Shattering My Memories

18

^^Vanya

Third Person POV 

Geneve signaled for the Russian military leaders to follow her outside. They marched through the snow as Geneve discussed strategies to control Europe. The leaders nodded and offered suggestions to crush the werewolves in Italy. Geneve told them to be patient since it was more important to establish control over all vampire covens.

Lara nodded absently, her mind wandering as she listened to Geneve's words. She glanced around at the soldiers bustling about the compound, their faces grim with the weight of their duties. It was a world that felt both familiar and alien to her, like a puzzle with missing pieces that she couldn't quite fit together.

As they walked, Lara's gaze drifted to the horizon, where the sun dipped below the mountains in a blaze of golden light. The air was filled with the sounds of boots crunching on gravel and the distant hum of swords clashing, a cacophony that seemed to echo the turmoil of Lara's own thoughts.

And then, without warning, something small and furry darted out from the woods and landed at Lara's feet with a soft thud.

Startled, Lara looked down to see a small brown bunny, its eyes wide with fear as it cowered at her feet. For a moment, she stood frozen, unsure of what to do, before instinct kicked in and she reached down to scoop up the trembling creature in her arms.

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?" (What's this?) Geneve asked, turning to see what had caught Lara's attention.

Lara held up the bunny, her heart pounding in her chest as a rush of memories flooded her mind. Images flashed before her eyes: a little girl with light brown hair and ocean eyes. The little girl held a bunny just like this one, cradling it in her arms with a smile that lit up the darkness.

But even as the memories came rushing back to her, they felt distant and fragmented, like pieces of a puzzle that refused to fit together. Who was the little girl? And why did her image seem to haunt Lara's every waking moment?

"Je... je ne sais pas" (I... I don't know) Lara stammered, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Je l'ai trouvé... ici." (I found it... here.)

"Hmm..."

"Cela me rappelle quelqu'un..." (It reminds me of someone) Lara trailed off.

As Lara cradled the small bunny in her arms, a surge of emotion welled up within her, mingled with the fragments of memories that danced at the edges of her consciousness. But before she could make sense of it all, Geneve's demeanor shifted, her expression hardening with an unsettling intensity.

Geneve's eyes flickered to the bunny in Lara's arms, her lips tightening into a thin line of disapproval. Without a word, she reached into the holster at a soldiers side and withdrew a small pistol, the metal glinting in the fading light of the setting sun.

Lara's heart plummeted as she watched in horror, her mind reeling with confusion and disbelief. Before she could even comprehend what was happening, Geneve took aim and fired, the sharp crack of the gunshot shattering the stillness of the evening air.

The bunny jerked in Lara's arms, a small puff of fur erupting in a cloud of crimson as the bullet tore through its fragile body. The blood splattered onto Lara's face. Lara recoiled in shock, her hands trembling as she clutched the lifeless creature to her chest, the warmth draining from its limp form.

"Why did you do that?" (Why did you do that?) Lara whispered.

"C'était une distraction." (It was a distraction) She said curtly. "Vous devez vous concentrer sur la tâche à accomplir et ne pas vous perdre dans la sentimentalité." (You need to focus on the task at hand, not get lost in sentimentality.)