Capítulo 19: 19. A Change In Scenery
"Well, you broke into my apartment and decided to bleed to death," Aurora said, standing up from where she sat.
The man tried to sit up from the couch but struggled.
"You might want to stop moving - your wound might open up - wait, it closed itself, I mean, healed itself," Aurora said, still confused. "Just what the hell are you?"
The man slightly lifted the sheet covering him to check underneath. "Why am I half-naked?" he asked, realizing his coat and scrubs were gone.
"I had to treat your wound - they got in the way," Aurora replied.
"Hey, I'm the one asking the questions here. Who the hell are you?" she demanded, with more emphasis this time.
Forcing himself to sit upright on the couch, the man glared at her. "You took something that belonged to me, and I'm here to take it back," he replied.
With a sigh, Aurora pulled out her phone and dialed the police's number. "If you don't answer my questions, I'll call the cops and have you arrested for breaking and entering," she said, pointing the phone's screen at him.
He quickly got up from the couch and shouted, "Wait, wait, don't do that - they'll shoot me! Do you have any idea how much trouble it took to get here? I've almost died so many times. I may be an escape artist, but even I would have trouble escaping a prison," he panted.
Aurora's mind raced. "What is he talking about? Why would the cops shoot him? Is he a criminal or something? Maybe he's not right in the head."
Deciding to play along, she replied, "Well, if you don't want to get shot, you better start answering my questions," she said, her tone threatening.
"Let's all calm down - there's no need to involve guns in this," said the man, raising both hands to signal Aurora. "What do you need to know?"
"Now you're getting it. I'm the one in charge here," Aurora replied.
"Yes, of course you are," the man replied sarcastically.
"What's your name, stranger?" Aurora asked.
"My name?" said the man.
"Yes, your name - you have one of those, right?" Aurora insisted.
Seemingly hesitating, the man said, "My name... my name is Kane."
"Okay then, Kane - what are you doing here, not dead?" asked Aurora.
"I revived," replied Kane.
"Revived? That's crazy," said Aurora.
"You said it yourself - I was dead. What else would explain me being alive?" Kane responded.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you're secretly a vampire," Aurora suggested.
"You watch too many movies - that's fantasy," Kane retorted.
"Fantasy? You know what's fantasy? You having a damn hole in your stomach and it sucking in the blood, then closing up! That's fantasy. Now I'm going to ask you for the last time - who the hell are you?" Aurora exclaimed with a serious expression.
Kane thought to himself," My wound closed itself up. Yeah, come to think of it, there is no blood on me and I'm perfectly fine. Wait, does that mean I got my powers back?" He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate.
"Don't you dare ignore me when I'm talking to you - hey, dumbass! I'm talking to you," Aurora snapped when she noticed Kane closing his eyes.
Kane realized his powers still weren't working. "How did my wound heal if my powers aren't back?" he wondered. Suddenly, he felt the sting of keys clanking against his head.
"Ouch, that hurts, you know," he said, rubbing his head.
"I said, don't ignore me," Aurora repeated.
"I wasn't, I was thinking," Kane replied. "What were you saying again?"
"Listen, Kane - if you don't cooperate, I really will call the cops on you," Aurora warned, her patience wearing thin.
Suddenly, Kane uttered, "I am Death."
"What?" Aurora's eyes widened in disbelief.
Kane took a deep breath and met her gaze. "You asked who I am. I am Death, or at least, I was. Something happened, and now... I'm not sure what I am anymore."
Aurora stared at him, trying to process his words. "That's impossible. People don't just come back to life and claim to be Death."
"I know how it sounds," Kane said, his tone serious. "But it's the truth. My powers are gone, or at least they're not working right now. That's why I came here - to find out what happened to me and to get back what was taken."
Aurora's mind raced with questions and doubts. "If you're Death, why did you come to my apartment? What could I possibly have that 'Death' needs?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Kane replied. "There's something about you, that's connected to my powers."
"This is all too much - it's just too crazy to believe," Aurora thought, struggling to make sense of everything.
"He died that day - I saw it with my own eyes. He came back injured, his wound healed right in front of me, and now he claims to be Death. The evidence is there, but I just can't convince myself to believe him. If he really is Death, what does he want with me?"
"Look, I don't know how to process all of this, and honestly, I want to, but it's just crazy," Aurora said aloud, her voice trembling.
"I've finally gotten my big break in life, and things are looking up for me. I cannot afford to involve myself with this - please leave. This has nothing to do with me," said Aurora, pointing at the door.
"This has everything to do with you!" Kane shouted, his emotions boiling over. "You took my powers away," he added, pointing at her. "You made me human and vulnerable."
"Look, I'm sorry you happened to die when I grabbed you that day, but you can't blame me for any of this. I don't even understand what you mean by 'took your powers away.' Do you see me levitating here?" Aurora retorted.
Kane's expression was a mix of frustration and desperation. "When you grabbed me that day, something happened. It wasn't just your touch; there was a transfer, a shift. I felt my essence, my powers, drain away. Now, I'm stuck in this human form, and I can't function like this."
Aurora shook her head, bewildered. "That's impossible. I'm just an ordinary person. I don't have any special abilities. How could I possibly take your powers?"
"I don't know," Kane admitted, his voice softening. "But there's a connection between us now. I can feel it. We need to figure out what happened and how to reverse it."
Aurora sighed, conflicted. "I don't want to get involved in something dangerous. I just want to live my life, pursue my new career, and help my mom. I'm not going to ruin all that because of a guy who probably escaped the asylum."
"Listen, I know I might sound crazy to you, but think about it - I died when you grabbed me that day, and here I am, standing alive. Maybe, just maybe, if you do the same thing again, it'll reverse the process. I'll get my powers back, and you'll get your, um, boring life back. See? It's a win-win situation," said Kane.
"I don't think that's going to do anything," replied Aurora.
"You could try - you have nothing to lose," Kane insisted.
"I..." Aurora hesitated.
"Please," added Kane, his eyes pleading.
Aurora thought, "Maybe after he sees the absurdity of what he's saying, he'll leave me alone."
"Okay, fine," she uttered.
Kane began to approach her, his footsteps resonating with her heartbeat. She grew nervous as he got closer, his muscular frame casting a shadow over her. He extended his arm, and she hesitated, her arm trembling slightly before she reached out and grabbed his.
"Anything?" she said in a soft voice.
"Maybe it takes a minute for the transfer to happen," Kane suggested.
A minute passed, and Aurora began to feel foolish. "See, I told you - nothing will..."
Suddenly, a cold breeze blew through her hair. She shifted her gaze and saw lights beneath her. The clouds barely covered the moon that shone above them. Kane's voice broke the silence.
"Do you believe me now?"
Aurora looked around, realizing they were atop the highest skyscraper in the city. Her grip on Kane's arm tightened as the reality of their situation sank in.
"This... this is impossible," she whispered, her voice trembling.
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