Chapter 46 - Cornelis 45

TW// Blood, violence

Cornelis launched her body towards her sister, barely catching her. Her body was cold to the touch, cold as the stone she was sealed in for years. Cornelis searched her body for a bullet wound, but found none. Elias had deceived her. She turned her head towards him, but he was already gone, taking Tivon with him. She screamed, yelled after him, her voice full of rage.

Get him back!

We're not done with them!

She could've gone after him, but looking down at her sister, she wasn't going to risk leaving her alone again. Her sister's face was stone cold and if Cornelis couldn't feel her heartbeat, she would thought her dead. Cornelis placed her hand on her chest, trying to warm her up. Her eyes slowly opened.

"Evelin?"

Cornelis tough she would be relieved to see her sister's familiar eyes again. Her eyes were always her comfort, a mirror to hers, yet the eyes who looked at her now were dull, greyish gold. Evelin looked up at her, but there was no track of recognition.

"Evelin?" Cornelis grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

Wake her up!

She's still sleeping!

We can't be free without her!

The voices kept shouting in her head. Evelin said nothing. Her lips parted, but she just kept staring at Cornelis. The grip on her shoulders tightened, digging her nails into her skin. Cold blood dripped down Evelin's back.

Wake.

Her.

Up!

NOW!

Cornelis grabbed her and slammed her back against the stone. "Quit staring and say something!"

Nothing, she didn't even flinch. Her eyes were wide open, staring. Her face robbed of expressions.

"Evelin!" Shouted Cornelis.

The giant black snake curled towards them, creeping between them. It hissed towards Cornelis, and she let go of her sister. The serpent continued hissing, till Cornelis was away from her. The voices hissed back at the snake as if the serpent could hear them. The snake turned and crawled towards Evelin, curling up beside her.

Evelin placed her hand on the serpent and breathed in. The snake's scales rattled as black smoke came from it, travelling up Evelin's body, to her mouth and eyes. She tilted her head back as the smoke started choking her.

The snake is killing her!

Do something!

Cornelis moved towards her, but the snake hissed, its golden eyes peering through her. I can't, whispered Cornelis in defeat. In a sudden, Evelin's head snapped back, her eyes now glowing. The smoke slowly disappeared back into the snake. Her eyes came back to normal. Evelin looked down at her hands, moving her fingers to make sure they were real. She looked around the place confused, startled.

"E-Evelin?" Cornelis wanted to cry, scream from joy at her sister's return. Then Evelin's head snapped to her, eyes previously dazed now enraged.

"You." She hissed, her voice still hoarse from not talking in ages. "What did you do?!"

"W-what?"

Evelin reached up her hand and Cornelis started choking. Evelin slowly stood on her feet, not taking her eyes off Cornelis. "You sealed me into stone! You traitor!"

"I-I didn't do t-that."

Evelin released her hand. Cold air filled Cornelis' lungs once again. Evelin started walking towards her, her snake following at her feet. "You lured me up here to this mountain to get rid of me."

Cornelis gasped for air. "N-no. That's not- "

"You mean to tell me you didn't do that?" She crouched down at her and lifted up her chin so she could see in her amber eyes. The serpent hissed beside her. "Ever since our mom sacrificed herself end died, you've become obsessed with bringing them back." She shoved her away. "You became obsessed with curses."

Liar!

She's lying to you, Cornelis.

"You wanted them too!" Shouted Cornelis. Evelin watched her. "You wanted her back!"

"I wanted her back. I wanted my mother back." She spit, a strand of white hair falling on her face. "Not everyone else. Not the curses that followed!"

Cornelis had managed to stand up, still clutching her bleeding shoulder. "I was the one who made curses!" Evelin hesitated. Her eyes going through Cornelis' body, full of tattoos, full of curses. "I made the sacrifices. I sacrificed my mind to get you back Evelin! And all you did was made two curses." She gestured at the tattoo of a snake going from her leg around her torso to her neck and a flower on her arm.

"They were made because of you! If I wouldn't enchant the snake I would be dead right now." Cornelis opened her mouth to speak but Evelin didn't let her. "Everything I did was because you wanted me to do it, because you knew you couldn't do it by yourself. All I ever wanted was to get my mother back, but no, you wanted every single witch that ever died brought back. You wanted revenge on the King, so you made me kill him!" She gestured at the flower tattoo. "You cursed a whole crew and a boy who did nothing to you. You've killed millions just so you wouldn't age."

She's lying.

She's making herself the victim.

"I did that for you! Everything I did was for you! If I wouldn't do that you wouldn't be here right now."

"If you wouldn't seal me in stone, none of this would happen!"

Ungrateful!

Liar!

The shouts echoed through the cave and now Cornelis couldn't differentiate between her sister's shouts and the screams of the voices in her head. She covered her ears to drown out the voices, but they just kept on growing louder.

"SHUT UP!"

But they didn't stop. They kept scratching at her mind, yelling over each other. Shut up. She couldn't hear Evelin anymore, not even the storm raging outside the cave. Please. Shut up. Tears ran down her face as Cornelis opened her mouth to scream again, to try to drown out the screams with her own.

A forehead touch to hers and the screams disappeared. Cornelis forgot how peaceful it was to have a hold of your mind. She forgot the peacefulness of it, yourself being the only voice that followed you through life. Cornelis opened her eyes, to see Evelin's forehead pressed to hers.

"I see your pain sister." Her voice was so gentle, Cornelis missed her soft voice more than anything. "But you brought this to yourself. No curse can quiet down the sacrificed antes."

When Evelin pulled away from her the voices came back louder than ever and Cornelis screamed. She fell to the ground, her head between her hands.

She betrayed you!

"I'm sorry, Cornelis, but I can't help you with that nor can I bring back the dead. Their souls are already at rest."

Liar!

Kill her.

Cornelis screamed more, her lungs aching from the pain.

Weak!

Kill her!

The tiny pebbles scattered around the cave started shaking, the cave alone trembled.

KILL HER!

Cornelis lifted her hands, pushing Evelin towards the wall. She stood up, hands ready for her. Yes. Evelin managed to take a shaky breath when Cornelis grabbed her throat and pushed her to the other wall. Yes! She didn't know if it was the voices or her own voice, but now she didn't care anymore. The voices were one with her. And all they demanded now, was death.

"C-Corneli- "

She grabbed her heart moving closer to her. "I did everything for you. This?" Cornelis gestured around. "Everything was for you Evelin. And you can't even say thank you?"

"P-please Cornelis."

Blood started dripping from her mouth. Her body twitched with pain. Cornelis felt tears rolling down her cheeks. Really? Tears. For me?

"Can't w-we just s-start over and b-be sisters?"

Sister? Isn't that what Cornelis wanted? To have her sister back. Why was she killing her now?

What are you waiting for?!

She does not care about you!

Kill her!

Cornelis tightened her grip. She swung her other hand, ready for another blow when a sharp pain flew down her body as a black snake bit her shoulder, pushing its sharp fangs into her skin. Cornelis screamed and fell to the ground, releasing Evelin. Cornelis turned to the serpent, her fury now bigger than the pain. She grabbed the snake and pulled her off her shoulder, ripping her skin off with it. She launched the serpent into the wall and turned to finish her business.

Evelin wasn't there.

Cornelis frantically looked around the cave, but she wasn't there. She looked to the entrance of the cave, but there was no sign of her or her leave. The snake that bit her, crawled out of the cave, disappearing into a white blizzard in a second.

No!

NO!

The voices screamed, and Cornelis ignored them. Warm blood dripped down her arm, the only sound of blood drops falling on the cobblestone. All she could feel now was fury. Everyone was turning against her.

You know whose fault it is.

She knew. Oh, she knew well enough whose fault it was. She stood up and staggered her way to the mouth of the cave. She'll have her revenge. Cornelis looked out into the storm. You couldn't see it with human eyes, but she could.

I'll make everyone suffer. She stared down at the kingdom, soon to be in ruins. And I'll start at the beginning of it all.

Naydawin.