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Pain, despair, apathy. These are not feelings that can be avoided so easily when a demon spreads them unscrupulously.
But the human being was able to overcome those terrible creatures even in cruelty, annihilating even those around him in order to realize every single whim.
And Beelzebub was well aware of this as he walked the streets of a developing New York, torn between progress and unhealthy poverty.
The sound of his footsteps was non-existent and seemed a shadow among many others, so monotonous that it did not attract due attention. However, people did not react solely out of disinterest; perhaps it was the unconscious or the survival instinct that suggested not to turn to that man in the dark clothes and continue with a day that seemed very boring.
"It is a waste of time." he found himself thinking of the demon, walking towards a narrow and dark street, his eyes staring intently at the asphalt wet with small drops of dew.
Zeus had been inflexible; a human, more than anyone else, had managed to create a technology that fascinated and awe-inspiring at the same time. It was as if with his genius he had just dared to challenge the gods, an affront that could not possibly be taken lightly.
That the Father of the Gods had not sent Hermes in his place was a mystery, but Beelzebub suspected that in truth he should have been involved in something simpler than merely meeting a mere human inventor.
And he had begun to rain again, when Beelzebub brushed his red lips with his forefinger and turned his eyes towards the house that overlooked the path. It wasn't very big, but a very comfortable place for someone who spent their days doing research and experiments.
He opened the door of the house without touching the doorknob, finding himself a few moments later in a living room that looked as if it had been abandoned were it not for the incessant echo of a creak coming from the basement.
-No, that's not good.That's not good at all.- Nikola Tesla was spinning around his new invention, his lips folded in a grimace as he tried to understand what was the fundamental element to make his invention a real innovation.
-Electricity is an important component, but its flow in this case is essential.- he walked around the laboratory with frowning eyebrows and his right hand under his chin: -A mistake cannot be admitted.-
-An error. Don't humans commit enough already?-
Silence.
The only sound that was heard was thunder that heralded an eventful storm on a starless night.
-How did you get in? - taken aback, Nikola Tesla looked at Beelzebub not at all intimidated, his clear irises shining with genuine interest.
Beelzebub did not move, looked around with apparent disinterest, as if that gigantic room full of inventions were nothing but garbage.
-You are not a very sociable type, from what I can see .-
Nikola began to walk around him with a smile: -Yet my intuition does not deceive me: you also love science, right?-
He didn't bother getting an answer, because Nikola knew that silence was a more than adequate answer.
He went back to the wooden table at the corner of the laboratory to take a couple of sheets and head for the second time to the dark figure who had just swooped into his property.
Someone else would have screamed or run away, but Nikola didn't seem at all upset by his presence. And Beelzebub couldn't help but wonder if the other's neurons had been lost to the electricity that kept the invention running.
-What do you think? -he asked proudly, putting his precious notes in his hands.
Beelzebub, instead of destroying them or looking at them with contempt, remained to read them. His concentration was so high that the noise that Nikola kept making with his chatter had faded into the background.
-It's incomplete.- he just said, moving on to read the second sheet.
-This is the problem.- Nikola sighed slightly: -There is something in his installation that does not convince me.-
-The level of electricity added is considerable, but it must be higher. To create this reel, you will need to push yourself beyond your own limits.-
It would have been nice for Beelzebub to see that human die electrocuted and consumed by the same passion as him, yet something suggested that he not allow the annoying old Greek to take the life of such a talent.
Talent that at the first opportunity could have come in handy.
-As expected, this was the headache.- Nikola smiled satisfied again, his mind lighter and ready to complete his work.
-The case, on the other hand, is the result of the lack of human knowledge. So, I wonder...- Nikola brought his face close to him: -Who are you?-
-You don't know my name.- was the answer he managed to get that day, but Nikola knew that he was able to get him interested in him.
Otherwise he wouldn't have seen him come back again. And one more time.
His presence in that confusing mansion was becoming part of his days, an essential component of his very existence. But what he was really thinking about the other, he was still rather vague to decipher.
-Beelzebub.-
On another rainy day, three months after their very first meeting, he had managed to get the long-awaited answer.
-It's a particular name but noteworthy.- Nikola's eyes seemed to emanate sparks: -And I admit it fits perfectly with the halo of the unknown that surrounds you.-
Placing the newspaper on his lap, where on the front page there was an image of an invention of him and the comments that experts had left about it, Nikola drank a glass of water.
-Nikola Tesla.- he heard back: -A name so stormy as to electrocute anyone.-
-It doesn't seem to be a compliment.-
-Were you really expecting to hear some honeyed flattery? I'm not that hypocritical.-
That subject was difficult to decipher, Nikola was aware of it but giving up was not a tolerable option. He had to resist and conclude his observation himself successfully.
-Your sincere attention to my person is already a manifestation of flattery.-
He hadn't noticed it, but Beelzebub's red lips had let out a snort of ironic laughter.
~•~
-Wouldn't that be interesting?-
-No.-
-But if we create something together-...-
-No.-
-Yet I see you taking notes. At least tell me what you are planning!-
Like a small child, Nikola crossed his arms and sat on the sofa, while the other, without the slightest compassion, assiduously declined his proposal.
-It is not your responsibility to know.-
Time passed inexorably but no matter how much Nikola Tesla tried to cross that invisible wall that still persisted in not collapsing, he could not fully reach Beelzebub.
The other had mellowed towards him - he knew this because death threats had dropped considerably - and visited him frequently, even on days when Nikola was too busy to fill him with questions.
It was as if a ghost had entered his life to keep an eye on him, and the serbian inventor knew he had it right.
But what were the reasons? Why had a dismal man burst into his house on a rainy day? Was he testing him?
Even for a few seconds, in the first days, he had thought that Beelzebub had been sent by Edison to spy on his moves, but after a few seconds he had contradicted himself because that option was so absurd that it could not be contemplated even for a second.
-Aren't friends supposed to help each other? How can I do this if you don't express yourself?-
-Is this your intent? Analyze myself through what I create?-
Caught.
Nikola Tesla laughed heartily.
-Science can build profound links. It is practical in every respect, although it requires maximum concentration.-
-Deep ties such as friendship?-
Beelzebub spoke those words with deep skepticism.
Or at least that was the emotion that Nikola interpreted at that moment.
-Why not? Love is not something science needs, but friendship is. That's why it's fantastic.-
Perhaps that situation was taking an even more unusual turn, because Beelzebub's irises in a matter of seconds had found themselves becoming one with those of the human in a kind of deadly dance.
A shiver struck Nikola's back, who caught off guard, did not stop smiling and saying openly what he thought.
-Loneliness is a precious ally, I understand you perfectly. Sometimes it proves to be more useful than it should be, but if shared with someone else, could it not become even more enjoyable?-
Receiving no response and without hesitation, Nikola quickly approached Beelzebub to shake his hand and drag him with him after he had a pretty quick idea.
The demon had tight lips, amazement upset his chest. What the human had in mind was a true enigma, but for a moment the figure of him and that of Lucifer overlapped with painful melancholy.
Had his heart just retreated into a painful grip? Regreting the helplessness of not saving the people he had sworn to protect with all of himself?
-He should be here, somewhere...- Nikola had taken him to a large park and was looking around with frenzied glee.
-Here you are! -With a further laugh, he approached a small pigeon intent on eating some bread crumbs.
-Would a stupid bird be your brilliant idea?-
Nikola looked offended by what he had just been told.
-He is not a "stupid bird". He is a very dear ally to whom I can refer a lot. - moving his arm slightly forward, Nikola moved his arm forward, inviting the pigeon to take flight to lean on it.
And that was what happened. The bird landed on the arm that had been offered to him and it was on that occasion that Beelzebub realized that the animal was actually a robot.
-It is another of your inventions.-
-One of my favorites!- Nikola lightly stroked the pigeon's head: -The rare times when I don't hole up in my laboratory, I come here to get new ideas. In the late afternoon, when people decide to move away to return to their families, I head here and enjoy the wonders of this place.-
-All this kindness I do not understand what it is due...-
-Didn't I tell you? We are friends, and friends support each other regardless of adversity.-
Beelzebub shivered slightly. That enthusiasm brought back memories that had to remain buried.
-Collaborating with you would be an unforgettable experience.-
-That hassle.-
Expressionless, the demon shrank back. He clenched a fist so hard that he nailed his fingernails into the palm of his hand, which quickly turned a scarlet red.
-Friendship is such a useless feeling that it makes me sick.-
-Is this really your truth?- for the first time on that rather unusual day, Nikola became serious: -Or do you try to lie and hole up in self-pity?-
Beelzebub shivered imperceptibly once again.
It was as if that human, among many acquired talents, possessed the ability to read his mind. To be aware of everything he had been through.
Just imagining a possible similar made him want to vomit and get rid of those terrible sensations that were consuming him inside.
-I've had enough. Spending time with you was a waste.-
The next time Hermes would go to visit the human, Zeus would have no other alternative.
If he wanted to get rid of him again, he could take responsibility for him and act as a true deity should. Instead of him, Odin would have already acted accordingly and would never have dreamed of playing with others like a capricious child.
The Greek gods were so annoying.
-You don't really think so.-
He heard himself say from behind him.
-Lying is a serious insult. Do you really deserve to call yourself a scientist?-
-I never said I was.- Beelzebub retorted, making the mistake of turning around.
Nikola Tesla seemed to shine with his own light, his eyes that like two magnets kept him nailed, preventing him from taking any further steps. The sun was nothing short of insignificant in comparison.
-You will come back.-
And even Beelzebub did not dare to argue against such conviction.
~•~
-The behavior of that human is really strange.-
Hermes cocked his head quizzically, his back against the trunk of a tree. Although his smile was clearly visible in his face, the doubt that tormented his mind was genuine.
-Something wrong as expected?-
Beelzebub uttered those words with such contempt that he would have made anyone tremble. The god who accompanied him, however, seemed of another opinion.
-Not worthy of a look at me. I introduced myself, but I don't think friendliness is a quality worthy of his attention.-
-You probably don't qualify to be friends with him.-
-Oh.-
Hermes knew the story behind that lonely demon who received only contempt in return, and for that reason he considered it really interesting.It was worth spending time with him, analyzing his every move, yet on that occasion he realized that things were taking on a totally different shade.
-You have to know him very well to be able to say something similar.-
-That man is an open book, it amazes me that you didn't get there.-
-Is this the reason that pushes you so much to come here on Earth? I thought that pushing others away was your characteristic habit.- Hermes laughed: -That Tesla has been able to conquer you properly.-
The Messenger of the Gods tried to ignore the look of hate that was given to him, a small flame in the deepest darkness that appeared in all its brightness, destined to go out before it could create a fire.
Because that was how Beelzebub's emotions manifested themselves: they fell like cold, casual air, and then disappeared in an unexpected gust of wind, erasing its existence and repressing all traces.
"Getting in the way would be a bad choice." Hermes admitted thoughtfully: "Beelzebub is almost half his job, after all."
-Tell me.- Hermes didn't try to change his approach, he knew it would be useless: -You said you didn't want to have anything to do with him, not anymore, but you keep coming to this place .- he looked around, embracing the peace that that immense park and the laughter of the humans present gave him: -Has something in particular happened?-
-Should something have happened?-
-Answering a question with another question is not very polite.-
That conversation was not meant to reach a meeting point. Beelzebub was interesting, but getting information out of him was as difficult as getting some emotional reaction from him.
He could dig deep, try to get that hateful look back, and that seemed to him the most optimal decision and one that he would have made if he hadn't heard a presence getting closer and closer.
"Yeah. He's just different from other humans." smiling back to himself, Hermes decided to walk away. Enjoying the show seemed legitimate, a small bet he couldn't afford to lose.
-You're back!-
-You should stay away from me.-
-I would stay away if you weren't here.-
Talking to Nikola Tesla was weird, because you never knew where the conversation was going to fit. Somehow he managed to win it.
-This place is calmer than others.-
Beelzebub could already imagine Hermes laughing at his bad lies - he knew that bastard had stayed around, he knew him too well.
Why had he returned?
Why had he acted as if he was desperately seeking the presence of this inventor?
Why once again, couldn't he really get someone away from him?
-Calmer than my lab? Definitely.- Nikola sat next to him, the robotic pigeon on his shoulder.
-What have you done in these weeks? Did you conduct your research?-
-You too will have done the same.-
And they kept talking for hours. Sure, more than anything else it was a question and answer, but Nikola's enthusiasm was palpable and this Hermes had noticed.
Whenever he'd tried to get close to him, he'd seen him nervous and apathetic to everything around him. His inventions had become the only secure foothold on which to cling, more than before.
That he had missed Beelzebub was evident, and his newfound good humor was certainly due to the return of his near friend.
-We can go and conduct some experiments if you wish.-
-An experiment.- pronounced by Beelzebub, that term had taken on a bittersweet tone: -Your intentions have not changed.-
-It is normal to want to conduct an experiment with a friend. I find it stimulating and beneficial for science.-
"And for you, don't deny it."
Beelzebub rose from the bench, turning to him. With his hands behind his back, he approached the other who in the meantime had performed his own example and stood up.
-You might regret it.-
"Repentance is not an option." Nikola shrugged.
-And what makes you think that I will accept your proposal?-
He expected a stupid, banal answer. Or something as absurd as "Science suggests it to me!" He believed he would be capable of it.
He was wrong.
-Your eyes lit up once again.-
That finding left him dumbfounded. For the first time, Nikola saw Beelzebub's face contract into a vulnerable, human expression.
"What?"
Nikola immediately took care to erase his perplexity: -You want it too, I realized. As much as you try to deny it, you would like me to help you with your research. And when I tell you about my progress, you no longer have death that haunts you.-
Beelzebub was afraid of being blinded by so much light.
Because as soon as the sun had decided to set, his rays had enveloped Nikola Tesla in a kind of dazzling aura.
-Don't say nonsense.- his throat suddenly seemed dry: -If you care so much, I'll participate in some of your experiments.-
The perfect smile he later received was worse than the blinding light that was haunting his vision.
-You won't be able to back down anymore.-
And knowing that smile was contagious was hatefully comforting.
-We'll see this.-
"He smiled." Hermes blinked a couple of times: "Of course humans are really amazing."
Nikola Tesla, although unaware of what he was going to meet, had broken into the heart of Beelzebub who had granted him the most sincere of smiles.
If he had told anyone, Ares too, he would not have been believed.
"What an unusual event."
Hermes had witnessed a friendship that shouldn't have happened.
~•~
-In your face, Edison! -
Nikola entered the house smiling, tossing in the air the documents attesting to his invention and that of Beelzebub as innovative and widely useful for the state.
-He was not very happy when he realized that the victory would not belong to him .- Beelzebub put a hand through his hair when he saw Nikola jumping around the hall - he was just a child.
-Your collaboration was precious.- was it an impression of him or was Nikola's gaze softened?
Beelzebub felt embarrassment grow within him. It had been a long time since he had felt overwhelmed by his own emotions as him, yet Nikola Tesla's enthusiasm had erased every single worry that plagued him.
Spending the days in his company was exhaustive and pleasant, he could not deny it. During those lighthearted moments he had also discovered that the human had some rather extravagant characteristics: he was obsessed with the number three, felt an uncontrolled aversion to women who wore jewels, and had abnormal hearing.
That specific peculiarity aroused a disconcerting truth in Beelzebub. It was partly thanks to his sense of hearing that Nikola Tesla created noteworthy contraptions that captured the viewer's interest. Still, that could definitely be a double-edged sword.
How far did that capacity go? He could pick up human movements, or even-
-Hey, we won! There is no need to be silent. We have to celebrate.-
Nikola Tesla headed to the kitchen to get two glasses and put a liqueur in them. The demon did not know what he could be, and he honestly had other things to think about, on that evening as quiet as it was surreal.
-Humilating Edison is not an undertaking that happens every day.- he agreed after a few centuries of further reflection, and then basked in Nikola's laughter that vibrated in the air with remarkable harmony.
He could feel her entering his subconscious, tormenting him. What was happening to him? Why were his cheeks in danger of burning for such an insignificant reason?
-It was a great satisfaction.-
-Yup. Now he will be enjoying the utmost despair and plotting revenge.-
Laughs. Ironic phrases and words of encouragement.
Beelzebub had sworn to free himself from his curse as soon as possible, with the annihilation of his own soul, yet Tesla had crossed a border that had been closed for too many centuries and was about to be crossed again.
Becoming attached to Nikola Tesla was inevitable. He had understood it too late but without any note of regret.
-The day you landed in my house, I never doubted that you were a very special individual.-
-Did you immediately notice my arrival through your hearing?-
-Of course! - Nikola also placed some fruit on the table: -I knew you couldn't be a thief. Your steps were too precise and without hesitation.
-Isn't that a rather vague detail?- Beelzebub took a red apple and bit it, ignoring the pain in his stomach that an unforgettable past caused him.
-Not at all. The smallest detail can make a difference, I thought you understood that.-
He hadn't grasped the meaning of what Nikola had said. Not immediately, at least.
-You...-
Was I insignificant to you when we met? Yes. And now these feelings have changed.- Nikola took a few steps forward: -I am glad to know.-
-You was extravagant.-
-But for you I am even now! This point of view of yours has never changed.- the distance was decreasing more and more and Beelzebub did not move: -And you accepted me. Is there greater joy?-
Beelzebub stopped saying anything. He definitely had been caught off guard.
-Science will save the world.-
On more than one occasion Nikola had bestowed upon him what his heart felt every time he carried out an experiment, yet another to help a selfish and pitiful humanity. He was convinced that every single project had a fundamental role, that nothing would be made in vain, and as much as the demon found all that hope to say the least exaggerated, he could not deny that he was fascinated by such determination.
Beelzebub wondered if Nikola Tesla might be able to save him too, someday.
It was inevitable to cling to that warm light that enveloped him with incredible hope.
Lilith. Lucifer. Samael. Azazel.
Their deaths might be avenged, and his death might not be necessary.
Warn Nikola of his curse, of the suffering he had caused for centuries... could she really go that far?
-Now it's my turn to return the favor.- As if to have read his thoughts, the inventor put a hand on his shoulder: -You were beside me and we had fun. To compensate for this honor that has been granted to me, I would like to help you with your research.
-There is no need to do something like that.- Beelzebub looked away. Why did he feel so vulnerable now?
-And why?- Nikola was perplexed by so much insistence.
-Something might happen to you.-
"You could die." Adding such a recommendation, however, might have been inadequate.
-It is a risk I can take.-
-Is this some moral code? -
-No.- Nikola shook his head, the smile that warmed the chest of the dark with welcome insistence: -It is about helping an important person.-
How did it happen? Why had he done it?
No one had helped him in the centuries to come. His best friends had been with him until the end and Lilith, although she had every right, had never given him a look of spite and contempt.
Love. A feeling that in different facets had manifested itself in each of them, directed exclusively to him.
But the unconditional love Nikola Tesla was giving him was even stranger. He hurt him and in the same way brought him immense happiness.
He felt... free.
What a strange feeling it was, freedom. Beelzebub understood this as soon as his lips rested on those of the human who, astonished, had not moved.
Hearing him then return his kiss hadn't been so surprising. Nikola Tesla was far too sincere to act with double ends or mistrust.
-I will help you. You can count on me.-
Swore the human with his eyes shining. Beelzebub laughed, not breaking away from him.
-I would have been amazed otherwise.-
It would not fail. Not yet.
In the name of those who fought for him, he would do the same. For himself and for that bright smile he would be sure to protect.
~•~
Beelzebub was happy. He really was.
He didn't think he could fall in love with anyone - a human, too - but it had happened. His heart reopened to the wonders of love and he nurtured this feeling with admirable devotion.
Five years had passed since their relationship blossomed and despite Nikola Tesla feeling the inexorable passage of time, Beelzebub felt his feelings increase in intensity. He was in love and couldn't do anything about it.
During the first month, he had discreetly explained who he really was and what was afflicting his existence. He remembered Nikola sitting in an armchair, intent on listening to him with closed eyelids, serious as ever. That seriousness had not been lasting, because then - as he usually did - he smiled at him and remarked on his promise to help him with greater obstinacy.
Over the course of the months Beelzebub had told him how he was interested in giving life to a creature that he could do at their convenience. He hadn't specified what the purpose should be, and if Nikola had guessed something, he didn't mention it.
One day he had completely ignored him and the demon had thought that the other had begun to hate him. If he deserved it, it was true, yet such an eventuality would have made him suffer.
The next day, however, he had returned to converse with him quietly. And Beelzebub couldn't help but wonder if he had thought of leaving him. He couldn't know and maybe it was better this way.
Those had been the best five years of his life; the curse had not manifested itself and Beelzebub truly believed that Nikola had been able to incinerate her with the mere presence of him.
For the past two weeks, Nikola had preferred to move into a hotel room for financial reasons, and Beelzebub had followed him. He couldn't have left him, not when he was feeling so good again.
His senses were numb and Beelzebub felt his chest rise and fall. Sleep had prevailed but there was no rush to get up and face the umpteenth day. He smiled gratefully as he felt Nikola's fingers slowly caress his hair, a comfort that made him feel safe.
He had been lucky to have met him. Zeus's intentions had taken a back seat and what he was really up to was no longer of relevant importance. Being next to Nikola was enough for him.
He held on to that heat, more than he should. He would have given up anything just to indulge in that feeling of total peace that he was getting used to having.
What must have been raindrops fell on his face, making him squeeze his eyelids, not ready for the awakening that the other was probably waiting for. Nikola hadn't stopped stroking his hair, and Beelzebub absently wondered how he could not be bothered by the impending rain that-
-You woke up...-
He tried to wake up and focus his sight; everything was blurred and did not give him the opportunity to focus on what was around him.
Nikola smiled at him, a habit that he would never abandon him. He stopped stroking his hair, struggling to settle her head on his legs.
But at the third drop that fell on his forehead, his face twisted with pain.
A trickle of blood stained his lips and ran down the chin of the man he loved, his chest pierced by a monstrous arm that had left no way out.
NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO.
Cold tears rolled down his face with merciless reality, making him realize that no, there was no cure that would allow him to be happy. He had never had any chance of being able to get rid of that monster.
-Don't cry... i-it's my fault...- Nikola was struggling to speak and his body was shaking - how long had he been in those conditions? How long had he dared to harm the person he had sworn to protect?
-W-Why didn't you go away?! Why didn't you run away?!- He yelled with all the breath in his body, overwhelmed by despair. For the third time.
-Why... s-sshould I...? - Nikola forced a laugh: -Your beauty has never... scared me...-
The darkness was enveloping him in a brutal embrace, and it didn't take his developed hearing to feel his heartbeat getting weaker and fainter.
"No. Not yet." he pleaded, watching Beelzebub's face torn with pain. He didn't want to leave him, not-
A caress fell into the void, as well as the hand that he had tried to caress the hair of the demon he had fallen in love with so much.
A louder scream broke through the destroyed room, her legs were shaking and the emptiness she felt was worse than a thousand stab wounds. The inhuman screams didn't stop even when his throat pleaded for mercy.
The last bit of rationality served to lay Nikola's body on the ground and squeeze it tightly.
-What's going on?!-
The incessant knocking on the door of people probably attracted by his screams was incredibly annoying. Beelzebub wanted to kill anyone who could even think about entering the house.
He could not. He just couldn't.
With the last of his strength, he placed his lips on the inventor's forehead and disappeared, leaving behind a trail of hatred the instant the front door swung open.
"Nikola Tesla is dead"
Newspapers around the world attested, mourning the death of a man whose talent was not properly recognized. The hotel where he was staying for the last few days was in complete disorder, the safe open and important documents disappeared into thin air.
"Was his death premeditated by the government or was it a brutal fatality?"
Conspiracy theories were circulating and everyone couldn't help but wonder what really happened.
The world was unaware, however, that on that cold night, another being had also lost his life. Because the world without him made no sense.
~•~
Days? Months? Years?
Beelzebub did not know what day, what month or what year it was. He didn't care.
The only memories he kept were Nikola's face smiling, the light in his eyes fading at the same time.
He had returned to Valhalla and had destroyed everything in front of him. He had wandered aimlessly and insulted that being that made him so unhappy.
-I HATE YOU!-
Scratches on the face. Blood gushing from his wounds.
As much as he wished to die, as much as he tried, unfortunately he was not allowed. He was condemned to suffer for eternity, to pray that he would be destroyed as soon as possible.
He couldn't kill himself. Not alone.
At the end of a long walk, he dropped to his own knees, his eyes pitch black again and begging the numb sky to help him end his suffering. For a while the noises that were heard were the annoying chirping of birds and the wind that slightly moved the leaves of the trees around, but soon another noise that Beelzebub knew perfectly well came forward.
The sound of Hermes' violin was unbearable and heartbreaking, an anguished song floating through the air.
The Messenger of the Gods continued to play in silence for a few minutes, interrupting that anguished sound as he saw the hatred in the demon's dark irises.
"Is hate really the only feeling that allows you to feel alive?"
Their eyes met.
-Why are you here?-
Hermes felt a slight dizziness on hearing that cold, cruel voice. In his place, any inhabitant of Valhalla would have run away.
-I knew about your loss. But you haven't been around for a long time.- that's what he said. He hadn't gotten to say more, after all, because a mysterious force had just thrown him away from Beelzebub with a bloody, murderous thirst.
-You knew it. You knew it would turn out this way, that Satan would have the upper hand.- Beelzebub stared at him with contempt, from top to bottom: -You and that bastard had premeditated everything.-
-Nikola Tesla was an interesting and very dangerous human, but we could not have imagined such a dramatic outcome. These were not the intentions of the Supreme Zeus.-
"Not to get the human killed in person, at least."
Hermes did not dare to stand up. He knew the slightest move would result in his demise.
-Anyway, the human died on Earth. In these years you could have...-
Years. So it had been years since then.
-Do you think I'm stupid enough to go look for him? - Beelzebub hissed coldly.
-No, I don't think so.- Hermes took a few seconds: -But the Supreme Zeus sent me here because he would like to talk about an urgent matter.
-You can very well speak for him -
One sentence too many would not have been granted to him, he had understood it in perfect timing. For this Hermes did not waste a second and continued with his speech.
-The Ragnarok will be held shortly, the tournament that will decree the salvation or complete annihilation of mankind. The High Zeus would like you to become one of the thirteen fighters who will challenge humanity in these mortal fights.-
He didn't know if Hermes had done it on purpose or not, but the words "mortal fights" had rekindled something in him.
That humanity was about to be annihilated was of little consequence to him. Total annihilation was what he longed for, and the Ragnarok was the ideal excuse to satisfy that selfish will.
-I accept.-
-We can count on you, then.- Hermes bowed his head as a sign of respect, although perhaps behind that gesture he was hiding something else: -Goodbye, Supreme Beelzebub.-
In the end he was left alone to contemplate the last rays of the sun that were about to be replaced by the darkness of the night. He wistfully watched the sky turn red, noting that this was probably the right time to die.
-Nikola...- saying that name was terribly painful. The feelings of guilt and self-hatred were too strong.
-All this will come to an end.-
"I promise you."
He wanted to add, but he didn't because it seemed inappropriate. He was certain that his beloved inventor would greatly disapprove of his suicidal tendencies.
Like the time he had ignored him. Beelzebub understood the reasons late. Nikola Tesla had always been on another level, different from him: he understood those around him with the rapidity of the flapping of a butterfly's wings, asking himself incessantly questions but not feeling obliged to express personal considerations.
They said that demons could not cry, that they could not feel emotions. Ridiculous.
Beelzebub felt a lonely tear furrow his right cheek, not bothering to erase its trace and gaze with fervent obsession at a lightning bolt that disappeared on the horizon and heralded a night storm.
He imagined Nikola carrying out one of his umpteenth experiments, perhaps with other famous scientists and inventors who died before him.
Away from him he would be happy, he would not suffer. And that was enough for him.
Beelzebub returned to wander around the Valhalla like a restless ghost, a soul lost in a desolation that was the pale reflection of the nothingness that he carried within himself.
It was the only possible solution. In any case, he could not have escaped from eternal damnation.
The incessant voices of humans and gods had become an annoying background, which he wanted to get rid of.
Despite that annoyance, Beelzebub hypocritically admitted that with him in the foreground there could be no better scenery. Who cheered him, who already urged him to win his battle.
Nikola Tesla's name would echo in the afterlife and on Earth like a bolt from the blue.
-You are more beautiful than I remembered.- Nikola walked around him with sincere interest, as had happened in their first meeting. The rancor did not exist in his soul.
-You have to stay away from me.-
Beelzebub hissed, holding tightly to the scepter that had belonged to Hades. Did Brunhilde want to put a spoke in the wheel too?
-Stay away? And why?-
A nostalgic sense of deja vu prevented him from arguing.
Under the creaking of the robotic armor he wore, the entire arena watched in disbelief as humanity's eighth challenger caresses Beelzebub's cheek with a certain recklessness.
Nikola Tesla sported one of his best smiles.
-Didn't I tell you? Science will save the world.-