The Guardians' Legacy

“Why are you locked up there?” asked the skinny boy as he crept down the stairs. He was curious about what was hidden in the basement of his new home and, like any thirteen-year-old child with an adventurous instinct, he set out to find out. He just didn’t expect to find a girl of a similar age to him behind the bars of what looked like a luxury cell.

— Huh? — The girl lowered the book she had in her hands and, after blinking her eyes a few times to clear her vision, she found herself without reacting. — Me? I don't know...

— What are you reading? — asked the boy with a bright smile on his face as he approached the iron bars that separated them.

— A book.

— I know it's a book. But what is it about?

— Ah. It's about biology. Physiology of dark creatures, to be more exact. — The girl replied without changing her slightly surprised look.

— Physiology? What is that? — The smiling boy sat on the floor, as did the person on the other side of the fence.

— It is the part of biology that studies how the bodies of living beings work.

— I don't know if I understand. Give me an example — demanded the boy with another friendly smile.

— Huh? — The girl took a while to react, the courtesy captivated her. — Well, it says here that Capelobus have very small eyes in proportion to their body, and this results in very poor vision, which is why they don't usually appear at night.

— Like a bat, then?

— That's right. But bats have excellent hearing that helps them move around and find their way around. Capelobus, on the other hand, get completely lost when they can't use their vision.

— Wow. That's amazing. So this is Physiology? — The boy was visibly impressed, not only with the information, but also with the girl's intelligence. — They don't usually teach this at my school. What school do you go to?

— I don't go to school.

— Really? Good for you. But it’s a little weird. — He tilted his head thoughtfully. — Never mind. How about we go see the frogs in the stream near the forest? Sometimes bats appear there, too.

The girl fell silent and looked away with her expressionless gaze. Silence, her constant companion, was present. She immediately turned her eyes to the other side of the fence.

— I can't. As you can see, I'm stuck here.

— Arrested? I'm going to get you out of there. — The boy stood up determinedly.

— No! Please don't do this — she begged, grabbing the bars.

— Huh? Why not? Do you like being stuck here?

— It's not that... If I leave, people will be in danger — said the girl with the neutral tone from before, turned around and went back to her book. — That's my destiny.

—So, are you going to stay in this basement forever? — he asked, certain that he would convince the girl.

- Yes...

— Yes!? — He was surprised by the opposite answer to what he expected. Then he shook off his thoughts and gave up. — Well, if you really want that, then there’s nothing I can do.

He sat back down on the floor, facing the girl who was hiding her presence with her eyes on the animal figures on the pages of her book.

He remained silent, just observing the rest of that room, or rather, that cell in the basement.

— Are you going to stay there? — The girl put her book down again.

— I'm going. Is there a problem?

— No... None.

Silence fell again, but this time, it wasn't lonely. It wasn't bad.

An hour had passed since then, only the sound of breathing and the turning of pages of the books they were both reading were in fact echoed.

— Why are you still here? — Finally the girl became bothered enough to ask the question and break the atmosphere she had been enjoying.

— I'm reading.

— No. It’s not — she remained neutral. — You’re holding the book I lent you upside down.

— Oh? Really? — The boy immediately turned the book over. — It's just that the pictures are better to see this way.

— I don't understand. You don't even like to read. Why aren't you enjoying the day outside?

— I thought you might want some company. — the boy said. He smiled when he saw the girl hiding her eyes behind her book once more. — Besides, it's two in the morning, there's not much to do in this mansion at dawn. You really have no idea what goes on outside this basement, do you?

 — ... — She delved deeper into the texts.

— Don't you want to talk? Okay then. — The boy stood up and stretched while yawning. — I'll be back tomorrow.

— ...

— Can you tell me your name, at least? — He passed the book through the metal bars and left it on the table inside the cell.

— ... — She ignored him once again.

The boy took a deep breath, giving up. He turned around and, as he began to climb the narrow stone stairs at the end of the basement, he thought about saying goodbye, but before he did:

— Celina. — The girl’s voice echoed shakily. — My name is Celina.

The boy smiled. It was brighter than any other smile he had ever given. He took a step back and looked back at the girl who was watching him with hesitant eyes.

— Mine is Aldren. Nice to meet you, Celina. — As soon as he said the girl's name, she hid and returned her attention to the book. Aldren chuckled discreetly. — See you tomorrow. Good night.

The next day, Aldren came running home from school, in a hurry and eager to see that girl again. The boy passed in front of the Rasuey passenger train station and walked up the steeply inclined street to reach the Buregar family mansion. The most powerful family in the city, which, even after the war, still maintained all its wealth and prestige intact.

As soon as he entered through the huge double doors of the mega construction, he was reprimanded by one of the maids:

— Don't run inside the residence, Aldren.

— Yes, aunt.

The boy then began to walk, but soon after, he quickened his steps again.

He walked through the beautiful, flowery and decorated hallway to get to the kitchen. He noticed that there was no one there, even though the stove was still hot and the smell of lunch was in the air. He smiled and placed his folder with school supplies on one of the many counters, then went to the food storage room stealthily.

When he thought that nothing could stop him, he was surprised by three people arguing inside the warehouse. He quickly hid and listened to the conversation.

—How many times have I told you to keep this door locked? — A well-dressed man stood over the uniformed maids.

— Excuse me, sir. Lilian, she is...

“Mommy?” Aldren thought, holding his breath so as not to reveal it.

— I don't care if it's her first week, or if she's stupid. Lock the damn door as soon as I leave, it's simple. — The man's rigidity kept the two women's heads down, waiting for the worst. — Where's the spare key?

—Hidden under the sink. In a crack in the wall. I assure you it hasn't been used.

— Hmm. — The man took a deep breath to return to a more gentle tone. — Great. You should only use it to take food down there when necessary, in case I don't have time to come.

- Yes sir.

— Now, as for you, Lilian. This mistake of yours will not go unnoticed. — The man turned around and prepared to leave the place with a sly look. — Go to my room, alone. We will discuss your punishment.

— Y-yes, sir — the younger woman replied.

Seeing the man approaching, Aldren slipped away and hid behind the oak barrels full of supplies near the kitchen wall. He waited for a few more seconds until the man left the place, the women came soon after.

— I'm so sorry, Lilian — said the older one, comforting the other who was holding back her tears. — Calm down. You can't show any weakness or resistance. Now, you better go quickly, you don't want to keep Master Buregar waiting...

The two left the kitchen. Aldren thought about canceling his plans, but his mother, even though she was holding back her tears, seemed to be in no danger. Innocently, he held back, waited until the kitchen was completely empty, and then went straight to the sink. He didn't have to look very hard, he collected the rusty key from a crack in the wall, below the counter, and headed for the storage room.

He unlocked the door and entered the same room as the day before. As he went down the stairs, he smiled excitedly when he saw the girl in the same place as before.

—Are you still reading? — Aldren asked, announcing himself.

— Yes. — replied Celina.

Sitting on the floor with her legs crossed, she kept herself entertained with the book that had more pages than Aldren had read in his entire life.

— I brought something for you.

— Something... for me? — Celina put down the book and raised her head curiously.

Aldren reached into his pocket, drawing the girl's attention to himself, and she stood up and approached. Then he brought his hand back into the basement light abruptly. He tried to scare the girl on the other side of the grate with the quick movement.

— Tcharam! — He stretched out his hand and waited for a reaction.

— That... — Celina kept her face expressionless.

— It's a frog. Aren't you scared? — he asked disappointedly.

— It's not a toad. It's a frog. And there's no reason for me to be scared of it.

— So, you're not afraid? — Aldren watched the huge eyes of the small amphibian in the palm of his hand.

— No. That one is harmless.

— I see. — He put his disappointment aside. — I found it in the stream, near the forest. Do you want to go see if we can find more? We can collect them.

— I already told you I can’t leave here. — Celina sat down again and went back to diving into her book. — Besides, you just missed this one.

— What!!! — he was surprised to see his hands empty.

The little animal had jumped so far away that it was impossible to identify its direction. The boy, in turn, shrugged his shoulders dejectedly and sighed discontentedly.

— Why did you come back?

— I said I would come back. And I will keep coming back, every day.

— That doesn't make sense. You have no reason to do that.

— Reasons... Hmm... — Aldren sat on the floor as he thought about the answer. Facing the girl, with the iron fence separating them, he smiled. — We can make a deal.

— Deal? — Celina's attention was caught in an unprecedented way.

— You can't leave there. And I want to know more about... — He looked away quickly before blushing. — About your books. But I don't want to read them, they're boring.

— You're pretty lazy, aren't you?... — she thought out loud.

— So, I bring you things from outside. And you tell me about them. How about that? — Aldren smiled sympathetically. — That's a good reason. I want to learn, and you want to know more about the outside world.

— I never said I wanted to learn about the world there...

— You don't have to lie. I can see it in your eyes. — The boy was determined.

— Can you... see?...

— That's it. So? Do we have a deal?

“How is it possible for someone to see what another person is thinking, just through their eyes?” Celina thought, observing the bright smile in front of her. Motionless, expressionless, but surprised.

— I'll take your silence as a 'yes'. — Aldren didn't wait. That was the answer he wanted from the beginning, he wouldn't leave with any other. — So, can you tell me more about the frogs? How can I catch one?

— Ah. A frog? — She hesitated for a second before focusing on the question. — Well, first you should know that...

That conversation lasted for hours. Those hours turned into weeks. And those weeks passed like a single conversation. A conversation that had been going on for years.

Aldren visited that basement every day, secretly, no matter what. It wasn't that difficult; he knew where the keys were and the schedules of the mansion's servants. Besides, he himself lived in that mansion, in a small room in the back of a branch for the servants, but still, in the mansion.

Celina shared her knowledge, she knew that the boy wasn't really interested in her books, but he still insisted on being there. She gave up asking why as time went by, Aldren always avoided the subject anyway.

— I think it should have been left in the oven a little longer — the boy judged the flavor as he chewed the last slice of fruit pie. — What do you think, Celina?

— It's the same as the last one, Aldren.

— Seriously? So you didn't like it?

— I don't know — the girl replied neutrally from inside the bars.

— This again? Then I guess I'll have to try harder. I'll still make a pie that will impress you.

— Why did you make me this pie?

— It's your birthday, huh? We're just celebrating. It's not every day that you turn eighteen.

“You said the same thing last week,” she replied, her eyes indifferent.

— It's not my fault if we don't know exactly what day you were born.

— I still don't understand how you manage to use the kitchen without anyone noticing.

— I already told you. No one stays in the kitchen at night. Besides, I'll be leaving in a few days anyway. They won't be able to do much with me.

— Are you leaving? — Celina asked, returning the saucer with the pie crumbs through the bars, she didn't seem at all shocked.

— I'll be eighteen soon too. I must be chosen to work in the coal mine — he replied dejectedly.

— Why don't you go work somewhere else? What about that dream of yours, of becoming the head chef of a restaurant?

— Things change — he replied smiling. He didn't seem to convince the girl, even though she hadn't moved a facial muscle, Aldren could feel it just by looking at her eyes. — If I opened this cell, would you run away? Would you go somewhere else?

— You know I can't leave...

— I didn't ask what you can or can't do. — Aldren made sure to show the seriousness in his tone. — So?

- I don't know...

— You must be eighteen now, right?

- I am not...

— You don't know. — The boy was almost rude. — It doesn't matter. Are you really going to stay in this basement forever?

— Why this, all of a sudden? I don't understand.

— I don't want to go to the mines. — Aldren lowered his head dejectedly.

— But you said that...

“I know what I said!” he retorted irritably, his eyes brimming with tears. He gestured with his hands holding the saucers so that crumbs of pie were thrown all over the place. “Forget what I said.”

The boy turned his back and walked out of the basement. His heavy footsteps on the steps made Celina think about something she didn't understand.

The next day, the leader of the Buregar family went to the basement. As usual every morning, he brought the girl freshly prepared meals on a silver tray.

— Celina, here it is. — He left the tray on the table inside the cell. — Your arm, please.

The girl pulled up the sleeve of her white robes to reveal her thin arm with countless needle scars on her soft skin.

The man, using a syringe and a vial, marked another one of those spots on her. He took a small amount of blood from the girl and stored the vial with the hot liquid in a small box before putting it all in the pocket of his expensive jacket.

— Very well, I'll be back tomorrow. — The man said goodbye coldly as he left the cell. He then locked it with the second key from his bunch.

— Wait... — Celina sighed hesitantly.

— Hmm? What happened? — asked the man, surprised by the situation outside the cell. Nothing like this had ever happened before.

— How is your research going?

— I'm almost there. Soon... That's right, soon. — he replied, hesitating and avoiding the conversation.

The innocent girl nodded and he prepared to go again.

— One more thing. — Celina gathered her courage. — As soon as I finish the research, will I really be able to leave here?

— Why are you asking me this?

The girl looked away, avoiding the question. She herself didn't know how to answer that.

The man found the situation strange again. He thought for a moment, wondering why the girl was so determined, like never before. He became suspicious and then began to observe the unspoken room more cautiously.

When his eyes fell to the ground, something caught his attention. Near his polished leather shoe were some crumbs, leftovers from a pie, so small that they would have gone unnoticed if he hadn't looked for them carefully. He crouched down and delicately picked up the remains with just two pincer fingers.

The girl's eyes widened. She didn't know what was coming.

— I get it. — He sharpened his eyes.

Buregar stood up, already thinking about his next steps.

— Wait. — Celina felt the atmosphere change in appearance. — It's not what you think...

She was harshly ignored. The man was already leaving the basement, restless, with hatred eating away at him inside while the girl lamented with loneliness embracing her.