Chapter 79 – Survival Pt. 1
“We must all face our demons sooner or later.“–Matt Abrams
Third Person POV
Anger is an unstable entity immersed in disobedience and resistance. To get the anger under control required near Herculean strength, as it will bend and writhe to continue its destruction of anything and everything it touches. But anger possessed a lust for battle; for if one tries to fight against it, it will push back with weapons of its own. Inside the temple carved of flesh, bone, and blood, an internal battle rages as the combatants fight for dominion within the body. Grunts and yells ricocheted off the surrounding darkness with the scent of sweat thickening the air. Adversaries clothed in opposing colors, black and white, pushed back against one another while two bodies watched from a distance; arms snaked around each other for comfort.
“Why the fuck are you fighting me?!” Lady Sanguine screeched like a banshee, grabbing her silver–clad twin by the arm and chucking her body from her. Kiya landed hard on her back, her lungs momentarily stilling upon the brutal impact. She expelled a pained whimper, clutching her right arm while spitting strands of her hair from her face. Little Halima squeaked a frightful whine, burrowing her face further into Artemis‘ chest like a kitten hiding amongst bigger cats. “Can’t you see I’m doing all of this for you?!”
“No, this needs to stop.” Kiya winced, rising to her feet as she tried her best to ignore the pain. Artemis‘ blue eyes read the emotions on her human’s face and it took a titanium–like willpower to stop herself from Interfering. She knew Kiya had to do this alone. “Jonathan is dead! He can’t hurt us anymore; the vengeance we wanted is done!”
“It will never be enough, Kiya!” Lady Sanguine’s fists shook at her sides as flames of hatred licked behind her luminous rubies. Furious, she stalked toward Kiya like a ravenous predator to their prey, her pointed teeth bared for her to see. “They haven’t suffered enough! Our revenge won’t be done until everyone who has ever hurt you is dead underneath my heels!”
Every yell from Lady Sanguine’s mouth shook the foundation under Kiya’s feet. Her hatred was powerful enough to incinerate the hairs on her arms. Kiya almost couldn’t believe that this woman–no, this manifestation was her, or rather, a part of her. The bond she and her black–clad twin shared pulsated with molten lava seeping into the heart they shared.
Untamed fire upon a scorched earth.
Acid rain killing flora and fauna.
Unhealed rage returning with a nail in its heel and blood dripping from its eyes.
Lady Sanguine was a reoccurring figure through her recovery, not as a tangible being, but as a life–force nestled in the deepest recesses of her mind and soul. She was anger. She was her anger and her hatred. Kiya wasn’t fighting against a demon who possessed her; she was fighting against herself.
Her biggest challenge laid within her until Osiris brought her out and gave her a living form.
Sweat rolled down the back of her neck once Lady Sanguine was but a couple of inches from her body, eyes locked into one another in an unbreakable trance. How can Kiya reason with herself to stop the pointless bloodshed? “We aren’t judge, jury, and executioner, Sanguine. We have no authority to decide who lives and
who dies!”
“And we should leave that decision up to fate? To your damn goddess?! Fate never favored us, and it won’t
start now!” The irate woman grabbed the collar of Kiya’s shirt and pulled her closer toward her to where their noses brushed against one another, lursh breathing fanning her chin. “Your tender heart weakens your resolve, Kiya. Revenge has no room for weakness and neither do I. I’m simply doing what you couldn’t–taking back the power stolen from you.”
“Through murder?” Kiya’s lips tightened into a scowl, forcing her hands off her shirt. “This isn’t what I wanted at all! Taking back power doesn’t mean killing people.”
Lady Sanguine shrugged her shoulders, smirking. “It does in my book.”
“You made Neron kill his father…”
“Yeah, wasn’t that amazing?” She cackled, clutching her stomach. “The idiot thought he could save you by carrying that burden! Foolish and admirable, I admit. If I had the power to bring Alpha Fuckface back to life, I’d have so much more fun with him. Aren’t you delighted that he’s gone?”
“Yes, I am.” Kiya breathed, flexing her fingers to control the flood of emotions in her. “But, Neron shouldn’t have…what was the point?!”
“An eye for an eye, darling.” She snickered. “And Selene was working too slow to deliver karma, so I sped up the process.”
“This is too much.” Kiya whispered, as felt an incoming headache rearing its ugly head. Lady Sanguine speaks of the thoughts she formerly had. She wanted everyone to suffer how she did–to feel her pain, fear, agony; everything she carried for thirteen years. But, after seeing the damage she caused, she wanted to take it all. back. This couldn’t be the legacy she wanted to leave behind. “Yes, they deserved karma.” Kiya huffed in an unsteady breath. “But, goddamnit, I’m sick of being angry all the time! I’m tired of putting all my energy into hating, fighting, and hurting! Can’t you see how consuming this all is?”
“I don’t give a shit, Kiya.”
Of course, she wouldn’t. Kiya recalled the day she and Neron had their first sparing session. The first time she lost control of her emotions. Hatred scorched and frayed all rationale and sent her into a blinding red rage where she pummeled the Alpha until his blood painted both her fists. That moment opened her eyes to how terrified she was of becoming the people who hurt her. She was not a violent person.
Her desire for revenge over the eight years torn from her was more of her desire for people to understand her. To listen.
But, as she learned in the past several months, many aren’t willing to oblige.
Kiya shook her head as the unpleasant realization washed over her like a savage wave from the wrathful ocean. “I can scream all I want, Lady Sanguine, but not everyone will listen to me.” A threat to reputation had to be silenced or deceived. Jonathan actively tried to silence her by downplaying the pain he inflicted on her, and he got to keep his reputation amongst Zircon Moon. He would never listen, and for that, she was content he was gone. Ashley and Steven couldn’t own up to their part in her trauma and deflected They’re still alive. But she couldn’t find it in her to care.
many times.
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Fuecrackers popped and sissiest in Kiva’s belly upon Landy languini’s allons de laration. Her wrists, hemmal to the ground, light against the view while the strengths that leted her in times of depuration Hlowed b into her body. Paired with its lover adrenaline, it pumpest and died through her arteries and veins, leaving ne nerve untouched Kiva couldn’t stomach any more deaths
handen
Lady Sanguine wax conect on one thing her heart is soft, but it can banton when need be,
Releasing a mighty war, Kiva ripped her wrists from the tedits‘ grans as power flowed through her veins. Selene was absent, but she could feel the son mystici bianching and mapping out her arteries and wine Lady Sanguine spatied like a furious beast at the silent challenge from her counterpart.
In the outside world, hell had slipped through the crack mid pulled Nerum into hte nightmare Deja vu wan The only way to describe the scenario played out in front of him. The wound on his back erted rivers of blood, dripping onto the dusted Host under his knees as lus tertilled lines walelud mustion red rupt behind Laly Sanguine’s irises while her cackles bounced off the prison walls.
Did that make her a bad person? She bit her lip as she ruminated on that thought with her eyebrows knitted together. Tears welled in her eyes. What did it mean to be a good person? Could she still be a good person and celebrate the deaths of her abusers? Does light still exist within her when all her care for her biological parents faded like wisps in the wind? Even now, with death on her hands, can she still claim goodness?
Lark Sanguine peered in her face again, her eyebrows raised as a sadistic grin etched on her lipses
they have to be willing? Face it, Kiya. You wouldn’t have the strength to cast karma down on those motherfuckers if it wasn’t for me. You’re weak.”
says
The woman glared daggers at her black–clad twin, the insult pricking itself into every pore. Lady Sanguine took notice and stifled a giggle. Oops. Struck a nerve! Can’t handle the truth, moon baby?”
“Don’t you dare call me weak.”
“Oh, but you are!” She continued. “You wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for me. I was the one who gave you. the strength to live! I was there, every step of the way in your recovery, lurking in the background until you needed me! You’re nothing without me, Kiya! Without me, you would’ve committed suicide again. I saved you, and this is how you repay me…you ungrateful cunt!”
Tendril–like grapnels shot from the ground without warning, wiggling and writhing for the touch of flesh. Lady Sanguine shoved Kiya to the ground, where the grapnels bound the woman to the ground by her wrists and torso. The angry woman tutted and shook her head as she circled her twin’s fallen form. “Once again, I must take control of the situation. I’m going to kill Neron, and you’ll watch, so be a good girl and behave. After all, I did promise Odessa that she’ll meet him in death.”
Kiya didn’t want to live under the umbrella of vengeance for the rest of her life. She wanted to be happy. She wanted to be okay.
It was time to stop negotiating and start fighting, yet again. But she hoped for the day that she’ll finally relax in peace.
Firecrackers popped and sizzled in Kiya’s belly upon Lady Sanguine’s callous declaration. Her wrists, bound to the ground, fought against the vice while the strength that fleeted her in times of desperation flowed back into her body. Paired with its lover adrenaline, it pumped and danced through her arteries and veins, leaving no nerve untouched. Kiya couldn’t stomach any more death.
Lady Sanguine was correct on one thing. Her heart is soft, but it can harden when need be.
Releasing a mighty roar, Kiya ripped her wrists from the tendrils‘ grasp as power flowed through her veins. Selene was absent, but she could feel the moon mysticism branching and mapping out her arteries and veins. Lady Sanguine snarled like a furious beast at the silent challenge from her counterpart.
“I’ll stop you!”
In the outside world, hell had slipped through the cracks and pulled Neron into his nightmare. Deja vu was the only way to describe the scenario played out in front of him. The wound on his back cried rivers of blood, dripping onto the dirtied floor under his knees as his terrified blues watched molten red erupt behind Lady Sanguine’s irises while her cackles bounced off the prison walls.
3/5
Chapter 29: Survival P
Same action. Same phrase. Different scenarios. Different times.
He said those exact words when he sentenced Kiya to death at his ceremony. That phrase he thought he had buried in his head came back at full force, bombarding his senses with more guilt than ever before. Neron got his just desserts for the wound on his back, without a doubt, matched the scar on Kiya’s back.
He was going to die.
Lady Sanguine’s body unceremoniously began jerking at different angles as her laughter rippled through the air. Every giggle followed with a silent hiss as her nails dug into her chest to ease the growing pain pulsing through her body. Thick acrid black billowed in from the cracks and gapes of the prison doors and walls, substituting the amber glow for unsettling darkness. Neron watched his world fade into a bottomless void, with his palpitating heart as his companion. He couldn’t see his body, nor his deceased father. Sweat barreled down his temples. Was there anything he could do? Soon, his back met the wall, his wound screaming upon
contact.
“Kiya-!”
Shimmering rubies glowed with rage as an iron grip clasped around Neron’s throat, violently choking, playing the song of his imminent demise. Fear tickled his heart, for the first time in a long time. He threw his hands on the woman’s arms to yank her crushing hold off him, but she was much stronger than him. Stronger than a dozen alphas combined. His attempts at freedom carned him with narrowing airways, cutting off his oxygen.
“I’m Lady Sanguine, your angel of death!” She hissed through gritted teeth. “Remember that as you spend your last moments begging for my mercy! Kiya will thank me for getting rid of you. Never again will she hurt from the pain you inflicted on her!”
A thunderous crash.
Prison doors groaning and collapsing in a dust–packed heap under excessive weight.
Neron’s heavy body, a foot taller than the woman in question, was thrown through the entrance like a demolition ball. Dust sprinkled around him like sugar, burning his lungs as pitiful coughs escaped his mouth. His body roared for relief from the impact, but Onyx was also in shock to offer his human healing. All the wolf could feel is an unyielding horror from the telltale clacking of heels against the ground.
Danger was coming. The tiny voice buried underneath the layers of his subconscious spoke for the first time, tiny yet powerful in volume.
Run.
Run!
Wolf instinct tells him to fight. To survive. But he couldn’t raise a hand against Kiya. Hurting her for his sake -his soul couldn’t bear it. Isn’t that what got him in this mess in the first place? As Lady Sanguine drew closer, the voice began shouting at him.
Run or else she’ll kill you!
The blood of his father clung to his flesh like a second layer, perfuming his sin straight into his nose. His grave sin. But he had to do it. For her.
Chapter 79- Survival 1. 1
Run, you idiot!
The faded light from the dungeon corridor highlighted the side of her face down to her hip and there, she clenched her bloodied blade, the gleam of the tip excited to pierce his flesh once again. Underneath all of that hatred was his mate. His Kiya. His fists shook at his side, eyes searching in the depths of crimson to find her light.
It was dull, nearly dying, but he saw it.
Kiya was still in there.
Fighting.
Lady Sanguine knew Neron wouldn’t raise a hand against her. Her grin said it all. Killing the Alpha was going to be a gratifying experience, but not without the fear. The terror. The dynamics of nature have deviated. Nature deemed the alpha wolf as the ultimate predator, unyielding and dangerous. Challenging their throne equated to a death sentence.
Now he was the prey. The prey that didn’t want to fight back. And the woman was the apex predator ready to dine on flesh.
Lady Sanguine released a mighty roar and leaped toward Neron, her knife aimed high.
“Neron, run!” Onyx’s voice scorched through his trance. Against his better instincts, his nature, Neron jumped to the side and bolted, the blade only snagging a couple of strands of his hair. A gaggle of maniacal giggling nipped at his heels as his feet pounded against the pavement.
“Run all you can, motherfucker! You’re dead!”
Chapter Comments
Vii Tay
what lady said is right! kiya is, weak
k that’s why
by all this happened, she d
didn’t want revenge but the still living in hatred in her heart
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