The legacy of the dark blood

Chapter 69

The shelter: The order of Amelie

The night had passed in the blink of an eye, the outcome of the operation in Günther's concentration camp remained an unknown to Liz. Her state of impurity attacked her mental health mercilessly, to such an extent that it was impossible to distinguish between her reality and her imagination.

She remembered her way through the forest, hundreds of mysterious voices whispered incomprehensible phrases in her ear, particularly Mr. Holzmann's voice repeating "the moment of truth is near, reunification will come soon".

Finally, Liz opened her eyes, ending what for her had been anything but a restful rest, she remembered only Steffi's voice leaving her in bed before plunging back into the dreaded abyss that held all her nightmares. She found herself in a somewhat modest room with white walls and furniture made of oak in medieval style; in one corner, she found a large mirror. An intense smell of flower fragrances struck her as she glimpsed the rays of sunlight piercing through the windows.

Without much effort, she got up and moved to the mirror to catch a glimpse of her own image. She wore her white tank top and her faux leather jacket hung on an antique coat rack next to it. She looked closely at her face, she could notice a slight bruise near her right eye; behind her, projected in the mirror, a familiar face startled her. She could not believe her eyes, a feeling of indescribable joy came over her as she saw Bernard's face smiling at her; Liz turned around and ran to embrace her friend.

"Bernard, but how, how did you get here?" she asked in an elated voice, feeling a slight pain in her ribs that her past adventures had left her with.

"Did you really think they could take me?" Bernard scoffed, his voice carrying peace to the soul, "It seems the Holzmanns aren't the only ones who have the power to fool others".

Liz separated momentarily from him without erasing her smile, she was puzzled, the image of her corpse with the broken neck on the ground had been very real.

"So, all this? ...." Liz wondered aloud turning back to the mirror "It wasn't true, it was just an illusion, a bad dream!" Her countenance was now more serene, Bernard's image was actually in the mirror. Liz closed her eyes for a few seconds to take in what had really happened and lowered her head from Bernard's face in the mirror to an elegant vase on a table.

"It all depends on what you define as reality or an illusion," said Bernard's voice, Liz did not understand what his friend meant, "That's right, when we are subjugated by earthly sentimentalism, our minds are vulnerable, and that's how we cross the fine line of what we conceive as tangible reality and the new reality that Herr Holzmann prepares for us," Hearing those words from Bernard's mouth had left her stunned; She had known the man for more than three years and he definitely did not talk like that, "that's right, Miss Sharrow, this new reality makes no distinction between good and evil, here only power exists".

The voice that had spoken the last sentence had become distorted in its entirety, a voice that revived another of her deepest fears. Slowly she returned her gaze to the mirror, meeting another face that confirmed another of her terrifying foreboding, right where she had seen Bernard before.

"GÜNTHER!" Liz shouted, breaking away from the mirror in horror, "you're a fucking...!"

"No swearing, Miss Sharrow" Doctor Günther interrupted her, "As I informed you, in this new metaphysical space we are all one, our memories, experiences and desires are part of this new world. Thanks to this, your transition is going on in spite of your attempt to slow it down, I know it will not last long, you should accept your reality. In this new space, death marks nothing more than the end of existence in your tangible world, if you accept your reality, you will never again have to mourn the death of your loved ones".