The Angels in Heaven Above

Chapter 19 - Adra

The Labyrinth was exactly what the name said: it was built before the city, at a time when ancient humans honored their own gods at that place. The Academy was the only thing that remained above it, as immutable as a mountain. Even humans from that time didn't know when it was built and, as a consequence, they also didn't know when the Labyrinth's construction was.

In those times, all said there was a terrible monster living inside, at the center of the Labyrinth, killing everyone who dared to enter too deep into its corridors, but none of that prevented the demons from desecrating the place and, eventually, built a city above the millennials stones of a place that was once sacred to humans. Or cursed. Adra bet on both.

She also thought that was a strange place to build a city on, but Damian had explained on their way back that, at the time, demons were still trying to colonize the human race, and riots a lot bigger than those occurred in the old Jerusalem were bigger and demanded a quick evacuation.

The Labyrinth was a great solution to that problem, once humans, as superstitious as they were, wouldn't dare to enter the Minotaur's household to persecute the demons who tried to escape through there.

— And there are cities built in stranger places. — He had also said, shrugging. — Beyond the sea, in Tiníka, there is a city that was built over the water, for example. And beyond Pisikó, there are cities built between mountains, sustained by steel cables larger than me, you and Theo side by side.

Adra smiled when she heard that, even though she couldn't imagine something like that really existing. The world was large, so big and ancient that it made her feel so small in comparison. Adra wasn't sure she liked the feeling.

But Damian continued to tell her about cities filled with dreams while they walked through the streets to Téfra Bridge.

Adra recoiled while walking through the bridge, unable to resist looking to the horizon, to Thanatos' waters, like she's been able to see Carino's ashes one more time.

But of course that wasn't possible.

And that was enough to send Adra spiraling in pain and self-loathing, the memory of the mail accumulating in her apartment mixing up with dangerously just to ruin her mood once again. Damian saw that and shut up, but stayed at her side, which began to annoy Adra after a while.

Adra, however, didn't say anything, preferring to stay silent. She knew very well what her temper could result if she opened her mouth in that kind of mood she was in.

They walked to different places in the Academy as they arrived, her and Lena going back to their room. It was a good thing for her that Lena was such a silent companion: Adra wasn't sure she could tolerate any more conversations without rolling her eyes in clear annoyance or being rude to someone.

For that reason she decided to skip dinner, feeling sick with the memories passing through her head again and again. Her father, dead. His throat and wrists were cut open. The blood.

Adra shuddered when she felt her own organs scrambling inside of her and fell on the bed. Lena, who was occupied drying her hair with a white fluffy towel, looked at her through the mirror they had behind the door and said:

— You should at least eat something, Adra.

— I don't want to. — She said in response, silently praying Lena wouldn't insist and just leave her alone.

Adra had let him die.

No, Carino had died.

He had left Kia.

Had left Adra.

And she didn't know what to do with all of that. Adra had no idea how to start disentangling the knots that were made inside of her with Carino's death. She was scared and hated herself for that.