{ “If Only She Knows” }
” Where’s Sylvia!!!” He thundered, shaking the empire walls with his scary voice.
He looked at Black angrily, and his eyes raged with more fire. Black stood still, thinking whether he should stay behind and fight or escape.
Shadow immediately sped to him and made to start dealing with him, when he spotted Sylvia gasping for life. His anger suddenly vanished and he attended to her, then Black took that as the perfect opportunity to escape.
As she kept gasping, he carried her and pressed her cheeks with two fingers, forcing her mouth open. He closed his eyes and kissed her immediately, breathing life into her.
Sylvia closed her eyes as well and held his face, feeling relieved eventually. Her condition stabilized and Shadow broke the kiss to stare at her.
” Are you okay?” He said caringly, caressing her face.
She looked at his face, but instead she saw the betraying image of Black. She couldn’t help but get angry at him.
She stood from him and wiped her lips, then stormed out of the room. Shadow stood and stared at her door, then he sighed and palmed his head.
♣ LUCAS CEMETERY ♣
Eagle was alone, sitting in front of Easter’s grave. He held a bouquet of flowers and wore a black outfit with shades on, and many other flowers were surrounding her grave as well.
He dropped the flower and started to play with the sand on her grave casually, picking it up and letting it pour down.
He patted the sand on her grave and smiled sadly.
” Make sure you take care of yourself. The empire is really something else without your tech expertise.” He said, then he kissed the grave and stood to leave.
Immediately he turned back, he staggered back with startledness only to see Foster. She was wearing a stylish black short gown as well.
” W… What the…” Eagle said unbelievably, pulling down his shades to look at her more clearly.
” I’m not her ghost. I’m just her twin sister, and my name is Foster.” Foster quickly explained, leaving Eagle dumbfounded and speechless.
She went to Easter’s grave and revealed a single rose flower she held, dropping it on her grave. She made to leave immediately, but Eagle held her back.
She smiled, as if she knew what was about to happen next. She turned to him and folded her arms, then he left her.
” I just wanna say… How long have you been standing behind me?” He asked.
” Long enough to hear what you said to my sister.” She replied. ” And also, I’m the new tech expertise, so you have nothing to worry about. She taught me everything she knew before she left.” She said further.
She turned to leave again, but Eagle held her back again. This time she gave him an annoyed look.
” You can’t just appear and leave the way you want. You have to tell me what your mission in the empire is. Why did you suddenly appear after your sister died?” He inquired suspisciously.
” It’s none of your business. Just leave me alone and maybe I won’t murder you.” She said threateningly and quickly ran off before he could hold her.
♣ EMPIRE CLINIC ♣
Inside the clinic, Barbie and Bomb were present. Barbie was shedding tears bitterly on the bed while Bomb paced about.
” So… It’s true? You really lost the baby?” He said and stopped right in front of her. Barbie didn’t reply and kept crying.
She doesn’t know what the exact cause of her tears is. She doesn’t even care about the baby, she just feels empty, like inside out. All her emotions are mixed.
Bomb grunted frustratedly and grabbed fistfuls of his head aggressively. When he left his head, disappointment and agony was boldly written on his face. He was deeply hurt by the loss as well.
” I already swore to protect that baby, even if it’d cost my life. So you ended up killing that baby? This is what the poor innocent soul gets?” Bomb said to her, making her wail even louder.
Sniper and Virus suddenly barged into the room. Barbie seized her tears immediately, and Bomb was looking at them with surprise and wonder.
” You’re the real culprit here, Bomb. It was you who put pills in her drink to make her horny and drowsy, and you used that advantage to sleep with her.” Sniper accused, making Bomb’s eyes widen madly.
Barbie’s countenance switched to a shocked one as well.
” And as if that wasn’t enough, you went ahead to put abortion pills in her drink, which made her lose the baby. You drugged and R@PED her Bomb, and you killed the baby as well. You’re basically a murderer and bloody monster.” Virus accused as well, making Bomb’s eyes grow more wider.
He started trembling, panting and sweating all at once. The feeling of guilt and regret began to override him insanely.
He slowly turned back to Barbie to see that she was standing already. Her lips quivered, and she palmed her mouth with teary eyes.
” You…” She pointed at him shakily, and he collapsed to his knees.
” I’m sorry. I swear, I only drugged and slept with you. I wasn’t responsible for the loss of that baby, I swear with everything I have.” He said seriously, but Barbie wasn’t accepting it.
She screamed and turned sharply on a spot like a mad person. She then faced him with a murderous intention, shaking with rage.
She picked up a glass bottle and didn’t think twice before throwing it at him. He quickly dodged, so it met Virus behind him. The glass broke on her and she got wet with its content.
” Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrgghh!!!” She screamed as her skin began melting. It was actually a strong acid solution that she got bathed with.
Barbie screamed madly and threw another glass bottle, filled with a green substance. She threw it at him again, but he stood and quickly put Sniper in front of him.
Her eyes widened, and the glass crashed on her. Bomb released her as she started shouting crazily. She inhaled the toxic substance and blood poured out of all holes in her body, then she collapsed dead.
Bomb began to step back as Barbie walked dangerously to him. At that exact moment, Sylvia appeared at the door, making her stop her madness.
She had been there the whole while, listening to everything that happened. The disappointed look on her face proved so.
” I trusted you, Barbie. Even if the other mafiosos were so stupid and stubborn, you were supposed to be smarter than them. But you even stopped so low to sleep with him?” Sylvia accused.
Barbie opened her mouth as if to talk, but no words cane out. What could she possibly say to defend herself?
Silence descended in the room, and the air was filled with toxic chemicals, distrust and pain.
” Sylvia, I…” Barbie tried to speak, but Sylvia interrupted her.
” It’s over. I don’t want to hear a single word from you, because there’s possibly nothing you could say to defend yourself. Both of you should pack your things and disappear from my empire for life.” She declared, then she left before any of them could say anything.
Barbie fell on her knees and palmed the ground, resuming her bitter tears. Bomb looked down with regret and left the room.
★★★
Sylvia went to a private garden in the empire, a place where she alone has access to. It’s a beautiful place of nature filled with flourishing trees and sweet-smelling flowers around. It’s a place of peace for her.
She dejectedly sat down by the base of an apple tree and began brooding. As she did, tears weakly escaped from her eyelids, rolling down to her chin.
Every Füçkin’ body that she has ever trusted in her life have betrayed her. There’s no one to trust anymore, absolutely no one to love or understand her.
Everytime she tries to trust… She always ends up getting hurt. She’s always the victim that ends up with a scattered heart.
But why? Why does it have to be her alone? Has she commited a sin in her past life that’s warranting all these unbearable heartaches for her?
She even started to fall in love for Shadow, to an extent that she kissed his doppelganger without knowing. She feels so stupid right now, and had a flashback to what happened 14 years ago.
♣ FLASHBACK ∞ 14 YEARS AGO ♣
Sylvia and Barbie were brought to stand before Godmother Emerald, the leader of Darkblood Empire. She has a fearsome look on her face and looks like a Chinese woman.
Both children were trembling and kneeling with their heads down. Their clothes were soiled, like they fell into muddy water or something.
She smirked, rolling her eyes to both of the children. She went to them and touched their heads, closing her eyes as well.
She inhaled, then she left their heads. She made them stand, and they looked at her scaredly.
” Please pardon us ma. We didn’t mean to harm anyone. We were just hungry and looking for food when these men suddenly grabbed us.” Sylvia explained, pleading pitifully.
” I don’t care about that. You both are now in my Mafia World. I’ll train you both till you learn how to defend and fight for yourselves. You’ll learn a lot from me as long as you’re here. But always remember this; emotions are for the weak only.” She said and smiled wickedly, then both friends exchanged confused glances.
After that day, Sylvia and Barbie went through tortorous and hellish trainings. Not a single day passed without any of them bleeding. They already thought that they would die, but didn’t know that the trainings would make them stronger.
A day occured when Sylvia met with a young slave boy her age. They both became instant friends and grew fond of each other, so much that their childhood friendship began turning to love.
Godmother Emerald discovered them and decided to teach Sylvia a lesson. She made Sylvia stand alone in a room, then the guards brought in the boy who was blindfolded, then he was forced to kneel in front of her.
Sylvia was already in tears, as well as Dexter. Godmother Emerald came in as well and handed Sylvia a gun.
” I already warned you that emotions are for the weak, and you have the guts to be having a love life with my slave boy. Or did you think I wouldn’t find out?” Godmother Emerald said, her eyes void of any kindness.
” I’m sorry. I promise it’d never happen again.” Sylvia sobbed.
” I know, and I believe you.” Godmother Emerald replied and gave her a pretentious smile, which made Sylvia confused and scared until she said the next words.
” Shoot him on the forehead, and don’t you dare miss.” She ordered, and both children gasped.
” No! I don’t wanna kill him, please!” Sylvia shouted and hugged her leg, but Godmother Emerald kicked her roughly, flinging her across the room.
She picked up the gun and placed it on Dexter’s forehead. Dexter trembled more fearfully and Sylvia’s eyes were shaking.
” Kill him, or else I’ll do it myself and kill you as well.” She threatened seriously.
Sylvia stood shakily, then she walked back to her and collected the gun. It was shaking in her hands as she placed it on Dexter’s skull.
” Do it.” Godmother Emerald said persuasively, and Sylvia closed her eyes.
” I’m sorry.” She whispered, then she pulled the trigger on Dexter’s head.
His head blew off with a loud gunshot. He fell dead, then Sylvia dropped the gun and sped out of the room.
Godmother Emerald held her wicked smile contentedly as Barbie was also watching from a corner, crying as well.
♣ FLASHBACK ENDS ∞ PRESENT ♣
Till today, the memory is fresh in her head. She just wished godmother Emerald had killed her that time. Maybe if she was dead, she wouldn’t be facing all these problems.
” I swear to never fall in love in my life. If I do, may I suffer a horrible death.” She remembered her oath to Godmother Emerald, and she started to cry hard.
It must be the oath that dealt with her earlier. The fact that she woke up gasping for life must be a sign that she has fallen in love, and she’s just starting to pay for the consequences.
She swore… She’s never going to fall for anyone again. She’ll never be fooled, she’ll never trust, she’ll never be defeated. She’ll get rid of her heart and become merciless.
She heard footsteps coming into the garden, which made her stand at alert. She looked around, but there was no signs of anyone coming, and the footsteps stopped.
She felt a presence behind her and grabbed the gun in her pocket. She yelled mightily and turned back with the aim of shooting whoever it was, but froze when she saw it was Shadow.
The gun was right on his chest, but she wasn’t ready to drop it. She glared fiercely at him and kept her finger upon the trigger, ready to kill him right then.
Shadow brought out a stunning diamond necklace, which shone bright and beautiful. She still wasn’t moved by this and pressed the gun more into his chest.
” Diamond.” He called her, making her face turned pale. It made her flashback to the times that her father used to call her that same name.
They both stared with silence, only the noise of the blowing wind was heard.
He carefully placed the necklace around her neck, and it fitted her so perfectly. He then ran his fingers on her hair affectionately and stopped his finger on her mask, which made her stop breathing.
He pulled it down without warning, revealing her exclusively beautiful face. She looks just like a real diamond.
” I’m sorry for wh@tëver pains I might have caused you. But please… Don’t try to ignore me, or I might die for real. It hurts when you’re angry with me.” He confessed, holding her face dearly.
She slowly let go pf the gun on his chest, making it fall to the ground. She held his hands and stared back with mixed feelings.
She’s not ready to start feeling any emotions. If she does, she might end up hurting one of them, which she’d definitely regret.
She left him and took some steps back, turning her back on him.
” I’m sorry. I can’t be this close to you any longer. Let us have a healthy boundary between ourselves, for your own good.” She said reasonably and started to leave.
Shadow wasn’t ready to let go of her easily. He immediately went to her and pulled her back, causing her to lose her balance.
She almost fell, but he quickly put his arm under her waist, holding her up. Her hand also went to his shoulders as their faces stayed close.
” Please… Let me stay close to you. If you keep doing this to me, I’ll end up kissing you. You’re making me go crazy, Sylvia.” He said, and his eyes landed on her lips.
She tried to release herself stubbornly from him, but he only held her stronger to himself.
She started to imagine Shadow as Dexter. It made her so paranoid that she slapped him soundly, and his face went sideways.
Shadow wasn’t expecting that shocking slap, and turned back to her with a blank look. She escaped from his arms and stood on her own, frowning greatly at him.
” I allowed you to work with me in my empire, just to defeat and take down Thorn. You are nothing more than a partner to me, you hear me!” She shouted, causing his heart to ache.
” But Sylvia… You know we’re more than that. Anytime I’m close to you, I can feel a connection between us. I feel like we’re supposed to be more than just partners. Please, you just have to understand.” Shadow said hurtfully.
” I banned intimacy in my empire for a reason. It makes you weak and distracted, just like it did to me many years ago. I’m sorry Shadow, but it’s over. Never come close to me again, or you’ll regret it.” She spoke seriously.
She removed the diamond necklace from her neck and threw it at him. He caught it and stared down at it dejectedly, but when he looked up she was already gone.
He bit his lips, looking like he was about to cry and held his hair. He blinked profusely, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to come out.
” If only she knows. If only she knows.” He kept repeating to himself.
TBC. To Be Continued.
