Darksiders – Death and Nereza – "Strength and Shadows"

Location: Corinthian Apartments, Seattle, Washington
February 2nd
9:48pm

Melaena Sullivan gripped onto the railing of her apartment's balcony. She glanced down at her home, the busy city of Seattle. She loved this place. She loved how beautiful this city would be at night. More than that, she loved the city noises. She didn't know why, but she did. Probably because it made her feel alive somehow.

But tonight, Melaena was feeling sad. Disheartened. In a few days, she would have to go to a doctor's appointment, the one she had been dreading thus far. And Death? She hadn't told Death about her dark secret. She didn't know how he would react to it. Melaena had been waiting for bad news all this time, but ever since she met Death, she had been trying to be optimistic. She didn't want it all to end…

Just then, her cell phone rang, breaking her out of her little trance. She reached into the pocket of her hoodie jacket and looked at the caller ID. She felt her skin crawl. "Hey, doc."

"Hello, Melaena. Is it a little too late?"

Melaena gave a tired smile as she shook her head. "No, it's fine. What's up? I don't have to see you for a few days." She tried to hide the fear in her voice.

But she also tried to hear from the voice of her doctor, Ivan Sandown, any indication that he was going to deliver bad news to her.

"Yeah, you see, that's what I'm calling about, Melaena. I just got your test results and… well…."

She faked a smile easily. "It's really gotta be bad if you have to call me immediately, doc. What's going on?"

He let go of an epic sigh over the phone. "Melaena, I don't know what to say. The cancer… I'm not seeing any improvements whatsoever."

She almost hardened at that. "The medications and therapies?"

"Nothing helped."

"How long do I have then?"

"… A month. Two, tops."

It felt like the end right then.

"Just my luck that I get struck the rarest of blood cancers huh, doc?"

"Don't give up that easily, Melaena. There has to be something that can help you."

"Yes well…" Melaena placed her free hand on the railing, gripping it with a new-found anger. "Until then, doc, it's taking me closer to death. Take care, doc. Thanks for everything."

She could have sworn he was smiling sympathetically over the phone. "It's not over, Melaena."

"It feels like it…" Giving her own faked smile, she ended the call.

She suddenly found it hard to take in a deep breath just to calm her. She was hoping, praying that everything would be alright. And Death… how was she going to explain this to Death?

She knew how contented he was to know that in some way, his angel was alive. And now to tell him that Melaena only had a month or two left…

The first time she found out she had cancer a few months back, she could have cared less. It didn't matter to her. She didn't have any family; she grew up in an orphanage. But now? She didn't want to leave. Not now. Years of being haunted by those dreams and she finally gets some answers for it, she finally gets Death and now... She didn't want to leave him. Contrary to his name, he brought so much happiness within these few days. She didn't want it to end.

Melaena attempted to hold back her tears. However she felt hopeless at that point and dropped to her knees, leaning against the railings of her balcony. She brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She stayed like that for a while, trying to come up with a way to tell Death.

But how?

"Melaena?"

She froze.

"I'm-I'm here," She managed to let go of those words.

She heard the quiet thumping of his boots against the ground. He emerged from the hallway and found her in her balcony on the floor. "Laena? Why are you on the floor like that?" He questioned, walking up to her.

She tightened her arms around her legs. "Um…"

"What troubles you, angel?" He got down to one knee in front of her and caught the sights of tears in her ever-so bright green eyes. "Speak to me."

She refused to look at him in the eyes. "Death, I…" A single tear fell. Upon viewing that, Death reached forward and took both of her hands.

"Melaena?"

"There's something… I've been keeping from you. Something bad. I swear I didn't mean to."

Her words confused the Pale Rider. He narrowed his eyes at her. "What is it, Melaena? Please tell me."

"I uh… I have cancer," She started out. "It's a disease and there are many types of it. The cancer I have is of the blood and… well…" She lowered her head. "It's… pretty bad."

He almost winced. "How… bad is it, Melaena? Are you in danger?"

She nodded, still finding it difficult to look him in the eyes. "Yes… I am. The medications I've been taking, the therapy sessions… Guess none of it's working. My doctor called that told me… that I don't have much time left."

Death dropped her hands in an instant.

As if she was expecting that, she put her hands back to her knees. "I don't blame you for that. You've been having high hopes about getting Nereza back and now I've ruined everything. I didn't tell you at first because I thought I was beating it. But I'm losing, Death. I'm not strong enough. I… don't have the strength that Nereza had…" The tears finally streamed down her pale face. "I'm sorry you wasted your time with me, Death. I'm sorry I gave you false hope about me. In another month or two, it'll all end..."

"No," He suddenly said sternly, causing her to look up at him. "It will not end this way."

She narrowed her teary eyes at him. "Death?"

"I will find way, Melaena. So what if the treatments given to you on this world do not work? I come from another world. I should have something that can cure you," He said and she saw the determination in his burning orange eyes. "I will do whatever it takes. Your God is not taking you away from me."

"Death…" She leaned forward, her full weight on her knees now. "Are you serious? It's a long shot, you know. I don't think cancer is something you'd get anywhere else other than on Earth."

He smiled warmly behind his mask, but he had a feeling that she knew. He placed one large skeletal-like hand on her cheek. "If I have to, I will travel from world to world, find that one shaman who knows how to cure you. There has to be a way. Your presence already gave me hope that Nereza can return. So what of a little disease?"

A teary smile was all she could offer in return. Timidly, but soon finding courage, she placed both her hands on his cheeks for the first time.

Death, however, took his opportunity though, to pull her to him and wrap his arms around her and give her a hug for the first time. Yes, he wasn't the kind to hug people, but this was his long lost angel. He let him place her head on his bare chest and he gently stroked her back to calm her down. But even as she sobbed quietly, he faintly heard two words escape her mouth:

"Thank you."

A/N: Mel's big secret!And guys, I just wanted to inform you all that I've been working on a song based on this story. I've wanted to for a long time. It's gonna be called "Long Lost" but judging by how school is to me right now, I don't think I can finish writing it by the time this story ends. So once I do write it, I'll post the information about it on a new chapter, as well the link . :)