“Alex, no!” Andrea said. “She’s weak and wounded.”

“She seems perfectly fine to me, if she’s able to pick a fight with Selena.”

I squeezed his shirt into my fist and I looked up at him. I had blood on my lips and chin which might have made smiling at him a gross idea. I did it all the same.

My new method of picking up guys.

“You’re on.” I said.

He grabbed my arm, from which I’ve already released dozens of small lightning bolts. Big mistake. He covered it in some sort of sheath. It was dark, opaque and made of some kind of strange material. Almost half way between glass and smoke. Then, a black belt-like object covered my abdomen.

He started to jump backwards on some small platforms, which appeared just before every step he took, pulling me after him, far away from the others.

Fair enough.

When we stopped, he tightened his power even harder around my body, making me gasp in pain. I couldn’t breathe. I stole a look at him and saw his face. Firm and serious, seemingly determined to make me suffer.

I touched the belt-like object and gave it a shock, but my power was covered by another black layer. I tried to hurt him by sending lightning into his general direction, but it didn’t work either. Then he tightened it again and my bones felt like they were about to crack. I could feel my muscles screaming in pain from the constriction. I yelped and suddenly, he set me free. I was breathing again.

*I will let you win if you manage to scratch me.*

“Get out of my head!”

I held out both of my arms in front of me and tried to focus on a single spot. When I was able to, I set free a small amount of electricity, but with a higher speed and intensity than before. It took the form of a very long and sharp needle. He covered his arm with the same sheath and blocked my attack with a wave of his hand.

I did it again, throwing more needles into the attack. He blocked them with both hands. I tried to think of how to get him. He was blocking the visible attacks, but how about the ones he couldn’t see? I had to take him by surprise. A lightning from underground or from behind. I wasn’t trained for any of them, so I had to improvise.

“I am waiting.” He said.

I ignored him – wow! - and closed my eyes for a few seconds, to see if I was capable of reconnecting with nature. To touch the grass with my power, feel the soil. I sent two tendrils of electricity into the ground and tried to extend them.

Then something hit me in the leg. I yelped and fell down on one knee.

“I am waiting.” He repeated.

I ignored him again and he sighted. My back was very wet and the pain was borderline insane. I touched it and, when I looked at it, I saw my hand was full of blood. Looking at my back, I saw a very large, red spot on Andrea’s white dress.

After I concluded that I’m in a “good shape”, I moved on to plan B. Running to him and attacking, until I found a weak spot. Which I did.

It’s called suicide. The strategy of lunatics everywhere.

I stopped two meters in front of him and started a series of attacks. With one hand I released needles. Chaotic lightning flashed from the other one. He blocked the needles quickly while sheathing my right arm, again.

I screamed, frustrated and weakened, throwing my fist at his face for a last desperate attack. It was stopped by his palm before reaching its target. I looked at him and he pulled me close to his face. My breath was shallow. He leaned to my ear and stuck his cheek to mine. I shivered.

“Mia…”

“…what?!”

“You lost.”

And he suddenly propelled me back, with the press of a finger on my chest. I was out of oxygen due to pressure, surprise …and pain. So much pain. Only this time, the pain wasn’t physical.

I hit something in the air, which let me gently down. It was Andreas’ shield. I was lying on my back, half fainted.

“Quick, we need to take her to the infirmary.” Andrea said.

Selena was looking at me, seemingly mildly amused. Alexander stopped next to me, glancing at me from above. Literally and figuratively. He then proceeded to entered the house. The biggest humiliation of my life.

Andreas carried me with his shield to the infirmary. When Andrea started to take care of me, I passed out at the slightest trace of pain.

I woke up in the same room and my body was heavy. Petrified. The images of Alexander attacking me without mercy, devoid of any feeling and that awful ending filled me with much more suffering than I thought I had any right to deserve. I felt disgusted with him, myself and my life. He humiliated me. With what right did he hold me prisoner? Because he had a ton of money? Does money even matter anymore?

My thoughts went to Allaya and the rest of the group. Maybe they were seriously worried about me. And maybe they were still looking for me. I had no chance of getting in touch with them, so I did the only thing I was able to in that moment. I cried. Like a child. A coward. A spineless idiot, who forgot about the only ones that cared about her, in recent memory. And for what? Infatuation and the thrill of a fight…

I was asleep when a knock on the door woke me up. A red spot appeared behind the slightly open door. It was already dark outside and she came to bring me my medicine.

“Hey! How are you feeling?” Andrea asked.

“Perfect.”

“No, you’re not. You’re a mess.”

“Oh, what gave me away?” I sourly smiled.

“How are your injures?”

“Mm, I don’t know. Maybe you should ask your brother.”

“I’m sorry for what happened. I don’t understand…”

“That your brother is a piece of shit?”

“What happened to you, Mia? …why the angriness?”

“What happened? Apocalypse happened.”

“Stop using sarcasm on me, please.”

“Andrea, are you blind? Are you, like every other rich fucker out there, completely blind? Did you and your group face any of the hard times that Day Zero brought, like the “unlucky” ones did? Did you starve? Did you fight for your life? Did you lie under the ruins of a building for almost a week, as I did and got fed through a fucking perfusion by some strangers who then became the closest thing to a family?!”

I realized I was screaming and shaking. My tears streamed down my cheeks. There were so many things I held back, that overflowed out of me in that moment.

“Have you been helped with controlling your power? Did someone search for you? I’m asking this because I almost killed someone with my power. Someone who is part of the group that found me by mistake. Nobody looked for me! I was saved by sheer dumb luck.”

Andrea was listening to me still, holding my hand tightly.

“And when I used my power to save them, I started being hunted. By people like you. With money and power. My brother is missing and it’s my fault! I’m ashamed of myself because I didn’t do anything worthwhile to find him. I’m the only one he has and I gave up on him when I started to feel attached and comfortable with them. I replaced my mom and my brother with Allaya and the rest of the group. It’s disgusting!”

“Mia, it’s not true. Stop!” She hugged me.

Her gesture felt right and wrong at the same time, in a familiar way.

“I… I’m just…” I hugged her back and I cried on her shoulder, as I once cried on Allaya’s.

We both startled when the door to my room closed with a small noise. Nobody was there. Well, that’s odd. If Andrea didn’t look startled as well, I would have seriously started to doubt my sanity.

“Mia, darling. I am truly and deeply sorry for what happened to you. And you are right. I cannot imagine what you have been through. But stop blaming yourself for something that you couldn’t control: the apocalypse, who’s lucky and who’s not, why your brother is missing and so on. You cannot and should not do all this by yourself. Nobody can. Not even the rich, trust me.”

“Yeah, right.”

“No, listen to me carefully. As you already know, the powers cannot be controlled with money. The “healing” and strength can come only from you. And we will help you control your powers and find Karl.”

“How?”

“Look at me. Have I ever let you down?”

“No… but this is huge, Andrea.”

“And that’s why you need help. Alex has already started looking for him.”

I shuddered.

“Did he find anything?”

“We don’t know yet. He is very …reserved when it comes to sensible matters.”

“Sensible? And why is HE looking for my brother?”

“I am really not the right person to answer these questions.”

“Oh, but your brother is. Right.”

“He is, Mia. Trust me.”

“And how will he give me even a tiny bit of information? Through beating and humiliating me again?”

“Mia, you crossed the line. You both did, actually…”

“So? This is how he punishes all of you?”

“No. God, no. I’m not saying that what he did was right, because it wasn’t. This is actually the first time he did it. …and I suppose it only happened because you touched a nerve.”

“A nerve called Selena?”

“Not really…”

“No?” I said surprised. “Then what happened?”

“I’ll tell you one day. I promise. Anyway, all I can say is that I am really happy to have you by my side again. And it might not be the right moment to ask you this, but…”

“What?”

“Can you please stay?”

“…stay. Here?”

“Yeah, sure. Like, you know… forever…?”

“…”

“Forever and a day?” she tried.

“…”

“Look, don’t answer me now. Think about it. Meanwhile, please take your medicine and then we will have dinner. Together, here. What do you say?”

“Fine.” I sighed. “We can do this.”

Andrea brought so much food that she had to do three trips. We had dinner together and talked about all the things we never had the chance to talk about yet. She told me about the time she spent in Kowa, how she learnt how to be a nurse and provide treatment by studying the basic medicine. I’ve found out that she was the one who treated my wounds.

She then told me about her new collection and how the apocalypse almost ruined her business, but luckily, as most of the country hasn’t been affected that much, the business continued to run its course. No apocalypse will take out the opulence out of the rich.

She met Andreas in Kowa and the reason she kept him secret was because she didn’t think it will work, so she didn’t want to ‘alarm’ us, as she used to do with the other guys. Oh well. I accepted her craziness, just as she accepted mine.

It turned out that Andreas is Alexander’s best friend and they were both involved in the project “Give life”. And this is how the romance began.

Andrea insisted on knowing every detail of my life that happened since she left: the job in which I was prospering and radiated happiness and self-esteem; the boys I used to hang out with from time to time, the apartment I wanted to buy and the night clubs I went to with our common friends. I told her everything. And it made me feel better. I have been scared when I heard myself saying all those things, but at least I wasn’t feeling anxious anymore.

I didn’t know what to think about this reunion and bonding thing between us, but I went along to see what would happen. ‘Be silent and observe’, my mother used to say.

“Your hair looks nice.”

“I haven’t had the time to have an opinion on this matter.”

She laughed.

“I am going to brush it, take care of it and style it as I used to do.”

“Here we go again.” I said faking an exasperated face and voice.

She grinned at me and messed up my hair.

“White hair, grey eyes and slightly creole skin. You’re beautiful.”

“Yeah…”

Someone knocked.

“It’s Andreas. Can I come in?”

“Yes.” I replied.

“Hi, Mia! I hope you’re feeling better. Sorry for interrupting.”

“It’s alright. Uhm…would you like to join us?” I asked, not having any idea how to behave around them.

“This is why I came, actually. This night is so beautiful, that it would be a pity to stay inside. Would you ladies like to accompany me in the garden?”

“That is such a good idea, babe. What do you say, Mia?” Andrea’s voice was filled with hope.

“Uh, yes, why not?” I said, feeling weird about the situation.

“I will carry you on my shield. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to force your body too much, in this condition.”

“Fine by me.” I said.

Andreas could shape the shield according to his preferences. In my case, he created a half sphere and I lied down in it like in an armchair. I’ve noticed that the shield’s structure was a combination of solid blue and translucent purple.

He carried me away and I enjoyed the frail wind and the summer smell. It was so peaceful.

The garden was splendid. Its entrance had a big arch positively dressed in flowers. Two steps in, I saw a neatly trimmed lawn. And that was nothing compared to what came next. A path cut the garden in two, white cobble stones paving the way, being flanked on both sides by white, glowing glass orbs.

The fields on both sides of the alley were filled with cherry trees in bloom. Just the smell floating in the air put me instantly at peace. After a few paces I looked to my right and saw a waterfall. A real, honest to God, waterfall. It even had a small pond at the base of it. This was surreal.

I spent a few moments looking at it and thought to myself how tranquil this entire place was. I continued walking down the alley and came across a clearing, tastefully made into a place where someone could relax. How fitting. The benches and the table were made out of white wood and fitted seamlessly with the surrounding nature.

The garden wasn’t that big, but I still found myself losing a few hours. It was just too relaxing. I think that we all secretly wanted to spend as much time here as we could get away with. It wasn’t until nightfall that I noticed the lights. The same glass orbs, but these were on top of white lampposts, made of the same white wood as the furniture. There were so beautifully carved that you couldn’t tell them apart from the trees. Not that in a place such as this, you’d ever want to look for flaws.

I sat on the bench facing them, happy to enjoy the atmosphere. The others were the same, happy to relax and make small talk. They sat together, enjoying each other’s presence. I was looking at the house, recognizing my room. I was surprised I didn’t notice the garden before, but it’s not like I had the time to do so.

“Mia, do you like the garden?” Andrea asked.

“Yes, it’s outstanding! Did you do all of this?”

“No, Andreas and Lauren helped me.”

“Lauren? Who is she?”

“She’s one of us. A really bad ass, talented girl, with a strong attitude. You have that in common, you know?” Andrea winked at me.

“Talented? What’s she doing?” I said, ignoring her last statement.

“She’s a painter. Almost all the paintings in the house belong to her. She places all of her feelings into her art, being guided only by emotions and moods. This is why she chose Expressionism.”

“A way to express yourself… Not through words. Interesting.” I whispered out loud.

“Sorry?”

“No, nothing important. I was thinking out loud. So, how many are you?”

“Uh…let’s see. The three of us, Selena, Brian and Matt, Lauren, Claude and Turtle.” She said, counting them on her fingers. “Nine. Sorry, don’t think about this often.”

Turtle?

“How did that happen?”

Andrea looked carefully at Andreas like there was something I shouldn’t know. It bothered me a little, but I understood that everybody has secrets and I tried to drive away the thought. When I was getting ready to change the subject, Andreas was the one who answered the question.

“Andrea and I returned home from Kowa three days before the disaster. We were here, in this house, with Alexander. Actually, he was the one who started to search for people who needed help. So, we joined his cause and here we are.” Andreas smiled.

“Who else did he save?”

“Around a quarter of the city, actually. He helped the injured and the helpless. When the first hospital was ready to be used, we took all the people showed signs of powers over here. He figured that people like us needed a place for people just like us. That’s how he discovered Selena, Claude and Brian.”

“Only three people with powers from that many?”

“No. There were more, but they escaped the hospital or refused to join us.”

“And how did you managed to feed and take care of them? The entire country was devastated.”

“With money. We used some of the money from the accounts we have in more than one country, which luckily, weren’t affected that much.”

“I see.”

I was moved by the story and I had to admit, in spite of myself, that he did something remarkable. Almost turned the impossible, possible. Something was bothering me, but I couldn’t tell what it was. Like I kept trying to deny each nice thought I happened to have about him. And Selena.

Ugh.

The A couple was checking on me, probably trying to find out how I felt about the things they shared, when a light turned on. For a second, I thought that somebody entered my room, but it wasn’t the case. The light came from the next room to mine. I realized then that I’ve never asked who was living there. I so hope it’s not Selena.

“I have another question.”

“Yes?” Andreas asked.

“Who is living next to me?”

“You’re not going to like it.” He smiled playfully.

“Don’t tell me.” I said with a blank face. “Selena?”

“Alexander.”

Oh c’mon!