Lady Dimitrescu and Hekate's Follower

Chapter Sixteen: Οι γυναίκες Dimitrescu (The Dimitrescu Women)

Alcina woke up, stretched and got out of bed. She walked to the bathroom, and coming back, puts on her thick nightgown. It was freezing, a soft white glow coming from outside. The light reflected off the snow outside. However, the days had started to become longer, as the last few weeks of winter slowly passed. She walked over to the window and lit a cigarette, admiring the soft snowfall. It had almost been a year since Melania first made an appearance in her life. Alcina reminisced, thinking back of their memories, her heart still aching. She softly started singing to herself, furiously fighting back her tears.
(P!nk - Beautiful Trauma)
The more emotions built up inside her, the harder she began to sing, her angelic voice echoing through the castle. Downstairs, Karl could hear her singing, and he could hear the heartbreak in her voice. He gets up, and makes his way to his sister's chambers.
"Alcina?" he knocked softly.
"Yes, brother?" she answered, not looking back at him, still staring out the window. She stopped singing. Knowing why he was here. She was too scared to look towards the bed. Because she knew if she did, she'll break down again. She just silently stared, humming Melania's lullaby. Karl walks over to her, and hugs her around her hip, silently showing her his support. Alcina suddenly stopped humming.
"How long has it been, brother?" still not making eye contact. Karl inhaled deeply.
"Three months, Alcina. You need to-" he started, Alcina sighed loudly, interrupting him.
"I need to what? What Karl? I need to accept that she's not waking?" she scoffed, suddenly angry at his silly suggestion. He doesn't reply.
"It's her birthday tomorrow, Karl." she said, when she didn't hear a reply. She slowly turned around and walked over to the bed. She got under the covers, not daring to look at Melania.
"You haven't left your room at all, sister. Since that night. And you're getting weaker from not feeding properly." Karl sighed, placing more wood on the crackling fire in the fireplace. It's true, she was very weak already, just living of the blood-wine. She refused to leave her lover's side, deep in denial.
"Well, if you need me just call me, sister. I'm not going anywhere." Karl said. She had tried to get rid of him, often yelling and cursing at him, her old-self now back like before. Worse this time. He never left though, and she was secretly so grateful. He closed the door to her room, when she didn't answer. She turned on to her side, she was so weak that she mostly slept. As she lied down, facing Melania, tears started falling again. She'd look at Melania on purpose, to feel this heartbreak on purpose, just so she could feel something. If not for the heartache, she'd be numb, no feelings whatsoever. She cried herself to sleep, holding Melania's hand.

Melania was still drifting in the dark void, unable to see or hear anything. She felt an all too familiar pressure on her hand, a feeling she used to anchor herself, so she wouldn't drift away. That pressure, she used to not fall apart. She would hold on to that pressure, with all the strength she had. She was confused, her left shoulder was getting wet, and she didn't understand why. Then suddenly she heard it, the first sound in what felt like thousands of years. She listened. At first, she heard a soft whimpering, barely audible. And then it got louder, sobbing accompanied by whimpering and sniffing. She immediately recognized it as Alcina, crying. An extremely strong sense of longing came over her, hearing her lover's voice as if years had passed. She still couldn't open her eyes, but the sound of Alcina crying, she hated so much. She wanted her to stop, wanted to take whatever or whoever than made her sob like that. She concentrated hard, trying to move. She stopped, when she heard the crying stop. The crying was suddenly replaced by loud screams of horror, coming from Alcina's lips. That did it. That pushed her over the edge. The absolute terror of thinking something has happened to Alcina, made her start kicking, squirming and stretching into the void.

Alcina was running through the castle yet again, out of breath and warm tears running like a waterfall. No maid helped or even looked at her. She heard the screaming, coming from her room. Melania. She burst through the doors, her eyes falling on Melania's lifeless body on the ground. Screaming in horror, her heart breaking, she looked at the figure standing over her lover's corpse. Blood was pooling around Melania's body, a deep wound on her chest. The figure stood there, black feathers surrounding it. A golden mask concealing it's face. But Alcina knew all too well who this was. It's ice blue eyes piercing her soul. She stepped forward, trying to grab it, but was too late. She was met with the horrifying scene of the figure snapping Karl's neck, his body falling limp at it's feet. She screamed, unable to wake from her nightmare.