions for what purpose? To con her? To try to worm her way out of jail? Or maybe she just wants to know? Spending near to four years in prison gives a person an awful lot of time to ponder over their life choices.

"The new democracy has agreed to give me a royalty check, as a sign of gratitude for what I've done for the nation, it'll have me living comfortably for my life," she responded cautiously.

"No grandchildren?" Sali asked looking at her child. She had grown the last time she saw her. The last time she actually saw her, She was a child. She looked at her now and noticed things. Alex's hair was shorter, her face was longer and calmer, filled with more joy than when she was a child. She had also pierced her ears.

"No," Alex replied. "Cathy and I don't want children," she said calmly. Sali looked down.

"Bummer," she said "well, at least you won't have to explain how their grandmother killed their other grandmother," she said lightly trying to cast a joke. Alex glared at her and shook her head. She got up and dusted herself off. Sali knew she had messed up. Badly.

"Was there something you needed? You were threatening to kill yourself till I came," Alex said coldly. Sali internally slammed her head on the wall.

"I wanted to say happy birthday Alex," she said softly. Alex flinched and looked at her mother with pure shock. She couldn't remember the last time her mother had said that. she didn't even think that she had known when was her birthday. "I have something to confess," she said breaking the silence. Alex now wary about the entire situation gestured for Sali to continue. "When you were born, a strange and foreign mage arrived at the castle, and gifted you a present to help develop your powers because they felt how powerful you would become. and I, wanting to control you, hid it away in the catacombs of the castle, far from you," she said. Alex gasped. She had kept so much from Alex and yet there was more. How could there be more?

"Where is it?" Alex asked quietly.

"Dimitri has a map to it," Sali confessed with her head low. She stood and faced Alex, reaching for her. "I know I'm far from redemption but-"

"You will never receive redemption for what you've done," Alex interrupted her harshly. "No matter what you do, you can't manipulate me into forgiving you, into forgetting what you've done!" She snapped. "You only revealed this to me to gain my favor, well guess what? You'll never even feel the warm sun ever again. That I guarantee you Sali," she said sharply. "I'll make sure this is the last time you see me, threats or not," she finished, turning and began walking away. She kept going even when she heard the wails behind her.

___

"Woah, the catacombs," Alex said at the entrance. Cathy laughed, and looked at Alex.

"You've never been here?" She asked. Alex shook her head. Stepping in with the large map that she took from Dimitri.

"No, I didn't even know they were here..." she said.

"I found this place when my father started bringing me, it's connected to every nook and corner to the castle itself. It's how I entered your west wing," Cathy said walking along, touching the walls as they walked along. Alex stopped and turned to her abruptly.

"That's how you entered???" Alex asked loudly. Cathy nodded smiling. "The west wing is the guards resting quarters, there being DOZENS of highly trained guards protecting the wing to keep me safe and inside. AND not ONE of them thought to guard the entrance of the catacombs??" Alex said. Cathy laughed and shrugged.

"Guess I'm just a super spy!" Cathy said playfully singing. Alex rolled her eyes,

"Sure you are," she said as she continued forward.

-

"The map says it's in this room," Cathy said holding the map because Alex has a terrible sense of direction. Alex stared at the tall heavy doors shut closed. She noticed litter on the sides of the doors, she probably had it guarded when I was small, Alex thought. Cathy stood left of the door ready to push. "On 3!"

The doors were pushed open and a wave of dust hit the two. Alex coughed and faced the other way while Cathy peered into it.

"Oh Deus," she softly said, Alex turned and stared into the room. She saw nothing, it was pure dark, Cathy had better vision, being part of the Zenzontle.

"What is it!??" Alex asked, grabbing Cathy's hand by sheer instinct.

"It's... it's..." Cathy started, "its completely empty!" She said. "We came all this way for an empty room?" She finished pulling up the map. Alex smacked her arm.

"YOU MADE ME THINK THERE WAS SOME THING SUPER SHOCKING INSIDE," she screamed. Cathy burst into laughter.

"Sorry about that... no it says we're in the right place- I don't understand..." Cathy continued to mumble to herself over the map. Alex created a fire and rested it on her hand. She slowly entered, just in case there were booby traps hidden. She noticed a hole and the end of the wall straight ahead of the doors. There seemed to be something inside.

"Wait Cath, I think I found something," she said setting the fire down and picking a small box from inside the hole. Cathy went inside the room curious as to what's inside.

Alex unwrapped the box, Cathy walked toward her,

"What is i-" Cathy was blown back when the lid exploded open. Blue fumes of air emerged and filled the room. The blue air ran into Alex, into her eyes, mouth, ears, nose. Alex fell to her knees, her eyes widened as they were a glowing blue.

"Alex!" Cathy cried concerned running to her.

::

Alex looked around. She seemed to be in space, but yet she stood on something like an invisible platform. Is this a dream? She asked herself.

"What the hell?" She asked looking around, "Cathy? Cathy!" She yelled for her love.

"You won't find her here," a voice called out. Alex jumped and stood in an attack position.

"What have you done to her?" She yelled looking in every direction.

"Nothing, she is not present. You are in a space that only the chidimbus of Kil'illoa may enter," the voice said. Alex furrowed her face.

"What the hell is that?" She asked still in attack position. Suddenly a giant blue and gold lion with many eyes and two tails appeared. "Who the hell are you?! WHAT are you?!" She said frightened. The creature looked down at her and opened its eyes.

"I am Me'kyelio, a creature of many forms and you,

you are Kil'illoa"

"Wha-"

...FIN...

WRITTEN BY AEGEAN✨