YASHA AND NATALIA stopped in front of the cave where the former held Penelope captive. There was an eerie atmosphere coming from the inside. But Yasha felt something was amiss.
"Silas was never the kind who shows off," said Yasha. "Why is he oozing such a bloodthirsty aura?" Not to mention, he was not showing himself, just releasing that aura. Squinting her eyes, she ordered Natalia, "Attack that cave."
Natalia gave a look at the woman. Then, she faced the lake, forming a circular motion with her hands.
A big wave of water surfaced and smashed into it.
But the water did not enter the cave. Instead, it struck into an invisible barrier.
Yasha frowned. A notion flashed into her mind. But she had to ascertain it. "Brother, what is this? Are you afraid of me? Why not show yourself? It has been a while. Years? Decades? Centuries, perhaps? Let's have a good chitchat. Let's reminisce about our scrappy past."
"Or maybe not?" Natalia whispered.
Silence filled them afterwards.
Yasha snickered. "Or would you like to meet your aunt, my other niece?"
"What?" Natalia stilled.
"Liliane, is it not?" Yasha clicked her tongue. "We have not met yet. I am your beloved aunt, the forsaken sister of your father. How about you show yourself and let me see how ugly you are?"
"Is she really your niece?" asked Natalia, half-whispered. She could not help but notice how different this undead treated her two nieces. She loved the other while disliking the other. What a blatant show of favouritism.
Yasha ignored her. "Come on," she taunted. "If you are not going to show yourself, I will think of it as you are not interested in knowing me and leave this place to see my beloved Ase."
Right away, a woman emerged from the darkness. They could see her, but she did not leave the cave.
The woman had a long, ebony hair. Her amber eyes were glowing as she stared at them with calmness. She was beautiful. Her beauty was pleasant to the eyes. But she did not have the soul-snatching beauty of Aseyana.
They were supposed to be twins. If Natalia did not have that information, she would never believe the two were related.
The corner of Yasha's lips rose. "You finally show yourself, Little Ugly."
Natalia's lips pursed.
That was crude.
The girl still looked beautiful, after all.
"Aunt—-" Liliane suddenly felt awkward, "—- Yasha." She had never seen this aunt. She heard some stories about her but never really knew her. There was also no portrait of Yasha back in Grandi Valentina. So this was the first time she saw her face. True to Silas' words, Yasha's mouth was annoying.
Yasha waved her hand. "You do not have to call me that. I will feel overwhelmed. Now, tell me. What are you doing here instead of Silas?"
"I want to know you," Liliane answered. In fact, it was Silas' idea. But she did not know why. She could only conjure a spell to fool Aseyana.
"I am not interested in knowing you, though." Yasha stroked her wrist. Her niece gave them these bracelets. She did not know the use of this. But looking at the witch standing before them, Yasha could not help but curse inside.
That girl!
Does she think she could win against Silas alone?! She could if she knew how to use her powers!
"Let's just finish this," Yasha growled. She darted in front of Liliane and smacked the barrier.
Liliane backed away, stupefied. "You are only wasting your energy. You have no way of destroying it!"
"Oh," Yasha sneered. "Try me, then." Her eyes turned into crescents. "Natalia! Be of use, will you?"
Natalia gritted her teeth and jumped into the water. There was a flash of light, and Natalia returned to her actual form. She raised her arms and sneered, "Fine! Bring it on!"
—
Aseyana huffed.
"Ah!" she waved her hand when Silas reached her, rendering the man motionless for a few seconds before running again.
"Ase, are you not tired of doing this repeatedly?" Silas stretched his neck when he could finally move.
Aseyana gritted her teeth before replying, "I like to ask you the same!" Why was he hunting her? He looked like he was ready to kill her.
The two of them were never close. Silas prioritised Lilianne over her since birth, but there was no need to kill her, right? She could not understand Silas' motive in doing this!
Silas silently looked in the direction Aseyana ran off to. He did not immediately chase. Instead, he strolled, and in a volume that Aseyana could hear, he started, "My dear, do you fear death?"
Aseyana exhaustedly leaned on a tree. But not more than a second, she quickly ran off again. If she rested for only a moment, she could guarantee that Silas would be able to reach her. But running like this and using her magic to ward off this ancient undead depleted her energy!
"Actually, there is nothing to fear of death," Silas continued. "What is scary is how you live in this world. Did you have a fulfilling life? Were you mediocre? Were you the best?"
What was he talking about? Aseyana frowned.
Silas paused. He stood confidently as he observed the surroundings. "I am tired of being the second best," he said. There was no fluctuation in his voice, but his eyes were glaring red.
There was an unknown emotion swirling in the depth of his eyes. He wanted power. He craved for something that Lukas and the others had. He was an immortal, a creation made at the same time as Lukas. Yet, why was he the inferior one? He was an undead and not at the same time. He could live forever but could still die anytime.
What was he, if not a defective product? Thinking like this, the fire burning in his heart blazed more.
Then, adding to his injured and miserable heart, he was given a weak and pathetic mate!
"Ase," he whispered. "Liliane is suffering, yet you have done nothing to help her as her sister. And now that she wanted something, should you not do it?"
Aseyana's forehead creased even more. She could not understand a thing! She tried to comprehend Silas' words. But before she could do so, the man was already in front of her. With wide eyes, she waved her hand to conjure a spell. Unfortunately, the man was already ahead of her.
Silas stopped hesitating. In a blink of an eye, his hand was already inside of Aseyana's chest, gripping tightly her heart.
Aseyana gripped Silas' arm, blood starting to sip out of her mouth. "W-why?" She could not understand. Her life when she was still young flashed through her mind.
Her Uncle Silas once doted on her. He had given her everything. He would smile at her, look at her as if she was the sweetest thing ever.
Not until Liliane showed prowess. Her twin sister was powerful. She was so powerful she could not control the power inside her.
Since then, everything changed.
Her parents no longer give her time.
Uncle Silas started to neglect her.
No one in the family spared her time. She was always ignored.
Her Uncle Magnus was rarely home. Her Aunt Yasha would sneak in Grandi Valentina to see her, but that only happened twice.
She had no one.
She could only rely on herself as she grew up.
She never harboured hatred.
She felt that the world was unfair. She would feel jealous of her sister. But she never hated them!
Yet, why?
She could ignore the fact that they had not given her their love. But why kill her? She had not done anything wrong!
Was it because she had not taken her sister's side in reviving their mother?
Was it because Liliane was in grief and she was not around to make her feel good?
But she was grieving, too! Liliane was not the only daughter who lost her mother! She had lost a mother, too! But no one in the family comforted her!
No one soothed her bleeding heart!
No one looked for her when she left! And the moment someone did, they came to kill her!
Aseyana laughed bitterly. Helpless, sorrow, agony—- there were a lot of emotions eating her heart away. Her eyes started to heat up, but she held it in. If she would die, let her die with dignity. She did not want to waste her last tears on them.
Silas saw the girl's expression, and his heart shook. But at the last moment, he hardened himself.
Finally, he tore the heart out of the girl's chest, whispering in the wind, "I am sorry."