The Flame of Life. Hunger.

Chapter 2.The purpose.

Suddenly, the girl picked up her pace and started running, but she was still miles away from her cat, which gracefully disappeared around the next corner. The couple were left alone in a deserted alley in Oranienbaum. Both silhouettes were distinguished from the darkness by the flowing light of the moon, which demonstrated their majesty and calmness. The woman stopped. She looked at the night star, hidden from time to time by clouds that continued to move uninterrupted at the call of the wind.

"Is something wrong?" He turned to her.

"No, my love, " the woman smiled. "It's just..."

She waited for a short pause.

"It's just that I've forgotten how quiet and solitary life can be when you're not being chased by a pack of wolves."

His eyes were now also riveted on the firmament.

"I know, my Queen," The man wrapped his arms around her waist. "And I know something else. Look at this beautiful and pure moonlight. From time to time, it is obscured by clouds, but it still continues to ooze through them, no matter what, and at some point this light will be the only thing that will illuminate the path of the lost traveler."

"If it was an attempt to cheer me up," she stood in front of him so that his attention was entirely directed to her. "You did it."

"No way! What I hear. A compliment from Her Majesty, I'm flattered." His thumb touched the dimple on her face. "You are my moonlight, my love. And not only mine. They all believe in you."

"No one but you are so sure of me."

"Because I know what you're really capable of."

"But.."

"I don't remember it scaring you before. Why now?"

"No, I'm not afraid of what I'm capable of, I'm afraid of the consequences for our family. If we kill her, it will attract the attention of the Order of Light. That could end our truce."

"That won't happen if the girl is really desperate and on the verge of suicide, as you say. Besides, Sidora only cares about her Children of the Light. I'm not sure if she cares about the people here near St. Petersburg."

"I feel like a stupid girl again..."

"Listen," he paused, and waited for her to look up at him. "You're not stupid anymore, and haven't been for quite a while. Leave the past in the past, my queen, we have a beautiful present and an equally happy future."

They noticed in each other's eyes the same sparks of passion that had not been extinguished after their fleeting kiss in the park. This time, there was no one present. This time, the kiss wasn't as short.

He was still enjoying the scent of her perfume that was in the air when Veronica returned, accompanied by her pet. His queen rested her head on his shoulder, and he stood silently behind her, hesitant to hug her more tightly.

"We weren’t expecting you for a while yet," the man said.

"We've found something you should look at, or rather feel, and it's not what you were talking about," Veronica said, as if not noticing the words of a man.

"That's not possible because we have to go in a completely different direction," the man’s voice became sharp and powerful.

"We'll take a look at that right now," the woman interrupted, gently pushing his hands aside and fastening her scarlet cloak with a gold brooch.

"Are you sure?" The man held her wrist.

"Yes, don't you know who she's talking about?" Her gaze became questioning.

"We'd do well to make sure of that. Don't you think so? We can't let things take their course now that we're so close," she began to gently extend his fingers with her free hand. He didn't resist. "Don't worry, my power is with me. I'll be able to stand up for myself."

"Okay, darling. If you say that, I'll be calm... Almost," He held her hand again before the woman had any chance to say anything. "I'll be there. Eternally."

As soon as the three of them turned the corner, they felt an energy of incredible strength and power.

"Did you mean that feeling?" He asked Veronica.

"Exactly," Veronica's pride in herself was evident in her expression.

"Still uncontrolled?" - His Queen asked the man. "But stronger than the first time. Do you feel that?"

"Yes, she is rapidly growing stronger. Otherwise, we wouldn't feel it at such a distance," the man answered.

"That's not all. Bagheera came to the smell of blood. In that place, it's not the only magic, there's something else, less powerful and different, I would even say, opposite energy," Veronica looked around, looking for the right alley. "We're going to come here."

They stopped in a narrow alley. His Queen noticed a red print on one of the doors.

"I knew she'd do it," the woman ran her hand across the front door, where there was still a trail of blood from several punches. Someone needed help urgently.

"Knowing her past, I'd say it's in her blood. She's still trying to wash the shame away from her family." The man looked into the mailbox on the wall on the right side of the door. It wasn’t even locked, and there was a large pile of fliers that just fell onto the pavement. One of them stood out as a white envelope, a man picked it up. The addressee’s name was Arthur, and the sender’s name had almost been erased by time. "I thought no one was writing him letters anymore."

"This is not so easy to do, especially if you prefer to lead a hermit's life," the woman continued, like she hadn't heard the last words.

"You're exaggerating, she's not quite alone, she has a man dear to her heart. She loves him."

"Does she?"

"It doesn't matter to you and me, anyway, she did what we hoped for."

"You're right, as always," His Queen thought a little about something. "Wait, there's another energy here, very faint, barely perceptible, as if someone or something is suppressing it. I keep feeling like it's familiar, you know?"

"I feel it too. I know the feeling, but I can't remember where it came from."

"Me too. I guess it's time for us to finally do what we're here for," the woman turned and walked to the other end of the alley. "I think we can take a shortcut here, it's been a long time since I've been to these places. I hope we won't get lost."

"Trust your senses, not your eyes, my Queen," the man followed. "Veronica, how long are you going to stand there?"

"I thought you'd forgotten I existed. Your conversation seemed endless. You won't even go into that house?"

"Another time," the man said.

"But why? You, too, have felt a tremendous energy, and, judging by your words, you know its source. I am not stupid, and I understand that you experience this only when you meet the identical Flame of Life, but then you will not feel it, because my Flame is different from yours. Otherwise, I would feel you and you would feel me."

"Βecause everything happens in its own good time. It's better for those on the other side of the door not to know about our existence. This will make them feel calmer, and we will not have unnecessary problems," he continued. "For the time being, at least."

"And what about the source of this power?"

"Everything has its time. Everything has its time."

"Ahhh, I hate it when you talk in riddles, it makes me off. Why can't you tell everything at once?"

"There are always explanations for everything. Like many other things, explanations are best viewed from a distance."

"Be patient, Veronica. Don't push yourself too hard, Veronica! Those words are the only thing I hear! I'm tired!"

"Relax, sweetheart. Soon, you will have complete control over your emotions. Be patient and you will be rewarded. Those who are patient will receive everything."

"I don't need anything. I'm quite satisfied with what I have now."

"Even if your chosen ones lose their lives at your whim?"

"Most importantly, this. I am amused by their behavior, their declarations of love that are not true, their genuine passion that is replaced by a feeling of fear in an instant. It's all fun, a lot of fun. Don't you enjoy killing?"

"No. We have no other choice. That's part of the deal. The other side of the coin. We have to go to these lengths to live, to be together, for as long as possible."

"Death is a part of life, and we will all be dead at some point. In my opinion, I have every right to get what I can from it. And I prefer to enjoy every moment, no matter what I'm doing, whether it's bringing pleasure or causing death."

"A position that is highly acceptable.We're here." The woman carefully closed the subject by pointing to a relatively small house, which was both similar to others and somewhat isolated.

The man rang the doorbell. On the other side of the door, the trills of the nightingale could be audible. That was the only thing that caused the silence to end. No footsteps, no light, nothing that could give away the presence of the people inside. The woman started fiddling with the gold bracelet on her wrist, hinting at her reluctance to wait. The man rang the doorbell once more. Nothing has changed. As he turned to his wife, he saw her hand rise from under her cloak. A second later, he heard a rustle that made him turn around again. A few small gravel pebbles, which strewed a small part of the road, slowly rose into the air. He was sure that His Queen would have smashed the windows of the mansion with them without hesitation, if it hadn't been for the click of the door lock that rang out in the next couple of moments.

Seeing the woman in the dressing gown, who had probably just awakened, made him smile because her hair looked like a bird's nest made in a hurry. She rubbed her eyes for an extended period of time.

"You know what time it is, gentlemen!" She said in a dissatisfied tone, resting her hands on her hips. "Wouldn't it have been better to wait until morning?"

"I apologize. The truth is, we've become lost. My friends and I are on our way to St. Petersburg." the man began.

"A foot?" She looked around at everyone present, fixing her gaze on the snow-white tiger. She had the impression that they were from the circus.

"No, not at all, ma'am. We were seeking someone who could tell us how to get to the Northern capital in the shortest amount of time. You may not believe it, but today we did not meet a single person in this suburb. The streets were surprisingly empty, so we had to wander for a good portion of the night." He spoke with confidence and a sweet voice. All the attention of the hostess was entirely riveted on him. It seemed that she had forgotten about everything around her. There was only one place where her gaze was focused. And that place was for him, which is what he wanted. "Could you help us?"

For about five minutes, the woman looked as if she was paralyzed, but then she finally regained the ability to speak.

"People are afraid to leave their houses after what happened today in the nearby park." She began to tidy up her hair. Despite her best efforts, she was unable to accomplish it. "I think you'd better go into the house. It's going to be a cold night, and you and your companions are dressed too lightly."

"Are you sure we won't interfere with you?"

"Sure. Come in, please."

The hostess cleared the passage by stepping aside. As his companions went forward, the man caught Veronica's frightened gaze and felt the gentle touch of his wife on his arm.

"Nemesis, aren't you worried about him?" As they passed the entrance to a small hallway, the girl asked the woman in red. They stood near a small chocolate-colored coat cabinet with built-in lighting. It went well with a rectangular mirror that hung above a small nightstand about a meter high. There was a place for all kinds of combs, hair ties, perfumes, and other items, particularly for women's restrooms.

"What is the reason for that?" Nemesis answered the question with a question, trying on a white-brimmed hat.

"He's flirting with her!"

"I know." In front of the mirror, she showed off and then put it back with a slight movement of her hand. "I trust him more than I trust myself. White is not my preferred color!"

"And what will you do if she charms him?" Veronica insisted.

"He's already fascinated."

"I..."

"Fascinated by me."

"What if she is blessed with a gift, since everyone has a gift?"

"Yes. She is. It's only strong when she, or whoever it is, takes it for granted and allows it to be released. And this will not happen because people are afraid of everything that is not like them. They reject magic in all its forms. Or fight it. Remember yourself before you making a deal with Him. Your power was always with you, but you blocked its manifestations."

"I remember. You are right. Even so, what will you do?"

"I'm going to kill her."

"You mentioned that it didn't bring you happiness."

"Correct. I'm going to kill her because she's going to try to take what doesn't belong to her by force, so I have the right to use my own force."

"So it will be..."

"It will be a punishment, sweetheart."

"You're just looking for an excuse for committing a murder."

"I'm just calling a spade a spade. As always, this will not be an impulse decision, but rather a forced measure. Yes, I commit murder, but only for the sake of living. For me, life is being with him. To look into his eyes and be immersed in them. To feel his Flame of Life and share the same air with him. To tremble at each of his unexpected touches, to appreciate the sound of his voice, to share the same bed with him... Isn't it the same for you?"

"No, it's not. Not at all," they entered the living room. Veronica took Bagheera to the window, where there was a lot of empty space between a beautiful walnut bookcase with toys for kids and a small computer table in a neutral color. The tiger gracefully sat on the floor, her legs stretched out freely, and her incredibly blue eyes closed in pleasure as the girl began to stroke her neck. "There is no love or these lofty feelings that you are now telling me about. There is only an ordinary thirst for intimacy. Just satisfying natural needs. That's it. Nothing else. Though at first it may seem like falling in love, like you're blown away by the sight of him, and you think you won't be able to breathe if he's not there. But it passes by. It goes by quickly, as you realize that the Flame of Life is entirely the same. Then you simply take pleasure in the current situation. Kisses, empty promises, passionate confessions, strong embraces, the tenderness of touch - all of this has long gone, only the need for physical contact and the thirst for pleasure remain."

"And not a word about love." The woman sighed in disappointment. She paced up and down the room, pausing from time to time to look at photographs in pretty, unpretentious frames that caught her attention behind the glass doors of many cupboards. And in each of them, she saw a young woman who met them at the door, along with a little girl whose wheaten hair was immediately noticed. A boy with the same hair shade was also spotted in later photographs. At first glance, there was a 10-year difference between brother and sister.