Chapter 11

"The hunt"

The biting cold woke Amelia, and clouds of white breath escaped her lips. She rose from the hard floor and wrapped her arms around herself, pulling her knees to her chest. She yawned softly and slowly looked at her companions. Lina was fast asleep, occasionally snoring and tossing restlessly, while poor Gourry played the role of her pillow. Zelgadis lay further away from them, facing the wall, so Amelia couldn't see his face. Only the steady, regular rise and fall of his chest confirmed that Zel was deep in sleep.

The girl didn't know what time it was or how many days had passed since they'd started their journey. In the temple, the passage of time had been dictated by the scope of her duties, but here, day and night blurred into a seamless whole. This was because the sky was constantly covered by a thick layer of black clouds. On the path they were following, the sun never rose, leaving only unyielding darkness.

Taking advantage of a moment of privacy, Amelia decided to examine her wrists. Gently, she removed the bandages that had already stuck to the bleeding wounds. The sight wasn't very reassuring: two rather long gashes from which blood was slowly oozing. Every sudden movement of her hand made the pain worse. She sighed in despair. She'd had these wounds for a year, and they just wouldn't heal. Had they been caused by a magical blade? Or could it be something else entirely? Amelia didn't know and decided to leave the question for later, until they had safely reached another pillar. Pushing the dark thoughts aside, she began to search her bag for fresh bandages. She didn't even notice when someone placed a clean bandage under her nose. Startled, she jumped back and turned to face the unfamiliar hand.

"Zelgadis?" she gasped in surprise. "I thought you were asleep," she whispered, not wanting to wake Lina and Gourry.

"I couldn't really sleep," he replied quietly, handing her the bandages again. "I had them in my pocket," he explained.

Of course, he wasn't going to tell Amelia why he hadn't slept well. He didn't want to tell her that he had just found out he was from another pillar, that he was the owner of a legendary weapon that needed to be taken as far away from here as possible, and that the first five years of his memories had been falsified. He felt truly pathetic when he thought about it all.

"Thank you." Amelia's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

She took the bandages and began dressing the wounds. Being right-handed, the left wrist was done fairly quickly, but the other was worse. Amelia clumsily tried to tie the bandage, but it kept slipping from her hands.

"May I?" Zel asked, smiling indulgently at the sight of her repeated failed attempts. She sighed and obediently held out her hand, allowing him to bandage her wound.

"Now what?" Amelia asked as Zelgadis finished applying the bandage to her first wrist.

"Now I'll finish dressing the other wrist," he replied, surprised by her question.

"No, no," Amelia laughed. "I meant, what now, in general? Are we going to look for the witch?"

"Ah," he murmured, understanding her earlier question. "Yes, I don't think we have much of a choice," he said, recalling Nirali's words.

"And what about Kirei, Maya...?" she asked, her face suddenly falling.

"I'm afraid, Amelia, that we can only count on ourselves on this journey," he replied, looking deeply into her eyes. She finally looked away, embarrassed by his gaze. Still, something of the old Amelia remained...

"I miss them..." she whispered after a moment, but she didn't get to say anything else before a loud yawn came from behind her.

"Oh, you're not sleeping anymore?" Gourry called out as Zelgadis finally finished with the bandages.

"You'd better wake Lina and let's get going. With all the chaos last night, we've already slept half the day away," he said in a sharp tone and started gathering their things. Amelia shivered at the sudden change in his voice.

Lina, awakened by Gourry, reluctantly opened her eyes.

"Under normal circumstances, I would say 'five more minutes, Mum,' but I really don't want to stay here any longer than necessary," she joked. Without further grumbling, Lina began to prepare for the next part of their journey.

"What's the plan?" Gourry asked once they were all packed.

Zelgadis thought for a moment. They didn't have a plan, not really. They didn't even know how to find Acedia. All they could do was hope that Nirali wouldn't betray them and would keep her promise. He'd have to be careful to spot any signs she might have left, while also keeping his secret from the others.

"Don't worry, I know what to do. I think I found the necessary information in those notes from the library I mentioned yesterday," he said confidently, although that wasn't really the case. No one had a plan of their own, so no one questioned Zelgadis's words, and they all walked slowly towards the exit.

Looking around, it seemed as if the Fifth Pillar was reliving the same day over and over again. The unchanging weather, the sky forever shrouded in black smoke, the destroyed buildings where life had long since ceased to exist, and the ever-ringing chains that encircled the entire landscape. Only the particles of dust drifting before their eyes suggested any change in the environment. Everything felt incredibly depressing.

As the four companions left the ruins of their former home, Zelgadis looked around carefully for the first sign. He spotted it almost immediately and smiled ironically to himself. He had expected something more elaborate, but there, pinned to one of the walls on the left, was another photo of his parents. No one but him would have noticed. For a moment, he was tempted to take the photo with him, but that would have been too suspicious, so he just hoped that Nirali would collect these photos and maybe give them to him one day. Without explaining anything to the others, he simply walked in that direction. He had decided not to tell his friends about his encounter with Nirali, so he couldn't tell them that it was she who had left him the clues.

"Zel, how do you know where we're going?" Lina asked suddenly, reading his thoughts.

He paused for a moment before answering. He still didn't think it was a good idea to tell them about Nirali. He decided to lie.

"I already told you, I found some clues in the library I was transported to during the attack yesterday. Damn it, I don't even know what kind of magic caused it." He knew Lina would believe him; after all, he was a perfect liar. The redhead studied him for a moment before mumbling something unintelligible. That was the end of the subject, he thought, and smiled ironically.

As they walked, the four companions tried to stay close to the buildings. It wouldn't be very safe to expose themselves in the middle of the street. Who knew what evil lurked in the darkness of the ruins? Zelgadis looked around carefully for more clues from Nirali, keeping his sword at the ready. Just in case, he kept telling himself. It wasn't difficult; Nirali left very clear clues that were easy to read. Of course, no one but Zelgadis paid any attention to them.

"Shh! Do you hear that?" Lina stopped suddenly and looked back in the direction they had come from.

A figure had just moved in one of the windows of the building, about a dozen metres behind them. Earlier they had heard the sound of breaking glass. Unfortunately, from this distance, they couldn't make out the shape of the figure, assuming it was even a person. The figure stood in the window, looking in their direction, and disappeared behind the frame after a moment. Zelgadis instinctively pulled Amelia closer. Was this person about to come out and greet them? Gourry drew his sword and stood at the redhead's side.

"Lina, what now? Do we keep going?" the blond asked, still holding his weapon at the ready.

"I think that's your answer," she replied, her gaze tense as she stared at the distant building from which the figure had just emerged and was now walking lightly towards them.

With each step, the figure's features became clearer. It was a young man, in his twenties, with horribly red eyes that seemed to glow even from a distance, and hair as black as coal. His face was set in a vicious grin. Zelgadis tried to remain calm. Was this another Undead? His thoughts were interrupted by Gourry's voice:

"Hey! You!" the blond shouted, waving his sword. "Stop!"

At this, the dark-haired man stopped, about ten metres away from them. He tilted his head slightly and looked at them with blood-red eyes. He grinned unpleasantly and took another step forward.

"Someone as pathetic as you won't tell me what to do," he replied, loud enough for them to hear. His voice was harsh and filled with anger.

"Pathetic?" Gourry repeated, amused. "Sorry, mate, but the only person who has the right to speak to me like that is standing next to me, and it's not you!"

Gourry lunged at the newcomer, intending to attack. But as he swung his sword to strike, the dark-haired man reached out and caught the blade mid-swing. The surprised swordsman froze as the stranger yawned ostentatiously, then kicked Gourry away from him with great force.

"Gourry!" Lina shouted, gritting her teeth in fury as her friend landed three metres away from the opponent. "Who are you? What do you want?" she demanded, not moving from her spot.

"Me?" The young man seemed genuinely amused. "Your little mind won't even be able to comprehend who I am," he laughed diabolically, then suddenly fell silent and looked directly at Amelia, completely ignoring the others. "I've been looking for you. The key..." he said coldly, beginning to walk slowly toward Amelia. With each step, Lina, Amelia, and Zel moved back, trying to maintain their distance. "For a while, we thought you were dead, but look! Our little friends have informed us that you're hiding with the other survivors. You'd be surprised, darling, how many of your ranks are working for us. Unfortunately, your precious leader..." he spat the last word with disgust. "He's protected you well over the past year, I'll give him that..." he clicked his tongue in feigned admiration. "Then the passage was opened, and things started to get interesting..." He glanced at Zel and was about to continue when Gourry appeared from underground behind him, ready to plunge his sword into his back.

The dark-haired man just shook his head and stopped, his arms crossed over his chest. When Gourry swung his sword, it bounced off like a ball, sending the blond flying back again.

"You're getting boring," he said, shaking his head in denial. "I'm not interested in you. I came for her." He looked back at Amelia with an ironic smile.

"Forget it, you bastard!" Zelgadis spat angrily and stepped in front of Amelia. "Over my dead body..." he added in a cold, unwavering tone.

"If that's what you want..." The dark-haired man smiled sarcastically and rushed at Zel...

Time seemed to suddenly slow, all sounds faded for a moment, and the world seemed incredibly sluggish. Only his heart seemed to be beating faster, thundering loudly in his ears. Zelgadis had the impression that it lasted an eternity, but in reality, it was only two or three short breaths. Barely managing to turn around, he pushed Amelia back toward Lina with a decisive motion.

"Go! Take her and get out of here!" he shouted, breaking the strange stupor that had surrounded him moments before.

Lina immediately grabbed the shocked girl by the hand and hurried away, dragging her toward the buildings at the end of the street.

Zelgadis watched hopefully as they ran off, but before he could turn to face his opponent, a powerful blow to his back brought him to his knees. As he fell, he bit his lower lip, the metallic taste of blood spreading through his mouth.

"Zelgadis!" Gourry shouted from behind him. "Leave him, you bastard!"

Zel spat out the blood in his mouth, wiped his lips with his sleeve, and quickly got to his feet, reaching for his sword. The dark-haired boy stood before him, completely unfazed, and his red eyes could certainly not belong to a human. Gourry stood a few paces behind the unknown man, ready for battle.

(…)

Lina ran as fast as she could, with only one thing on her mind: to hide Amelia somewhere safe. She dragged the girl behind her, ignoring her protests. She had to get her to safety as quickly as possible so she could... return. It was obvious that she couldn't leave her friends to their fate. Gourry, after all... he couldn't even make full use of his own sword. If Amelia wasn't so important in this game, Lina probably wouldn't have moved at all. She took a deep breath and realised in fear that they were far enough away. The sounds of fighting and shouting were barely audible from this distance.

"Lina! We can't just leave them!" Amelia protested from behind Lina, still holding her hand.

"I'm not planning on leaving anyone behind, I just need to hide you somewhere," Lina replied quickly, leaning the girl against the wall of the nearest house. "You're going inside to wait for us, okay?" she asked, grabbing Amelia's shoulders.

"No! No way! You don't seriously think you're all going to fight for me while I sit here doing nothing!" Amelia screamed, trying to free herself from Lina's grip.

"Listen, Princess!" Lina's eyes flashed dangerously. "You're going to wait here whether you like it or not! And I don't care what you think! Zel told me to get you out of there, and that's what I did. My job is done. Besides, think about it... what chance do you think you have in a fight? This isn't some fucking game! This guy will either kill you or do whatever he wants with you, and all our sacrifices will be for nothing. All sacrifices will be for nothing! Don't you get it?! Someone like you will only be a problem for us!" Lina gave Amelia one last angry look and ran down the street, back to the battle.

Amelia looked after her retreating companion. She was still processing the words that had just been spoken, now hanging in the air around her. Before she could do anything, her legs felt as heavy as concrete, and an unseen hand squeezed her throat. She couldn't move. Only when Lina was out of sight did the first tear roll down the princess's cheek, followed by several more, and then more still. She slid down the wall, curled up, and covered her face with her hands.

Was she really just a problem to them? Was she just an obstacle? A wave of guilt washed over Amelia; it was all too much. From the beginning, everyone had tried to protect her at all costs. Rei... he had sacrificed so much for her, just like Lina now and all the others. And what about her? All this time, she had been hiding safely in their shadows. She lifted her head and wiped her tear-filled eyes. She had already made up her mind. She would find the witch on her own, without putting anyone else in danger.

(…)

Another blast of energy struck the concrete wall behind which Zelgadis and Gourry had been hiding. It was the remains of a residential building. The blast was so deafening that each of them had to cover their ears. To make matters worse, chunks of the wall fell onto the street with each successive blast. It was only a matter of time before the wall was gone. The attacker clearly found the whole situation amusing, as his manic laughter echoed incessantly.

"We don't stand a chance..." Gourry muttered during a brief lull between the attacks, glancing at the chimera.

Indeed, they didn't stand a chance. It was just the two of them against a psychopath with powerful magic, and all they had were swords. Zelgadis scowled. They were trapped.

"We have to try," he said after a moment, convincing himself that it was the only option left. "Unless..." He was about to suggest fleeing when his words were interrupted by a familiar scream. He would recognise that voice anywhere. It was Lina.

"I think I've found your lost one... If you don't want me to slit her throat, you'd better show yourselves. I'm tired of playing with you." The cold voice left no doubt; they were in a losing position.

"Lina!" Gourry jumped to his feet and ran out of their hiding place. Zelgadis cursed softly, but there was nothing he could do. As he stepped out into the street, he held his sword low and raised one hand in a gesture of surrender. The dark-haired man held Lina in front of him like a shield, his hand pressed against her throat.

"Finally... Where is the girl?" the stranger's voice rang out, tightening his grip around Lina so tightly that she groaned in pain.

"If you do anything to her, I swear..." Gourry barely moved, gripping his sword so tightly that it felt like his life depended on it. Well, maybe it did...

"I'm in a good mood today. I'll let you go in exchange for the girl." The dark-haired man shrugged lazily. "Of course, I could kill you, but why make such a mess," he finished in a way that made the obvious seem like a statement of fact.

Zelgadis looked into Lina's eyes, and for a moment, he could have sworn she nodded. It was as if she was confirming his worst fears. Embarrassed, he glanced at Gourry, only to meet his friend's gaze, expecting a decision—one the blond had already made. Lina was far more important to Gourry than Amelia, him, or even the whole damn world they knew. He was truly powerless in this situation. He didn't even know where Amelia was hiding, but even if he had, it wouldn't have made any difference. He wasn't going to hand her over.

"I..." Zelgadis began, looking at the stranger, when suddenly the building next to them exploded with a deafening crash.

Confused, Zelgadis curled up and covered his head with his hands. Debris rained down from the sky, and choking clouds of smoke billowed into the air. Unexpectedly, someone grabbed his arm. He looked up to see Maya standing in front of him. Without releasing her grip for a moment, she pulled him off the ground and led him away from the explosion.

When the dust finally settled, Zelgadis saw Lina and Gourry, with Daiki standing beside them, and breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that in all the chaos, Lina had managed to break free and escape. Behind Zel, however, a much more interesting scene was unfolding.

Their attacker stood surrounded by a glowing circle that, strangely enough, originated from Kirei's hands. Rei knelt on the ground nearby, sweat dripping onto the pavement. The trapped stranger writhed and screamed but was clearly unable to escape the trap. Tamaki stood just behind Kirei, and beside him was that strange black-haired girl - Lillya.

Zelgadis watched the scene in silence. After a moment, Tamaki nodded, and Lillya took a small step forward. She reached out her bony hands and gently touched the glowing symbol. The light around the stranger began to dim, growing darker and darker, and the man inside seemed barely able to endure it. Pure terror filled his red eyes, though Zelgadis had no idea what was happening to him.

"That's a demon," Maya muttered, standing beside him.

"A demon? As in, one of several?" he asked in response.

"How do you know?" she asked, surprised, fixing him with a piercing stare.

"That there's more than one demon?" he scoffed dismissively. "I have my sources," he added after a moment, shifting his gaze back to Lillya.

The demon screamed like a madman, struggling desperately to break free. Then, something happened that Zelgadis had never expected. Huge black wings began to sprout from the man's back. As he finally spread them wide, the barrier shattered like glass, and the three standing nearby were violently thrown backward. The demon let out a furious howl, then soared into the air and flew away.

Shocked, Zelgadis turned to Maya, but she seemed unfazed.

"It always ends like this," she said, as if answering his unspoken thoughts. "But now, thanks to Lillya, we're much stronger," she added quietly.

"What did she do to him?" Zelgadis demanded an answer, but Maya clearly had no intention of saying anything more.

"Zel!" Lina ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck, leaving him frozen in surprise.

"Amelia! We have to get Amelia!" she cried, pulling away from him. "We... we had an argument, and I... I left her there alone, and oh God... Zel, what if something happens?!"

The moment Kirei heard Lina's words, he turned as pale as a sheet. He rushed over and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Where... where is Amelia?!" he shouted, shaking Lina roughly despite looking utterly exhausted.

"We ran to the end of the street. I told her to wait in the last house before the bend," Lina choked out. She had barely finished speaking when Kirei was already sprinting in that direction.

Zelgadis instinctively moved to follow, but Maya grabbed his arm and shook her head.

"Leave it. He knows what he has to do," she said softly. "I promise you, he'll bring her back," she added, noticing the worry in Zelgadis's eyes.

"And we need to talk," Tamaki interjected, holding onto Lillya as she struggled to stay on her feet.

(…)

Amelia didn't know the way, but to be honest, she didn't care. Her steps were firm and confident, and she held her head high. There was no trace of her earlier tears. Now, she was heading east, towards the edge of the city—the only clue she had been given. Deep down, she knew she was doing the right thing; this was the only way to keep her loved ones safe. After all, it was because of her that they were being hunted by demons...

She also believed she would be able to reach Silva—or rather, Acedia, as Zelgadis had explained the day before. She hoped the witch would restore her strength and teach her magic. Until then, she would manage on her own. After all, Kirei had personally trained her over the past year, and she had become quite skilled in swordplay. The small dagger hidden in the shaft of her tall boot gave her an added sense of security.

She would have to fend for herself.

She gave a barely perceptible nod to her own thoughts and felt a rising wave of determination. All she could do now was hope her companions would take care of the attacker who had ambushed them.

The area she had entered looked like something out of a nightmare. Rubble made movement along the main street difficult, barricades blocked off the side roads, and the surviving houses had shattered windows. The city seemed frozen in time, immersed in an eerie silence.

The princess was already twenty minutes away from where she had left Lina, and with every step, her confidence was tested. It felt strange to walk alone without the reassuring presence of Rei, Zelgadis... Strange to look upon the abandoned ruins and know that she could be attacked at any moment - with no one there to defend her.

For the first time, she was doing something without Rei - actually, even against his will. Before Zelgadis, Lina, and Gourry had arrived in this world, Amelia had been completely dependent on her friend. Not that she minded; after all, it was Rei who had taken care of her for the past year, looked after her well-being, and, ultimately, the one to whom she owed her life.

She had no memory of her time at the Manor of Death. When she regained consciousness, she was already in the Temple of Chaos, the rebels' current stronghold, and, of course, Kirei was watching over her. He immediately started asking questions, but unfortunately, she couldn't remember anything—not even her own name. To the rebels, she had come back to life as Akama, and no one was ever to know about Amelia. And so, she began her new life under the protective wings of the white-haired man. Only occasionally did she wake up in the middle of the night with the nagging feeling that she had forgotten something important. She would try to remember - it would be on the tip of her tongue - but just as she was about to grasp what it was, the thought would slip away, vanishing into the recesses of her memory.

Sometimes, her dreams took her to a beautiful garden and a massive building that looked like a palace straight out of a fairy tale. Other times, they were filled with blood and violence. She saw flashes of events, places, and faces of people she was never supposed to remember. She tried to piece it all together, but nothing seemed to make sense or fit the reality around her. And no Wonder - those images weren't from this reality.

But she couldn't have known that.

Not back then.

Everything changed when the three friends arrived. Along with them, part of Amelia's past returned, but so did the feeling that something was still missing. That sensation was especially strong whenever she spoke with Zelgadis. Unfortunately, she couldn't explain it.

If only the memories could be restored. Without them, this new life might prove very difficult...

There was one more thing that troubled her: Kirei's lie. They had said they were priests, but did that mean anything? Since they hadn't planned to take her to Acedia, where were they leading her, and why had Rei agreed to let her join this expedition? He had always been so protective of her, but suddenly, without any objections, he allowed her to take part in a dangerous mission. Why?

Amelia was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the thick chain lying on the ground. She tripped and fell directly onto her aching wrists, cursing loudly in pain. She immediately realised her mistake and covered her mouth with her hand, but it was too late. A figure emerged from the building next door - a girl with an inhuman expression on her face. Her black, dishevelled hair concealed her animal-like eyes, but her build wasn't much different from the princess's. An Undead. Amelia quickly glanced around and immediately got to her feet.

"Looks like there's only one of them," she thought, pulling a knife from her boot.

And she knew she had to stay silent! She gripped the blade, knowing it could mean the difference between life and death. It was only now that she began to realise just how dangerous this solo journey could be. Meanwhile, the Undead began to move, walking briskly towards Amelia, who raised the knife with a trembling hand. She had to do this if she wanted to complete her mission, she told herself, and plunged the knife into the heart of the approaching Undead.

She lifted her eyes in fear and looked into the face of the unknown girl. No, not a girl, but what was left of her body after her soul had left it. Her eyes were clouded, but her lips were still twisted in a grimace of bloodlust. Amelia pulled out the knife in disgust and stepped away from the lifeless corpse that fell to the ground.

"Well done, girl!" An amused voice rang out behind Amelia, followed by a brief round of applause. The princess jumped in surprise and fear. "I didn't know Zelgadis liked sharp girls," the stranger added after a moment.

"Who are you?" Amelia stared at the unknown girl. She didn't look like any other demon. "And how do you know Zelgadis?"

"I'm Nirali, and I'm sorry, but I can't let you go on alone. Not after I put myself in danger for your boyfriend…" the white-haired girl added with a sneer.

"He's not my boyfriend, and whoever you are, you can't give me orders!" Amelia shot back and turned to leave when a wall of fire appeared out of nowhere. Nirali yawned dramatically.

"Darling, I thought I made myself clear enough. If you don't return to Zelgadis immediately, I'll be forced to kill you, and we wouldn't want that, would we?" A spark of malice flickered in Nirali's eyes. Amelia stared at her in disbelief. Could this Nirali be a mage? As if in response to her thoughts, the fire instantly died down. "So, what's it going to be?" The white-haired girl, clearly confident in the effect she'd created, smiled triumphantly. But before she could hear the answer she was hoping for...

"Leave her alone, you bitch!" Kirei appeared out of nowhere and immediately stepped between Amelia and Nirali. He glared at the white-haired girl with undisguised hatred. "Traitors like you should have died long ago!" he spat through clenched teeth.

Nirali opened her mouth to hurl an insult, but after a moment, she closed it again. Without a word, she surveyed the two of them, her gaze finally settling on Amelia.

"Remember what you must do, trust only him," she added as she turned to leave, then vanished into the air, leaving behind a cloud of white dust.

"Those damn mages!" Rei cursed, pounding his fist against his knee in anger. "And you!" he began, turning to Amelia. "Have you completely lost your mind? She could have killed you! You could have died, Amelia! Do you have any idea what kind of danger you've put everyone in?"

The girl looked into her friend's face. She was still in shock, but she had to admit that Rei was really angry. And that Nirali... Amelia knew that her last words had referred to Zelgadis. "Trust only him." But why? Why had she helped her?

"Amelia! Are you listening to me?!" Rei shouted close to her ear, then glared at her angrily.

She only responded with a quick glance into his eyes and turned away without a word. She hadn't taken two steps before Rei grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him.

"What are you doing?" she asked indignantly, trying to pull away, but it wasn't easy.

"Is it so bad that I was dying of fear for you?"

She looked shyly into his grey eyes and felt a pang of guilt. Yes, she had acted thoughtlessly, but...

"Then why did you lie to me?" she finally blurted out the question that had been weighing on her heart since their parting.

"I wish I could answer you..." he began quietly, "but... it's not that simple, Amelia. I wanted to protect you," he added even more quietly, lowering his head.

"Protect me?" she scoffed indignantly. "You call protecting me dragging me into a suicide mission? You weren't going to take us to that witch, so why did we set out in the first place?"

"That's not it!" he protested immediately. "Amelia, I..." he stopped and looked deep into her eyes. "I love you."