During this time,Histori was slowly ascending the stairs, his head bowed
The same distant expression, but this time, a look of contemplation was visible.His footsteps echoed as he walked down the corridor, but he suddenly stopped and looked coldly over his
shoulder.Specifically, from behind one of the silver columns, a voice came, sounding sarcastic:"You truly have strong senses, despite the fact that I made no sound."
A part of his head emerged from behind the column, and he seemed to be leaning on it, his arms crossed.
That brown hair, slightly tending towards orange, and those yellow eyes...It was Karma.He continued in a calm voice, his smile widening: "I know you're the one who saved him, but honestly, I didn't expect it... You usually don't interfere."
Histori did not answer him; he only looked at him and listened, which made Karma push himself off the column and take steps,
approaching him. Karma spoke, having become more serious:"Why did you do this? Don't tell me your heart softened for that scoundrel."
Histori was silent again
which made Karma's eyes narrow slightly in annoyance.
He continued, putting his hands in his pockets:"Don't be silent, brother, just answer me. Will you interfere like this again? You don't want to spoil things for us, do you?"
Histori finally spoke, tilting his neck: "Were you trying to kill him?"Karma was silent for the first time when he heard this, but he quickly recovered: "No... I mean..."
Histori, with a normal expression: "What do you mean? If I had been five minutes late, he would have perished."
Karma was tense, but he controlled it easily, pulling one hand out of his pocket and raising it mockingly, laughing as he looked away: "I was just testing him. I didn't intend to go that far."
Histori sighed, and his features changed, showing for the first time a cold expression different from his usual one—a look that suggested he was not accepting the situation: "You are not testing Leon... you are testing my patience."
Karma swallowed and lowered his head slightly, his hand preceding him. At that moment, he understood, but he spoke calmly:
"But brother... why are you defending him? Does his life have value, or perhaps you truly feel pity for him?"
Histori continued: "It's not out of love for him... You know the death of a Martinez family member is an event that shakes every corner of this palace.I don't deny Leon is our trash, but... his death by poison? You truly don't realize the disaster that would have occurred."
Karma said this time weakly: "You... but how did you save him?"
Histori: "It's none of your business. In any case, let me explain myself a little. I don't care about him, and I don't care if you continue to hurt him.But if you kill him, you will regret it.The family's reputation and my father's name are now in the game, and in reality, even my mother won't side with you this time."
Karma said, lowering his head again and nodding to him: "Fine, I will be... more careful, I promise."
Histori took a few steps and retreated away from Karma, whose features began to show anger as
soon as his brother moved away. He said to himself: "This is the first time in my life my brother has reprimanded me because of... a nobody like him. I will make him regret it."
On the other side, while Histori was walking, Sara was at the end of the corridor when her green eyes met the glow of his red eye.Her eyes lit up, and she approached him, smiling, but before she could say anything
Histori interrupted her:"I heard about it, and honestly, I expected that crazy act from Yi Lian, and I wouldn't be surprised by it from Arthur, nor would I rule it out from Karma, but... you, Sara, you surprised me."
At that moment, Sara looked extremely surprised, to the point that her lips trembled as she tried to justify herself, but Histori placed his hand on her head when he sensed she might cry: "Don't obey Yi Lian so much."
Sara nodded and said in an unusually weak voice: "I... I'm sorry."
An hour after that time,Karma was in his room, sitting on his bed, looking extremely bored until he heard light footsteps, and Yi Lian entered.He didn't even look at her until he felt the bed next to him sink, receiving her weight as she sat beside him.
She said sarcastically:"Did he reprimand you?"
Karma replied with annoyance, puffing out his cheek and exhaling: "Yes... Damn it, this has never happened to me before."
Yi Lian scoffed, looking at Karma with amusement: "Yes, he reprimanded Arthur and Sara too, but he didn't speak to me."
Karma finally looked at her, and their eyes met as Yi Lian continued her speech: "He took a symbolic stance. It seems he knows I am the cause of all these troubles.
"Karma: "What do we do?... Can we continue?"
Yi Lian replied seriously: "That's for sure. Histori was clear in his words: everything is permissible except murder. But what if...."
Yi Lian's expression changed to show a malicious smile
and her black eyes glowed coldly: "We push him to suicide?"
Karma's eyes widened slightly: "I don't think that's good."
Yi Lian said with exasperation and a little cold sarcasm, placing her hand on his shoulder: "Don't be so boring. There are several ways to hurt him, and I certainly want to continue, at least until we reach the age of ten."
She stood up and took steps towards the door to leave, and she said with a smile without turning around: "I'm going to enjoy my time, and honestly, I hope you are cowardly enough to leave Leon to me alone."
Karma raised his gaze to her when he heard the sound of the door opening and closing. He said to himself
his eyes narrowing in annoyance:"She's crazy, but I won't leave him to her."
Meanwhile, Leon was still sitting in the same spot on the stone edge of the fountain, lost in thought, unaware that someone was currently approaching him from afar.
"Karma's Perspective"
It was still early, around nine in the morning
and the weather was partly cloudy
The back garden was filled with a heavy gray shadow
as if the sky itself hated this palace
The air was humid, and the water clinging to the flower petals smelled of iron and the scent of rain aftermath
The fountain in the middle was silent except for an intermittent gurgle
and the stone angel at its top had its head tilted as if tired of looking down.In my hand
a small metal cage swung between the fingers of my right hand.Inside it, a white mouse, its skin shiny like a piece of dead ic
It was sniffing the air, moving its head right and left, searching for an exit...I walked with quiet steps on the damp grass until I saw him
Leon in his faded clothes, that pale black shirt that had almost lost its color.He was sitting near the stone wall, fiddling with a withered flower as if trying to fix it
He suddenly raised his head towards me.His features were tense, and his wide eyes avoided mine as if my gaze were a knife.I said to him
smiling a calm smile that didn't reach my eyes:
"I haven't seen you in days. Where have you been? In the basement as usual?"
He stammered: "I was... just sleeping."
I smiled at him: "No need to be afraid. I'm not angry with you today. I just want to play with you."
I approached and raised the cage to the level of my arm to bring it closer to Leon's face so he could take a closer look.
"Do you know what this is?"
He shook his head no with slight fear.
I smiled more: "It's a mouse. Haven't you seen one like it?"
His lower jaw trembled slightly. I realized that Leon had certainly seen mice before, but he had only seen those disgusting sewer rats.It seemed that seeing a clean
sterile white mouse was a new experience for him
The beautiful thing about Leon is that he doesn't know how to hide his fear; his face speaks before his tongue
I said, watching the reflection of the rain in his eyes:
"Don't panic. It's just a lab mouse, and I assure you it's cleaner than you are."
He was silent for a moment. It was clear he didn't believe me.
I thought about extending my hand to him, then deliberately withdrew it to see him hesitate more.
I saw Leon currently looking at the mouse with inquiry and suspicion, no different from the looks of a child watching his reflection in the red pupil of that white mouse.
It seemed that Leon's caution lessened every time that small creature moved its head towards him
He is truly pathetic."Do you remember the cat?"
I uttered it as if mentioning a forbidden name.
His features froze completely, and his voice broke as he whispered: "I... I w-was..."
I laughed softly, a laugh without warmth:
"I know. You didn't know anything. You don't even know how to breathe without being afraid."
I bent down slightly, looking into his eyes while lowering the cage in front of us: "But... it wasn't my idea."
Leon swallowed and said weakly: "So... was it Sara?"
I raised my gaze towards the cloud-laden sky. It seemed to be holding rain inside
I continued speaking without turning my eyes to him: "You're not entirely wrong... It was Sara who discovered the matter of that cat you were hiding in your basement, and she, of course, was the one who invented the idea. She said: 'Let's make him taste it.' But she backed out like the coward she is, and I don't blame her But... Yi Lian... that crazy child is the one who did it."
While I was staring at the scattered clouds, and the foolish Leon was also looking at the sky before turning his gaze to my face with his usual nervous and ridiculous inquiry and curiosity
I was
in the meantime remembering the details of that terrifying situation.
The scene I remembered was in the kitchen, of course, which alone was the size of a house for a middle-class family.I don't say this to boast
but only to give you a glimpse of the extreme wealth we have reached
.That floor of white Italian marble and LED lighting integrated into the ceiling giving a cold
clear light as if you were in an intensive care unit.Then came the walls
which were made of black glass that absorbed light well, followed by a sophisticated touch screen integrated into a side near the work island, which the common people call the cooking table.
It was displaying a Western and Asian cooking menu.
It seems like a silly joke, don't you agree?My sister was standing on one of the chairs, lighting the silver gas stove, which consisted of six burners, glowing with a clear blue flame that burned efficiently, and there was a pot with a half-meter diameter made of stainless steel.
I was spying on her from behind the door at that time, my knuckles white inside my pocket, as I saw a terrifying sight.I saw the pot emitting a pungent oil smell.
It was clear that its temperature was high, judging by Yi Lian.Her black hair was stuck to her slender neck, indicating that the air was hot and she was sweating because of the rising steam.
But what terrified me was that she was holding that cat with unnatural strength, and blue veins were protruding from her soft white hand.
That cat had white fur with orange spots. It was Leon's cursed cat, but... honestly, I felt pity for it. I thought about snatching it from her hand, but I realized that interfering was just foolishness.
I kept watching.That cat was meowing hysterically
biting Yi Lian's hand and scratching her, but the latter didn't seem to feel it.She let it bite her, but in the end
Yi Lian grabbed it by the tail and let it kick and scratch the air in panic, running upside down in the void while Yi Lian stared at it with sadistic joy.It was the first time in my life I was this afraid of her.
I was saying to myself:"She can't do it... she's crazy, but not to this extent."
That's what I told myself, but I realized I was very wrong because the kitchen was empty, and Leon wasn't here in front of her.
There was no one she was showing off to, which indicated she was determined to commit a sick act.
Yi Lian was still staring at that cat.This innocent creature, almost the size of a palm, she was looking at it intently as if studying it
and she said in a gentle tone: "Oh, calm down, dear. You will become something wonderful in a little while."
Then Yi Lian stopped and spoke without taking her eyes off the cat.
It seemed she had discovered my presence even though I hadn't made any sound:"Enjoying the show?"
I didn't step out of my place completely, but I looked at her while leaning against the wall
my face slightly visible from the door: "Yi Lian... you are exaggerating too much. Leave that cat from your hands." I said it, trying to remain calm, but it seemed I wasn't completely steady.
Yi Lian smiled a different smile this time.A smile that showed a line of her right canine tooth as she looked at me maliciously
her black eyes widening slightly."Oh! Yes, yes, I realize the sound of this cursed cat is annoying."
Yi Lian looked at the cat again and whispered: "See? You're annoying my brother."
The cat was still meowing hysterically, although it was tired and its meowing had subsided, but the moment a drop of oil flew onto its paw, it started meowing loudly again.
At that moment, Yi Lian slowly and deliberately raised the cat.I moved to stop her, but...Yi Lian dropped the cat alive into the very hot oil, and a loud, crackling sound occurred
.Shhhhhhh!
It was followed by a meow that sounded like a child's scream. That was the cat, and even though its fur turned yellow and its flesh was literally melting, it was desperately clinging with its front part to the edge of the pot and meowing a weak meow, mixed with a painful gurgle.
My eyes widened, and my heart pounded violently like drums. I didn't believe it when I looked at Yi Lian.
She was smiling and performed the final move.
With a wooden spoon, she completely submerged the poor cat in the pot.
And the place became completely quiet.
The only sounds heard were the hum of the smart refrigerator and the sound of the air conditioning system at the end of the kitchen.
The smell was like charcoal.
Yi Lian turned off the stove and said with a smile, seeing the cat's internal organs floating in the oil while its body sank to the bottom:"Damn it, I burned it, but burned food is edible if you add more spices."
I said in a wavering voice: "Hey—what have you done, by the one who created this world?"
Yi Lian looked sarcastically: "What's wrong with you? Don't be so soft. It's just a cat for that disgusting one, but I feel sorry for it, so I'll make him eat it tonight.
He will be with his cat forever. That's wonderful, right?"— After returning to reality, I recounted everything that happened to Leon.
He looked extremely pained as he listened to the horrors his cat, Noel, had suffered.
He seemed on the verge of tears.So I smiled widely:"I thought she was joking then, but she really enjoyed what she was doing."
Leon pondered my words, and his shoulders relaxed slightly, as if some fear was beginning to melt inside him.
Perhaps for the first time, he felt that someone understood him.But he was wrong. I never wanted to understand him, and I never will.
With a malicious tone, I began to make it clear to him that he wouldn't get it for free, and before Leon could understand my hint, I threw the cage into the fountain.
That metal cage sank into the water all at once.A light spray rose onto Leon's clothes.
The mouse disappeared in an instant, drowning in the depth, and bubbles floated to the surface of the water.
Leon screamed after slowly comprehending the situation: "Noooo!"
I laughed: "Then save it."
He was silent for moments. "Do you feel guilty because you didn't save that cat? I'm giving you a chance to be useful to someone else."
He ran towards the fountain and jumped right in.After the water spray settled on my clothes, I took out a handkerchief and began to dry my shirt while watching and enjoying myself.
He was submerged up to his waist, trying to open the cage underwater.
His hands were trembling, and the cold water was choking his breath. After less than 10 seconds Leon finally gripped the cage and lifted it.
He opened it with difficulty and took out the mouse with trembling hands... but it was still.Its eyes were open and glassy, but there was no movement in them.Leon said, panting:
"Is it... dead?"
I replied to him, staring at the scene without emotion:
"A mouse usually lasts much longer than 10 seconds underwater. A lab mouse like the one in your hands is supposed to last two minutes without problems."
Leon looked at me in astonishment, the cold gnawing at his skin. His whole body was trembling with fear, anger, and disappointment all at once, until I said to him,
turning my back and walking away: "Maybe it died just because you touched it."
I left Leon behind me and headed towards the gate to enter the palace, leaving him crying behind me.It's strange that he's crying over a silly mouse like that, but it seems he believes his hands are cursed or something like that
"Third Person Perspective"
Karma was smiling with satisfaction, looking extremely relieved
and he thought in a low voice: "Well, that mouse was going to die anyway because I poisoned it with a gentle poison hours ago. When I felt it starting to die in the cage, I threw it into the fountain immediately."
Karma started laughing as he entered the gate: "Leon is really a stupid child. He will believe he is cursed, but there is one more thing I have to do."
He was heading towards one of the doors at the end of the corridor.
He knocked gently and entered.
The room was extremely luxurious and spacious, and there was a woman sitting on a chair in front of a huge mirror.She was wearing a black outfit that didn't cover her shoulder, and her black hair was tied in a ponytail.
This was her habit when she was busy applying some makeup.She looked at Karma's reflection in the mirror and smiled warmly: "Oh, what are you doing here, my dear?"
Karma smiled gently and said: "Hello, Mom. I hope I didn't disturb you."
She turned slightly in her chair, her warm smile still there, and her red
eyes sparkled with amusement: "So, my little child, what brought you here? Do you want to spend some time with your mother, or is there something you want to tell me?"
Karma was silent for a moment, then he said, looking away from her: "I... actually..."
The mother stood up and approached slowly, gently touching his cheek, and she said in a tender voice but spoke seriously, her red eyes narrowing: "What is it?"
Karma said, hugging her while smiling maliciously, and his voice was innocent despite his hidden facial expressions behind his mother's shoulder: "Leon... tried to drown himself in the fountain a little while ago."