Chapter Four
"But this is where you come in."
Thirty years ago....
"Ivan! Come here! Quickly!" Ivan could hear his sister calling for him. He quickly stood up from his desk and hurried outside to her. He looked as his older and younger sister was laying down a hooded character, he couldn't see his face.
"Who is that?" Ivan questioned.
"We don't know. He collapsed outside and we brought him in." His older sister said. The younger one only stood there with her arms crossed and watching them. Ivan came over and looked toward the young man laying on the couch.
"Katyusha, why would you just bring him in?" Ivan questioned as he looked down at the boy, a dark but light blonde hair hid under that cloak, but it seemed like he was unconscious. "Toris!" He called. A young, long brown-haired boy came in, a smaller dark blonde following with him.
"Yes sir?" Toris questioned.
"Can you please get a cloth or two and some water?" He put his hand on the boy's forehead. "He's very warm."
"He was freezing cold when we carried him in." Katyusha said. "He's warm now?" Ivan titled his head a bit, confused on what to do next, and looked toward Toris and the other boy.
"Raivis, you get a blanket." Ivan ordered. The smaller boy nodded and the two left as Ivan stood up and away. "He was just on the ground?" Natalia nodded as well as Katyusha did. "He isn't... dead right?..." Katyusha gulped. Ivan looked back down and checked him.
"He's breathing."
"G-Good." Katyusha sighed in relief as Toris and Raivis returned with the objects Ivan needed. He wet the cloth with some of the water and placed it on the boy's head, then covered his body with the blanket. The boy's eyes twitched a bit but he didn't wake up. "What do we do?"
"Leave him until he wakes up." Ivan scratched the side of his head. "That's all we can do." Katyusha nodded and sat on the other couch across from the boy, Natalia sat too. "You two watch him, I'm going to go call the police."
"Phones are dead." Natalia said.
"What?"
"They aren't working." She said again. Ivan sighed and left toward the kitchen to get the phone, picking it up and trying to get a call out but nothing really happened. Ivan rubbed his temples a bit and looked around, maybe a cord was lose or something. After all, all the way out here, it was hard to get any wires out there in the first place. Ivan walked back out into the living room where the boy was still sleeping. Natalia and Katyusha looked at him. "What do we do?"
"Just let him be..." Ivan sighed. "I just don't know right now."
OOO
"Thank you very much for your help!" The young man spoke to them. Ivan watched carefully as Katyusha smiled at him, Natalia stayed in her same emotionless face. Raivis, Toris, and another one, Eduard, stayed off to the side in case they were needed. "I appreciate the help very much. I'm at your service."
"Who are you?" Ivan quickly asked.
"You can call me Roma." He said. "That's what I go by anyway."
"Where did you come from?"
"Town. I going down the path when I got lost and this... dog attacked me. I ran and I found your house. I'm not a runner so when I got here I was exhausted and passed out." Roma said. "I'm a bit sick because of the rain too."
"Just stay under the blanket." Katyusha said. "It'll keep you warm for now."
"I'll see if we have any medicine for your cold." Ivan began to walk but Natalia stopped him.
"I'll get it brother."
"I got it." Ivan hissed a bit and walked into the bathroom, he didn't feel like putting up with his sister's admirations right now. He knew she cared deeply for him, a little too much though and he found it embarrassing in front of guests. Roma smiled a bit though, sensing the dark mood between them and smiled at Natalia, who only glared at first then turned away.
They decided to let Roma stay on the couch for the night because of the storms. Raivis, Toris, and Eduard were the first to go to their bed, Ivan let them go to bed early for their help. Katyusha was so tired Ivan had to help her up the stairs to bed, him and Natalia were some of the last. He fell asleep quickly. But she didn't. She ventured down the stairs to get a drink of water from the kitchen, but Roma's voice stopped him. "Hello miss~"
"What do you want?" Natalia glared.
"I have a question."
"What?"
"What is the relationship between you and Mr. Ivan?" Roma titled his head.
"My brother." Natalia gulped.
"Why does it look like there's more then? Do you two not get along?" Roma asked. Natalia gulped again and shook her head. Ivan never appreciated her, ever. Everything she did he never thanked her for or praised her. She hated that. "He doesn't appreciate you darling~ Come here~" She looked over at the boy's glowing red eyes, the only thing that was really lit in the dark room. Natalia gulped and came over a bit, it seemed like she couldn't stop herself from going over. She said next to him as he looked into her eyes. "Maybe we should... fix that... huh?..."
OOO
"You don't understand at all!" Natalia yelled. Ivan stood there with his arms crossed as Natalia continued to yell out of no where. She was always calm, until this moment. He stood there and listened as she continued to yell. "What am I to you! ?"
"My little sister."
"That's it! ? After everything I do for you! ?" She growled and quickly grabbed onto her brother's arms. "W-Why do you treat me like this?"
"I treat you like the way I should treat my sister." Ivan simply said. "Natalia I have nothing to tell you. You're my-" She quickly jumped in and kissed the Russian's lips. He automatically pushed her away and even into the wall with a thump. He gulped a bit and reached over to help her but she slapped his hand away.
"Don't touch me! Jerk!" Natalia slapped him and quickly ran out the door before Ivan could say another word. What's gotten into her?... Why was she acting like that?... He rubbed his cheek and shook his head, he just didn't understand.
He had no idea this would change everything either....
It was quiet, not even the falling snow made a sound. Ivan sat in his study room writing in his journal, the one he had kept since his parents had died. He knew the three servants had their day off as they relaxed up stairs, reading books, talking, or cooking for fun. He knew Katyusha was knitting something for him, she had said it would be a small gift for him. He didn't know where Natalia was. She was mad at him and hadn't spoken a word to him after their argument the night before. Roma stayed on the couch, though the creepy smile he had on his face made Ivan feel uneasy. He shook his head and continued writing, the door was closed but he still felt as if someone was still watching him.
That's when she came in, during all that silence she barged in. "You're going to regret this..." Natalia growled.
"W-What?"
"You're going to regret this! I'll steal everything that matters to you! You will be dead inside and out! You'll never touch another human being! You'll never feel emotion! You'll be alone forever! Forever Ivan! You won't even get the chance to die! You'll never be loved like I had!" Her eyes were as red as Roma's, and the creepy boy stood behind her with his black cloth covering him. Ivan's eyes widen as he could see that boy's creepy smile once again, he believed he even saw a fang sticking out of his mouth. "Roma! Do it now!" Roma's smile widen as he lifted his hand, a flash of light blinded Ivan.
He couldn't remember anything. He couldn't feel anything. He slowly rolled onto his back, feeling the hard floor underneath him he moaned in some pain. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up, only seeing Roma sitting in his chair smoking a cigar from one of his cases. Ivan gulped a bit and looked at him. "W-Wh....what happened?..." Ivan gasped completely breathless.
"You're little sister was easy to brainwash." Roma let out a puff. "She fell into my trap and took my deal."
"W-What are you... talking about?..."
"I'm magical, Ivan. I have certain powers that can take over your minds and bodies. You're alone now." He stood up as Ivan forced himself to get to his forearms, then to his knees. He panted, barely able to breath, as he looked up at Roma.
"What did you.. .do?..."
"What your sister said. You're alone, you'll never be loved again. You're stuck here forever."
"W-What..."
"I cast a spell on you and your home. You're alone, forever."
"Where are my sisters! ?" Ivan yelled but Roma only smiled more. He lifted a chest up from the ground and shook it around. Ivan gasped and grabbed onto his chest as pain struck his entire core. He shook in pain as he fell back to the ground, not able to even breathe anymore. Roma dropped the chest on the ground as Ivan screamed in pain. "S-Stop! What is that! ? What are you doing! ?"
"This, this is your entire being." Roma held the chest in his hands. "Your heart."
"W-What?"
"Your sisters are gone. Your three friends are gone. This house is empty and you will never leave it." Roma smiled as the windows slammed and locked shut, the shutters closing on them. Nails flew in out of no where and flung into the window, nailing it shut. Ivan panted as he looked, Roma placing the chest down on his seat and getting onto his knees next to Ivan. "I took your heart. It's no longer beating in your body but in that chest. You'll never die because of that. You'll be stuck here, alone, forever."
"W-Why?... why did you..."
"It keeps me young. I'm over 600 years old, Ivan. Every spell I cast that takes lives keeps me young. This was my chance to become immortal." Roma smiled. "Thank you~ my first spell with removing someone's entire life makes me feel so alive!~" Ivan attempted to grab onto him but his hand fell to the ground as Roma stood up. A tear seemed to slid down Ivan's face as he dropped back to the floor.
"Let me die..."
"You can't. Your heart will continuing beating in that wooden chest until the spell is broken. Until then, you won't die."
"How long will that be! ?"
"It's tricky. Until someone loves you." Roma smiled. "Until you actually use your heart. Until one person loves you and connects with you. Only then will you get your heart back and become human." He smiled more. "But, if you find this person that you love and they don't love back, or they love and you don't love back, you'll begin to die. You'll know that your death is coming with pain." Ivan laid on the ground and shook, unable to understand any of this situation. "You killed them all... you did this to me..." He got to his knees then to his feet, able to stand this time. "You bastard!" He quickly grabbed onto Roma and slammed him into the wall, lifting him up by his own throat. Roma panicked and tried to get away but Ivan's rage only forced him to chock him harder. "You'll pay!" Roma's hands began to glow as he pushed Ivan away, but that wasn't enough. He quickly grabbed onto Roma's throat again and twisted it, breaking the boy's neck then tossing him onto the ground like a piece of shit.
Ivan stood there shaking, his eyes completely blank, his face pale of any color. He held onto the wall and used it to help himself out into the other room. He looked over as the house was completely empty. His face stayed blank of any emotion as he tried to walk over to the stairs, only to fall by the couch. He looked up as he saw a light pink scarf laying on it, just finished in time. The needles lay on the floor like they were dropped, the scarf just laid there complete. He lost it. Ivan let his tears out as he lifted up the scarf his sister had made him, the last thing she probably did before.... He couldn't bear to think of it anymore....
He was done...
Matthew stood against the wall as Ivan stood in front of him. Ivan blinked and looked down at Matthew who only gulped. There was nothing to say anymore, the story was told. Matthew's eyes moved from Ivan's to the chest sitting in front of the bed, his heart? That's where it is?...He looked back up at Ivan and opened his mouth to say something but Ivan quickly kissed the boy's forehead and hurried out the door before he could say another word. Matthew stood there in a bit of shock and even blushed as he looked toward the Russian walking out the door. He closed the door behind him and stood against the wall next to it.
Ivan clutched onto his chest in pain....
OOO
"Alfred! You can't be serious!" Kiku tried grabbing onto Alfred's arm but he pulled away and grabbed the rest of his bullets. Kiku backed away as Alfred loaded his gun then put the other bullets in his pocket.
"I'm going in to get him!" Alfred yelled. "H-He was- no, he is my friend. He's like a brother to me. I gotta get him!"
"He could be dead by now!"
"Whether he's alive or not, I'm getting him out. If he's alive, I'll get him home. If he's dead... I'll avenge him... and kill that monster!" Alfred fixed his glasses as he put his gun into his back pocket. "I'm going to end this!"