We watched the screens as several large explosions erupted in a blinding flash, the sound delayed slightly before the connection was lost. Killing every vampire, every human, and every Dog battling within the war outside.
My gilded cage was destroyed. Elysium was no more.
Epilogue
“You okay?” Jude asked, his wild, wavy blond hair bouncing in the sunlight, a halo of gold around his head.
He snapped me out of a daze, a daydream I found myself in—maybe more like a nightmare. A strained smile stretched my face as I nodded, the muscles stiff and uncomfortable. “I-I’m fine, are you heading out?” He slung a worn leather bag over his shoulder and impatiently rifled through papers haphazardly thrown inside.
With a thoughtful nod, Jude pushed his circular wire-framed glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “We found more humans who were living in abandoned subway tunnels underneath a city for all these years. We’re planning an expedition to meet them.”
More humans. More people. More growth.
It’s been seven years since I pushed the button. Seven years since I made the decision to sacrifice everyone within the city gates. The innocent lives lost still tormented me, and the light from the explosion continues to curse my dreams. Leaving the safety of the vault with Gabe and Jude still haunted me. Dead bodies covered the ground, both human and vampire alike. Themechanical Dogs exploded into a million different pieces. The world seemed so still and silent amid the grotesque aftermath.
But I needed to do it. To move on.
Golden sunbeams streamed through the kitchen window as I made chocolate chip cookies for our daughter. The air was thick with the sugary scent of baking as I wiped flour and stray bits of dough from the countertops. We lived in a modest house, nothing compared to my old penthouse, but it was ours. That’s all I could ask for.
“Say hello to Four and Nessa for me.” I smiled, remembering their wedding. It was the first time since Elysium fell that we felt that we were allowed to relax. The last seven years have been a struggle, but we all banded together to build a better world. I like to think we’re on our way.
Jude crept to the slightly open window and carefully peered outside. “How’s he doing today?”
A lump formed in my throat. Seven years have passed, and without my blood to sustain them, all the vampires have long since perished. Well, all but one. Call me selfish, but I took every last drop of blood hidden in my father’s vault for Gabe, and the final bottle dried up over a month ago. It has been hard on all of us to see his slow decline, but I think Jude was taking it the hardest. He never had someone he loved die right in front of him. He knew I was struggling, and though he tried to stay strong for me, the cracks in his own facade were more visible than mine.
I joined him at the window, the scent of freshly cut grass wafting in as we looked out at the vibrant green backyard. A warm, golden light danced around our little utopia as the summer day slowly faded away, accompanied by the soft sounds of crickets chirping in the distance. A garden of multicolored flowers ravaged the yard, crawling up the sides of the expansive fence surrounding our property. Dancing around the area andreaching her arms in the air to catch butterflies flitting overhead was a little girl with brown hair and light green eyes. Beneath a canopy of leaves filtering the sunlight into dappled patterns, a pale man sat on a wooden bench. His skin was the color of ash, his body frail and shrunken, as if all life was leached from him.
“He-he’s doing okay.” I managed to choke out. “I’ll be here with him.”
“You’re getting older, too.” Jude’s arm braced my back as he moved his head to kiss my neck. “You need to take some time for yourself, Vin. You can’t be chained to this house.”
A prison of my own making.
His comment was common, and it always struck a chord with me. Once my blood lost its healing properties that made the vampires, I started aging at a normal rate again. I knew he was looking out for me, since we’re the same age, but it’s easy for me to slip into old ways. I shook my head. “This is different. I need to be here for him. We’ve been through hard times together, but I want to love him and love him right, especially before he goes.”
“And I’ll be there for you.”
A snort of laughter escaped my nose. “Let’s be real,I’llbe there foryou.”
He smiled, a melancholy look crossing his blue eyes. “Let’s try to be there for each other, however that may look to each of us.” He looked out the window one last time and let out a defeated breath. “Stay close to him, alright?”
“Always.”
Jude brushed his lips lightly against my cheek before sprinting out the front door. Luckily, he didn’t have to go far because our house was built near the old Elysium. After clearing the rubble from the exploded buildings and wall, the remaining residents of Silvertown decided to use the resources the vampires created. They built a small village for all, complete with electricity and fresh water. Partial remains of an explodedElysium sit where it once stood, a poignant memory of what once was.
The wounds may never mend, but they’re a reminder of how far I’ve come.
With two freshly baked, warm chocolate chip cookies in hand, I joined my family outside. The wind had a warmness threaded into its being, and the sun’s warmth hugged me as I walked down the walkway to the garden. Who would have thought, after all this time, this was where my life would lead?
“Daddy! Daddy!” With a squeal of delight, the five-year-old jumped up and down once she saw me. “I’m trying to catch butterflies!”
“I see that.” I smiled. Somehow, this kid always seemed to brighten my mood. The joy she brings is a reminder of the beauty that still exists in the world.
Years ago, Jude, Gabe, and I traveled to an abandoned Elysium on the East Coast, where we found a baby girl at the building’s entrance, wrapped in blankets. We camped there for at least a week, waiting for the baby’s parents, but they never came. Collectively, we decided to bring the baby back to Silvertown and raise her as our own.
I knelt, the warm, slightly sweet scent of the cookie filling my nostrils, and held it in my hand. “I brought you a treat.”
She squealed in delight and snatched the baked good, leaving melted chocolate sticking to her fingertips.
