Adam lowered himself onto the cold, hard ground. Tears streamed down his face as he reached out to stroke the soft fur of the grieving Mimosa. The pain in his soul was tearing him apart, but he knew he had to remain strong for the sake of Mimosa. Damon sat beside him, paralyzed, clutching the lifeless body of their beloved Mimi. He rocked back and forth, his sobs blending with the sound of the distant grumble of boulders being cleared.
Mimi had been gone for three agonizing days. Adam had taken Damon's microphone and earpiece, his trembling voice recounting the tragic events that had unfolded. Magnum, their companion, remained silent, offering no solace. The weight of the situation was overwhelming, and at times, Adam felt as if there was no future ahead. But then, he would hear Mimosa's gentle sighs and cries, and it somehow gave him the strength to gather himself.
In an effort to console Damon, Adam had shared a bar of chocolate, dividing it between them and the mimosa. Mimi, now pale and lifeless, had her eyes closed, a stark contrast to the hysteria that had overcome Damon when rigor mortis had set in and eventually subsided. She appeared fragile, almost childlike, in Damon's arms, and Mimosa had revealed to Adam how Mimi had selflessly sacrificed her remaining life force for the sake of their pack.
Reflecting upon their actions, Adam realized they didn't deserve such loyalty. They had fallen into an obvious trap, succumbing to the allure of other women even after Mimi had left the pack. Mimosa had shared the details of the gig, how everyone had perished, and how Mimi had turned to alcohol in her despair. It should have been him, Damon, and Samuel supporting Mimi through that dark period, but they had succumbed to their own foolish desires.
Adam felt an overwhelming wave of shame wash over him. He remembered how foolish and reckless Mimi had been, but he had allowed himself to forget in the heat of passion. Now, all that remained were bittersweet memories of a future that once held so much promise, now lost forever. She had sacrificed herself to ensure their survival, but the cost for Adam was immeasurable.
He had not yet told Damon anything about those events. The weight of the crushing pain tore at his soul, a relentless ache that he couldn't escape. Adam listened to Magnum's reports, the words echoing in his mind, describing the brutal demise of the succubus and incubus they had encountered. The strength of their adversaries was staggering, but it offered no solace. It wouldn't bring Mimi back.
The thought of a funeral was too painful to bear, but even after Mimi's passing, the fleas would persist like a stubborn force refusing to relent. He vowed to himself that he would deal with them, no matter what. He would make sure Mimi's legend would live on, and Fleas would continue to exist and fight the good fight.
However, he was unsure of how to support Damon. Would anyone be able to help him? Or would the loss of Mimi plunge him so deep into darkness that he would never resurface? As volatile as Damon was, Adam couldn't really predict what this would do.
Adam had experienced that abyss himself, the sense of being lost and unreachable. He replayed the scene in his mind, the moment he had erupted in anger towards Mimi, in front of her people and the fae. It was the last thing he had said to her, a hurtful outburst that embarrassed her and himself. Regret gnawed at him, intensifying the pain he already felt. He should have asked if she was okay, demanded she treated the wound, and noticed that they were being followed.
The sight of Mimi's lifeless body haunted him, a bloodless gash stretching from her shoulder to her opposite hip, accompanied by a gaping wound in her neck caused by a concrete block. Damon had tried everything, desperately attempting to revive her with CPR, even sinking his teeth into her neck, hoping for a miracle. But it was all in vain. Nothing had worked. Now, all that remained was acceptance, a bitter pill Damon couldn't swallow.
Magnum reported they had gathered a large group of shapeshifters and fae to assist them. Five days had passed, and Adam had finally convinced Damon to release Mimi's cold, pale body. Adam carefully laid her down, tenderly closing her eyes and attempting to cover the gruesome wounds, hoping to restore some dignity to her appearance. Magnum had mentioned Samuel's presence, and Bran was aware of the situation as well.
Damon sat huddled in the corner, his knees bent and his arms wrapped around them, contemplating how he could continue. They were together forever, destined for eternity, and he had foolishly assumed there would always be more time, more chances to be with Mimi. He should have been more attentive, demanding answers from her about the mysterious shell, or even stopped believing that damn ex-girlfriends of his and trusted Mimi when she told them what these women were after. Still, no, he was a fucking machine, nothing more.
But he had been weak, a mere shell of a man, indulging in mindless pleasure while neglecting Mimi. And now, she had sacrificed her own life force for their survival. Damon bitterly reflected on his worthlessness, questioning the purpose of his existence without Mimi. The agony and emptiness engulfed him, a constant reminder of his betrayal.
He was no longer the same Damon from their time in England. He had walked away, abandoning Mimi without demanding an explanation for the armor she carried. He sought temporary solace in the arms of werewolf women, engaging in empty encounters that only numbed his pain. He had become nothing more than a heartless fucking machine, while Mimi deserved someone far superior. He should have stopped her, demanded her to tell him, just like in England; why didn't he?
Damien was confused again. It should be a good thing that Mimi was dead, but why did he feel? He felt something he'd never felt before, and it wasn't a good feeling. He tried to deny the feeling, tried to find a sense of victory, of the possibility that he might now surface. But it felt tepid. It wasn't his passion now to win completely.
Damien had had no contact with anyone, and he had had brief contact with Mimi. Why was he grieving and longing, and why did he feel so strongly, too? Was he becoming weak? Had somehow Damon corrupted him, too? But he remembered his mother's words.
" Damien, remember you are strong, we have a purpose, we are stronger than those who feel they are doing the right thing, are good, but just because we are evil, black, doesn't mean we are soulless or incapable of emotion. Emotions can be an asset. Remember that when you fight your brother? Use his emotions against him, but also remember you have a right to your own emotions."
They had been 15 years old at the time, and Stefan had only been six years old. They had left home soon after. Damon had been so strong when he was in charge, and the next thing Damien knew, they were vampires; twelve years had passed. Stefan was a vampire and had killed their parents. Damien waited. He explored his feelings, but now he didn't manipulate Damon when he wanted to feel first.
Adam sat next to Mimosa on one of the boulders. Magnum had said that all the incubus and succubus had been killed and it would take less than 24 hours to get them out. Damon lay in bed, still holding onto Mimi. He didn't want to let go, and Adam had said that Damon would probably be stunned when they got them out of there.
He stood there, mesmerized, as another radiant ball of light emerged through the jagged boulders, illuminating the surroundings. These ethereal beings were known as the energy fae, their presence a source of sustenance for Adam, Damon, and Mimosa. Occasionally, one of them would assume a human form, carrying food and drink provisions.
The luminous orb gently descended, transforming into a man named Rehann'port'wyll. He placed three sizable water bottles and a bag with a graceful bow on the ground. His gaze fell upon Damon, who clutched Mimi's lifeless body, tears streaming down his face.
The fae tilted his head, unable to comprehend the complexities of human emotions. Sensing that the one who had set them free had spent its energy, transferring it elsewhere, he couldn't fathom why it refused to relinquish its hold on the empty vessel before him–a mere biological mass destined to decay over time.
Adam attempted to articulate the enigma of emotions, stating, "They compel us to act, to experience the full spectrum of existence."
Fae responded with a voice that seemed to transcend the mortal realm, "I cannot grasp it. That shell is devoid of life, a vessel constructed of carbon-based matter."
Adam replied, "For us, mere mortals, detachment and acceptance are not so easily attained. Confronting the truth is an arduous journey."
Fae silently nodded, momentarily transforming into a luminous orb, hovering over Damon and Mimi. Then, as swiftly as he had appeared, he vanished once more amidst the colossal boulders.
Samuel was sitting in the car. In his long life, he had experienced loss, but this was something he had never prepared for. How on earth could Mimi die? As the ruins had revealed one after another of the fucking powerful incubus kings, each one mercilessly killed, Samuel realized what Mimi had been through.
A human will die if three incubus eat this, as much as they can get out at once, and that's three normal incubus. These were at least a hundred times stronger, and 113 of them had been killed in the end.
Samuel realized how fucking much of Mimi's life force had been eaten, and when Adam had, then told him that Mimi had sacrificed the rest of what she had for them and Mimosa, Samuel had been silent. He had told Bran. He had said nothing. Bran had just gone and put a fire in the fireplace, sat in a chair, and looked at the fire. He was saying nothing. Samuel knew his father well enough that he needed to be left alone, so he had flown with Charles to the ruins. Charles had helped with the killing and clearing like so many others.
Damon could no longer bear the weight of his agony. The gnawing pain consumed him, a constant reminder of the disappointment he had brought upon Mimi. He had foolishly believed they had eternity each time, only to realize the truth - their time together was fleeting.
The old vampire, Damon, knew that time would eventually mend his wounds, allowing him to continue living. But as her memory faded, replaced by countless other women, it felt unbearably unjust. Years would pass, and Mimi would become a distant thought in people's minds. Damon didn't even consider the fleas, his thoughts solely consumed by their lost connection.
Their story had reached its end, a truth Damon desperately wished to avoid. Accepting reality meant letting go of Mimi, allowing her to fade from his own memory. The significance of their time together, the potential they once held, would become a faint recollection, insignificant to an ancient vampire like himself.
But for now, he resisted forgetting. All he yearned for was a single fucking miracle moment, one he knew would never come. Mimi had been gone for a week, and nothing had brought her back. Soon, he would have no choice but to confront the painful truth. The ache in his soul and the memories of their true soulmate bond, the bliss of Mimi falling asleep in his arms - they would forever remain as mere memories.
He would never relish those experiences again. How could he possibly move forward from this point? Adam sat beside the wolf, offering solace to Mimosa, their shared support clear. Damon understood that Adam now played the role of Mimosa's protector, just as he had been for Mimi. Holding his lifeless wife in his arms, her once vibrant complexion now pale and cold, the grotesque wounds across her torso and neck served as harsh reminders of his failure. He had failed to be the protector Mimi deserved.
Magnum sighed as Curran moved one block and now they could see into the dim space a little, Magnum said, " We're through, now we just need to widen this gap"
Curran grunted. The lion shifter and his pack had been working tirelessly all week and had been very unhappy when they had heard about Mimi.
Jake had been serious and when Magnum had pulled Jake a little further away so that no one could hear, Jake had told them about his relationship with Mimi. And he'd told her about her hangover, everything she'd been through.
Magnum cursed in his mind for the thousandth time how fucking unfair life can be. How it's true that the best always die first. Magnum walked to the car, and picked up a mug, poured a thermos of coffee, sat down and sipped his coffee. It pissed him off when it turned out that three incubus kings had escaped.
They hadn't killed everyone, and he vowed that as soon as they got Adam and Damon, Mimosa and Mimi's bodies out of the wreckage, he would go after them. The gap was already considerable after a couple of hours, and Magnum saw it would soon be over. Samuel walked up, his tranquilizer gun loaded.
Adam noticed one boulder move, and natural light flooded the space. Magnum announced it would only be a few more hours, and then they would be ready to get them out of there. Samuel was also ready to stun Damon.
Adam had thought about a monument to Mimi, but then again, Mimi had never wanted to be an object of worship. But when he wanted Mimi to be remembered and people to know the truth about this wonderful woman who had been in his life for such a short time, after all, he had been too slow to acknowledge his feelings to accept them. Instead of years, decades with Mimi, he'd only had a few months here and there and had messed up so many times himself.
Damon's desperation was never-ending, and when he realized it was almost time to escape, he clung to Mimi twice as hard and cried inconsolably, muttering, "I never want to forget you, darling, you hear me. I don't want to. Don't make me forget us."
The gap widened, and Adam saw Samuel peering into the room. There was a muffled pop as he fired the tranquilizer gun, and Magnum and the others organized a way to enter the room and help Adam and Mimosa out, carrying Mimi and Damon with them.
Slowly, Damon's hysterics subsided as the drug took over. Adam stood up, feeling exhausted, still recovering from the succubus attack. The past week had been the worst he had ever experienced. Magnum lowered himself into the space, nodding to Adam. He helped him climb out, as did Mimosa.
Magnum approached the bed and saw Damon sleeping, his face wet with tears. His arms were wrapped tightly around Mimi. Samuel and a couple of other men arrived with a stretcher. They carefully lifted Damon onto the gurney, securing him, and carried him towards the opening, lifting him off the wreckage as well.
Magnum's gaze fell upon Mimi. Her skin and lips were pale and bloodless, her eyes half-open. Mimi's once vibrant red hair now appeared grey, devoid of life, as if the incubi had sucked it dry. A large wound marred the right side of her neck, and Mimi had removed her jacket and vest.
The white undershirt was stained with blood, the demon's cut painfully visible. It was a bloodless wound. Mimi's cheeks were hollow, her long black lashes casting dark shadows on her face, and the dark rings around her eyes were paler than usual.
A couple of men came forward, lifting Mimi onto the stretcher, covering her with a sheet, and securing her. Magnum was unsure where Mimi would be taken or what would be done with her body. A thirst for revenge and rage against the satanic incubi surged within him. Soon, he would be ready to take action. Mimi's sacrifice was something Magnum couldn't even comprehend, but he held an even greater respect for her.