I never really thought about his story, let alone the fact that it was so tramuatizing...
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Madie?" I heard a voice call above me, causing my eyes to flicker open. I shot forwards, seeing Arkadi kneeling infront of me.
"W-what's going on?" I groaned, holding my head in my hands. I felt horrible. Did I get drunk or something? "Where a-are we?"
"Well, for starters, this is my house." He dully explained, standing up. I looked around a little, taking in many things. The floors were a royal purple color, and the place was quite massive. But the most shocking part was the tiny detail most people would've missed. We were underground.
"And I'd rather let Vlad go into the further details of this mess. He'll be back soon." He sighed, causing a clump of hair over his right eye to flutter upwards.
"But wait... Is that a scar?" I asked, noticing a thick gash that went down his eye. He covered it quickly, before saying:
"I don't wanna talk about it."
"Can you at least answer my questi-"
"I don't wanna talk about it God dammit!" He snapped, before sighing again, seeing the hurt expression I wore. "I'm sorry..."
"Whatever." I murmured, struggling to stand up. As I was walking away, I heard him say gruffly:
"Do you really wanna know?"
"More or less, yeah, I do." I mumbled, turning back to him. "Go on."
Without saying a word, he stalked off slowly, signaling for me to follow him. I did, coming to a stop near a set of large double doors. He kicked them in, making me jump slightly. I was greeted with a purple cloak, a bit darker than the one Arkadi currently wore. At the end of each sleeve, there was a onyx bladed dagger, both having the same family crest on them.
"This doesn't really expl-"
"If you'd just shut the hell up I'd explain." He hissed, pain obviously shining in his eyes. "Now listen, because I'm not telling this story twice."
"Alright, my bad..." I sighed, running my hand across one of the black blades.
"My family..." He started, pointing to the crest on the dagger I currently held. "Disowned me when I was five. Because I didn't know how to use these stupid things. I wanted to use nunchucks. So, my dad ripped this little guy across my eye.
He said it slowly, taking the dagger from me. As he did so, I stood there in disbelief.
"Left me a little shack when I was sleeping. Kinda like that Hansel and Gretel story we got told when were little. I learned to live with my family being gone, but there's one thing I lost that night that I'd never be able to get back."
"Which is?" I asked. I was afraid he would snap at me again, but instead, he pulled his hair away from his right eye, revealing a distorted looking hazel orb.
"My vision."
"So you're half blind?"
He let his hair fall back again before answering, nodding quietly. I thought I saw a glimmer of sadness cross his face, but he quickly replaced it with the emotionless gaze he wore most of the time.
"Yep." He finally sighed, placing both daggers back on the wall. "It doesn't really bothe-"
"Don't lie to yourself." I interjected, shaking my head. His gaze suddenly flared, visible eye lighting with fury.
"You think I actually give a shit? I didn't cry, wasn't fazed at all actually. I built this place the day after, the basement of the shack. One day dammit. That's how long it took to get over it." He growled, turning away. "You're just like the others. And to think I thought you'd understand."
"Arkadi..." I frowned, reaching for the hood of his cloak. "I'm sorr-"
"Would you just shut the hell up you сука?" (Сука=Bitch) He hissed. "Because I really don't want to hear your apology shit." His voice choked mid-sentence, no longer sounding so menacing. He turned back to me, and I watched a single tear roll down his face.
"Dammit..." He sighed, as if scolding himself.
"I know how it feels, ya know, to cry when you really don't want to. When you just want to not care, but you do anyways." I said quietly, looking down. "It's okay to care sometimes..."
"Is it? Is it really?" He growled, shaking at this point. "Because I don't think it is. I don't think they deserve for me to care..."
"But you do..." I finished for him, feeling torn. He hesitantly nodded, placing his hand over his blind eye.
"Y-yeah..." He finally admitted. He took his hand away from his eye, revealing a steady trail of blood running down from it. "It hurts to cry." He winced, watching the blood fall onto the floor. I found myself paralyzed, realizing why he didn't think his family deserved for him to care
...It was killing him.
"Mother of Russia..." I squeaked, mortified. I don't know why, but I found myself terrified. "You'r-"
"A monster?" He asked. "You're right..."
"I wasn't going t-"
"I killed Nikolai's wife to save my dad. A man I hate. Why? Because I wanted him to accept me. I tore your family apart. You can't say I'm not a monster. I'm the reason Nikolai's dead."
"You mean Eva?" I corrected. "It's not your fault... I would have done the same..."
"I meant Nikolai." His hand flew over his mouth as soon as he said it, an overflow of blood now pouring from his eye. "I'm so sorry..."
"Nikolai is...мертвых?" (Dead?) I squeaked, in utter shock.
"Put your hand on your forehead." He whispered, looking down.
I did as he said, running my palm across it. I felt a scar, and as I traced it, my world came crashing down in that instant. Жертвовать. The Russian word for sacrifice. His death wasn't Arkadi's fault. It was mine.
Memory flooded my mind, sending me to my knees. Nikolai, over me, carving the seal into my skull. Arkadi in chains, An arena. And me, torturing them all.
"I'm the monster..."
YOU ARE READING
Bloodstains and Betrayal
AdventureI had blood on my hands when I was 15. I've killed hundreds. I've been to hell and back. It's all because of... Well, if I told you that now, this wouldn't be much of a story now would it?
