The Nemesis Syndrome

2. Leo

"As you grow," Leo's mother would whisper as she rubbed her wrist through the thin fabric of her sleeves, "a name will appear on both your wrists. One will be your soulmate, and the other your nemesis."

Leo, being young at that age, understood only half the concept. He knew that his mother and father both fought in The Circle, that both of them had conquered their nemesis and won, allowing them to be together. He understood that one day, he would have to fight his nemesis too, and that if he didn't, there was serious consequences, both for himself and his parents.

As Leo grew older, and he began to understand the concept better, his father began training him. Every night or so, his father would train him to fight, both with weapons and without.

She never prepared him for the possibility of one name being on both wrists.

Out of burning shame he would often hide the names, wearing long sleeved shirts or gloves. For years he had been preparing for the fight. The Circle was a ruthless place, his father would grunt as they fought, and your opponent will have no problem tearing out your throat.

He knew he couldn't fall in love - he couldn't. He heard the stories about those who disappeared when they refused to fight, how they would put down their weapons and fists and never be heard of again. Only, they weren't the only ones who went missing, their families did too. Leo was smart enough to never make a comment on it, but everyone knew that the government were behind the disappearances, that The Circle and the refusal to fight were connected. He wouldn't let his father die for him, not let his mother's life fall at his own incapability.  His newborn sister wouldn't lose her life for him.

So, he trained. He became skilled in fighting to protect his own, but the possibility of losing the fight always hung at the back of his head. Soon, he overcame that, but he failed to realise his enemy wasn't the same as his father's enemy. Or of his mother's. Though Leo understood his enemy was his soulmate, he forgot that it would be his soulmate he would have to fight in the pit.

"You've got your names, haven't you?" His sister asked once she was old enough to understand it.

"Huh?" He asked, snapping out of his reverie as his thumb paused rubbing his wrist.

"You've got your names, haven't you?" She repeated with a smile.

Leo nodded, looking down at his younger sister, "Yeah, I do."

She giggled, tugging on his sleeves as she tried to raise them.

"You know I'm not allowed to show you, Rommy."

She sighed, and slumped against him. "Fine."

Every now and then, his sister would ask once more, but as she got older and began to fully understand the costs of asking, she backed off, leaving Leo to close up his heart to any other than his family, for the fear of meeting both his friend and foe frightened him more than it should have.

***

Often, Leo and sister would take walks around the neighbourhood. It was the time that Leo made sure to make for his sister. They never had a set route, and instead chose to just walk, more than often finding themselves lost, but they always managed to make their way back home.

The sun was still high in the sky and they were walking on the empty pavements – it seems most families had decided to take a trip out as the houses were solemn as they bathed in the sun. The front of the houses were bare, with few vehicles decorating the streets.

"Leo," Rommy sang, her dark hair flying around her.

He grinned, watching as Romola ran circles around him. She laughed in glee, finding apparent joy in making her older brother turn in circles.

"Leo," she tugged on his sleeve before darting just out of his reach.

Leo glanced up, eyes connecting with a young female his age who was looking at them. He noticed her hands clasped in front of her before he quickly realised that her hand was grasping her covered wrist.

Involuntarily, his own hand itched for his wrist, but it was quickly tugged away as his sister grabbed his hand.

"Come on, Leo, you promised me we could play when we got home!"

Leo glanced down, forcing a smile at his sister as he let her drag him away, in the direction of his home. When he glanced back, the girl was gone.