The car drove fast, occasionally turning right and left. Nathaniel no longer bothered with conversation, allowing the girl to find her inner calm. She sat there, for the first time in a very long while, not thinking about anything. Inside, it was empty. Maybe in the face of death, something would change. Adrenaline and basic fear would appear. However, right now, Lina was enjoying this state. She sprawled in the back seat, sleepily gazing at the monotonous landscapes. Time passed extremely slowly. It seemed like the trip was lasting an eternity. But eventually, changes occurred: the smooth, even asphalt turned into a road littered with potholes and sharp turns.
The landscape also changed. Suddenly, stars flared in the sky, and the low houses that grew like mushrooms along the road transformed into coniferous forests. Nature under the moonlight was beautiful. The world drowned in shades of green, silver, and black.
Eventually, the car stopped. There was no way forward.
– Let’s go, – Nathan directed.
Lina stretched, straightening her legs – half the road was covered. So feeling the door handle, she opened it and stepped outside. It was damn cold. The air crackled with frost, as if it were winter, not autumn.
– Well, you didn’t guess with your outfit, – noted Nathan, seeing her state. – And we’re still in the forest… When we get to the glacier mountain, it won’t be sweet at all.
– Glacier mountain? – Lina asked, fidgeting in place.
– Yup, there she is, – the man pointed somewhere behind. – Mount Rainier.
The girl turned and froze, captivated by the powerful view. Even in the middle of the night, the snow-white peak was visible to the naked eye. A giant powerful volcano, wrapped in eternal frost. It emanated history and danger.
– Let’s go, we can’t waste time, – Nathan said and, illuminating the path with a flashlight, moved forward along the winding trail.
Lina sighed and followed him. What else could she do? In truth, when she thought about her death, the cold no longer felt so terrifying. And soon, when she had to ascend a slope, her body warmed up so much that the frost felt like a savior. The only thing missing in this crazy night hike was a bottle of water. A few sips would have not been refused.
– Are we sure we’ll make it? – she asked an hour later, when the forest was left behind, and alpine meadows stretched ahead.
– Yes, don’t worry, you have certain privileges for the ascent to the peak. You won’t have to step on the ice, – Nathan replied in full.
They continued walking silently. Nathan switched off the flashlight since everything was already visible on the flat ground. With each step, they were getting closer to the goal. And the closer they were to the volcano, the more Lina's heart squeezed.
Samael appeared in her thoughts once again. Somewhere in another reality, in which they hadn’t fallen in love with each other, the girl would climb to the peak accompanied by both guides. But now the dark one was absent. She keenly missed his presence. His scent, his self-assured expression, and his bottomless eyes full of darkness, into which you sink as if into a black hole.
Her shoes were already soaked from the moisture the grass soaked in. It was annoying, but what troubled her even more were her feelings. An internal struggle continued inside her. The evil side whispered that she could run away. Nathan had lost almost all his strength, so he would hardly be able to stop her. And the good, compassionate half denied this. It said it was too late to change anything. That one death is nothing when millions are on the other side of the scales. And among those millions was her beloved Samael...
Finally, continuing to torment herself with thoughts, the girl and Nathan reached the foot of the mountain. It was snowy around. And the mountain rose so high that it was lost in the clouds. Climbing it without special equipment at night was an impossible task.
But Nathan didn’t rush to move upward; he hesitated, pacing in place and examining something underfoot.
– Lina, help me, if you see a flat stone with inscriptions, tell me.
The girl nodded and didn’t rush to search for the necessary item. Let each of them fulfill their own task: she goes to sacrifice, and he does everything necessary for that.
About ten minutes later, Nathan found the required stone. Beneath a layer of snow lay a large gray boulder. On it were engraved curious symbols: stars, daggers, animal heads, and some unfathomable, twisted gibberish.
– Stand on it, – the light one commanded.
– For what?
– You’ll reach the peak.
– And you? – the girl asked.
– I will stay down here and ascend more prosaically. Don’t worry, I’ll arrive in time to see you jump down. You need to carry out the mission with the first ray of sunshine. It’s five o’clock now. You have exactly an hour, – Nathaniel said, glancing at his wristwatch.
Lina nodded; the retreat was closed. She closed her eyes and stepped onto the stone. She immediately felt a strange vibration, and the next moment a furious heat blew in her face. She arrived at her destination.
* * *
An hour of waiting passed like a moment.
Lina sat above the chasm. Below, fire swirled, hellish birds flew, and she, hugging her knees, awaited the twentieth birthday. Just a few minutes remained, and she would finally fulfill her damned purpose. “Voluntary sacrifice” – that’s what the abbess once said. But was it voluntary? Rather forced. Forced and tormented...
The black attire fluttered in the wind, carrying the frenzied cries of the sinners. She desperately wanted to cover her ears to drown out their screams. They screeched and groaned as if deliberately trying to scare her. And Lina was already scared enough.
Once again, she recalled Sam. Perhaps he had already woken up, read the letter, and was searching for her while cursing everything in the world, especially Nathan. However, he wouldn’t have time to change anything; she had seen to that.
– Sam... Sam... Sam... – she whispered the name of the man she loved more than anything in the world. – This is only for you, Sam. I don’t need a world without you.
Lina jerkily stood up, stones immediately tumbled from beneath her shoes.
– Don’t do it, – she heard a whisper ahead. – I beg you.
It was a hazy specter, the incorporeal spirit of her Samael. He was so real, just like alive. Tangled black hair, tanned skin, and eyes – horrified by her actions.
– Lina, don’t do it, – the spirit repeated.
It was too painful to look at him, so the girl, noticing the first ray of sun, said: “farewell,” and took a step forward.