People are more likely to die on their birthdays.
Samael Ruiz Luna was reminded of this grim fact on his sixteenth birthday. His hand was trembling as he reached for the lighter that was in front of him. Nervously, he pressed his finger against the wheel and expected the whole room to go down in flames. His heartbeat sped up, preparing himself for the worst.He closed his eyes and opened them to find out that the room was fine, and that the cake candles had been lit.
There was no death, no chaos, no tragedy. Just another ordinary birthday, this time less lonely than the previous one.
His friend Alex loved to see the flames flickering as if they were dancing to the rhythm of the happy tune that played on the speakers of the small coffee shop Samael's sister owned. His dark skin was beautifully illuminated by the candlelight as he sang a Happy Birthday that sounded happier than Samael had ever heard before. It was even more pleasant to see the flames disappear leaving nothing but smoke behind. The two candles that once burned brightly were being put aside once the smoke dispersed, and the beautiful chocolate cake that had been the stage for that fire dance was now the new star of a show Alex Solis Izaguirre was watching attentively.
"Thank you for coming" Samael smiled genuinely, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks that Alex didn't seem to notice.
"You're welcome, Sammy!" Alex exclaimed, hugging Samael tightly. The birthday boy felt like screaming, barely managing to stay put on his seat as the boy he liked got closer than ever before.
Alex had always been fond of physical contact, but this hug seemed especially intimate.
He could feel Alex's warm breath on his cheek, and he could smell his expensive cologne. It smelled youthful and citric, which perfectly matched Alex's image.
Samael finally pulled away from him and focused on the cake. He could feel his face burning up and he wasn't sure if it was because the heat of the fire remained or if he simply was too embarrased after he almost had a panic attack due to some stupid candles and Alex's sweet scent.
He was surprised when he felt a hand gently stroking his purple hair. When he turned around, his older sister was smiling at him. His sister, who had promised to leave him alone with his friends, had broken her promise once more. She kept running her hands through his hair, making him feel a bit embarrassed. "I'm just in time for the cake, right?"
"Is that all you care about?"
"Maybe. Our coffee shop's cake is the best. You guys don't mind if I join you?"
"Ah, of course not! This place belongs to you, after all." Alex said.
"You can sit here,"the girl sitting in front of him said. Her name was Yatzil Lopez. Although he considered her a friend, the truth is that they barely talked to each other when Alex wasn't around. Leila laughed, sitting next to Yatzil, who didn't seem particularly bothered by his sister's arrival. Alex, however, seemed to move nervously in his seat, which was unusual for him.
"How's school?," Leila asked.
"We are on vacation," Samael said, not knowing why his sister always seemed to ask him such pointless questions. It wasn't as if she was actually able to help him when school was being hell for him, telling him that being bullied was his fault for being shy. His sister had never been exactly close to him, but he never expected that their relationship would turn so sour after their parent's death. The seven year age gap they had seemed even larger after their parents died, with Leila feeling more like a distant mother than an older sister to him.
"But we will be going back in a few months. School has been good so far. Sammy, Yatzil and I are always together to help each other out,"Alex said, trying his best to make conversation. "Our high school is nice. All the teachers are kind and the homework is not too hard but..."
Samael sighed, deciding to not even bother listening to their conversation. He knew that Alex was only lying because he had asked him too, but it still hurt a little to hear the things he wished were true. It was better that his sister smiled at a lie than get angry at him for the truth, he supposed. He grabbed the knife to cut the cake.
"Is this size okay? Should I cut it bigger?" he asked Alex.
"That size is fine," Yatzil answered instead.
Samael handed the pieces of cake to both of them before putting his own cake in front of him. The four of them ate in silence for a while, only the sound of the cutlery touching accompanying the music of the coffee shop.
Yatzil's blank expression turned into a happy one as she enjoyed the cake, and her brown eyes shone in a way Samael had never seen before. She looked cute —she always did, if Samael was being honest— but this time, seeing her smile so sweetly, Samael thought that spending his sixteen birthday with her would not be that bad. It wasn't as if he hated the girl. He was actually fond of her, but being unable to properly communicate with her made him uncomfortable.
She didn't look as cute as Alex, though, who was devouring the cake with the happiness of a child eating candy. Samael couldn't help but stare at him, careful to not do it for long. He didn't want to make his friend run away from him, so he knew it was best to keep his feelings hidden as best as he could. He didn't know if his acting was actually convincing, or if Alex was just really oblivious.
"I got something for you," Yatzil said, breaking the long silence. She took out a small box from her purse and handed it to Samael, who was surprised to see she had actually got him a gift. "I hope you will like it."
"Your friend got you a gift!" Leila exclaimed. Samael hadn't seen such a happy expression on her face in a long time. "Why don't you open it, Sam?"
Samael undid the purple ribbon that decorated the box and was pleased to find an adorable cat fountain pen. It was a simple gift, but it almost made him jump off his seat. A pen seemed like a perfect gift for him, who loved to get lost writing stories instead of dealing with the fact that his life was not as perfect as the charming Alex made it sound.
"It's perfect. Thank you so much," he smiled, and Yatzil smiled back at him. He felt his heart warm up to her a little, and he felt a bit silly for letting something so small affect the way he felt.
Alex was happy to see his two friends getting along. He gave Samael the gift he brought him, a lilac gift bag with white paper ruffles that stuck out of the bag.
Purple had always been his favorite color, and he was happy both of his friends were aware of it.
"Open my gift next, Sammy!" he happily exclaimed. His dark brown eyes were squinted, the most genuine smile showing on his gentle face.
Samael was even more excited to open Alex's gift. It came from the boy he had spent years admiring. A boy that he could finally call a friend, and that seemed to know him so well he remembered a small comment he made about an old book series no one seemed to care about.
"That's the one you were missing, right? The fifth book of God Trials?"
Samael smiled widely, nodding enthusiastically.
"How did you even find this? I thought the Deicidium Propellente had banned most god-related stuff?"
"Well, my dad works for them," Alex told him nervously. "I asked him about it and he agreed to let me keep it, since it's just a fiction book and not anything about... the other gods"
Samael smiled. Saying that Alex's father worked for the Deicidium was an understatement. The Solis family had been the one that founded the organization centuries ago, and the power they had was incredible. No other family had been able to consistently go up against the gods, after all.
Yatzil, who seemed to return to her usual cold self, crossed her arms over her body in disapproval. Leila's disapproval wasn't as discrete, as she didn't wait long to voice out her concerns.
"Thank you for the gift, Alex. But I don't think it's appropriate. How many times have I told you to stop reading this?"
"Leila," Samael grinned his teeth. He felt his face burn. It felt embarrassing to have his sister scold him in front of his friends. "It's my birthday. Please... do this another time. Preferably when my friends are not here."
He could feel his whole body shaking. He had never been the type to stand out to people. He simply stayed still, and waited for things to end. This day, however, he felt like he could, at least, try to stand up to his sister.
"Fine. I won't say anything else, Samael."
The whole room went silent again. Samael quickly put the book back into the bag and continued eating.
Samael rushed to finish his cake and his friends followed suit, wanting to leave as soon as possible from that awkward environment. He didn't even bother to say anything to his sister, his heart still pounding from the embarrassment and anger he felt. When the three of them were finally done with the cake, Yatzil was the first to leave. She walked elegantly to the exit door and waited for the boys to join her.
"Will you tell anyone about the book? I swear it has nothing to do with the Thirteen Gods," Samael asked her, holding the book close to his chest. "It's all about this fictional god's son that goes to a camp of gods to avenge his mother and..."
"I won't tell anyone. I know your books are just fiction, but what happened isn't. I'm sure your sister just wants you to not talk about the Thirteen Gods so lightly," The girl replied. Her words sounded hurt and sincere. Samael didn't dare to ask her about it further. "It's especially important to beware of the deifers."
Samael shuddered hearing that name spoken out loud. Deifers were humanity's worst fear, humans strong enough to be able to use godly powers for their own gain. If the Thirteen Gods were weapons, the deifers would be the ones that wielded them. Humans were cruel and unpredictable, and knowing that some of them possessed the power to destroy the world if they pleased made him live in constant fear.
After all, it was the deifer of the Earth God Arreit that had caused the worst earthquakes in history seven years ago. Arreit's deifer killed countless people, including Samael's parents.
"I'm sorry. I hate them too, you know," He told her, unable to look her in the eyes. "If I had the power to go against them all those years ago, I would have definitely done that. What they did to our world is unforgivable."
What they did to me is unforgivable, he thought but he didn't say it. Deifers scared him so much that he couldn't even leave his home for years for fear they would return and decide to finally end humanity once and for all. He feared they would come back for him, to kill him and Leila just like they killed his parents. It wasn't until he met Alex that he finally had a reason to see the outside world just so he could spend time with him, to be hopeful of a future where humanity could finally return to its former glory. He feared gods and deifers so much it almost hurt. And yet, he loved to read books about them, trying to find some sense in the cruelty he had experienced in the god's hands.
The two of them walked outside of the coffee shop, watching the overgrown grass and the abandoned stores nearby. What once had been a blooming city was now practically a ghost town.
Most people moved to the surviving major cities, and left the towns and small cities almost abandoned.
"Sorry, Sam. We shouldn't talk about such depressing stuff on your birthday."
"It's fine. I know you and my sister are just looking out for me. I just... I wish my sister was more understanding."
Yatzil smiled at him. Sam nervously smiled back. It was weird to see such a warm expression on Yatzil's usually cold face.
"Looks like Alex is finally done talking to your sister.."
Just like she said, Alex was running towards them with a big smile on his face.
Samael felt his heart sink. He didn't know why, but that interaction with the girl had upset him deeply. He felt that dread he had felt earlier return.
Not even seeing Alex's pretty face was able to cheer him up. He felt that burning sensation in his body once more, his heart speeding up as if it were trying to run away from the fire inside him.
"Sammy, are you okay?" Alex's voice sounded muffled and distant. He placed his hand on Samael's face, bringing him back to reality briefly.
"I... feel weird."
"I will get you some water, hopefully that makes you feel better" Yatzil walked back to the coffee shop, leaving the two boys alone in the deserted street. The sun was about to set and many of the stores had already closed down. Only the three of them remained on the street.
"Weird? How? Like your body is burning up?" He asked him, taking one step towards him. Then he placed one hand on his chest to feel his heartbeat. "Like your heart is going to burst? It's okay. I've felt that way before. To be honest, I've always felt that way around you,"
"Ah..."
Was that... a confession? Or was he imagining things?
Alex was getting closer to him and even though he would be happy about it any other day, he felt that something was off the less distance between them was left.
"I have something to tell you, Samael," Alex said. The fact that he hadn't called him Sammy freaked him out.
He felt an intense fear invade him as Alex's round eyes stared at him. His eyes were so mesmerizing and terrifying at the same time and his right eye was a beautiful golden color. Has it always looked like that?, he thought, or is it the light?
"Alex, I..."
He felt the need to shut him up, but before he got the chance to do it, the ground started to shake violently. Samael turned around to see Yatzil carrying the water bottle she had promised to get him.
"Yatzil!" Samael screamed, warning her to get away from the coffee shop as soon as possible. He knew it wouldn't be long before the coffee shop ended up destroyed, crushing the small girl with its weight.
He didn't know what came over him. He couldn't explain how he felt the trembling ground become stable at his feet, allowing him to run towards him with the speed of a bullet and push her far away from the danger. Was it a rush of adrenaline or was it something else?
Samael had no time to figure it out. He could hear how his home was becoming his very own grave. He knew it wouldn't be long before he ended up crushed by it and he almost felt like laughing at the absurdity of it all. Death had always scared him so much he had avoided leaving his home. Now, thinking that he was the one knocking at death's door for this girl seemed like a cruel joke.
He remembered his sister was still inside, and tears began to fall down his face. He rushed inside, wishing she had managed to stay safe. He hoped he never would have to see his sister die the way his parents did, but now everything seemed uncertain. He wished he didn't fight with his sister before, that he didn't leave the coffee shop without even telling her goodbye.
"Samael!" Yatzil was the one screaming now. Knowing that she was okay made him smile. At least he had done something good in his pointless existence.
"Sammy! No!" He heard Alex scream in horror. It was the last thing he heard before closing his eyes and it felt bittersweet to go down after his friend called out his name.
Friends.
Could they have been something more, if that earthquake hadn't happened?
Samael wished he could have found that out.