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Chapter 30 - A True Blessing

Axel straightened his tie and he groaned low in his throat. He hated to wear these things...

After a soft knock a sturdy well built man opened the door. His honey brown hair was peppered with grey, he had thin lines of age around the corners of his mouth. Axel offered a smile and he extended his hand, "Mr Hernandez. Its a pleasure to meet you. My name is Paul Ryans."

"Are you that senator that's been trying to get that quack of a scientist shut down?" The man asked as he took the extended hand and shook it firmly. "You can call me Elijah." Axel felt himself grin internally, he knew when he was in the presence of a genuinely good person.

"I'm afraid that's my older brother sir. However, I am here on his behalf." The mans face became grim. Axel watched the smile turn to a thin line and gentle eyes morphed to attentive slits. WIth a firm, quick nod, Mr. Hernandez opened his door wider so that Axel could step into his home.

"Have you come for my son?" Mr. Hernandez asked quietly as Axel stepped into the small house. He couldn't help but to look around. The house was small and quaint. 'This isn't just a house, it's a home. These walls hold memories and tell stories…' In this moment, standing in this home, Axel let his thoughts take him to lavender eyes, and he allowed himself to entertain the thought of life beyond this chaos... 'can we have something like this? A small home with walls that tell stories? Would i look like this man, content and satisfied with his life?'

"I have, sir." Axel whispered, at which Mr. Hernandez nodded, "Maria!" He called as he gestured for Axel to follow him. He watched a curvy woman with a round face, ocean blue eyes and striking blonde hair step from the kitchen with a lovely smile on her face. Axel blinked, he could honestly say that mortal women weren't that appealing... Though touched by age's grace, this mortal woman was beautiful... "Sir, you have a lovely wife." Axel blurted at which Mr. Hernandez laughed and clapped his back with a strong hand. Axel's heart felt warmed by the gesture. Mrs. Hernandez giggled with pink cheeks as she drifted to her husband. Axel wondered if he and Myriah be like this couple. He shook the thought away. 'I have to stay focused on the goal at hand.'

"We've been married a solid 20 years, lad." Mrs. Hernandez giggled and lightly hit her husbands chest when he pulled her close to himself. "I was instantly drawn to him. We've been together ever since." She sang. Mr. Hernandez nodded with a grin, "You look like a man in love." Axel blinked, "My advice: You'd better hold her close and keep her closer." Axel tilted his head, "A true love like the one you're ensnared by, son only happens once in a lifetime." Mr. Hernandez said as he guided Axel to sit across from him. Just like that, Axel was taken to memories he hoped to have forgotten long ago. Sitting across from this man, Axel felt like he was sitting across from his father. Centuries of age, this man was an infant in his eyes, yet he was sitting across from him, listening as though he were the one who needed to be taught.

'Perhaps there is a lesson to learn...'

***

Axel looked at Mr. and Mrs. Hernandez and he offered a warm smile. "Sir, Ma'am, I kindly thank you for your time. However I must take my leave." Axel murmured as his phone chimed. Twice. He pulled it out and looked at the first message from Atoli, Myriah successfully got Tyler to the house. Then from Angalo-soldiers were on their way to Tylers house and school.

They had to go. Now.

He looked deep into both their eyes as he shook their hands, "You're going on vacation-" The doors busted open, before Axel could do or say anything else, Mr. Hernandez moved to stand in front of Axel.

"What-" A shot rang in the air and the elder man fell to the floor with a bullet in his head. In Axel's eyes time seamed to slow down as the blood splattered onto the fallen mans' wife. There was a heartbeat of silence before Mrs. Hernandez screamed. She brought her hands to her face and she wailed for all she was worth. She was about to go to her fallen husband when Axel grabbed Mrs. Hernandez and pulled her from the house. He jumped onto the roof and scouted a way out.

'There is always an exit so long as you know where to look..'. He paid no mind to the struggling woman in his arms.

"Ma'am, let me save your life," Axel coaxed after a moment of feeling her try to wiggle out of his arms, "Think of your son." He tried again, at which the woman ceased her struggles. "We don't have a lot of time." The woman whispered, "I didn't want to believe my baby boy would be a target of that mad man..." Axel crouched low on the roof as he listened to the woman ramble. "When I saw your pupil dilate, I knew that my prayers reached who ever was helping the sighted people disappear." Axel listened as the soldiers ransacked the small house. He heard the woman quietly crying in his arms.

"We are not safe here Mrs. Hernandez." Axel jumped from the roof and landed a few feet from the back of the house, inches from a wooded area that hid a highway. That was where Atoli would be in a few moments time.

'That was where we need to be.'

The small troupe of soldiers stood with their guns ready, and Axel cursed under his breath. He wasn't supposed to kill anyone today... however he wasn't about to fail.

Before they could fire again, Axel killed them all. Mrs Hernandez was shocked, there was no blood, no real movement. She only felt a gust of wind and the troupe of soldiers was on the ground.

"Wh-how-..."

"We need to go, Mrs. Hernandez. I'm sorry for you loss, but-"

"Our time with him has been a blessing." Mrs. Hernandez mumbled as more tears spilled from her puffy eyes, "But we've always known that he was special..." She put her hands on Axel's face and she looked deep into his silver eyes. "We watched him, a tan boy with pitch black eyes, his appearance changed to resemble ours the moment we brought him home..." Mrs. Hernandez whispered. "There's a notebook, under a floor board in our room. Please…" she pleaded. Axel felt tears sting his eyes when she pressed her forehead to his and she whispered a prayer in a native language that was not foreign to him...

"Keep him safe. Help him please... don't let him... don't let him come back to this..." She pleaded as she shoved Axel toward the wooded area. "W-when the time comes… please give him…" she choked on a sob before collecting herself, "We knew the moment Tyler started to act out... we prayed that you would be here to keep him safe. Give him only our love." The sobbing woman whispered as she shoved Axel again. "Go. Protect our son." Mrs. Hernandez whispered as she took a backward step toward her home. "We both know that if you take me, he will never be truly safe." Axel watched the tears blur his vision, 'this wasn't the plan. It wasn't supposed to go this way!' "Mrs- we can keep you safe. There is a place we can put you until-" The woman shook her head as she continued to walk backwards into her home, "I dont want my son to risk his life needlessly to keep us close. Take him. Protect him. Guide him..." She pleaded as she turned and walked back into her home with determination. "I will keep them here as long as I can." Were the words that had Axel stopping mid stride as he hopped into the treetops. He let the tears slide down his cheeks as he listened while soldiers burst into her home and destroy it and the couple inside…

'Human parents who love their mystical son enough to sacrifice theirselves for him...'

To have been loved so much that his life was coveted and protected... that was the true blessing.