De La Reine Vengeance

7.

"What do you mean, Athena? You will make it. You have to make it," I pleaded, my voice trembling, mirroring the tremors that coursed through my entire being.

Athena's smile waned, her eyes losing their light, as if the flickering flame within her was slowly extinguishing. "You're the only one I trust to lead our family, Aurora," she uttered, her voice barely a whisper in the vast emptiness that engulfed us. "You're strong, smart, and ruthless. You will protect River and our legacy."

My heart shattered, the fragments piercing my soul as her life slipped away. I clutched her hand, desperately trying to halt the flow of blood, but it was futile. It stained my hands, a vivid reminder of my powerlessness.

"I promise, Athena," I choked out, my voice quivering with determination. "I will find your killer and make them pay. I will protect River and our family with every ounce of strength I possess."

Athena managed a feeble smile, her voice fading into silence. "I know you will," she whispered. "You've always been the strong one, Aurora. You'll make a great Donna someday."

But I shook my head, denying the cruel fate that had befallen us. "No, I can't. Not without you. You were meant to lead us. You were meant to be here," I uttered, my voice a lament, an elegy for the future that would never be.

Athena gently placed her dwindling hand upon mine, her touch feeble yet laden with love. "You possess a strength that surpasses your own understanding, my little one. Believe in yourself."

"Find them. Seek justice in my name," she whispered, her voice but a fragile whisper before her hand slipped from mine, her eyes closed, and her final breath escaped her body. In that harrowing moment, the world lost a guiding light, and I clung to the remnants of her essence, cradling her lifeless form in my arms.

The pain that engulfed me was immeasurable, a tempest of sorrow and rage that threatened to consume my very soul. Yet, amidst the desolation, a fire ignited within me—a resolve to fulfill my promise, to become the shield that Athena so desperately needed in her final moments.

And as I stared at her lifeless visage, a vow took shape within my shattered heart. I would unearth the truth, no matter the darkness it concealed. I would unleash the fury of a grieving sister upon those who had taken her from me. And in that pursuit of vengeance, I would rise as the indomitable Donna, forging a legacy of strength, justice, and unwavering devotion to family.

End

As I awoke, drenched in sweat, my heart pounding in my chest, I could feel the weight of the memories clawing at my sanity. It was a haunting recollection, an unyielding reminder of the fateful night when Athena, the illustrious former Donna of the Devils Bloodlust, was ruthlessly stolen from me. The echoes of that night still reverberated through the corridors of my mind, a chilling melody that refused to fade with time.

Shaking off the remnants of the dream, I rose from my bed with a resolve as sharp as a dagger's edge. The painful memories served as a constant reminder of the treacherous world I inhabited, a realm of shadows and blood-soaked alleys. It was a world where allegiances were forged in fire and broken with a single whisper. A world where power and danger danced a wicked tango, their footsteps echoing in the depths of my soul.

I strode toward the window, gazing into the velvety darkness that enveloped the city below. The night sky, adorned with an enigmatic tapestry of stars, seemed to hold secrets of its own. The same secrets that lay buried within the twisted corridors of the mafia underworld, waiting to be unearthed by a relentless predator.

"Take my revenge," the words echoed in my mind like a sinister incantation, igniting a fire within me that burned with a fierce determination. Revenge, a tempestuous lover that had consumed my thoughts, my very essence, since the night Athena's life was violently snuffed out. A primal rage coursed through my veins, fueling the beast within.