Page 72

SISI

T he battle continues with Vlad keeping a comfortable distance, but still striking at him with his axe. Yet one wrong move and the giant's axe passes right by Vlad's arm, the blade skirting the skin just close enough to scratch him and draw blood.

My heart in my throat, I can't help it as I stand up, my hands held together in a prayer.

A cruel smile appears on Vlad's face as his fingers brush against the blood on his shoulder and he brings it to his lips.

The giant cocks his head as if he's trying to understand what he's doing. And right in that moment Vlad strikes.

He's so fast it's almost unreal as he swings the axe right at the base of the man's neck.

But instead of trying to breach the armor, he does something else.

He lodges the blade right where the helmet meets the chest armor, and wiggling it around, he applies enough force to lift the helmet up a little.

He retreats, removing the blade and twirling in a blinding move that even his opponent has a hard time following.

Switching hands, he places the axe in his left hand, distracting the man with his right as he repeats the blow. This time, the momentum serves to help him send the helmet flying in the air.

The man releases a battle cry, his eyes wide and crazed as he simply charges Vlad.

I watch Vlad's expression's attentively, and I notice the way his lips curl up, his eyes crinkling with amusement.

He's enjoying this.

The man is on him just as Vlad throws the axe aside, the force propelling it somewhere in the bleachers. Then, using his hand, he spreads his open palms on the giant's shoulders even as the spikes seek to burn holes through his skin.

A gasp escapes me at the sight.

But he knows what he's doing.

Hands on his shoulders, he lifts himself in the air. One moment he's doing a handstand on the man's shoulders, the spikes entering his hands, blood slowly pouring out of the wounds, the next he's behind him, doing a spin in the air and landing back to back with the man.

But this time, he manages to grab the giant's neck in the space between his armpit and his elbow, putting pressure right at the unprotected area of the neck.

Their heights are similar, but as Vlad increases the pressure on the man's neck, he starts bending backwards, following Vlad's movements.

I note the slight curl of the corner of his mouth, the way he starts slowly walking, dragging the giant's body with him.

It's all a game.

It was all a game. I'm almost sure he let himself get hit to make the other man think he was going down and then gain an opening over him.

The giant continues to struggle, Vlad's grip on his neck is too strong to allow for any movement.

He drags his flailing body in a circle all around the stadium in a slow fuck you to Miles. Heading back to the middle, he looks up at the booth as he simply squeezes tightly, the neck snapping, the man's movements stopping.

Instead of letting the body fall to the floor, though, he takes the axe the man had dropped and grabbing him by the hair; he proceeds to cut the head off the body.

Three hits—that's all it takes for the head to become detached from the neck, blood flowing to the floor.

"Ew." Bianca scrunches up her nose in disgust.

Rotating his arm backwards, Vlad leans back before throwing the head with all the strength he can muster toward the booth where Miles is. The glass crashes as the head breaks through.

"Vlad," I call out, but he doesn't hear me.

Instead, he's walking slowly, yet intently toward the booth. His entire body is strung high, adrenaline coursing through his veins and making him even more unpredictable than his reputation.

I want to go to him, but Marcello holds me back, shaking his head and telling me to let him deal with it.

And as I turn my head back in Vlad's direction, I see him climb up the wall, using different wires to hold his balance until he reaches the booth.

Using his fist, he smashes more of the glass until he can fit inside. But he doesn't go in. No, he reaches inside the booth, his hand taking hold of a piece of material before he throws a body out.

"What…" My mouth is hanging open as I stare at what just happened.

There's a man on the floor of the arena. A small, old man who has the most twisted smile I've ever seen. Even as he struggles to get off the ground, blood already pouring out of a head wound, he's arrogantly smirking at Vlad.

Jumping from the booth, Vlad's eyes are completely glazed as he heads toward whom I presume is Miles.

"I was right," the man starts, "you are my little miracle."

"Tell me," Vlad growls as he keeps his pace, slowly advancing, his eyes completely focused on Miles. "Tell me," he repeats in a deadly voice that should make people shudder.

Instead, it only makes Miles laugh more, looking at Vlad with a mix of awe and satisfaction.

"You are my greatest achievement," he says, his eyes sparkling with delusion.

"And you'll be my greatest kill," Vlad sneers, his nostrils flared as he takes one more step, his arms riled up with tension, the veins protruding, his muscles strained.

"Really?" Miles arches an eyebrow. "Without finding out what happened to your sister?" he chuckles, and that sick sound is already grating on my nerves.

I want to get there myself and kill him for everything he's put Vlad through. He deserves nothing but the worst torture imaginable for everything he's done.

My own blood is boiling as I cannot wait to see how he meets his end.

"You killed her," Vlad spits the words out, and I feel his rage as my own.

"No, Sisi," Marcello tightens his grip on my arm as I try to go to him again, "let him see this through." He nods at me.

But just as I'm about to say something, Miles' maniacal laugh resounds in the entire arena, the echo reverberating through every nook and corner.

"Me? Think again." His mouth twists up in arrogance, just as he lifts his hand, a small remote control in his hands.

The doors of the arena open again, this time five soldiers coming through. My eyes widen as I realize that Miles never intended to tell Vlad anything. He merely wanted to test his strengths.

"You're dead," Vlad threatens when he sees the other people come into the stadium.

"I wonder…" Miles quips as he presses a button on the remote control.

The screen flares to life once more, the picture from before now a video.

We all turn to look at the screen as the events start playing. What was before two children comforting each other in the darkness soon turns into the most gruesome scene I've ever witnessed.

Tears make their way down my cheeks as I see Vanya fall to the ground, her body beaten and battered, a huge hole in her chest leaking blood.

But my heart hurts even more for the boy next to her. The one who's holding her still beating heart, crushing it in his grip—all the blood draining to the floor.

His eyes are completely blank as he stares at her corpse, as he simply lifts the heart to his lips, his mouth closing over the organ as he bites into it.

"What the fuck," I hear Marcello's voice behind me.

Bianca and Adrian are both saying something, but I can only stare at the events playing on the screen.

"No… No…" Vlad's voice reaches my ears as he too stares at the screen, his eyes wide, his mouth hanging open in shock. "It can't be…"

"It's fake. It has to be fake," I whisper, even though I know it to be real.

"Oh, Vanya, what happened?" My voice breaks as I realize that this might very well be the end.

Vlad falls to his knees, his entire body trembling, a loud howling sound escaping his lips.

"Let me go, Marcello. I need to be with him."

I have to be with him.

Because I feel his pain as my own, and my entire being is quaking with anguish.

His features are drawn back in so much pain, torturous sounds escaping his lips as he brings his fists to his chest, banging them loudly against his ribcage.

I know what he's doing. He's trying to punish himself.

I can't let him.

"Let me go, please. You don't understand." I try to wrench myself away from my brother, knowing that every second matters.

There's an urgency inside of me, an instinctual reaction because I know this can only end one way.

"No, Sisi. It's too dangerous. He is too dangerous."

I shake my head, my limbs trembling.

He hurts, I hurt.

"No, Marcello. I need to get to him. I need to get to him before…" The words die on my lips as I see the sudden change. The change I knew was going to come.

No.

"No," I whisper, my entire heart breaking as I see him give in to this sorrow and embrace the darkness. "No, Vlad, please don't," I continue, even knowing it's already in vain.

There's nothing left behind his eyes.

Nothing.

He's gone.

A gasp escapes me as I realize the immensity of just what happened—of what will continue to happen. He'll just retreat into himself until he loses himself completely.

"Let go!" I cry out, desperation clawing at me as I see him slowly stand up, the predator in him awake and ready for blood.

And it only takes a few steps for him to reach Miles, wrapping one hand around his neck while the other is holding on to his head.

Even Miles' gaze is now full of horror as he realizes what he's unleashed.

A little pressure from his fingers and his neck bends sideways, his eyes dead to the world. Just like him. But Vlad doesn't stop. No, that's not right. This Vlad doesn't stop.

He continues to turn the head around until the vertebrae are all broken, a flap of skin the only thing holding the head attached to the rest of the body.

Bracing his knee on his shoulders, though, he pulls at the head until even the skin gives way, blood gushing out and splattering all over Vlad's naked body.

"What the…" Adrian is flabbergasted as he and Bianca stare at this display of savagery.

Except it doesn't end.

He takes Miles' head and crushes it against the ground until the brain is scattered all over the floor, the skull shattered in a million pieces.

He's sheer force and brutality.

No humanity left.