Maia

35

Word Count: 970

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Third-person POV

Jacob was seated in a wooden chair, the kind that looked as though it had seen better days, with thick, rough ropes binding his legs firmly to the chair's legs. His wrists were restrained behind his back, tightly secured with the same coarse ropes, cutting into his skin. The friction of the ropes left angry red marks across his pale skin. The room was shrouded in shadows, the only source of illumination a harsh light glaring directly above Jacob's head, leaving him momentarily blinded and disoriented.

Alessandro stepped into the room, his confident stride leading the way. Rawiri trailed closely, a sly grin on his face that mirrored the self-satisfaction radiating from his brother. As Alessandro's eyes fell upon Jacob, who lay bruised and battered on the chair, an unsettling smile crept across his face. The sight of Jacob's dishevelled state seemed to fuel Alessandro's twisted sense of satisfaction. With a playful yet sinister gleam in his eyes, he turned to Rawiri, clapping him on the back with a hearty laugh. "Good job, fratellino," he commended.

Alessandro carefully removed his tailored suit jacket, handing it over to his brother. Rawiri confidently approached a chair, jacket in hand, ready to settle in and watch the show. Alessandro then rolled up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt, revealing toned forearms. With deliberate steps, he approached a polished wooden table that gleamed under the dim light of the room. His eyes fell on a sleek stiletto knife. Grasping the knife, he twisted it thoughtfully in his hand, the blade catching the light and glinting ominously. "Jacob, Jacob, Jacob..." he taunted. "My, you were quite a slippery one," Alessandro said, a menacing edge creeping into his voice.

"I was beginning to feel frustrated, but alas, fate has brought us together." As he spoke, he twisted the blade between his fingers. He pivoted slowly, a predatory gleam in his eyes as he raised his hand. With a swift flick of his wrist, the knife spiralled through the air and embedding itself into Jacob's right shoulder. A chilling, sinister laugh erupted from Alessandro's lips, reverberating ominously off the cold, stone walls.

With a desperate cry, Jacob felt the warmth of blood soaking through his shirt, splattering onto the chair's handle. Alessandro, unimpressed by the commotion, approached Jacob with a detached demeanour, swiftly pulling the knife from his shoulder. "Apologies, I didn't mean to make contact with your shoulder; my target was your face, after all," Alessandro remarked, feigning a pout. He raised the knife to Jacob's face, pressing the cold blade into his bruised skin, with a deliberate motion. Alessandro pressed it in, feeling a rush of satisfaction as blood began to trickle down from his cheekbone. He dragged the stiletto down slowly.

Alessandro began to hum as he carved lines into Jacob's skin, a grin spreading across his face with each flinch and whimper that escaped Jacob. "You know, Jacob, I've heard you're familiar with my sorellina. Does the name Maia resonate with you?"

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Somewhere Else

"Jacob has been captured..."

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Maia's Pov

I knock on Giovanni's door, my heart racing as I tug at the sleeves of my oversized hoodie. The door creaks open, and Giovanni greets me with a soft smile. "Can... can I come in?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. He nods and steps aside, opening the door wider to let me in.

As I step into his room, my gaze drifts around, landing on a family photo framed on his desk. It's a snapshot from my toddler days, capturing a moment of pure joy. My brothers and I were in Halloween costumes, eyes wide with smiles on our faces. "Remember this?" he said, a nostalgic smile forming on his face. "That was Halloween, and we went all out—pirates, witches, and all sorts of spooky characters. We watched your first big girl movie." He chuckled, lost in the memory.

"So, what's up?" Giovanni asks, curiosity evident in his tone. I carefully place the photo back down, my fingers lingering on the edges before I turn to face him fully. I take a deep breath, my nerves bubbling to the surface. "I don't remember much from before," I admit, my voice shaking slightly. "I was hoping you could help me remember." The weight of my words hangs in the air.

Giovanni nods, a warm smile spreading across his face. "I have an idea," he says, gesturing for me to follow him over to his bed. I take a seat, feeling a hint of curiosity about what he has in mind.

He walks over to a sturdy wooden set of drawers, the kind that creaks a little when opened. He pauses for a moment, then pulls out a large, dusty box filled with a collection of old, chunky black boxes. The box itself is well-worn, with faded stickers on the front.

Noticing the puzzled look on my face, Giovanni chuckles softly. "These are VHS tapes," he explains, his eyes sparkling with nostalgia. "They are old family videos of us growing up. I thought watching them might help us reminisce and reconnect with those memories." His voice is gentle, filled with a warmth as he lifts the box slightly to reveal more tapes inside, each one labeled with handwritten titles from years gone by.

He carefully places the tape into the player, and as the video begins to play, I hear a soft giggle echoing in the background. A moment later, a young boy with bright, curious eyes fills the screen, his cheeks flushed with excitement. "That's Lorenzo," Giovanni murmurs. With a gentle gesture, he points to another boy who stands beside Lorenzo, his playful grin lighting up his face. "And that's Alessandro," he adds, his eyes sparkling with nostalgia. We sit in silence, watching the past unfold.

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A/N: Kia Ora, sorry for not updating sooner, I'm hoping to get back into it again, I was having a little writers block for a while there...  but I'm back now :)
Hope you liked this chapter