Sasha kneeled on the stage, broken and defeated.
The weight of her grief pressed down on her heart, leaving her feeling totally hopeless.
Her mother was now long gone, Nicolo, whom she loved more than herself, had died in front of her eyes, and now, her only remaining family, her father, had been killed by her own hands.
What more does this fate have in her share?
Tears blurred her vision as she tried to make sense of it all. 'Why did this happen? How was my plan leaked? Why do I have to suffer so much?' These questions raced through her mind, but there were no answers, only the crushing weight of despair.
*Tap! Tap!*
The sound of footsteps approaching closer and closer snapped her out of those looping thoughts.
It was not the sound of Hope but the source of her pain. Ragnar Volford.
With a final, desperate effort, Sasha activated her blessing, glitching just behind Ragnar. She gathered all her remaining strength, thrusting her knife towards him, determined to stab him with everything she had.
But her attempt was futile all it took for her to realise that was a hard slap straight to her face, sending her sprawling to the ground. Her knife fell away, useless.
As she lay there, her vision blurry and her cheek stinging from the blow, she looked up at Ragnar. He stood tall and imposing, a figure who commanded the world, the same man she had foolishly believed she could defeat.
'Why I thought I could best him, just why?'
Ragnar gazed down at her, a wide, mocking grin spreading across his face.
The members of the assembly watched in silence, their expressions unreadable.
"See for yourself, Sasha," Ragnar's voice was cold, cutting through the silence. "The price of your foolish actions was paid by your mother, your father, and even Nicolo, the man you called your lover. What was their sin? Was it giving you life? Was it loving you? Why were they the ones to die, while you continued to waste the life, the chance they gave you?"
A chilling chuckle escaped his lips as he continued, "Don't you think that if you had never been born, they would have lived a happy life?"
Sasha's heart clenched at his words. They struck deep, twisting the knife of guilt and sorrow even further. Her eyes filled with tears, and the loudest scream tore from her throat, filled with all the anguish and pain she had held inside.
"Aaaaahhhh!!!"
'He's right,' she thought, her mind spinning in a storm of regret and confusion. 'Because of my foolish decisions, they had to die... Why? Why did I do that? How can I ever repent? Sorry? What does sorry even mean now? I don't understand anymore! I... I can't... '
There were no visible scars or wounds on her body, but the mental trauma was so intense that it overwhelmed her. Her body gave in, and she collapsed to the ground, fainting.
Ragnar watched her fall, his expression remained indifferent. "Take her away," he commanded, his voice devoid of any compassion. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Tsk! No fun!"
A knight stepped onto the stage, bowing respectfully as he approached the unconscious Sasha. "Should we kill her, Highlord?" he asked, looking up at Ragnar with respect.
Ragnar's face twisted into a devilish grin. "No, not so easily," he replied, his voice low and menacing. "She dared to harm my son. Do you think she can just get away with a simple death?"
The knight nodded, understanding the unspoken command.
....
Asuka's eyes fluttered open, the unknown white ceiling above him a confusing sight. He turned his head slightly, he was in a hospital room, lying on a white bed. The sterile smell and the faint hum of medical equipment confirmed it.
His whole upper body was tightly wrapped in bandages, still, a dull, persistent pain throbbed in his chest.
'Where am I? Back at the Black Dragon WG?' Asuka wondered, trying to make sense of his situation. He lightly touched his bandaged chest, the pain sharp enough to make him flinch.
"Aang! Aang!" he then called out, his voice echoing in the room.
The door immediately creaked open, and Aang stepped inside. But something was different about him. There was no friendly, warm vibe from him, Asuka had known. Instead, Aang's face was cold and indifferent, his eyes devoid of the familiar kindness.
"So you have finally woken up. How are you?" Aang's voice was flat, emotionless.
"Yeah, better than before. Brother, where are we?" Asuka asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.
"Still in Italy. We have a flight in two hours. So you have to make it, no matter what," Aang replied.
A frown creased Asuka's forehead. "What should I tell Jessica then? How do I explain these wounds?"
Aang's gaze was cold, almost dismissive. "Figure it out yourself," he said, turning to leave.
"Wait!" Asuka's voice stopped Aang. "Tell me, why did you help me?" His eyes were sharp, filled with suspicion, and desperation for an answer.
Aang paused, his back still towards Asuka. "You tell me first, why did you kill Nicolo?" His voice echoed in the room, carrying a mix of anger and pain. He waited, expecting a genuine answer.
"I wanted his eyes. They synergise with one of my blessings," he replied, truthful and direct. Asuka's jaw clenched as he waited for Aang's reply.
Aang stood there, his shoulders tense, but he didn't turn around. Without another word, he stepped out of the room, slamming the door behind him with a loud *Thud!*
Outside, away from Asuka's view, tears streamed down Aang's face. He had held back for too long, now. "That son of a criminal, bitch killed you just for that," he whispered, his voice breaking. "Brother, I'm powerless now, but I swear I will avenge you one day."
Aang continued to sob quietly, the weight of his guilt and sorrow almost too much to bear. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop Sasha too. Even after everything you did for me, I had to help your killer. Aaaaaaaaahhhhh!" His anguished cry echoed in the empty corridor.
*Ding!*
In just a moment, Aang's CAD vibrated, pulling him from his grief. He quickly opened the message:
[Aang, don't do anything foolish. Asuka is an important pawn in our plan. We need him. Trust me, we will surely avenge Nicolo. But tell me, does he have what it takes to awaken his bloodline talent?]
Aang stared at the message, his anger and sorrow growing more and more within him.
He chose to ignore it for now and walked back into Asuka's room, his face now again composed.
"Asuka, get ready. We have to leave,"
*
*
*
{A/N}
Thanks for reading!
2 Golden Ticket: Ragnar's Illustration...