We ran at full speed, dodging trees and rocks. Edward was quite fast; I wondered if he could be faster than Nacho, although considering his physique, technique, and style, I would dare to say that Nacho could be faster, but only a race will tell.
Finally, the three of us arrived at a station where they had a luxury car. I opened my eyes again, and Bella found it quite amusing.
"Yep, typical of the Cullens." She said,
We laughed and got into the car, they sat in the front, and I sat in the back. As Edward accelerated in his car, I was mortified by how reckless he was. Bella laughed again, and I figured she must have been through those experiences before.
Edward put on a CD, and I could hear a piece of classical music. I asked, "Debussy, Clair de Lune?" Curious.
"Do you like classical music?" Bella asked.
"Yes, although I'm more into Beethoven," I confessed.
"Which one?" Edward asked.
"The Moonlight Sonata, especially the third movement," I replied with a smile.
"I figured as much with everything Alice saw of you," Edward joked.
As the sports car moved at full speed, I pondered where to go now that my mission was over, but I had one more place to visit before returning to my family, where my friend Amalia was, my older cousins Nacho and Tomás, and above all, where Anastasia was, the woman I went from hating to loving.
"You know, Gonzalo," Edward confessed, "Jasper managed to tap into your emotions, but I couldn't read your thoughts. You're the second person this has happened to me with; the first was Bella."
Bella looked at him a little curiously and asked me, "Do you have a shield like mine?"
I told him, somewhat puzzled, "No, I control machines, the digital ones." And I demonstrated by changing to a nearby radio signal mentally. Bella looked at Edward because she didn't understand anything.
Edward explained, "Darling, when I read your thoughts, I see nothing; when I read Gonzalo's, the noise is too much."
Then, Edward paused and asked me, "When I hear others' thoughts, it's overwhelming, and I must learn to filter. Do you experience something similar?"
I paused and replied, "Actually, yes. I perceive and hear all the electronic devices around me, and I must select what interests me from what doesn't. My mind is very... hyperactive, so to speak. Sometimes I wish I could rest, but I haven't found a way yet."
Edward smiled and told me, "With Bella, I learned to focus on something else, and when I think of her, I manage to find the calm I need, even in the most chaotic places. Maybe you need someone to anchor you; it's just a suggestion, I hope I'm not being rude."
I smiled back. "Don't worry. You've been so hospitable to me that a good conversation is the least I can offer."
"And? Do you have someone special?" Bella asked with a touch of mischief.
"I think so, but I told her not to wait for me. Frankly, I didn't know if I would make it out of all this alive. Giving her false hope would be the last thing I'd want to do."
Bella looked at us stunned and exclaimed, "Oh my God! You two guys are really a perfect match." She said looking sarcastically at me and Edward, then she added. "Poor girl!"
She seemed genuinely surprised. Edward and I laughed in unison, but my curiosity was piqued. By their way of speaking, it seemed they assumed I already knew about them, which was true, but I found out by hacking their network. I supposed the reason, but I decided to ask anyway:
"You both talk as if you assume I already know everything about you, even your abilities."
They both looked at each other and smiled before Edward replied, "Alice warned us that you had been investigating us. We assumed you were preparing for the meeting."
It was more than evident, and although the situation became a bit uncomfortable, I decided to let it pass.
When we finally arrived at the airport and I looked at the plane, I thought to myself, "Wow."
"We'll accompany you this far. Just tell the pilot where you want to go, and you'll be there in no time," Edward said calmly.
"Have a safe trip, Gonzalo. We wish you all the luck in the world. I hope we can see each other soon; I'm sure you'll have plenty of stories to share," Bella added with a warm smile.
I shook hands with both of them, thanking them for all their help, and finally boarded the plane. As I found my seat, I couldn't help but think, "This time I'll return faster than before."
The pilot asked me as we boarded, "Where would you like to go, young man?"
After pondering it for what seemed like an eternity, I finally said, "Please take me to Munich Airport."
"To Munich then!" he exclaimed.
The plane finally took off, and I murmured a small prayer, just in case. My experience with the fisherman had really sent shivers down my spine. I smiled at how absurd it was because being a vampire, there were really very few things that could kill me.
I was still worried about the Volturi and possible reprisals against me, but I had a lot of information at my disposal in case things went wrong. There was also the Romanian coven, which I imagined had gone into hiding after attempting to conspire against the Volturi and amassing such a number of bounty hunters and other contacts.
I monitored the plane while sitting, staring at the screen indicating where I was flying, feeling a bit anxious about flying over the middle of the Atlantic.
"Come on, you're a vampire, the worst that could happen is slipping." And as I looked to the side, I saw the young flight attendant asking me, "Do you need anything?" offering me some blankets and a pillow.
She looked at me with a radiant smile and seemed to want to ask me something, "I'm sorry for being bold, but are you a relative of the Cullens?"
"Um... No, I'm just a friend," I replied.
"Oh! It's just that you have the same eye color as them. It's quite curious, isn't it? They're quite eccentric people. I wonder how much money they have?" She whispered something in my ear as if telling me some gossip.
"Do you know if any of them are single?"
I looked at her, laughed, and said, "I don't think so, miss."
She shrugged, looked at my clothes, and asked, "Do you like to travel? You seem like a very adventurous person."
That question made me realize that the contrast between the luxuries of the place and my dirty, partially damaged clothes made her think that I was either eccentric or that they were simply doing charity, although the second option was basically my mind exaggerating things.
"Oh, I'm an archaeologist! Yes, I gave some things to the Cullen family, and as a thank you, they're taking me home," I lied.
"Well, I wish you the best of luck, young archaeologist. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask," she said before leaving.
"Thank you very much," I replied.
As the flight attendant left, I started reading a book to pass the time.
"Carmilla" by Sheridan Le Fanu.
"Another vampire book. I wish it were as easy to kill a vampire." I muttered as I glanced at it and passed the time.
After a few hours, the plane had finally arrived in Munich, and bidding farewell to the airplane staff, I headed back to Himmelsburg. There were things to settle.
I ran quickly, visiting what could be the last time that place where it all began. My work in the police, my investigation into vampires, the death of my family.
The initiation into this underworld, and recently, my integration into the Order of the Knights Templar.
It's nighttime, and I move stealthily towards Mina's bedroom while she sleeps, and poor Merlin runs away at the sight of me, though not as exaggeratedly as before.
I see Mina sleeping on her side, embracing her favorite book, called "Dusk's Embrace: A Tale of Fanged Devotion," and on the first page, I leave a message saying.
"We did it, Mina! We found the Holy Grail!
Regards,
Gonzalo."
I smiled and made sure to put the book back exactly as it was, and I allowed myself to contemplate her for a minute while the moon illuminated her face, and then I thought once again of Marie.
I ran to the cemetery and jumped inside. I saw our three tombstones, took the photo I had saved so long ago, from the moment of the tragedy that separated us.
I thought about continuing to fight for her, embarking on a journey to new horizons. A man approached me out of nowhere, and looking at me, he asked, "Visiting your friends?"
"Um... yes, they were my friends," I replied, pulling up my hood.
The man approached and said, "People are strange, they come here, but then they waste their lives on who knows what. No one understands that there's no better way to honor those who are no longer with us than with love, living fully day by day, loving those who are here because they too will leave."
Finally, I placed the photo on the tombstone saying, "Goodbye Marie, goodbye Lucero, I will love you forever, no matter how many centuries pass, it's time to leave."
"Thank you, sir..." I said, but the man had already disappeared.
Nevertheless, I had only one thing left to do, the promise I had made to Nacho. I had to leave for Africa and return to them as I had promised.