After her declaration of powers, the brave girl turned and left our stadium. Katianna just stood there, furious about what just happened. The rest of crowd was in awe. No one had ever stood up to her, and no one had ever shown powers before.
Every human being in the building was silent. It was the most uncomfortable silence that I have ever experienced in my entire life. I felt shocked and extremely uncertain about the Fate Kate had told me about, so I could only imagine what she was thinking at this moment.
It didn't even occur to me until later that my twin sister, whom I haven't spoken to since her wedding three years ago, just upset the balance of the Earth.
Finally, Kate turned behind her to look at Lord Samson who was hiding behind the stage. "Sam, I want her dead."
At those words, he sprung up from behind and ran out of the stadium to kill the mystery girl. That was when it became clear that it was Wanika who had spoken out against our leader and it was Wanika who had killed those guards with a single touch. It was my Wanika, my twin sister, that Lord Samson was sent to kill.
That thought didn't sit right with me.
"Katianna, don't you think that's a little harsh?" I whispered to Kate, trying not to let the Kallians see my emotion.
Kate laughed. "Of course it is, but why should you care? You don't feel anything."
With that, she turned and finished addressing our followers.
Kate was right about one thing, I didn't feel anything. When I thought about my family, all I felt was a bleak blackness. But that didn't stop me from realizing that killing her was wrong. That didn't stop me from understanding that the death of my sister would mean the death of us as well.
***
~WANIKA POV~
"You should have seen the look on her face when the guards dropped dead," I said to my closest friend Tanya.
Before, I didn't even know Tanya existed. It's actually kind of a funny story. Years ago, I was a part of an elite group of people called the Hunters. We would track down, or "hunt," humans that had inhuman powers. There was this list of names that we had to protect at all costs because we believed that they would save the world one day. A group of people called the Answers didn't like what we were doing, so they made it their life's goal to kill off the names on our list. It was a big organization, but it all came to an end when a close friend betrayed us.
Tanya laughed. "I would love to have seen it, but I haven't registered. I can't go anywhere near Kallians until I do so."
"Ha, don't worry about that," I explained. "You know Samson and Aria wouldn't kill you because you know me. And anyways, you could be just as powerful as them if you would only let me go after that book."
I'd been trying to get my hands on her late grandmother's ancient "spell book." Not because I wanted to do "magic" or whatever, but because I was pretty sure that it would contain some information I could use to contact the one who betrayed us. Of course, I hadn't told her this. She had this idea that I was the most respectable person in the world and I never wanted to ruin that.
Plus, the book wasn't in our possession. At one point in time, Emily and Tanya had it. They used it to become the legendary Hunters that trapped Answerman James in Hell. But it was tragically stolen the same day they trapped him.
The worst part is, no one even knew it was stolen until we went to go find it to send back Carlos.
"You know how I feel about that," she responded, rolling her eyes. "As long as I'm alive, we're not getting it."
I pouted and she laughed at me before turning to go meet with her closest friend Emily. I never knew why she was so against the book. Maybe it was because it reminded her of the family that she lost, or maybe it was because she blamed herself for the destruction of the planet. Whatever the reason, she shuts down any ideas of me going after it.
It wasn't until she was completely gone that I allowed myself to think about what I had just seen.
I knew Sibyl was partners with Katianna, but I didn't know she was the one to speak. The one to encourage the crowd of poor, unaware souls who didn't know their plans for destruction.
My sister, my twin, was up there. And she didn't even recognize me. Those eyes should have grown or, at the very least, crinkled in anger. But in them, I saw nothing but confusion. The girl that I grew up with didn't even know who I was. In a way, that's worse than the fact that I have sentenced myself to death by going up there.
But hey, I had to show them that they weren't the only ones. I had to show them that I had access to the same things that they did. Katianna wasn't aware of my contacts. She wasn't aware of the things that I could get a hold of. If only she knew, maybe she would think twice about trying to control the world.
~SIBYL POV~
"I'm not changing my decision," Katianna declared after much pleading for her to call Samson back.
"Please, Kate. She's my sister and I have to protect family at all costs," I begged again.
She just laughed at my statement. "If I remember correctly, you came to me because you hated them. You agreed to join my cause, which means you agreed to the price that comes with it. Family is a part of that price."
"But she's my sister," I whispered to myself quietly. Katianna didn't hear me, and if she did, she didn't care. She moved right along to the next order of business.
"So I've been hearing rumors that some old members from the Hunters are grouping together again to try to overthrow us. Any ideas on what to do about that?" She asked like the previous conversation never happened.
I just shook my head no. It was times like these that I really hated her. She didn't care about the past and she didn't think about the consequences of her actions. Then, when something newer and bigger came along, she'd forget all about the first thing and it's importance. I loved her, but at the same time, I hated her.
She pulled out the book that amazed me on the first day we met and flung it open. Then, she recited some words in it to call one of our closest allies.
"Good to see you again," he said when the calling process was complete.
Katianna smiled deviously. "You as well. I have something that I need you to do."
Carlos grinned and stared into Katianna's eyes like he always did when he arrived. It was like they could hold a single conversation just between the two of them and their pupils. I never understood it.
"Okay. What is it you need me to do?" He asked as he sat down on the rug with his legs tucked underneath him. He looked so small and almost childlike in that position. Which was ironic, considering he was probably the only being more powerful than Kate.
Katianna paced circles around the dark angel before finally sitting beside him and whispering her request in his ear. As usual, I didn't get to hear what she wanted him to do. Kate never included me in her plans until they were already in motion. I didn't know why. Did she think I wasn't to be trusted? That I would screw it up? I had been working with her for over two years now. I've seen her do things that no other human could be able to comprehend. If I was going to betray her, wouldn't I have done it already?
When Kate pulled away, Carlos just stared at her in fascination, wonder held in his gaze. "Do you seriously want me to do that?" She bit her lip and nodded her head. He chuckled and rose from the ground. "I guess I better get to it then."
With that, he patted down his pants to remove dust from the floor and sauntered out of our house.
"What are you planning?" I questioned. She glared at me in response. I knew I shouldn't have asked, but my curiosity got the best of me.
"Oh sweetheart, haven't you learned to mind your own business?" She spoke with a sharp bitterness that shook over me.
Then, with a strange and unusual burst of confidence, I laughed. Loud, bubbly, maniacal laughter exploded from deep within my lungs. "Mind my own business? This is my business. It always has been!" I choked out the words between the fits of my laughter. "In fact, I think you should learn to mind your business."
Without realizing what I was doing until it was too late, I yanked a prized possession of hers off of the table beside her and ran out of the door that Carlos exited from just moments before. I could hear Kate calling after me. I could feel the rush of her feet as she tried to chase me down, but it was no use. I was faster. Stronger. More durable. Katianna had trained me to lead a nation, but she had also taught me how to run and fight like a soldier. Maybe she should have picked up those skills herself.
"If you don't come back here, I'm going to curse you and your family!" She screamed from behind me.
Immediately, I stopped and turned to face her. Widening my grin, I held up her "magic" book. "How are you going to do anything without this?"
For the second time that day, I saw true fear and wonder in her eyes. She hadn't realized I had taken the thing that contained all of her power. "Bring that back right now," she hissed.
Again, I laughed. "You'll have to kill me first." And then I was running again. Only this time, I couldn't sense her behind me.
I was now in power and without her book, Katianna was nothing.