"Lara! Wait!"
I rushed to catch up to her. She turned to face me, confusion in her eyes.
"Can you tell me about that… thing?" I asked.
"What thing?" She raised a brow.
"You know... Whatever you said we were going to talk about."
"Oh... That... Alright." She looked around her for a while, and locked her gaze onto mine again.
"But before I tell you the whole story, how about we go to a more… discreet place? I don't want anyone to eavesdrop on us." Her voice lowered.
"Whatever floats your boat." I said, trying to hide the slight waver in my voice.
She then turned around and began to make her way out of the yard, still checking whether we drew other people's attention. I started following her. A flock of crows sounded from a distance, creating a cacophony of deafening caws as we went by.
"Do you have anywhere to stay?" she questioned.
I shook my head slightly. "Nope."
"Okay... We can arrange that." she muttered.
A moment later, she stopped at a seemingly empty, narrow alleyway.
"Here."
I examined the cold brick walls in front of me for a while, before stepping into the darkness after her.
"It's not that welcoming, I know, but it will surely keep us away from the curious." Lara mumbled. "So, the thing is... one of the Cabal members turned out to be a Nephilim."
I stood there, trying to process this information. A real Nephilim… "Which one was it?"
"Karel."
The finance director of the Cabal. I could picture what he looked like in my head; bushy, blonde hair, sapphire eyes. With his unassuming appearance, he looked no different than the average man you'd see on the streets.
"I thought the Sleepers were the last specimen of the Nephili." I said.
"Well, that's what most archaeologists thought, including me. And I still wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen him with my own eyes."
"What did he look like?" I asked, my curiosity ever growing.
"It's hard to say. But it's true that they are, in fact, shapeshifters."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked.
"He took the form of several men I had come across in Paris and Prague…" She paused and locked her gaze onto mine. "...And yours too."
Chills ran down my spine. "Shit…" I muttered. "Was… was there any way you could tell that wasn't me? Like an abnormality?"
She shook her head. "I could have sworn that it was you standing there."
What have we ended up in?
She then whipped a notebook out of her backpack.
"My mentor's notes about the Nephili." She turned to face me. "Maybe we can exchange some information."
I reached out to my pocket and pulled out another notebook. "And this is my father's diary. Perhaps we can get something out of it."
"Can I take a look?" Lara asked. I handed it to her.
She flipped the pages for a while, whispering to herself.
She then paused and looked at me, pointing at a page. "What is this supposed to be?"
I quickly glanced at the diary, just enough to recognize the neatly organized list.
"The victims of the Monstrum."
The look in her eyes changed. There was surprise, with hints of uneasiness now.
"My father was recording every single detail about the killings. The victims' names, where and how they were killed, which body parts were stolen… Everything is in here." I flipped the diary's pages and showed her my writings. "I have been continuing this since his absence, as much as I can."
Seeing my latest entries to the list again took me back to the dark corners of Café Métro, where I had seen Lara for the first time. I was sitting at a table alone, updating the list with the newly found victims' names. The smell of sweat and burnt coffee was everywhere. The cafe looked abandoned, reflecting the state of the city.
Then the sound of the door opening echoed in the place. Although surprised that somebody was brave enough to traverse the streets in this time, I was way too preoccupied to check on who the visitor was. Quiet footsteps made their way to the counter Pierre, the cafe owner, sat behind. The visitor and him then began to talk. I could tell that she wasn't one of the locals due to her accent. I did not care about the topic of the conversation, but that was until my ears picked up on some keywords: Information. Bouchard. The Monstrum.
I remembered thinking to myself; Who is this woman, and what is her relation with the killings? She doesn't look like the police or the press.
She then stopped near me. We exchanged a brief glance, her piercing gaze bringing chills down my spine.
I had recognized her.
She was the very woman the French police left no stone unturned to find just a day ago. She was who they thought the Monstrum was.
In that moment, I wanted to say something to her. That I knew she wasn't the Monstrum. That we were after the same man. Yet, in fear of catching attention, I had refrained from talking to her.
I felt that same gaze on me as my mind returned to the present.
"So… When did these murders begin?" she asked.
"Right after World War II." I said. "Eckhardt was kept in Castle Kriegler, Germany. During the war, the place was bombed, setting him free. He then went on to form the Cabal, and to start the killings. The shards were the main element that kept him from escaping." I briefly paused. "Speaking of the shards… You still have them, right?"
She reached into her backpack, pulling out all three. "Here."
Relief washed over me. I reached and took two of the crystal blades.
"What about this one?" Lara asked quietly, gesturing at the shard she was still holding.
"That's yours. If we want to defend ourselves against a Nephilim, we both have to carry one. It should be on you at all times, just in case. And… no matter what you do, don't touch the blade. It burns through flesh surprisingly easy." I said.
Without a word, she placed the shard back into her backpack. Her gaze fell on me yet again, curiosity in her eyes.
"The victims are said to have no relations whatsoever. Is that true?" she said.
"Yes and no. All live alone, with little to no visitors coming. Other than that, nothing links them together, as you said." I answered.
I paused for a brief moment before continuing. "Eckhardt seemingly picked his victims randomly. But this time it was different."
"In what way?" she asked, raising a brow.
"Gangs and criminals were specifically targeted. Very few of the victims were randomly selected." I explained.
"You said that The Monstrum prefers those who don't get a lot of visitors. Do you know what happens if there is somebody else around during an attack?"
"That's a very specific question you've got there, but I think I know the answer."
I reopened the diary and went through the pages until I got to the list. "See?" I said, dragging the tip of my finger along the paper. "Most of the attacks claimed only one victim, but every once in a while…" I stopped by one of the recordings. "...there would be multiple. Eckhardt surely didn't want anybody spying on him. And if there were any guests unlucky enough to be around during an attack… Well…"
"A friend of mine was attacked, and I was there…" she mumbled.
My surprised gaze fell on her. "...You saw an attack?"
"Exactly. It's all a blur, but still…"
She continued. "...and you said that The Monstrum was Eckhardt, right?"
"Yes?" I responded, with every passing second amplifying my confusion.
Her lip curled. "It wasn't Eckhardt who killed him. It was Karel in his form."
I held my head between my hands in pure disbelief. Though this did explain the change in The Monstrum's behavior, a plethora of brand new questions popped up in my head. Why would Karel be the one to go out for blood, after fifty whole years of Eckhardt committing the murders? Why did he leave Lara alive, despite her seeing it all go down? Was the attack specifically timed with her visit for her friend, or was it coincidental?
I hated admitting it, but the only thing clear was the fact that my fight was far from over.
After a brief agreement between the two of us, we ended up renting a small lodge not far from the city center. Neither of us wanted to stay in a hotel because we both knew there might be people willing to poke their dirty noses into our business.
I trudged through the front door, Lara following right behind.
Suddenly, chills ran down my spine, the hairs on the back of my neck standing. My heart felt like it was going to rip right through my chest. My mind rushed to find a reason for this sensation, but it eventually failed.
My ears picked up on Lara letting out a shaky breath. Surprise struck me.
"Do you feel that too?" I said under my breath.
The air around us convulsed. Or at least, it felt that way. I clearly had a sensation of the light wind crashing against my skin.
We stood there for a while, not a single inch of our bodies moving. In a matter of seconds, the sensation ceased.
As my heartbeat slowed again, wonder creeped in me.
Was something trying to communicate with us?
My thoughts dispersed as my gaze met Lara's. Question painted her eyes, as if she too had been thinking the same thing as me. Her lips parted, then quickly got pursed. Then something caught my eye; the same bitter uncertainty, the one that killed the light in her eyes during our conversation, lingered on her face. The corners of her mouth sported minuscule curls. The patch of skin between her brows was creased. She then quickly looked away, preventing me from studying her expression further.
She finally spoke. "It's Karel."
I was in disbelief. "He's toying with us…" I mumbled.
Lara's brows quickly furrowed. "I suppose he changed his ways after my little encounter with him. He's choosing to hide away this time, it seems." She scoffed. "At least he's somewhat smart."
"You've got any ideas on luring him from wherever he's hiding?" I asked.
Her gaze fell on me, her eyes narrowing. "We should give him what he wants."
"...And that is?" I said, tilting my head.
"A way to resurrect the Nephili." she said, her voice now booming. "The Sanglyph is destroyed. He must still be looking for a way."
"So… What's the next step?" I asked. My voice crescendoed.
She let out a deep sigh. "I hate to say this, but… We leave for the Strahov in the morning."