Chapter Text
There was a saying that you are not a product of your past.
In Stefano's case, should he peel his skin off or should he lose his will to continue making his art, he would always be the grandson of one the most prominent figure in Italy as his life, in part, had always been shaped by that fact.
And it had affected his dreams as well. Even ever since in his adolescence, back when people at his age were still trying to narrow down which stair to take or not, Stefano had acquired a head start over his destination and was climbing the ladder without difficulty. He knew that he wanted nothing more than to follow his grandfather's footsteps in terms of creating art, to build a world entirely of his own and have the world looked up to it in shining bright awe. Yes, Stefano had seen all of his grandfather's accomplishments, and some ambitious part of him wanted the same.
He craved the ladder to stardom, his name being rhapsodized amongst other artists and pundits alike, but most importantly, Stefano did it out of love for his dear grandfather. He wanted nothing more than to make him proud, to show him that he was capable of carrying the legacy because after all the things his grandfather had done, the unconditional love, the numerous lessons he'd taught, it was the only way Stefano could repay him.
And it was the only way that Stefano could atone for not being there while his grandfather was lying on his deathbed, unable to put much of a fight to hold on any longer when Stefano was a thousand miles away succumbing to his own hellish nightmare.
Yet, Stefano knew perfectly well what measures to go through to keep the remaining pillars from collapsing on top of their half damaged utopia, no matter how gruesome. He was also aware of the boundaries he stepped over to sustain what was left of it and that his grandparents would find them distasteful and far from what he supposedly envisioned.
However, it was too late to change course. Now that his art had differentiated from the common form of how others perceive and create it, the originality behind it would only prove him a genius and a step ahead of everyone who dared to spit on his vision.
When the time for his glory comes, his grandfather's spirit could finally understand the justification of his actions. Then Stefano's mind could rest at ease.
Every inch of skin he carved through, shed the essence of his art as the neatly arranged limbs held the power to his conquest, every victim served their rightful purpose in death, their blood-curdling screams and discomfort kept encouraging him to continue his actions. He was the one that made their flesh cry. The devil playing with puppets in his domain.
But now, for the very first time, something made him hesitate for a small bit. As if suddenly grew a conscience from all the time he spent with Kenna, the one he planned to turn into his next artistic triumph turned out to backfire on him. He wasn't careful enough to keep her away from his reach, from the very depths of the broken shambles that were left of his mind.
He hadn't intended for their companionship to last this long. To think, that after their truce, not a single thought of giving her torment had occurred to him. He was beginning to suspect that he was losing his touch, almost forgetting about why he entered Union in the first place.
Stefano couldn't actually answer why it was so easy for him to confide in her. Especially regarding the nature of his accident… he had never told anyone about that except for his doctors. Why? Had he wanted her sympathy? Had he wanted Kenna to know the real him? To simply earn her trust for his gains?
Now, that the inner part of him was visible to her, Kenna's behavior around him seemed to have altered as well to a degree. She still had he guard up, not willing to fully soften up to him that easy. Deep down, a part of him wanted for her to do the same.
He wanted her to trust him enough to show him the skeletons she'd been hiding. He didn't believe that they'd be as sinister as his, and even if they were, he doubted that his perception of her would change. She'd still remain under his skin, tucked deep within.
Hence here he was, pacing back and forth in the belly of one of his domains, safe from any unwanted threats beyond the walls of the theater, a scowl etched into his sharp features.
He was unusually worried, but it had been two and a half hours since Kenna left his side and Stefano had been having trouble locating her whereabouts under his radar. And every second he spent knowing that she was out there, probably causing mayhem and putting her own life on the frontline made him antsy. Not that Stefano knew that Kenna was more than capable of taking care of herself, but while it had been theoretically proven when he looked back with hindsight, somehow that failed to dismiss such gnawing thoughts out of his head.
Stefano looked downstairs to where his faithful creatures were standing by the theater doors, Guardian looking as vigilant as ever while Obscura kept on imitating Stefano's movement like a child to their parent. They were all waiting for her, like him. And it made him wonder if Kenna had any clue just how much her presence alone affected all of them. In his eyes, whether she liked it or not, she was a part of this little band of outsiders now.
And he wasn't about to let a lowlife cretin like Theodore took her away from him.
Feeling his patience becoming paper thin, Stefano decided to look for her further through the eye of the Aperture, as if he was looking through the viewfinder of his camera.
And sure enough, he found her. Crouching down behind a large pile of logs deep in the woods in the Union Nature Preserve, all by herself with a shotgun in hand whereas countless of Theodore's Disciples patrolling the forest ground.
And Stefano merely threw his hands in the air in frustration.
Of course, she would completely ignore his warnings and throw herself headfirst into the tiger's domain. How very typical of Kenna. Sure, her stubbornness was commendable on the best of days, but this was not the best of days. Not when it would only get her killed.
Stefano was starting to think if she did any of this just to spite him.
Taking a deep breath, the artist settled for his decision and teleported his way to her location.
In just a blink of an eye, Stefano manifested behind her back in a plume of blue smoke. Kenna hadn't noticed his presence yet, her attention still glued forward but that was about to change in any second.
"What are you doing?" Stefano whispered furiously, not bothering to mask his irritation. He watched as Kenna jumped in her place and peered over her shoulder, her eyes widened in shock though they quickly morphed into confusion when she realized it was him.
Much to Stefano's surprise, Kenna merely slung her weapon behind her back, snatched his wrist and pulled him down to the ground. He was thrown off balance and had to land ungracefully on his knees next to her, which was slightly bruised his dignity.
Kenna drew closer to him, as if they hadn't been close enough, and without a word, pressed her gloved hand over his mouth.
"Stef, what the fuck are you doing here?" she whispered back, her eyes darting around their surroundings looking for god knows what.
Stefano batted away her hand from his mouth, still very much annoyed. "I asked you first, cara."
Kenna shook her head. "No, no, no, you don't understand," she said, seemingly aggravated by his remark. "You shouldn't be here."
Stefano quirked an eyebrow. "Why? What is going on?" he questioned.
"It's Torres. I haven't told her anything about us."
Us. The context of the word Us may differ to what Kenna had in mind, but Stefano liked the sound of it. She and him. You and me. Us. That was something he could comprehend well, but Stefano was well aware that this was hardly the time to give the term a hard look when there was a pressing matter on their plate.
The wisest move on Stefano's part would be leaving. The implication of what could happen if Torres found him here would not end well for both him and Kenna. Mobius had labelled him as a menace apparently, which was utterly absurd, according to his head at least, so there was no doubt they'd do anything to make sure he was six feet under.
But obviously, Stefano wasn't going to indulge in their favor. He was nothing if not a people pleaser, after all.
"She left you here on your own?" Stefano asked, his pale eye peered over the edge of the shrubbery where the dark spruce forest sprawled before them, mists rolling in the distance. A vast silence reigned over the land except for the muffled groans emitted by those hefty creatures.
And he blanched at the idea of having to deal with the Disciples once more. For all Stefano knew, he'd had enough of Theodore's creatures to last him a lifetime.
"Yeah, she thought it was a good idea for me to keep a lookout as she scouts ahead. I told her it's dangerous to go alone, but Torres is a flat out stiff-necked son of a bitch, there's nothing you can do to convince her otherwise."
Stefano cracked a small smile and snorted.
"Why now, that sounds quite like someone I know," he teased, earning him a light shove from the woman though Stefano could but hear her grin.
"Shut up. But seriously, you need to get out of here. One look at your face and Torres would fucking shoot your even before you could say Ciao."
"She's at least thirty feet away from us, Kenna. She won't see me," Stefano pointed out as he zoomed in on Torres' live location through the Aperture. He counted there were at least three Disciples dispersed around her proximity.
"Let me assist you, instead. What are you looking for?"
"Look, Stefano, I appreciate the sentiment, but-"
He held up his hand and intervened. "Kenna, dear, you're wasting your time conducting this so-called reconnaissance with your dear Mobius friend, where I can look past almost every place and every person in this area with my Aperture. Now, please, dear, tell me what are you looking for?"
The cold reluctantly blew past their faces. Then there was one of the Disciples' howl in the distance, somewhere deep within the heart of the dreary forest. Kenna stealthily craned her head around the forest while Stefano looked right through the Aperture just to make sure there weren't becoming sitting ducks in here.
"We're looking for a secret cache that a Mobius agent buried deep in the forest," she revealed without looking at him.
"All the way out here in the forest?"
Kenna involuntarily rolled her eyes. "I did say a secret cache, right? The guy's long gone now, so we're pretty much in the dark here."
"I see it," Stefano said after a few moments. "It's not far from our position, we can get it."
"But what about Torres?"
"We're closer to the cache than she does, Kenna," Stefano argued, but not unkindly. "Strategic wise, it's only right if we get it."
Kenna said nothing. For a few moments, Stefano thought she would shrug his words off while making objections here and there, but he was actually surprised when reconsideration actually passed over her face.
Eventually, she sighed.
"Alright." Kenna snatched her communicator from her belt. "Torres, do you copy?"
"What is it, Kidman?" Came her reply, her voice muffled with the sound of twigs crushing under her heels.
"I found the exact location of the cache. It's closer to my proximity than yours, so I'm going to get it."
"What? Kidman, don't be ridiculous, you aren't even armed if one of those fire breathing freaks come at you."
"I'll be fine, don't worry." As Kenna said this, she turned her head to Stefano. Meeting his gaze a smile worked its ways to her lips. Stefano caught her meaning and smirked back.
"Seriously, just trust me. I know what I'm doing… I hope."
It was a long time, at least, according to Stefano before Torres' reply came through.
"Okay, okay. I trust you, Kidman. Just be careful."
"I will. I'll meet you back at Hoffman's place. Kidman out." Kenna placed her radio back on her belt and stood up. Motioning her head to Stefano. "Let's go."
The path at their feet fades as they tread headstrong into the darkness of the woods, underestimated the utter blackness of nighttime in the woods. In Stefano's mind the trees would be black trunks against a bluish charcoal sky, the path would become deepest brown and the moonlight would bleach the stones within it. Hadn't every painting of woods at night been like that? Even if there was a moon tonight its silvery rays would not penetrate the dense canopy above. They were in too far in to turn back, the twilight he had mistaken for the night had passed rapidly. It could be no blacker in a coffin, six feet under and piled with dirt.
The pair treaded carefully to the location of the cache, they dug up the box and started loading. Kenna found a Warden Crossbow and held it up to test her aim. When she reached for the harpoon she cut her finger, by accidentally going for the wrong end.
"Aw, shit!" She muttered under her breath jerking her hand back. Stefano slightly jumped when he noticed the small wound on her finger. "Let me see." he grabbed her hand before she had the chance to respond. Afterwards, he inserted the wounded finger into his mouth, sucking the blood gently. He briefly closed his eye, drifting away elsewhere as he savoured the taste of iron. Kenna could only stare in disbelief. Why couldn't she just retract her arm from him? What the hell is happening right now?
A minute later he snapped back into reality, "Forgive me, darling. I got a bit carried away." He took a step back, putting up his arms in a defensive manner. "I don't know what came over me. Here! Let me help you with that." Stefano offered. In response Kenna shook her head in refusal "Thanks, but no thanks, I got it." she reassured him. She wasn't up for talking about what just transpired seconds ago. She figured he was being his creepy self.
Stefano's eye darkened and continued to push the matter further, "That's too heavy for you. You could get hurt again and-"
"Um, I'm perfectly capable of handling it, you know." she barked, annoyed with him for not complying.
"Kenna, give me that damn balestra!"
"Fuck you! I'm keeping it!" What has gone into him all of a sudden?
Stefano went in to grab the crossbow Kenna was holding tightly, which resulted in her being pulled by the force of his strength way too close to his face, their noses barely touching. Stefano ever so slightly loosened his grip on her arm which held the weapon firmly. He found her proximity intoxicating, it was rather the fragrant scent of vanilla that was invading his nostrils, quickening his heartbeat in the process. His pale blue eye peered at her hazel ones, he could've sworn he saw her dark pools dilated, he supposed that she noticed the same thing, looking at him. He was inching his face closer to hers and when suddenly he froze as soon as he heard a loud tremor emerging within the forest.
It didn't seem to be an earthquake, it felt like someone or something was stomping its way to where they were. They both pulled away from one another, holding their positions. Stefano's right eye began to shine in its usual deep sapphire color. Kenna hurriedly reloaded the newly found crossbow with the bolts she found.
Stefano looked at her and asked, "Do you know how to use it?"
"Kind of." She shrugged.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means, my dear Stef, that I'm gonna try and wing it whatever happens," Kenna answered with a smirk, shifting her gaze from the bow to him. "Shouldn't be too hard."
"You'll get yourself killed if you don't know how to properly operate it! Have you gone completely mad!"
"We're all a little mad here, aren't we?"
He held a surprised expression. He was utterly speechless. That woman still continued to surprise and perplex him in every possible way in which he couldn't begin to explain. A supposedly large enemy, unlike the ones which they had faced, was making its way towards them and she's just there smirking with confidently, she reminded him of himself for a moment.
It was his turn to grin You really are a work of art, Kenna. He thought to himself.
The duo could see the trees that were getting knocked down in front of them, revealing the threat. It was a six armed creature that had two heads fused to each end of the body with one of them possessing a torso, their face was almost fetus-like, atop of them a telephone pole driven through the being. Around the midsection there was a red glow, giving away its potential weakness.
Perfect. Kenna beamed, I can get to test this baby out on that ugly motherfucker. "I have an idea. You distract it while I go and try to get a vantage point to shoot it in the glowy thing. Maybe you could also use your camera to make it still. Can you do that?"
"Unfortunately, my dear, I feel that my powers are very limited in this area, I barely have enough to create a strong prism, although I am able to teleport, but not as frequently."
"Shit! Just be careful, then. Try not to get whacked into oblivion by that pole."
"Worried, aren't we, amore?"
"Seriously?! We're probably about to die and now you decide to flirt!"
"Well, you're out here grinning like a Cheshire cat."
"Touché."
Both of their gazes averted back to the monster that started running at them. Stefano transported himself and Kenna away from the conjoined being, giving her an opportunity to find a good vantage point. He then vanished back to where the beast was.
"Come and get me!" As soon as it got Stefano in its sights it began to chase him. He turned the other way, leading it through the trees, eventually slowing it down so that Kenna would get a clear shot. She managed to get a few hits at the weak spot. However, it wasn't down just yet. It became more aggravated and started swinging its electrical wires dangerously close to Stefano.
"Reposte!" he shouted as he evaded fatal blows, so far, with triumph thanks to his powers. He repeated the same maneuver for as long as his body could allow. Hopefully, Kenna hadn't run out of ammo yet. To his surprise, she was quite skilled with the crossbow, perhaps she did have experience after all considering the enemy was slowing down.
As time passed, he didn't know how much more he could keep up. He grew weary, feeling his energy depleting. When they were out in the open without enough cover, the Effigy monster took it as liberty to swing its pole at him, which Stefano barely evaded by ducking.
"Damn it!" he kept going, on the brink of passing out, his lungs were ready to collapse at any given moment. That was the last of his abilities. Moreover, there was no time to recharge. As he fell to his knees the monster grabbed ahold of him, bringing his body close to its face. He grunted, attempting to struggle from its grip with all his might, but to no avail. He refused to believe that this is the end. Those dark, soulless eyes peered at him. He did not submit, he refused to believe that this is the point he reached, after everything.
Kenna was beginning to panic, it was becoming more and more difficult for her to aim with focus. The fear that was creeping over caused her to miss some shots, eventually running out of bolts. She wasn't going to let him die, not like this, not on her watch. She unholstered her shotgun as a backup method while shaking and muttering curses under her breath.
Kenna acted on impulse by running away from cover and rushing towards the colossal creature, shooting it to draw its attention to her. "Over here, asshole!" She roared at it. Stefano used the time he was provided with to muster the strength to reach for the dagger from his jacket. Once he got it he plunged it into the beast's hand, causing the Effigy to drop him to the ground.
He pulled himself back on his feet, without a moment to lose and got near the weak point. Before it made its move to attack Kenna, Stefano stabbed it through the glowing red blobs protruding from its midsection, making it howl in pain. Kenna quickly reached him and aimed her shotgun at the same spot. When the fetal-like beast lost its balance and landed, they continued with their assault. Stefano, however, repeatedly stuck his blade in and out even after its last dying breath. He was fuming and uttering swears in Italian, Kenna could only guess. She kneeled next to him, worried about his sudden outburst.
"Hey! Hey! Easy there! Calm down. It's all over, you're fine now," she murmured to him, putting a hand to his shoulder reassuringly. "We beat it."
Stefano visibly jerked at the action, then he relaxed for a bit, though he was still enraged on the inside. We...
He turned to her only to grab her by the head to inspect her "Are you hurt?" he voiced out his concern. His left pale eye scanned for any sign of injuries and was relieved to have found none, he let out a sigh.
"No, I'm fine. It's you I'm more worried about. How are you holding up?"
"My powers, I've used up all I had. I was unable to continue with the distraction. I'm fine, though." He released her and rested his hands on his lap, bawling them into fists. Kenna almost hesitantly put one of her gloved hands on top of his and gave it a light squeeze. She stood up before helping him off the ground.
"I gotta say, Stef. You kicked ass back there." She bashfully admitted, giving him a genuine smile that was enough to send him over the edge. A smile solely for him to see and dare he say that it was the most beautiful sights of her that he had the pleasure of witnessing so far. If only she'd do that more often, just for him.
"Grazie. And also for coming to my rescue...again. You were astonishing as well, Kenna." He took the hand that was holding his, bringing it to his lips to give it a kiss, while slightly bowing before her as a classic gentleman would.
He looked up at her and saw her turn her head away in another direction, avoiding eye contact. It was blatantly obvious that she was trying to maintain her usual facade without breaking it again. Stefano wondered if there was any way to get her to behave more comfortably around him. He was so agonisingly close to kissing her right before they were under attack. He cursed at himself for not taking action quickly enough.
"This didn't seem like one of Theodore's goons. What was that?" Kenna changed the subject, additionally drawing her hand away from his much to Stefano's disappointment.
"I've seen Lost covered with a similar substance, they could be related to this cretino. This has to be the work of someone else." he elaborated shifting his expression to a serious one. I wish I could claim those works as my own. Looks like there's another artist before me.
"God damn it." Kenna's jaw dropped, earning an inquisitive glare from Stefano. "Che?"
"This could be Myra, she's also here looking for Lily." she sighed before continuing, "she's gone berserk, there's no other way around it. I don't think another person could've gotten these abilities. Well...I hope not"
"Let's focus on making Theodore suffer, first. Then we can deal with her."
"You're right. So, I guess this is it."
"Not yet. We still have to wait a bit before I'm strong enough to transport us back to the theater from this distance. It will only take a while. Might as well do something while we wait. What do you say?"
"Fuck it. Sure. What do you have in mind?"
"How about we share some things about ourselves?" Stefano propositioned.
"Jesus. Are we doing the 'mountain climbing' thing again with the questions?"
"Si! That's exactly it! It's a fantastic way to pass the time and also another way we can become more intimate." he whispered the last part loud enough for her to take the hint. Kenna only looked at him askance.
"I'm 'this' close to strangling you," she gestured, a mischievous grin had emerged from him, that was when the realization hit her as her face began to ignite. "Not in a way that you'd like, mind you."
"My dear, how do you know I like it rough?" He purred, sending shivers down her spine. "Oh my! I made you flustered again, didn't I, mia dolce? How adorable." his deep chuckles echoed.
"Look we either ask the goddamn questions or I'm breaking your nose for real this time!" Kenna prayed that the crimson shade of her cheeks wasn't visible enough for him to spot. She liked to believe it was her anger towards the flamboyant artist that ignited her cheeks in such a way.
"Fine. Ladies first."
"Hmmm… alright. What's your middle name?"
Stefano blinked, "Really? You can't be serious, Kenna!" he expected her to be more creative and seize the golden opportunity to ask him anything she desired to know about him without anything held back. Of all the things…
"But, you're missing out on all the spectacular views, Stef. Tsk! Tsk!" Kenna teased while shaking her finger at him.
He was astonished yet again by that fiery spirited woman. There wasn't a single chance that he was going to let her burn him to a cinder and beat him at his own game.
"If you must know, it is Lorenzo. There. Have I satisfied your curiosity, now?"
"Very much. See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"
"My turn. What's your type?" Stefano raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. He gazed at her with anticipation.
"Of guy?" Kenna looked at him quizzically, he nodded and patiently waited for her response. She rolled her eyes This is another one of his 'win Kenna over' schemes, isn't it? "You're really not gonna give it a rest, aren't you?"
"Persistence is always the key."
"In your case, the key of being a nuisance." Kenna figured he'd ask that kind of question, knowing that he wasn't going to drop the matter, she decided to play fair and get it over with by answering him, "Ok. Fine. A guy who isn't afraid to let me take the lead, someone who can challenge me, keep me intrigued since I do tend to get bored easily. Yeah, that about sums it up."
"That's it?"
"Yes, I've told you everything. What more do you want?"
"Nothing. It's just that your description happens to fit me like a glove." he unfolded his arms, his body relaxed at her answer.
"Hold your horses, pal. You have to do a lot more to impress me."
"Like?"
"I don't know. You're the artist here. Be creative." Kenna grinned mischievously. She was both frightened and excited to see what his twisted mind will come up with.
"As you wish, mia bella." Stefano licked his lips. Things were going to get interesting. He felt a wave of inspiration course through him. Various ideas seeped into his mind about how to finally have Kenna fall into his arms. At this point he was ready to do anything for his queen. So much to do, yet so little time. At least he had his muse with him to keep his inspiration coursing through.
"I actually have something kind of personal to ask you, if you don't mind." Kenna broke his train of thought with a somber tone, knowing that the subject would be heavy for him.
"Of course, bella. You can ask me anything you want. That is the whole point of this." Stefano consented, sending Kenna a wink.
She thought about how she should approach him with the question without ticking him off and pushing the wrong buttons. Even though she confided her trust in the morbid artist she still had to keep in mind to be careful not to provoke him, because, all in all, he was still a psychopath, no matter how she looked at it, cunning, manipulative, entirely unpredictable and devoid of empathy. She wondered how could he empathize with her of all people. His concern for her wellbeing was more than enough to convince her that it was genuine. The look in his eye revealed his true emotions. His intentions towards her, after their truce, seemed very much friendly and romantic. She still had yet to find out how to fully process his advances. Indeed he was handsome, intelligent and charming.
However, she couldn't help but stray from all forms of attachment. It was stronger far than her, yet a safe bet nonetheless, so she continued avoiding them altogether like a plague. Perhaps, in time that would change or in another life. A part of her really wanted that. She was, almost hesitantly, considering building a relationship with a murderer. Either her morals went down the drain because of the time she was spending with him or Union was getting to her. Without further rationalizing her emotions for the Italian before her, Kenna took a deep breath and proceeded.
"Where did this side of you come from?"
His smile disappeared, he then held a serious expression. A gut wrenching feeling pooled in her stomach.
"You don't have to answer if this is making you uncomfortable. I underst-"
"No. You deserve an answer, I really don't mind telling you." She said nothing as he closed his eye to recollect his thoughts, then he looked at her sadly.
She was concerned if she somehow managed to screw up, however, she stayed silent and waited for him to say something.
"It was after the accident, that I learned to embrace death in a different way, without my mortality leaving this earth. It was eye opening." he held up a hand to touch the area of where his mangled eye was, "Ironic, isn't it?" he said with a chuckle, "I may have lost my eye, but I gained something much grander in the process, inspiration, newfound creativity, visions of the art that will put me on a pedestal thanks to the originality behind them, my originality. All the blood that was spilled by my hand was for a reason, which I will never regret. My artistic rebirth gifted me with a whole new vision and it is marvelous."
There was a scar that would never fade away, remaining forever etched onto his psyche.
To him it was far worse than his ocular injury. He perfectly remembered when it all came crashing, like a terrible accident. In which he couldn't help but stand idly and watch as the event unfolded before him in a flash. He may have lost his eye and his own grandfather at that time, but he discovered a whole new form of his self expression. Something that was sure to impact his vision of art. How his bloodlust came to be.
"A shrapnel lodged into right eye, head-trauma. God only knows what else."
"He's in shock! get him to the ICU, STAT!"
He had woken up in one of Baghdad's hospitals, it had almost been a month after the incident, yet he was still stuck in here. Stefano couldn't think it could get any worse than this. He opened his functioning eye it took a while to for everything around him to slide into focus. As his image was adjusting, he immediately felt the sharp sting of where his right eye used to be.
He was clutching the bandaid over it, hissing in pain. He felt as if a dozen knives were lodged into his head repeatedly. How did it come to this? A week had passed since he got the news of his grandfather's passing and the same feeling of dread came back crawling. It was like he kept on falling through the same hungry pit over and over again. It had almost been enough to make him throw up. Stefano was sure that he had disappointed him entirely. Marcello was dead and he wasn't even there to do anything, let alone say goodbye.
How he wished for all of this to be another nightmare that he could simply wake up from and carry on with his day as if nothing happened. As per usual, life had more plans that involved having everything blown to his face, apparently. He wondered what other sick amusement would God get out of Stefano's misfortune.
Guilt kept swirling within him. He thought about numerous 'what-if' scenarios regarding the positive outcome of his grandfather's fate. Stefano honestly didn't know whether he would have been forgiven or scolded for having his own intuition by pursuing his dreams despite his grandfather's warnings. Looking back, Stefano figured that he deserved what came to him in Afghanistan for disobeying Marcello in the first place, ready for whichever punishment the world had planned out for him next.
He needed to get out, lying there was only going to make it worse, especially when none of the doctors had any informations about his discharge. As soon as his feet touched the floor, it became wobbly to walk on, his vision had been blurred again, the room was spinning, everything around him seemed topsy turvy for a moment, his head was an utter mess, he wanted to scrape all the pain from inside his skull. Finally, as his vision had cleared, Stefano began to contemplate his next move very carefully despite the unbearable headache.
The first order of business was to gather his belongings and leave. It took him awhile to get to the door, carefully minding each step, it grew more difficult for him to focus as his eye kept throbbing, he had to carry on, he wasted enough time feeling helpless. When he stepped out of his room a young nurse, that has been walking along the hallway immediately spotted him and hurried towards his way.
"I'm sorry, sir, but you shouldn't be walking around in this state. Please, let me help you to your bed." she insisted.
"No, you don't understand. I need to leave right away. I assure you that I'm perfectly fine."Stefano protested. It became evident that she wasn't buying his story. He looked completely worn out with his raven locks sticking out, the bandaid over his right eye was covered in crimson and brown splotches, indicating that it needed to be changed whereas bags forming under his functioning bleached blue eye and his sickly pale complexion which made him look more ghastly.
"But you don't look well at all. If I let you go you're going to pass out and get hurt even more. You shouldn't put be putting your health at risk like that. It's unwise."
At this point Stefano was seething. There was no chance he was getting lectured by some nurse. he felt more like a prisoner rather than a patient. He glared daggers at her which she ignored and began to slowly, but carefully escort him to his bed, he went back in, she followed suit. He stopped in the middle of the room. She closed the door and turned to him "If you can't walk any further on your own, then don't be afraid to hold onto me, alright?" the woman offered, in which he nodded in response, holding out his arm towards her.
Before she had the chance to take it, Stefano mustered up all of his remaining strength to wrap his hands around her neck. He didn't know what made him do it. Something foreign came over him, the adrenaline was rushing through his veins, temporarily blocking every trace of the pain he had felt. He was stronger now, this was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
This course of action had awakened something inside him and it felt so had no intention of stopping until the deed was done. And so he pressed harder onto her skin, putting as much pressure as he possibly could. he licked his chapped lips while he was observing her expressions. She looked deliciously pathetic in her pitiful state. Now the ladybug's in the arms of a spider and there was no escape now that he weaved her into his web.
Everything about this was poetic to him. From the girl desperately gasping for air with all her might,as warm tears were cascading down her face to her eyes losing their shine after her feebly attempting to break free from his iron grip, signifying her soul's departure from the vessel that once used to be her body.
The last thing she had ever witnessed was his wide grin and the chillingly satisfied look on his face that could make even the most sinister person's skin crawl, he was still grasping her throat with an almost abnormal intensity with every fiber. He let her go, her lifeless body hit the ground with a soft thud. The very position she was lying in reminded him of Klimt's "Danae". The display before him made his heartbeat quicken even more. He felt an ooze of inspiration course through ideas that came to his mind were soaring through.
He thought that if he had his camera with him he could do a proper setup with this kind of material and create something entirely new for the world to revel in. There was nothing that could be more original than his newfound ideas for the future projects he has in store. He noted all of then in a second. This was it. This was art. He knew that this would be the key to reversing the Valentini family name. He had found a way to make it up to his grandfather, a secret to reaching the pinnacle of fame and success.
Although, there was no time to plan a photo shoot. He needed to grab the keys and get his necessities back so that he may leave. Stefano bent over to the corpse, as much as he wanted her to stay on the ground with the exact same position he needed to search her body for the keys and then conceal her. He hid his trail by tossing her out the window. Even her falling form had somehow managed to inspire him even further. He found the way her limbs were moving so captivating as she kept falling further from his vision until he saw nothing but a spec of her on the pavement. Now he just had to sneak out undetected.
After some time he successfully made it out thanks to the majority of the security team heading towards the main entrance to scan the perimeter outside of the building where one of them noticed the dead nurse.
Stefano headed towards the emergency exit and ventured into the cold night clad in his tattered uniform with a grey scarf wrapped around his neck. He noticed that his eye had stopped throbbing ever since he murdered that woman. He scoffed at the thought of him being labeled as a "murderer". "What an overused term.."
He said with a sigh. He considered that the weak use it to make someone into a monster while in reality they are just doing anything they can to survive, much like the rest of the world, yet they choose to do it in a different manner. Instincts could still betray one at any given moment, mistaking what was right or wrong, it all becomes indistinguishable when one's true self takes over. Everyone has skeletons in their closet no matter the perfect picture they choose to portray themselves as in front of other prying eyes. No one is entirely innocent. No amount of worship and righteousness could fully restore a person's purity. The moment they enter this cruel world marks the beginning of the game called "Survival".
There were no second chances. It was every man for himself as it always was from the beginning of time. This was very much an equivalent to a battlefield, only masked with pavement concrete, street lights, vehicles and buildings. He found it amusing how the war affected his way of thinking.
"Marked for death from the start, so it would seem." and with that said Stefano carried on into the night, through the empty streets, his mind had been plagued by vivid images of his grandfather's face, looking down at Stefano with in a scornful manner. The war wasn't only the beginning it was past the point of no return, the fatal choice already made. The past is a puzzle like a broken mirror. As Stefano could try and piece it together, he had only cut himself, his image started to shift and he changed with it.
In time he would atone for the disappointment he had caused by coloring the world with the hues of his own madness.
Kenna could only gape at what she just heard "Stefano, I-I don't know what else to say except sorry."
He ignored her sympathy "Don't you understand, Kenna? At my weakest point I gained something valuable. There is nothing to be sorry about." His hand ghosted over his right eye once again. The grin that spread across his face was malicious to the point where Kenna visibly tensed upon seeing it. She was at a loss for words, "I am here for a reason and I'm inclined to believe that you are as well. Which leads to the question: Why? Why was it that Kenna Kidman was brought here, to this very paradise of a world?"
"It's a lot more complicated than you think." At this point Kenna wanted to refuse to delve further into the depths of her own colorful past. She didn't have a choice, however, she expected him to turn into a ticking time bomb by stepping over bounds with her curiosity. At this state, he could pull anything and she was ready for it.
"Do tell. We still have plenty of time. Tell me the fable of when you were nothing but a mere blank canvas. What was it that painted you in such a cool tone?"
"It's a very complicated story." Kenna took a deep breath, searching for any possible solutions to avoid the topic about her past.
"By all means. Enlighten me with your own dark tale. I'm all ears, as you would say."
Kenna knew that she'd eventually have to tell him, yet she didn't think that it'd be now. She'd be lying if she said she didn't trust him, as much as she hated to admit it. They have come a long way and watched each other's back ever since they formed their secret pact. Of course this time had to come. It was only fair since Stefano was willing to spill everything from start to finish. However, can she do the same for him? Will he look at her the same way afterwards? Why would she even care, anyway?
Kenna took a deep breath before proceeding. Meanwhile, Stefano was carefully watching her every movement. She took her eyes off the ground and hesitantly made eye contact him. She was about to make a mess by spilling all her guts to the devil before her. This is where it was coming.
"It's pretty much your typical 'little girl has neglectful, asshole parents' kind of story. But, it isn't just your typical family drama. It goes way beyond that."
Kenna turned her head to the side for a moment, gazing into the distance of what's left of the forest. Looking at the debris reminded her of the perpetual tumbles and crashes throughout her adolescence.
"It wasn't always like that. I mean, it was never really perfect either. Basically, I come from an abnormally religious 'family' if you can even call it that. My parents were obsessed with Christ to a heavy extent, therefore neglecting me and my siblings." Kenna's voce had begun to slightly shake as she continued "My father was more of a dictator than anything, stuck in some fantasy world filled with holy righteousness and politics, making up some bullshit house rules that would earn us an ass kicking or starvation, if we didn't obey them. The bastard needed money for the church and the dumbass campaign, so we were all forced with part time jobs. I was a car mechanic at the time. The job wasn't really all that bad, I got to learn more about cars despite the poor payment. Luckily, among all hell that was breaking loose more and more each day I wasn't alone. I had my sister, Juli, stick with me by my side throughout all this madness." Kenna smiled sadly looking back at all the mischief her and Juli caused together. Seemed like trouble was very keen on both of them since birth. "In the end when the plague hit Cedar Hill, my parents died along with most of its residents. My sister and I weren't there when it happened. We ran away when we were just teenagers then Mobius came along."
"And so you're here…" Stefano finished for her. He had a strange look to his sharp featured face. Kenna could describe it as a mixture of anger and sorrow, perhaps. His demeanor has drastically changed. The sight itself seemed alien to her. Was this his own way of showing at least some form of empathy towards her? She could never tell. She was already shaken from solely recalling her troubled childhood.
Kenna stared blankly at the ground. She could hear footsteps approaching her. Stefano slowly, but carefully tried to wrap his arms around her. This time Kenna didn't bother to escape his hold, she just stood there with her face buried in his scarf with her arms glued to her side, his cologne ever so invasive to her senses. A faint part of her wanted to reciprocate and remain in his hold for a longer while. Her heart's reluctance overpowered any action she considered making. For now, it was best to play it safe.
"I would have killed them myself if it weren't for that plague. Their heads would have served more purposefully as flower vases." he whispered in her ear assuringly. Kenna didn't really know how to respond to such a statement. It was true that her parents were rotten to the core. Deep down she felt as if they would've had it coming after what they put her and Juli through, as horrible as it may sound. She couldn't care any less, quite frankly, considering how her moral compass was already in shambles now, her clear thought process was beginning to blur itself into an indistinguishable gray smudge.
"That still wouldn't have erased anything. It is what it is, like it or not, I have to accept it." , she moved her head to look him in the eye with the fury which he grew accustomed to, throughout their journey together. "I'm not that same scared little girl anymore and I'm not gonna let my past revert me back to that state. Understand that I'm not some clay you can mold into whatever you or anyone wants me to be. I'm not afraid."
"Cara, I would never! Why do you treat me as if I am still your enemy? It breaks my heart." Stefano closed his eye and nuzzled into her raven hair. "You are my equal as we established before and believe me when I say that no one ever came close to such a privilege. You have my utmost respect."
"Lucky me." Kenna responded unenthusiastically.
"Oh, hush now. You're ruining the moment."
"I guess this concludes our game? Are you able to take us back?"Kenna broke out of the hug, suddenly missing the warmth he provided. Stefano looked displeased at their physical departure.
"Sí. I believe I'm powerful enough. But, I recommend if you maybe held on to me for a little longer. It takes up less energy."
"See, I know you're lying, but fuck it. I'll only hold on just so that you'd finally shut up, ok?"
"Deal."
Kenna rolled her eyes at him. Stefano snaked his arm around her waist, holding her tightly. He was beaming with excitement while Kenna was trying to suppress a smile. She failed in the process as he caught a glance at her. He was quite relieved that he got to know more about her. He was also very well aware of her capabilities, yet he wanted her to rely on him more often. To know for certain that she needed him just as much as he needed her. And so familiar sapphire colored flames began to mask their silhouettes, transporting them away from the forest.