IVANOV ~ yelena belova

𝟎𝟎𝟔

The seventh day was labelled as a ceremony for the new Widows. But ceremony seemed like too nice a word; test would be more appropriate for the hell Karina went through.

When she awoke and saw Yelena sneaking sympathetic glances at her, she knew something was wrong. "What's the matter? "Are you all right?" Karina asked when Yelena stood up, as if she didn't want to be in the same room as her.

But Yelena reverted to her cold self when she realised Karina had noticed an emotion other than annoyance coming from her.

"You shouldn't be concerned about me," she replied sceptically. But Yelena was serious. She was well aware of what was in store for Karina and the new girls today.

The dreaded seventh day. Karina would have no idea what was in store for her until she entered the hall reserved for special occasions. Yelena used to think the ballroom smelled like blood and gunpowder, but she soon realised it was just the smell of death.

Every Widow had to take the test, and Yelena recalls hers vividly. It haunted her. Every time she fell asleep or looked in the mirror, she saw the face of the first person she killed. She recalls the weight of the gun and the sound of the body thudding to the floor. Most importantly, she remembered how it made her feel, as if her soul had been stained with a black streak, confirming her place as one of Dreykov's toys.

So the thought of Karina's conscience turning as black as hers made her feel ill, as if she was to blame. 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭, 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯. The words repeated themselves in her mind every time she thought of the girl next to her. She knew it was because the Red Room had forced them to believe that there was no one but the organisation to care about.

ⴵ

Yelena hadn't said anything to Karina on the way to the ballroom, and Karina felt a sense of déjà vu. Yelena was hot one minute and cold the next. Karina wasn't sure if she had said something wrong or if it was Yelena's mind that was working against her.

Karina wanted to glance at Yelena next to her when she realised they weren't taking the usual route to the training room. But she decided it was best not to because the blonde girl had been ignoring or dodging her all morning.

Karina, however, had no idea it was for her own good. Dreykov made it clear from the start that there would be no relationships of any sort with other Widows.

You might be wondering why Karina was still trying to get closer to Yelena. Because she had a big fat crush on her that wouldn't go away.

Even when she tried to convince herself that emotionally attaching herself to someone was a way for her to cope with the emotional trauma she was experiencing, she knew it was because Yelena had been there for her since the moment she entered the Red Room, even if she was cold and distant, her presence provided Karina with comfort.

So she kept her head up and her face blank. She'd be dead before she could even justify herself if anyone found out. Or worse, Yelena could be killed alongside her.

Dreykov stood there as the grand doors to the ballroom opened, like he was some superior being. The room was empty except for a chair that stood in the centre as if it were under a spotlight.

"This is the first and most important evaluation. If you fail this, you have no place among the world's best assassins," his voice rang out across the room. "So no pressure," he chuckled. Dreykov clapped his hands, signifying the beginning.

Two guards dragged someone into the room, their face obscured by a black bag. They tossed them in the chair as if they were nothing, and the first girl was summoned. Dreykov handed her a gun and removed the man's bag from his face.

"Who is he?" The young girl whispered weakly as the gun shook in her hand.

"An innocent."

When Karina realised what they had to do, her face blanched. The ultimate test was to murder a person who was innocent. It was pointless to practise shooting a gun at a target if you couldn't do it on a living breathing person. She knew she had to do it when it was her turn. It would be either her or the person in front of her.

Karina was called up, and she took a step forward. Yelena wanted Karina to look at her so she could smile and whisper to her that everything would be okay, but she quickly stopped thinking when she realised where it was going. She kept reminding herself that she needed to distance herself. So she stayed where she was and kept her gaze fixed on the front.

The cool metal in Karina's palm felt as if it weighed the entire world. The bag was removed from the person in front of her and when she saw the person sitting in front of her, her face paled and she almost dropped the firearm.

A young girl of about twelve years old looked up at her. Her large blue eyes and brown hair reminded her of someone at home.

"Sharlotta?" She gasped quietly, but as soon as she saw her, she disappeared, and the young girl in front of her was nothing more than a stranger.

But it didn't make pulling the trigger any easier.