Love me in the Shadows of Our Memories (🇬🇧)

Chapter 22 - In the Shadow of Light

Through you flows a river of emotions

It meanders through the forest of scars

Towards the source where shadows and light reside

Beneath the sky of life

Cat

Cat emerged from under the water jet that came from the makeshift device on the ceiling. A glance at the display on her wrist confirmed that the air was clear.

"All clear," she called out, removing her helmet. Raphael and Aline followed suit.

It had been almost seven weeks since Cat was last in this bunker, nursing Magnus back to health. Since then, she had spoken to Magnus only once through a satellite phone to make sure he had fully recovered from the scalding. Even though she barely knew the omega, Magnus' fate was something that concerned her. However, it was for this reason that she had agreed to help when the distress call came from New York.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Raphael asked.

"I'm not sure. Something that can help us find Magnus and his son," Cat replied as they cautiously continued into the bunker. While they knew Nate couldn't have made it from New York to this location within a day, in this apocalyptic world, one could never be sure what awaited in a bunker. There were enough people living like nomads, moving from one shelter to another in search of safety and survival.

Cat opened the door leading to the living quarters, and a strong, unpleasant smell hit her. She wrinkled her nose.

"What's that horrible smell?" Aline asked, covering her face to fend off the stench.

The answer to the question became apparent as they looked into the kitchen. A huge, already dried pool of vomit covered the floor near the large table. Food remnants were scattered everywhere, and it seemed like they had been there for a few weeks.

"I think we have our answer," Raphael remarked, casting a disgusted look at the chaotic scene. He closed the door, and the air became a bit more bearable.

"Strange," Cat pondered aloud. "Last time, everything was super clean and well-maintained."

"Well, if there's no one left to clean up after you," Raphael dryly commented, earning a dismissive snort from Cat.

"Let's keep going," Aline requested. "I can't stand this smell."

Cat nodded, and they continued. As they made their way to the bedrooms, they occasionally peeked into other rooms. Apart from the dust, everything seemed unchanged, maintaining the tidy order Cat found during her last visit.

"The last room on the right, that was Magnus' room," Cat explained as they entered the bedroom area.

"It smells burnt," Raphael noted with a frown.

"That's new too," Cat observed.

The pungent smell of old smoke grew stronger as they approached Magnus' bedroom. The door stood open, and they glanced inside. Cat's jaw dropped. Nothing looked as it had during her previous visit. The wardrobe had been toppled over. The bed lay in pieces scattered across the room. The mattress had been thrown to the floor or, better yet, what was left of it. A pile of ash next to the wardrobe revealed the remnants of Magnus' clothes. The walls and ceiling were covered in a layer of black soot. Nate seemed to have burned everything that carried Magnus' scent.

"I don't think we'll find any useful clues here," Raphael commented.

"I don't think so either," Aline agreed.