Avelina
"Dad!" I screamed as I beheld the wounds that marred his flesh. The sight horrified me, leaving me paralyzed in my spot. My hands instinctively flew to cover my mouth, but they too shook with uncertainty, unsure of what action to take.
Suddenly, a hand forcefully gripped my jaw, holding me in place. The culprit forced me to meet his gaze, his eyes filled with fury. "You say one more word like that, and I'll tear your father into mere pieces before your very damn eyes," Matteo threatened.
My jaw could break into two at any point; his furious eyes were capable of reducing my world to ashes. He possessed the power to destroy me effortlessly, but I refused to succumb. If destruction awaited, it would not be at his hands, not without a fight.
"But for that, you need to stay in one piece," Without giving him another chance to think over my words, I seized his hand. With my claws extended, I struck his face, tearing through the layers of his neck with calculated precision.
My feral side roared to life. Its essence coursed through my veins, empowering me in such a way that I didn't even feel the need for physical transformation. She was in my veins, her primal powers surged through my blood, pulsating with every rapid beat of my heart.
Hissing, Matteo instantly backed away from the impact of my strike, while the men behind my back attempted to retaliate with their weapons. However, Dante swiftly intervened, holding his hand out and restraining them. Seizing the opportunity, I delivered a powerful kick to the ribs of those vile individuals, sending them hurtling across the room.
For whatever reason Dante decided to stop his guards, I was going to make sure, it was his worst decision.
"Avelina, don't do this," my dad pleaded, his struggle for breath tugging at my heart.
"Don't worry, Dad. You'll be fine," I reassured him, momentarily softening my gaze. But as my eyes fell upon the brothers, the rage crawled up every inch of my skin.
"Do you know what an artist's greatest talent is?" I asked, approaching Matteo slowly. He regarded me with scepticism, lacking any trace of fear or surprise, as if he already knew too much about me.
He was not afraid, but rather curious.
"They can find art in everything—destruction, power, or even death itself. And tonight....." A smirk tugged at my lips, "The only art I see before my eyes is the art of death."
Before I could strike at Matteo again, I was abruptly slammed against the wall, left standing several feet away, disoriented and momentarily stunned.
Now, Dante's familiar grey eyes locked with mine, his grip on my wrist tight and bone-crushing as he pinned me against the wall. His rage, even more, intense than his brother's, simmered beneath the dark shadow of his orbs.
The proximity was suffocating. With my chest pressed against his and his breath falling on my face that prevented every way of escape from him, I couldn't think straight or find a way to gather myself together. His presence, like Matteo's, was terrifying.
"Listen, dollface. We have no intention of killing you or ending your precious little life here," he began, his tone low and threatening. "However, if you continue with these pathetic, futile attacks of yours, we may reconsider. You may think you're some kind of artist, but you know nothing about the true art of death. We can torment you for a thousand lifetimes, making you beg and scream for release, yet denying you the sweet release of death. We can strip you of hope, and fill you with disgust and pity until each feeling drives you closer to your own demise. But your life will remain firmly in our hands. So, don't you dare fuck with us."
It was difficult to keep my hands from trembling and my courage intact as I absorbed his words. The intensity in his eyes confirmed that he meant every word he spoke.
"Yeah, no need to sacrifice your life for an old man like him," Matteo chuckled, drawing closer. As my gaze focused on his face, I noticed the scar I had inflicted on him had already vanished, a clear indication that these bastards possessed formidable healing abilities.
"Considering how you both advise me to give zero fucks about my dad's life, it seems like you've long abandoned your poor family to die all alone. Who knows, you might have even killed your own father," I chuckled, the bitterness seeping into my voice. "Fucking pieces of shit!"
Matteo's jaw clenched tightly, his teeth grinding together in frustration. He appeared to be teetering on the edge of losing control.
"Your mouth, it runs a lot and we have a promise to keep. Unfortunately for you, Avelina, we can't spare the luxury of allowing you a heartfelt conversation with your dear old dad. We'd end up losing our patience till the end and might end up killing you and him with our very hand," A sinister smile took over Dante's lips, but behind that smile and beneath the fury in Matteo's eyes there was something strange and dense— A deep urge of revenge as if it was something they'd been waiting for years— It was the ultimate mission of their lives— one that kept them alive.
At that moment, the world seemed to fade away, and my attention was solely on my father. His bleeding wounds, the silver bullet preventing his healing, and the tears welling up in his eyes brought a rush of memories flooding back. Memories of my childhood, filled with piggyback rides, bedtime fairy tales, his comforting embrace during thunderstorms, and his unwavering support at school and college events, even Mother's Days just to ensure that I never felt alone in a crowd.
He was not just my father; he was both my mother and father, the one person in this world whom I loved with every fibre of my being and would sacrifice my own life for.
Yet there he was, bleeding uncontrollably, perhaps in his mind counting the last few minutes of his life and I stood a few feet away, like a weakling, unable to do a single thing to save him, the one who saved me from all the dangers of this world, his whole life.
"Kill me instead," a trembling breath left my mouth, the tears finally managing to make their way to my eyes and cascading down my cheeks. "Please, kill me. Let my dad go."
I didn't want my dad to die.
Dante's grip on my hands began to loosen for some reason as he noticed my tears. Instead of rage, some sort of hesitation covered both his and his brother's eyes.
"We'll get nothing from killing you," Dante cleared his throat and shoved me at Matteo's side, where he grabbed my hands and pinned them behind my back, making sure I couldn't move an inch.
"Please, he's your brother. What can you possibly get from killing him?" I pleaded.
"He was. He was our brother until he ruined everything with his own hands," Matteo let out, firm and resolute. "Now, all he is to us is an enemy that needs to be killed before he causes any more damage to anyone else."
"He did not do anything! Stop trying to make fucking excuses. If you want his properties, then just take it. No one's going to say anything to you," I was desperate to save my dad. "Just admit that you two are so fucking greedy that you're willing to kill your own brother!"
"If it comforts you to believe that your father is an innocent human being, getting killed because of someone else's greed and his height of success, then so be it. I don't give a damn about what you think because you already have a long way ahead to endure," Matteo said, venom dripping from his words. "Say goodbye to your father, Avelina."
"No, please. Don't kill him," I cried out, "I beg you."
I struggled with every ounce of strength to break free from Matteo's iron grip, but his power overwhelmed me. My emotions rendered me powerless, unable to gather the strength needed for one final attempt to save my father.
"Guards!" Dante's commanding voice sliced through the air, and all the shooters surrounded my father. Their guns pointed at him, ready to unleash a hail of bullets at any given moment.
"Dad!" I shouted, mustering the last reserves of my strength in a desperate bid to reach him. But my captor didn't let me.
"Avelina..." My father's weakened voice reached my ears, tears streaming down his face.
"No, please. I beg you, release my dad. He has done nothing wrong."
"I wish you knew the extent of his wrongdoings, princess," Matteo chuckled bitterly. His grip tightened around me, causing my bones to creak, on the verge of shattering. Yet, the physical pain paled in comparison to the agony of watching my father hanging on the edge of death before my eyes.
"Please, don't do this, I beg you. Please," I pleaded, turning my gaze towards Matteo, despite the bruising grip on my hands. But in his eyes, I found nothing but icy coldness. Frantically, I searched Dante's face, hoping to find a glimmer of mercy, but his orbs held the same void of empathy.
"Say your last goodbye, Avelina," Dante said, "You won't get this chance again."
"Please... don't," I sobbed, tears streaming uncontrollably down my cheeks.
It felt as if my entire world was crumbling before me. My legs lost all strength, my heart struggled to beat, and deep down, I wished to be blind so I wouldn't have to witness this horrific sight.
Dante stepped closer, blocking my view of my father. But even without seeing him, I could hear my father's voice, asking his brothers to spare his life. His words trembled, yet he found the strength to speak, desperate for survival.
"Matteo, Dante...Don't kill me. Please."
"Please let me go."
"I am sorry, please don't do this."
I wanted to shield my eyes, to escape this horrifying reality and pretend it was all just a terrible nightmare. To be somewhere else with my father, safe and sound.
But this was no nightmare. This was the harsh truth.
As my struggles grew erratic, Matteo pulled me closer, his arms enveloping me, extinguishing any hope of escape. Dante slowly lifted his hand, covering my ears, and our gazes locked.
"Finish him." Despite Dante's hands covering my ears, every syllable of Matteo's order reached me, followed by the deafening roar of hundreds of gunshots. Blood splattered in all directions, painting the room in a macabre scene.
My heart plummeted, sinking into the depths of despair. Time seemed to stand still, freezing the world around me, yet my eyes still sought the sight I feared the most—to confirm if my dad... was truly gone, even though I knew I couldn't bear the sight of it
But as Dante stepped away, Matteo's hand came to cover my eyes, shielding me from the horrifying view. "Sleep, Avelina. We have a long way to go."
With those words, a handkerchief was pressed against my mouth and nose, and in the next second, I was dragged into the darkest oblivion I had ever known.
