Apprehensively, Kiana stared into the darkness across the room. The voice finally spoke again before the room was filled with a loud cackling, child-like, laughter. The high pitch of the voice was frightened Kiana before the familiarity of it snapped her out of her fearful state. She frowned whilst she watched the unknown person slowly walk forward as they proceeded to reveal themself. It was then that Kiana realised who it was.
"Hm, haven't heard from you for a while, Samantha", Kiana replied sarcastically.
"Ja, it vas simply too long since our last meeting", Samantha fired back as she continued to walk towards Kiana.
"I had almost forgotten just how awful these twisted dreams of yours were", Kiana added rather dryly.
"Hahaha! But I do hope jou haven't forgotten our deal... have jou?!" Samantha cackled.
"No, I haven't Samantha. But I'm just wondering where the heck Richtofen is. Shouldn't he have arrived at the cosmodrome by now?" Kiana enquired suspiciously.
"Und zhat is exactly vhy I have brought jou here... albeit in jour dreams..." Samantha explained - which piqued Kiana's interest.
"Jou see, before Richtofen arrives at the cosmodrome; I zhink jou should know about vhat took place in zhis room. Oh yes! It vill be of great interest to jou", Samantha grinned malevolently.
Kiana remained silent as she waited for Samantha to get to the point. She knew the twisted little girl had something up her sleeve. Whenever Samantha appeared to Kiana - there was always an ulterior motive.
"Richtofen vas vonce here. Und it all occurred quite recently", Samantha smirked.
"What? What happened here that's so important then?" Kiana replied a little impatiently.
"Perhaps jou should see for jourself..." The child smiled with manic eyes.
"...look behind jou!" Samantha then hissed as she cast her gaze behind Kiana.
Kiana turned behind her to see Richtofen laying dead on the floor. The sudden gruesome sight caused the muscles in her body to instinctively seize as she recoiled in shock. But her rational mind quickly took charge as she immediately tried to calm herself before her emotions could get the better of her. Lashing out in a fit of anger would not solve anything. Kiana had to rationalise what she was seeing before choosing how to react.
She looked down at Richtofen's body as it lay lifeless with a bullet hole right in the centre of his forehead. The bloody sight caused Kiana's body to become rigid again as she tried to look past the gore and focus on fathoming the events which had led up to this. But it truly hurt to think that Richtofen could ever end up with such a horrible fate. He may not be a good person - but Kiana respected him. For all his shortcomings; it would be a travesty for someone like him to be executed so crudely.
Then, finally, common sense prevailed as Kiana quickly realised something. How could she be so stupid to fall for another one of Samantha's tricks? Kiana knew fine well that Samantha could manifest almost anything in this dream state. She was most likely lying about this whole story she had just begun to unveil. Perhaps none of what she was seeing had even happened? Or perhaps it really did happen but Samantha was deliberately choosing to omit the context of the situation?
"Well, that's definitely his major general uniform", Kiana replied offhandishly as she turned back to look at Samantha.
"Jou shouldn't be so flippant!" Samantha growled lowly - taking Kiana by surprise at her sudden change in demeanour.
"Richtofen is dead because he has been replaced", Samantha snarled menacingly.
"So the Richtofen that is going to arrive at the cosmodrome is a different one?" Kiana enquired.
"Ja, und jou shouldbe zhinking about zhe implications of zhis", Samantha then began to giggle as her eyes glared at Kiana through her matted hair.
But there was something in Samantha's tone. And from it, Kiana knew deep down that what she had seen really did happen. But there had to be some kind of explanation, surely? She was determined not to let herself panic and become overwhelmed with emotions before she knew exactly what had transpired in this room.
"So our deal is off then? You didn't really need me to kill Richtofen it seems", Kiana asked nonchalantly as she remained stoicly composed.
"Is zhat all jou care about? Or do jou not believe me?", Samantha fired back condescendingly.
"Can't you maybe manifest something to show me how it happened?" Kiana replied unamused and slightly sarcastic.
"Hm, very vell..." Samantha grinned.
The room began to unwind as Richtofen's body began to fall upwards into a standing position. As his face began to reanimate and come to life - Kiana noticed something odd. There was something off about Richtofen. Kiana noted how his demeanour was different - and far more "submissive". This was not the same angry scowling man who relished barking orders at everyone. No, this was not the man Kiana had become accustomed to.
"Shut up und vatch!" Samantha growled as if she could tell Kiana was deep in analysis.
As the scene continued to rewind; Kiana watched as Richtofen stood wide eyed. Kiana looked into his eyes before she noticed that his icy blue irises were overshadowed by a dark silhouette. He was looking at someone else. Kiana stepped back and turned to look behind her before she saw another Richtofen behind her holding a pistol - dressed in a cosmonaut suit.
The scene continued to rewind as the smoke from the barrel of the pistol was slowly sucked back in. The bullet itself retracted through the air and back towards the pistol. Kiana instinctively moved out of the way of the bullet's reverse trajectory as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing.
By now the seeds of doubt began to plant themselves within Kiana's mind. Is this what happens before Richtofen joins the others at the cosmodrome? This gap in the storyline was never explained. What if it really is another Richtofen that arrives? Kiana's mind spun with doubts and worries as she began to fall for what she was seeing. Her initial staunch stance was quickly beginning to crumble and give way.
"Vould jou like me to tell jou more?" Samantha happily asked.
"Go on..." Kiana mumbled as she lowered her head.
"Jour Richtofen is no longer vith us. He has been replaced by zhis vone" Samantha began with a smile.
"I know how important it vas for jou to protect zhe original Richtofen who started zhis mess. But! He is dead now. Und jou have no vay of turning back time. I mean, jou don't even know vhere zhis place is!" Samantha smiled as her motives began to show.
"You could tell me, Samantha. But something tells me you have no intention of that", Kiana replied as she still felt overwhelmed with what she had just seen.
"Vell, jou are correct, ja. But, maybe it von't be so difficult for jou to kill zhe Richtofen who did it? Hmm?" Samantha grinned.
"He will be the one that turns up at the cosmodrome then?" Kiana asked.
"Ja, und he vants to take Richtofen's place. Richtofen has been replaced vith a version of himself who is far more psychopathic zhan he could ever be. His intentions are far vorse zhan Richtofen's", Samantha replied as she deliberately remained vague about what exactly that meant.
It seemed ridiculous to think that there was a Richtofen out there who could be any worse than the original. But Kiana then realised that it would explain why Richtofen's demeanour seemed to become dwarfed by the other Richtofen's. It did account account the more submissive demeanour. Maybe the only thing Richtofen could truly fear was a version of himself that was completely rotten to the core?
"Und zhe timeline vill no longer be zhe vone jou know", Samantha added - which snapped Kiana from her thoughts.
"You'll need to tell me what exactly makes this Richtofen so much worse", Kiana finally asked.
"I'm sure jou saw zhe papers on Richtofen's desk", Samantha began.
"And what was so significant about them?" Kiana asked suspiciously.
"Jou saw zhe papers on what lies beyond zhis universe - did jou not?!" Samantha replied frustratedly.
"Yeah, I found them to be a rather exhilarating read actually", Kiana laughed mockingly.
"Zhis Richtofen learned about jour existence - und jour universe. He knows the power zhat jour universe holds over zhis vone und believes zhat jou are zhe gateway to it!" Samantha explained.
"If I'm the gateway then how come I can't find my way back home? How on earth could he use me to get there?" Kiana asked- clearly disbelieving of Samantha's explanation.
"Hmph! Jou vouldn't be so dismissive if I told jou how he intends to do it", Samantha grinned.
"Go on then, enlighten me", Kiana hissed.
"He vants to kill jou", Samantha replied with a devious look.
"And what exactly will that achieve?" Kiana asked as she narrowed her eyes at the girl.
"Because jou are zhe only zhing zhat exists from zhat universe", Samantha replied before she began moving towards Kiana.
"Jou are zhe bridge between vorlds! Jou are zhe key zhat vill allow him to not only control zhis universe zhrough zhe MPD but also jour universe!" Samantha exclaimed as she got closer and closer.
"Jou need to kill him before he kills jou!" Samantha shrieked as she grabbed Kiana.
Kiana felt a chill down run her spine as she looked into Samantha's black deranged eyes.
The room behind her quickly began to corrode as its contents suddenly vanished - leaving behind only darkness...
End of part twenty-nine...