Linus Toria

Chapter 20

Viktoria was in a fool mood. That wasn't new. In fact the last time she had been in an almost positive disposition was 57 years ago. And now her mood was about to take a turn for the worse. She could feel her need to lash out increase but she couldn't name a reason for her feeling.

Maybe her sister was doing something and knew Viktoria wouldn't approve of it. Her Karo always felt guilty about the smallest of things and Viki could pick up on it no matter the distance between them. Like that one time when Karo had been ordered to torture their cousin to death because he had betrayed their family. Viki had been away on her own mission but still sensed that her sister was very unhappy.

Strangely, their bond used to be a thing of the past. After the two of them had their first serious argument ever, Karo shut herself off from her. Viktoria had been furious and did what she always did to make her sister give in to her. She threw a temper tantrum. A huge one. Only this time, it didn't work. And Karo was not amused. She almost looked disappointed but Viki told herself that was just her imaginative mind playing tricks on her.

So why was she now able to pick her sister's feelings up again? Mayhaps she was finally ready to go back and this was her way of telling Viki 'come, pick me up'. But somehow she felt that wasn't it. The other option made her blood freeze in cold fury: Her sister's injuries had worsen! But who on this goddamn planet would be able to harm her sister? Injured or not, her sister was strong.

A groan grounded her back in reality. „Oh, shut up. I haven't even done anything bad yet", she snarled at the crumpled body in front of her. She received a whimper as reply. „I told you to shut up! Or do you want me to shut your mouth for you?", she kicked the redhead angrily.

Throwing the knife in her left hand to the ground, she turned around and stalked out of the dirty cell. Almost forgetting to close and lock the door she went back annoyed. It likely wouldn't have made a difference. She had made sure that her prisoner wouldn't be able to move by herself for the next few weeks. The wounds she had inflicted wouldn't kill the girl inside the cell who was merely a shadow of her former self. Besides her red hair, nothing remained of her old persona.

Viktoria was proud how she had beaten the spirit out of that one. Shortly after the begin of the war she had acquired the two red heads. Unfortunately, one of them had had a big mouth and infuriated her too much. Now she had only one left.

Yes, she knew their names. But she would never use them. Instead she called them Red 1 and Red 2 in her mind. Viktoria felt a burning hate for them and hadn't even known herself to be capable of feeling so strongly. They received something that was supposed to be hers and for that she made them suffer.

She debated killing the second one now as she probably won't return to this dungeon. Even though this dungeon was her favourite it couldn't compare to her sister. Karo was always first, second, third, and so on. If she visited her sister, her 'stress relieving' methods would have to stop. Karo was not a fan of torture.

For Karo she would do anything. Unfortunately, her sister didn't share her convictions. While Viki couldn't complain about her sister's treatment towards her, she never felt as if she was Karo's first priority. She had tried to come to terms with only being the second choice over the years. If only for Karo's sake.

But Viki felt that she had endured this state long enough. Things were going to change now. Even if her sister wasn't okay with that. Then she would just make her. Through Karo being her only fixation in this life, she had come to know all her likes and dislikes and also knew how to manipulate her sister to her liking.

Leaving the smelly underground dungeon located in the sewers of Rome, she climbed a rusty ladder and reached the ground floor. Now she was inside a small, wooden hut of which the exit led into a cosy courtyard. Accessing the backdoor of her current house, she started searching for Korbinian.

„Kor, where are you?"

„In the kitchen",the reply was muffled by thick walls.

„What're you doing here?", she approached him and asked. The kitchen didn't deserve its name anymore. The shelves were completely empty and cobwebs covered everything. They hadn't used it once in their 10 years of living here.

„We have a rat infestation", he declared.

„Rats?", she echoed, „Impossible. There isn't even food here"

„Food or not. They bother me. I'm going to exterminate them"

„Leave them be. We're leaving"

„Where are we going?"

„Away. And no, we aren't coming back"

„But I like it here", he pouted.

„You like it anywhere as long as it isn't back home", she remarked.

„Can't you appreciate the old building charme here?", he joked, „When are we leaving?"

„Now"

„But my belongings!", this time he cmplained for real.

„You don't even own anything of worth", Viki snorted.

„That's not true! I still carry around the sweaters Lina knitted me for my birthdays!"

„Leave them here. They're too ugly to wear", she dismissed.

„Nobody has a sweater collection that can compare to the quantity of mine!"

„Don't you know the saying: Quality over quantity?"

„These are special! Lina made them herself!", he insisted. Viktoria perked up at this.

„Were the sweaters the only presents she gave you?", she asked with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

He nodded in confirmation. „Mmh, that's fine then, I guess" She decided that the presents she had received for her birthdays were better than his so she tolerated them.

„Hurry up and grab them! I want to see Karo as fast as possibile", Viki slipped up.

„We're going to meet Lina?", Korbinian asked hopeful.

„Yes, we are. Now get a move on or I'm leaving without you!", she grinded through her teeth, unhappy that he was looking forward to meeting her sister.