Bane

February 1, 1980

10:30 PM

Trent stood in the MacAllen ruins, in the center of what was once the sitting room. Whatever furniture may have been was long gone, and all that remained was crumbing walls, and peeling plaster. Despite the state of disrepair - but especially for its history of burning - the ruins were strong, and what remained was either a testament of its craftsmanship... or the nature of the hands that built it.

Nadjia stood beside him.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"There is much to be resolved."

"I can't undo it, Nadjia. I can't take it back." Trent stood his ground, as Nadjia paced around him, her face fixed on him.

"You will not rest a day until I do. I will not let you know peace!"

"...and what will you accomplish? I may not like what I had to do, but it doesn't mean I wouldn't do it again. Your entire friendship was a lie, Nadjia. You used me. I was a stand in! I was filler! You think this is my fault?"

"It doesn't matter, Trent Henrique. Your days are numbered, and the countdown began the moment my time ended."

"What do you want? Revenge? Killing me isn't going to bring you back, and it isn't going to undo anything that is done. I'm done being afraid of you."

Nadjia stopped in front of Trent, the empty sockets in her face fixed on his eyes, her brow contorted in a macabre furrow. Trent turned his attention away from her. Past the broken walls of the ruins, in the darkness of the woods he saw eyes - green eyes - fixed intently on him.

"That's right." Nadjia's hollow voice wafted around Trent in a tone of malign amusement. "I am not the one you have to fear. Even now, my Jonathan is looking for my killer, and you left a hallmark."

"I'm not sloppy, Nadjia. No one knows who killed you."

"Spite." She smiled, and Trent returned his attention to her. She pointed to the floorboards at his feet. "Your own carelessness, Trent. Spite. Carved forever into the floor of these ruins, as much a part of history now as we are. The same you carved into my face when killing me was not enough... when carving out my eyes was not enough... you had to get a last word in. You have doomed yourself. My Jonathan will find you."

"That arrogant piece of shit isn't going to find anything. I'll be long gone before he figures it out, sitting pretty on some beach, somewhere nice. Somewhere you can't go."

"No matter where you go, I will always find you. I will be the death of you."

"You've already killed me. You killed me a long time ago, Nadjia. I tried, and I mean I really tried to show you I cared. At every turn you forgot me like I was never there. He took you for granted. I chased you, but you only chased him. He put no effort into you."

"He put almost all of his life into chasing me, Trent. Maybe I killed you... but you murdered me, and that killed my Jonathan."

"Let me sleep, Nadjia. Stop coming to me in dreams, or when I'm awake. Nothing you do now will change anything."

"If only I could weep, I would weep for you, Trent." Nadjia's voice shook, and it struck a chord in Trent's heart. Nadjia's lip quivered.

"What for would you weep?"

"For everything you lost when you stole my life. For the short, empty life you have ahead of you."

"What do you want me to say, Nadjia? What can I do to give you some kind of peace?"