章 25: The Human Condition

Several papers piled up on the desk in Drake's study room. Hope was watching the pile of yellow notes in boredom and disappointment. She never thought that there would be so much to read, and almost everything was nonsense and bullshit.

Hope sighed, grabbing the first few papers on the top of the pile and bringing them closer so she could read. The woman had already spent many days in this study room, trying to find something useful regarding Aegis.

When Hope almost got to the bottom of the pile, there was finally something relatively interesting to read. And, incredibly, it made sense.

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The mythology of tribal people identifies Aegis with the future establishment of a new reigning dynasty marked by Hope and Equality for humans, beasts, and monsters. Prophecies state that our world, Sundac, will be destroyed if Aegis doesn't fulfill its duty by defeating the current ruling dynasty and assuming the throne.

As the story goes, it becomes even more blurry, mostly lost in time and translations. Some ancient tribes tell different versions of the story according to Aegis' sex.

Most say that if Aegis is a man, he will have better chances of fulfilling the prophecy and not because of him being stronger.

A male version of Aegis will have a weaker connection with animals, rendering fewer powers. He will be able to take on the features and abilities of the beasts only if they are in his proximity. But he will trust his mission and his reason to live, being able to sacrifice anything for the well-being of Sundac.

A female version of Aegis is mainly revered as the most powerful being in existence. But she has lower chances of fulfilling her destiny because of her feelings towards a dark being. The best she can do is to stay pure at heart and body until she defeats the great evil that will otherwise scorch this land, rendering this world uninhabitable.

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Hope sighed, throwing away the papers. "This is bullshit. Just a modern interpretation of ancient prophecies and tribal stories, trying to make sense of something they don't even comprehend."

The woman was bored. She closed her eyes, thinking of the endless possibilities of what the initial legend looked like and how it started. As a migraine started to pound her head, she decided to settle down with a good book and a cup of tea to relax for the remainder of the day.

Hope went to scour on the shelves for an interesting book. Her gaze fell upon one with the title 'Dignity and Scorn.' That seemed somehow fit for her. She took the book out of the shelf, and a wrinkled piece of paper floated from inside of it, reaching the wooden floor.

Hope left the book on the desk, bending down and reaching for the fallen paper. When she unfolded it, the woman immediately recognized Drake's handwriting, which she had seen countless times in the last five months. His calligraphy was state of the art, always writing only with a nib pen, moving his wrist in a mesmerizing and hypnotic way.

A single paragraph was lying on the wrinkled paper, and Hope started reading it.

"I'm a lost soul who's not trying to cling with wild hopes to a road without beginning. Life and fate are cruel, leaving my heart bare from so much suffering and unfulfilled desires. I go through life driven by indifference; feelings no longer have a grip. I am a lost soul for eternity, forever followed by its loneliness."

A lonely tear made its way from the corner of her eye, slithering across her cheek until it met her jawline. It remained there till she wiped it off with the back of her hand. A painful sorrow ached her heart, arching her eyebrows in disbelief. So, he was not only capable of feelings, but they were more intense than she could have ever believed.

Hope sat down again on the chair, thinking of how lonely he had been for so many years, without differentiating his thoughts from the dragon's. Before she left, Hope glimpsed a part of the real Drake, but she had forsaken it for selfish reasons. Oh, what had she done? Will she ever be able to make him forgive her?

Feeling another tear forming, she vigorously rubbed her eye. Her tears won't help her now. She was preparing to leave when she saw traces of lines deepened into the piece of paper, coming from the other side of it. She turned the page on its back, and there was a poem written in the same perfect handwriting.

"I am in the search of the ineffable;

I run on the edge of the absurd's abyss;

I bypass the alley of infinity on my knees;

I jump over the black puddle of regret.

I feed on the poisoned grapes of the soul;

I drink from the bitter tears of emptiness;

I fall asleep on the bed of cold leaves of the past;

I love the rain of stars in the sky of destiny.

I survive unwillingly because of my instinct;

The brain sends the intensity of the impulse to the feet.

Unhappiness is the human condition!"

The poem seemed sublime to Hope and touched her soul and heart even more than she thought possible. How could a man be so cold and yet so intense at the same time?

Hope started crying, tears flowing rapidly on her cheeks. She mumbled between the sighs. "It is impossible to bring back the past you have lost. Although I am guilty of so many mistakes, we have the ability to learn from the past and avoid making the same mistakes in the future. I will save you, no matter what it takes and what will it cost me."

That day, Hope made a decision. She will show Drake that unhappiness is not the human condition. The woman gradually realized that the man was becoming more important to her than she had allowed herself to admit.