Sacrifice: 2nd Edition Read online

  “Will you hold the ladder for me?” she asked, as she climbed the metal rungs to clean the gutters. Gabriel didn’t respond, but he did it anyway, annoyed with his mother for taking away half of his weekend.

  He was mentally replaying the new song that he would show the band next Saturday when he heard a scream. His mother had lost her balance and he saw her falling from the ladder.

  He didn’t need to think about what to do. Gabriel moved in an instant, jumping to one side and catching her in his arms before she hit the ground. His mother, with her eyes wide in an expression of surprise and her face one shade paler, smiled at him.

  Gabriel was surprised too.

  After he put her down, his mother said she preferred not to climb the ladder again just now, and asked him to go vacuum his room while she cleaned the kitchen.

  After she’d gone inside, Gabriel approached one of the largest trees in the yard. He tried to imitate the position that he’d seen in movies, and he punched the tree as hard as he could. When he retracted his fist he saw that the bark had sunk. His knuckles were marked. “What’s happening to me?” he thought, before hearing his mother call out to him again to go vacuum his room.

  He ran towards the house and it seemed to him that he had never run so fast. He went up to his room, barely touching the stairs. When he had needed to clean under his bed he lifted it easily with just one hand.

  That night, when he went to sleep, he did so with a genuine smile, which he hadn’t done for a long time. Even though he didn’t understand what was happening to him, one thing was certain: he was faster and stronger than he’d ever been.

  Monday. Another week. He woke up, showered, and went downstairs to have breakfast with his mother. But this time he didn’t hear the daily question.

  “I got a message last night,” she said, while she placed milk and cereal on the table. “Gabriel, Mr. Galen died over the weekend. I’m so sorry. I know he was your favorite teacher.”

  Gabriel remained silent, his eyes fixed on the table. Not only would he never know how Mr. Galen had made the paper reappear, but he had lost someone again. He didn’t want any more death in his life.

  “They’re going to cancel classes for today. Do you want to come to the hospital with me?”

  Gabriel knew what that meant; spending hours seated in the waiting room while his mother helped the sick.

  “I’d rather stay here and play guitar.”

  “I understand,” she replied. “Tonight I want us to talk more about what happened with your teacher. For now I have to go to work.”

  Gabriel agreed, but wasn’t really listening. He could think of nothing but fire and that piece of paper.

  He waited a bit to make sure that his mother wouldn’t see him leave. He had to go check Mr. Galen’s office. He wanted to see the piece of paper again, to see if he could figure out the trick.

  The school was closed, so that everyone who wanted to could attend the funeral. He had to leave his bike chained to a tree a few blocks away. He approached on foot, heading for one of the walls that the students often used to escape the grounds, and checked that no one was watching.

  After easily scaling the wall and arriving in the courtyard he ran towards Mr. Galen’s office, which he fortunately found unlocked. He opened every one of the drawers and felt a bit guilty for invading Mr. Galen’s privacy. It was impossible not to recall how, after the burial, he and his mother had gone through his father’s desk; but then he saw it, peeking out from between the pages of the book that Mr. Galen had been reading, a blank page. He felt sure it was the same one he had seen return from the ashes.

  Gabriel picked it up and closed the book. When he turned around to leave, he saw Ignacio in the doorway, watching him.

  “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  Ignacio suggested that they talk outside of the school. For the first time, Gabriel realized there was something about Ignacio that made him almost impossible to disobey.

  After jumping the wall, they walked towards the square where their classmates usually went to smoke.

  “Why were you so interested in that sheet of paper?” Ignacio asked him.

  Gabriel told him about what the teacher had done. How he had burned it, but how the ashes had reconstituted themselves into pieces of paper and later had magically reunited into the same sheet of paper as before. He tried to sound less surprised than he felt, since he didn’t want to seem naive.

  “It wasn’t a trick,” said Ignacio.

  Gabriel looked at him. He could tell that Ignacio was nervous, looking around, attentive to everything that moved. It was the first time that he’d seen him act that way. What was bothering him?

  “I don’t have much time but, for now, I can tell you that there are other realities, parallel to this one,” he said, and he sat down on a bench, waiting for Gabriel to do the same before continuing his tale.

  “I imagine you think that I’m crazy, but let me ask you something.” He didn’t give Gabriel time to reply before continuing, “What would you say if I told you that dreams were a way for souls to go to another reality? To other Realms?”

  It wasn’t the first time that he’d heard a theory like that, but Gabriel felt disappointed. He had hoped that Ignacio wasn’t the type of person to believe in those things. He kept silent, wishing for the conversation to be over.

  “What would you say if I told you that you actually touched the White Phoenix?”

  Gabriel took a few seconds to respond. The first thing that came to mind was that that was impossible; it had only been a dream. But a second thought followed quickly, “How did you know I had that dream? I haven’t told anyone about it,” he asked.

  Ignacio smiled and explained that, apart from the world in which both of them were sitting in a square talking, there existed Otherworld.

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s a place where humans can’t set foot. They can only observe it, occasionally, through their dreams. The inhabitants of Otherworld have powers beyond human comprehension. Just as Mr. Galen can make things return to their previous form; a piece of paper back from ash, a wound healed without leaving a scar, each of us has powers that help us fulfill our purpose.”

  “But why would he show that to me?”

  “Because, upon touching the Phoenix, you became one with it. Your soul and its soul have fused together. Because of this you are no longer solely human.”

  Gabriel shook his head; he couldn’t believe what he had heard.

  “The other day I felt the Phoenix within you, but I wasn’t sure. Do you know how Mr. Galen proved it? When he asked you to come to his office he did it in the language of Otherworld.”

  “You’re wrong,” Gabriel objected. “He did it in English.”

  Ignacio stood up and asked for the piece of paper. He wrote something on it, and then he put it in Gabriel’s jacket pocket while placing his other hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. It was a caring gesture, and it surprised Gabriel. He didn’t expect something like that from Ignacio.

  Gabriel stood up and, even though he felt like telling Ignacio he was crazy, he didn’t.

  “How did you know about my dream?”

  Ignacio smiled.

  “Show that piece of paper to someone you trust, someone that would never lie to you or hide anything from you.”

  Ignacio took a few steps away but then turned around to look at Gabriel. Even though Ignacio was still smiling, the look on his face let other things through. Fear, sadness, and the pain of nostalgia were reflected in his eyes.

  “If the Phoenix has returned, it’s because there is a great threat lying in wait. I have to go find out what it’s about as soon as possible, so I’ve got to go right now. I’ll be here tomorrow, before school starts. I’ll be waiting for you,” Ignacio told him.

  Gabriel took the paper out of his pocket. In big, clear lettering Ignacio had written ‘A pleasure to see you again’. When Gabriel looked up from the paper his classmate was gone.

  He r
eturned home late in the afternoon, but this time he didn’t climb the stairs to lock himself in his room. He went to the kitchen to look for his mother. He didn’t even say hello.

  “What do you see?” he asked her, while he took the paper in both hands and held in front of her.

  “What do you mean what do I see?”

  “What does it say here?”

  “Is this some kind of game? They’re just lines without meaning, Gabriel.”

  “Mom, I’m being serious. What does it say?”

  “Gabriel, you’re scaring me.”

  His mother came over and put her hands over his.

  “Nothing. It says nothing. At least, not in our alphabet.”

  What yesterday had been a magic trick, today appeared to be something more. Could Ignacio have been telling the truth? If that was the case, then a world separate from this one existed. Perhaps he wasn’t entirely human.

  Could that have been why he was having dreams that seemed so real? Was that the reason why he was stronger and faster than he’d ever been?

  He felt his heart race as he went to his room. He put his headphones on so that the music could help him, as it had on so many occasions. He tried to concentrate on the notes that sprang from the guitar, imagining the movements of the skillful hands that had achieved that sound… but this time he could find no calm.

  Gabriel suspected he would have trouble sleeping that night, but he would never have guessed the reason why.

  3

  At first he thought that it was just a dream, but when he got up to go to the bathroom he heard sounds coming from inside the house.

  “Mom?” he asked, in the darkness. No one replied.

  He was going to flip the light switch in the hallway, but he stopped upon hearing movements in the living room. It couldn’t be the dog, because they always left him locked in the kitchen overnight. He descended the stairs as quietly as possible. Someone was there. Even though he couldn’t see more than a silhouette, he could hear them breathe.

  “Come with us,” said a voice that was as cold and hard as a glacier.

  Gabriel took a step towards the silhouette, trying to discern something about the invader.

  “We don’t have money. Kidnapping me won’t do anything. Take what you want, but don’t hurt my mother.” His voice faltered when he mentioned her.

  It must not have been a very effective petition. The laughter that he heard was colder than the voice had been. Worst of all was that it came from more than one source. Gabriel didn’t know how many people were in the living room, but certainly whoever had spoken wasn’t alone.

  “You have something of value. Something that belongs to us,” said the silhouette that approached him. Gabriel could tell that it was a man. “Come with us. Now.”

  Though he couldn’t pinpoint why, the voice was distinct from any other that he’d ever heard.

  Gabriel was the man of the house now. He had to defend his mother; there was no doubt about that. The question was how.

  “Go where?” he asked, pretending he wasn’t afraid.

  He heard the same laughter as before. The figure that approached him took him by the wrist. The contact with that hand, colder than ice, reminded him of his dream. His suspicions were confirmed when another voice said, laughing, “To Otherworld.”

  This time it wasn’t a song that saved him from the Shadows. The door to his house burst open and someone that appeared to be carrying a torch entered the room. Gabriel, shocked, recognized him.

  “Ignacio!” he shouted.

  His classmate took another step, smiling at him. Gabriel saw then that he wasn’t carrying a torch, but rather his hand was enveloped in flames. The man who held him by the wrist trembled slightly.

  “I see that He has also discovered the return of the Phoenix,” Ignacio said, approaching slowly. As he walked, the darkness appeared to retreat to the corners of the room.

  Gabriel finally saw his captor. It was a man, as were the other two who accompanied him. He couldn’t distinguish their features clearly because their faces were shadowed, despite Ignacio’s blazing hand.

  “Don’t you dare take another step,” the one holding his wrist said. Though he appeared unarmed, his voice was threatening.

  Ignacio stopped. A sword appeared suddenly in his other hand, materializing out of thin air, its blade shining with a fire as bright as the one he carried between his fingers. Gabriel saw the flames that covered Ignacio’s hand jump towards the men, enveloping them before they could react.

  The three men fell to the floor, and as the darkness gave way to the fire his classmate wielded, Gabriel was able to see their corpses on the carpet. Ignacio allowed himself a small smile.

  “I did what he told me to,” he said, and with a gesture he made the sword disappear as his hand also ceased flaming. “I didn’t take another step.”

  Gabriel was going to open his mouth to ask a hundred questions, but Ignacio stopped him with a look.

  “Let’s make sure that your mother is alright first.”

  They climbed the stairs together, but Gabriel entered her room alone. His mother was sleeping soundly, even though she still wore her work clothes and was on top of the covers. The sleeping pills that she had been taking since the funeral had undoubtedly taken effect. With care, Gabriel took off her shoes and covered her with a jacket that was on top of the bed.

  “Everything is fine,” he said, closing the door.

  Once downstairs, Ignacio told Gabriel to straighten up the pieces of furniture that had been moved during the fight. Exasperated, Gabriel asked him to explain what was happening. Ignacio remained silent, placing his hand over each of the corpses. After a few seconds they burned in a fire that generated neither heat nor smoke, leaving only a blackened mark where they had been.

  “I doubt that those stains will come out of the carpet. You’ll need to make some excuse to your mother.” Ignacio sat down on an armchair after turning it to face the front door. “While I’m here, I don’t think they would dare attack again,” he said, apparently trying to calm Gabriel. Nonetheless, he made his sword reappear and leaned it against him.

  “What time does your mother get up?”

  “At six.”

  “Then we have a few hours to talk. I’ll try to be as clear as possible.”

  As he had the day before, Ignacio spoke to him about Otherworld, but this time he confirmed what Gabriel already suspected; Ignacio and Mr. Galen were both from that Realm, as were the men who Ignacio had recently eliminated.

  “We don’t have time for me to tell you how these realities came into existence. The important thing is that you understand that this Realm belongs to humans, and Otherworld… doesn’t.” Ignacio pointed to the stains on the carpet. “The men who I attacked may have seemed human, but in reality they were Shadows.”

  “Beings of cold and darkness,” whispered Gabriel.

  Ignacio raised an eyebrow.

  “I can see that you have met them in your dreams.”

  Gabriel cut Ignacio off with a gesture of his hand.

  “If you and Mr. Galen aren’t human, if you’re from Otherworld, what are you?”

  Ignacio sighed.

  “The answer depends on who you ask.”

  Gabriel, who considered himself fairly tolerant of evasive answers, decided to insist regardless.

  “I’m asking you.”

  Ignacio closed his eyes for a moment. “We’re messengers,” he said opening them. Before Gabriel could interrupt him again, they locked eyes. “But you, Gabriel, you are much more. In your dream, you managed to see the White Phoenix. The powers of the Three Realms have been looking for it for thousands of years.” Ignacio pointed to Gabriel’s chest. “I don’t know how, but when you touched it, your soul and its soul became one. As I told you yesterday, that’s why you can understand our language. It’s also why you can see the fire in my hand or my sword when I invoke it. The Phoenix is from Otherworld, and now so are you.”

  All of
the sudden they heard a noise in the kitchen and they both got to their feet. Before Gabriel could warn him, Ignacio took his sword and threw open the door. An impressive animal entered the living room and looked curiously at the two of them. Ignacio sat down again, and the dog lay at his feet. Gabriel was surprised that Night, who usually hated strangers, had so quickly warmed up to him.

  Ignacio continued speaking while he ran his hands through the dog’s fur.

  “Mr. Galen immediately sensed the return of the Phoenix to this Realm, and he confirmed it by inviting you to his office. After speaking with you, he informed me of what happened and asked me to protect you. We knew that the Shadows would also have sensed the return of the Phoenix.” He pointed upwards with his index finger. “Mr. Galen didn’t die. He returned to Otherworld, to find help among his allies, to understand why the Phoenix had returned, and why now. I stayed here, to watch over you until he returns.”

  A week ago Gabriel wouldn’t have believed anything that Ignacio had told him, but now it was the only thing that would explain how real his recent dreams had felt, and much more than that, the strength, surprising and perhaps greater than was humanly possible, that he now possessed. Above all, tonight he had seen his classmate destroy, with a fire that sprang from his hand, three beings who had entered his house to kidnap him. At least the part about Ignacio protecting him was true.

  “There’s something else that you’re not telling me.”

  “There’s a lot that I’m not telling you,” Ignacio said with a smile.

  “Why were you and Mr. Galen at my school?”

  “Someone had told us that the Phoenix would appear there.”

  “Someone?”

  “His name is Tiberias. Tomorrow we’ll go visit him. Now that the Shadows know that the Phoenix has returned we can’t wait for Mr. Galen.”

  “What do the Shadows want with the Phoenix?”

  “One of the many things that I won’t tell you now.”