Inside

Chapter One

The night didn't feel the same as others, Abel mused. But then again, he always felt like the nights were strange, due to the fact that Caterina had been in bed rest for the past two weeks. No one was allowed to see her, only Sister Kate giving the AX members a brief update on her condition.

But Kate's glowing reports hid a somber reality that deeply disturbed the Crusnik. He knew Caterina better, and if his intuition was correct, she was gravely ill and didn't want to worry anyone.

Especially the one whom saved her life so long ago.

The sound of distant thunder depressed him even more. His stomach was churning, but not with the familiar sensation of hunger, but from stress and anxiety. It was as if the devil himself was poking his heart with a pitchfork, taunting him with crippling fear.

His nightmares had been really bothering him lately. Every night he would dream he was in a lovely palace, full of expensive artwork and beautiful women... but the art would quickly decay, and the women would turn into living skeleton zombies out to kill Abel. He would try to escape but roaches would swarm the place and eat him alive... in short, this hasn't been a good month for him.

Was Caterina really dying? Were his dreams revealing something horrible was going to happen?

Knowing sleep was far from his reach, he decided to sneak a visit to his old friend to get his raging questions answered. Abel dressed and cracked open his bedroom door, checking carefully for night guards. Blending into the darkness, he was gone.

Two guards were stationed at her chamber doors, spears in hand ready to defend the Lady within. But what were two Terran guards compared to one vampire intruder? They would easily become mincemeat in seconds. But he knew, however, Gunslinger wasn't too far away from his mistress...

He startled the one on his left, whom must've been dozing off. Abel smiled and adjusted his glasses, the small feeble light reflecting off his bottle-cap lenses.

"I would like to see Lady Caterina, if I may sir." He said disarmingly.

"I'm afraid you have to leave. No one is allowed to see Her Imminence. No one." He responded. To Abel's eyes, they seemed like competent 30 some year-olds, well-built and armored.

"I see. But I have an urgent message that requires her audience only."

"We were not informed of urgent messages, Father." The other one responded.

Abel wanted to knock their heads together, a la Three Stooges style, but knew his ass would be on Kate's frying pan if he did.

He slowly removed his glasses, allowing his piercing ice-blue eyes to lock on with their brown (or was it hazel?) ones'.

"I demand an audience with Her Imminence Caterina Sforza. If you do not let me in, I'm afraid I would have to resort do desperate measures. You don't want that, now do you?" Abel was in no mood for sweet-talking his way in; instead, he let the Crusnik tinge his eyes red.

For looking like 'competent 30 some year-olds', they looked quite unnerved at the sight of the Vatican's monster, for they knew all too well who this man standing before them was, and whom he worked for.

They stole a glance at each other, then moved aside for him to enter.

"This way, Father." Left said.

Abel closed his eyes, willing the Crusnik back unto whence it lay dormant, and returned the glasses back to his face. "Thank you kindly."

A single candle from the bedside was the only source of light as Abel's sight adjusted to the darkness. With his advanced hearing, he could make out the slow breathing of the occupant in the king-sized bed a few feet away from him.

"Caterina?"

The soft rustle of sheets told him she was either awake or dreaming.

"Abel?"

He squinted and walked closer to see the her wide-awake reading a book. As he came closer to her, he noticed she looked abnormally pale, yet defiant of her mysterious condition.

Her lips made a small smile as she closed and placed the book on the nightstand. "So I see you've made it past my guards,"

"You should fire them. They're horrible." He quipped.

This time the thunder was louder, leaving the atmosphere in Caterina's chambers one of deep sadness. The Crusnik could see their reflection in her changing screen, outshone by the single candle. Perhaps it was a small signal of hope, he mused.

Caterina patted her hand next to her, motioning Abel to sit, of which he was happy to. "I know why you're here,"

He saw a glowing red dot coming from the darkness, one he knew too well. Lady Caterina wasn't alone, which soothed his uneasiness.

Abel placed his hand on her's and gently squeezed it reassuringly. "We're worried about you."

She coughed and wiped away some saliva from the corner of her mouth. "I've had Kate debrief you on my condition."

"It didn't sit well with me."

"I figured as much." She avoided eye contact, knowing his icy blue depths could read her soul; he knew her too well. "There are reasons why I can't tell AX just yet."

"And leave us in the dark?"

"You were never in the dark." Though her eyes were daunting and resolute, they still held a touch of softness in them whenever they held their talks alone. In Abel's eyes, she was still a little girl who needed saving. Not from outside threats or enemies, but from herself...

... her body was deteriorating.

"What happened? You need to tell me before..." The last half of the sentence stayed in his mind, leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

"Before I die?" She whispered sorrowfully.

Now it was Abel's turn to avoid her gaze. "I'm not trying to be negative,"

"I know." She lightly squeezed his hand in reassurance. "But it's not logical or realistic. If I had my head in the clouds, I wouldn't be the head of the Department of Foreign Affairs." She drew a heavy, burdened breath. "But Abel... I am dying."

Abel didn't dare move, nor breathe. A part of his soul shattered somewhere, landing where the broken pieces of Lilith lay. He knew Caterina was a mortal Terran, but even in Terran years she was too young to die.

He hated seeing people die.

"Caterina..." A small golden lock fell from its place behind her ear, causing Abel to reach over and gently brush it back with the back of his fingers.

Tears threatened to brim, but she fought them using her inner strength. "I'm not afraid of death, Abel. I'm afraid I didn't do enough to bring peace to our world, and to bring the Contra Mundi down."

Abel set his head down and drew a deep breath. "That is not your fault. It's mine and mine alone."

Caterina reached and lifted Abel's chin. "Don't you remember what I promised you? We fight with the same sword. Your fight is my fight."

His somber glacier depths said what his voice couldn't.

"She wouldn't want you to give up, and neither do I." Caterina whispered.

Abel sadly smiled and gently kissed her forehead, fighting back urgent tears.

"God rest your soul, Milady." He whispered.

"May God rest yours." She answered.