The Starling Vigilante [Watty's 2015 Award Winner]

Chapter 56

'Aria,' I heard a soft voice behind me.

It was Ivo, being calm and reassuring for once instead of quiet and psychotic.

'I can't do this, Ivo,' I said, looking down at the floor in shame at what I had done. 'I'm not like you!'

'I know you're not, Aria,' Ivo said, placing his hand on my shoulder.

I turned my head back to him, and then my whole body to face him.

'You're special.'

'Why are you making me do all those things then?' I asked, starting to cry in confusion.

I didn't know where I was with Ivo; one minute he wanted me to perform gruelling tasks against my wishes, and the next minute he didn't want me to do anything of the sort.

'To make you into the person you could be,' Ivo explained. 'I wouldn't waste my time on anyone not worth my while. You, Aria, are a remarkable woman. You just don't know that yet. And I want you to fulfil this fate of yours. You have to be tough. Strong. That's why I want to teach you how to resist that empathetic urge you have and become immune to any setbacks you come across. I, Aria, can make you great.'

---

Over the coming months, Ivo showed me ways of torture with many weapons, each ultimately leading to deadly intentions, from arrows and swords to rope and everyday objects. Sara helped him teach me too, her ways on the less painful but on the more technical side.

It was then when I started going through... tests.

'I'm not going to lie to you, Aria,' Ivo said as he took a syringe from the counter beside him. 'This is going to hurt.'

As Ivo injected me, I grimaced through the pain. It wasn't the nicest of tests, but if I was to become stronger and help Ivo with his work, I needed to comply.

'I've given you the weakest dosage of the new drug I've created,' Ivo continued. 'It's not as good as Mirakuru, but because we don't know where that is, then this is the next best thing. The effects will only be temporary. About... 24 hours.'

Feeling a cold searing pain through my muscles, I screamed, my vision blurry, until everything disappeared and I felt myself fall to the ground.

---

Back to earth, I found myself in that room again, Ivo waiting by my side with Sara. My whole body felt heavier, yet lighter at the same time, and my muscles felt stronger and tenser. My mind was buzzing, as though I was hyper or tipsy.

'Now, I would like you and Sara to fight,' Ivo stated, retreating to the door.

Taking the dagger from my side, I walked towards the side of the room, and walked around the walls, Sara following my actions. Looking back in her direction, I saw her run out of the room, being replaced by a tall, muscular and intimidating man. Reaching back for my dagger, I found it was gone, only my limbs to defend myself.

As he swung his fists towards me, I dodged his blows, crouching low to the ground. Deciding to go for it, I ran straight towards him, knocking him down had punching him to the floor.

It seemed the drug had worked.

I punched him again and again until he was worse for wear, my new found strength being extremely effective. I didn't even know why I was punching him repeatedly, but something inside of me felt that he was a threat, a danger that needed to be stopped. And I was going to hurt him for what he had done. I didn't even know what he had done, but I knew he had to be punished.

Ivo burst into the room, trying to pull me away from my opponent.

'Aria!' Ivo shouted. 'Stop!'

The sound of his voice calmed me, and I stood up away from my opponent. Breathing heavily with adrenaline pumping through my veins, I turned to Ivo.

'You nearly killed her!' Ivo carried on, a scared but proud look on his face.

Her?

Looking back at my opponent, I realised I hadn't been fighting a man. I had been fighting Sara all that time. She was bruised and bloody, her body sprawled across the floor, because of me.

'What have I done?' I cried. 'What have I done? I thought she was someone else, a- a threat! I didn't know it was Sara! I wouldn't have hurt her like that!'

'This is what you need, Aria,' Ivo smiled. 'No empathy. No feelings towards your opponent. And before you ask, Sara's going to be fine, I gave you hardly any of that drug so you wouldn't do any lasting damage to her.'

'But I hurt her!' I cried. 'She's my friend!'

'You should be proud, Aria!' Ivo insisted. 'Look at what you have achieved! Out of everyone I've tested all these years, you're the one who fought the best, who tolerated the drug the best, and who controlled it the best. Your victories should make you happy!'

But I wasn't proud. Or happy. And I did not feel victorious. I was disappointed. Disappointed in myself for letting Ivo influence me so much, and for giving in to the darkness.