"I can't believe you dragged me here of all places."
Nicolas and Maria stood in Oscar's office. It wasn't his first time here, but Oscar was very selective about who could enter. This would be his first time inside this year.
"All the important stuff wouldn't be kept anywhere else. Just be a good boy and stay quiet for a moment while I look for it, ok?"
Nicolas flared at Maria's insult but decided to let it pass. The woman had been sulking ever since she'd returned after scouting ahead by herself. Nicolas wasn't sure what happened, but if her mutterings were anything to go by, it had something to do with Rosetta.
"That girl should learn how to keep her nose out of things."
Maria hissed complaints to that effect as she rooted through a row of filing cabinets on the right side of the room. Nicolas occupied himself by looking around the room. It was difficult to imagine the rough and muscular Oscar sitting around doing paperwork. Then again, it was clear from looking at all the portraits that this room had been used by the Duurin family for many generations.
Old families had difficulty letting go of the past, and they tended to worship their ancestors as if they were saints. Nicolas couldn't imagine being able to work in peace in such an office with all the old men in their portraits staring at him, expecting him to be as great as they were.
As he looked at each portrait, he noticed something unusual. Many of the former heads had also been named Oscar. The family seemed to have a shortage of imagination when it came to naming their sons. The painting of the previous head, who was also named Oscar read 'Oscar Durin the sixteenth'
"That would make him Oscar the seventeenth then." Nicolas said aloud.
It was no wonder the family had fallen on hard times in the modern day. Everything seemed so stale. As if it had some fascination with the past and refused to change with the times.
Sitting on one of the mahogany chest of drawers was a photograph. Nicolas was surprised to see a younger version of himself in it. The picture had been taken in front of the orphanage. The orphans, Layota and Oscar stood in front of the main entrance.
Nicolas remembered that day. It was the day he'd been brought to the monastery. Oscar had only been there long enough to take the photograph, fill out some paperwork and exchange brief pleasantries with Layota. Nicolas was the only orphan he had spoken to.
"Be sure to eat, boy. You'll never get anywhere with a scrawny appearance like that."
Those were the first words Oscar spoke to him as he handed Nicolas a granola bar of some sort.
"Only by being strong will you be of any worth to me."
At the time, Nicolas had known Oscar was an important man. His words had shaken the young boy to the core, even if he had no idea why Oscar was speaking to him of such things.
Oscar would return sporadically after that. Each time he would briefly speak to Nicolas, insult him and give him stern advice. Eventually, when he got older, Oscar gave him a place to stay in the guest house and he was not asked to work like the other Orphans. Instead, he studied under Oscar's stern tutelage. Those days had been hell for Nicolas.
"Ah here it is. Fucking finally."
Maria turned to Nicolas, having found what she was looking for. She walked over him.
"Ah you were looking at that picture?" She laughed, "How fitting."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Here, take a look, your lordship."
"Lordship?" he asked, confused as he took a laminated sheet of paper from Maria's hands.
He read it carefully. At least, that's what he tried to do. He had to read it over again before he looked up at Maria.
"What the hell is this?"
"That's exactly the reaction I was hoping for!" Maria said with a clap of her hands and a loud laugh.
He looked down at the document one more time. His name was written there, along with his dead mother's. Together with those names was one more. Oscar Duurin.
"This is...my birth certificate?" He whispered.
"Yes! I mean, isn't it obvious with how he's been treating you these past years? Congratulations, you're the heir to an esteemed house, Oscar the eighteenth!"
Maria continued to cheer and clap her hands. Nicolas barely heard her, his eyes focused solely on the piece of paper in front of him.
She was right. It should have been obvious from the way Oscar had treated him over the years. He simply never wanted to acknowledge it. To acknowledge it would have only caused him more pain.
"You know what this means, don't you?" Came the whispering voice from behind his shoulder. "We can kill him. It'll be so easy."
His other self stood looking over his shoulder, a manic smile plastered on his face.
"We'll finally be free from all this pain and pressure! We could finally be someone who's worth something!"
Nicolas shook his head violently. Maria was in the room, so he didn't want to reply to his hallucination.
"Come on, Nick, this is what we've been waiting for. Honestly, never thought the culprit would fall into our lap so easily."
Nicolas ignored the bellowing laughter that came from the creature's mouth. As suddenly as it started, it went quiet again and donned a serious expression.
"Don't forget what he did." It whispered.
Flashes of that rundown room in the slums, his mother haggard under dirty blankets. He had to pinch the bridge of his nose to try to calm down.
"He's the one." Nicolas muttered.
"The one?" Maria asked, looking curious.
He'd always wished he could find his father. If only to drive a knife into his heart. Yes, he'd been kept awake many a night from such thoughts.
Oscar's rich and opulent office stood out in stark contrast to his memories of the slum.
"He let it happen...even though he had all this?" he said, gesturing at the expensive paintings and furniture. It was almost enough to make him laugh. Villains so obvious could have only exited in a storybook!
His heart was beating out of his chest, and he was finding it hard to breathe. He didn't feel fear as he usually would. His anger wouldn't allow it. He completely ignored the episode as he stared a hole through the birth certificate in his hands.
"Well Nick? Now you should get it. You were made to be something more. You're part of the biggest noble family in the country, not some weak orphan kid," Maria said.
Nicolas looked at her. When she saw his face, she grinned.
"That's it. That's the look I wanted. I bet you want to do something now, right? The speech the other you gave predicted the death of three people. He's one of them, right?" Maria said, unable to keep the excitement from her voice.
"How did you know about this?" Nicolas asked quietly.
Maria furrowed her eyes brows in confusion. She put a finger to her lip and spoke in a childish tone.
"How did I know? Oh, I dunno...maybe it had something to do with me being one of Oscar's closest servants? I've always had access to this room, you know. Those bald marble statues don't polish themselves."
Nicolas stepped forward, grabbed Maria and pushed her against the filing cabinet. Pinned against the metal, she looked at him with a small grin.
"If you knew, why didn't you tell me?" he shouted in her face.
Maria's grin turned to a laugh.
"If I told you before now, you wouldn't have had the balls to act on it." She said. "But now your back is against the wall. You can either follow through with your threats or rot away in your room until you expire. Well, what's it going to be, Nick?"
Nicolas gave her one last glare before stepping back. He didn't go far and simply sat on the soft blue carpet, holding his head in his hands.
It was just too much to take in at once. He almost wished they'd lock him in the dungeon. At least then he wouldn't have to worry about what would come next.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, but it did little to calm his thoughts. He was the son of Oscar Duurin. His mother's words came back to him once again.
You'll be a great man someday, Nick, just wait a little longer. He'll come back for us.
She must have been talking about Oscar, sitting in his high castle as they subsided on moldy vegetable soup. It made him angry, but what of it? He wasn't even in control of himself. There was little chance he could do anything to bring down Oscar. He wasn't even sure he wanted to.
"It's tough, isn't it?"
Nicolas felt Maria embrace him from behind.
"Guess I got a little carried away there. Sorry Nick." She whispered in his ear.
He tried to shake her off, but it was a weak attempt. It was a pleasant feeling, something he hadn't felt since his mother died.
"I've just been so angry since they killed Addi. I needed someone to vent to a little, that's all."
"Why not go cry to Dean or Matin?" he asked.
They were older and much more reliable than he was. He had too many issues of his own to be of help to anyone.
"They don't know what actual loss is. They're not broken, like us."
Broken? Well, she wasn't wrong about that, at least in his case.
"I can't help you. I can't even help myself." He whispered.
"That's ok. Cause I'm going to stay with you. We'll do this together because you showed me a way forward after I lost the one person who ever meant anything to me."
He shook his head. He'd never been especially close to Maria. Why did she care about him so suddenly?
"That wasn't me who gave that speech back then, that was..."
...My other self. He couldn't bring himself to say it.
"It was you Nick, It was you." Maria said simply. "You're capable of much more than you think. It's in your blood after all."
"Blood has nothing to do with ability." He muttered.
Maria didn't say anything for a while, yet neither did she part from him.
"It's Oscar. He's the reason we're both suffering." She said.
"You think he killed Addi?"
"I know he did!" Marianne hissed.
Her embrace grew stronger to the point where it was almost hurting him.
"He needs to pay for that, doesn't he?" Maria asked. "Him and the others who forced her into that life, a life she never asked for and died for."
There was a hint of desperation in her voice, as if she needed Nicolas to agree with her.
He thought of his mother, of his years in the orphanage under Oscar's gaze. He had dreamed of punishing his father for years, but he was still so weak. What could he possibly do to Oscar?
"He needs to pay." Nicolas agreed.
"We'll do this together. We'll avenge Addi together. Right, Nick? The others are too pure. They wouldn't want to get their hands dirty. But you and me? We can do it!"
Nicolas nodded.
If there was anything that could give his life meaning, it would be avenging his mother's death. In the gleaming metal of the cabinet, he swore he saw his own grinning face standing above them.
"You'll stay by my side, even if I killed my father?" He asked.
"Yes, I will." She replied. "I'll stay with you until the end, I promise."
Those words of comfort calmed his racing heart, and he felt himself relax. A short while later, they parted and left the office.
"There's one more thing I want to show you. It's another of Oscar's dirty little secrets." Maria said with a wink.
Nodding, Nicolas followed Maria down to the first floor of the cathedral. She brought him to a storage room towards the very back of the building. It was locked behind a heavy metal door with a key code.
Nicolas had been in this room a few times in the past when he was helping Oscar, but it had been at least a year since he'd been there last. Usually it just contained materials for the everyday running of the monastery; hand tools, spare wood and the like.
With familiarity, Maria punched in a password and the lock came undone. The door opened with a creak, and Maria stepped inside. Nicolas followed.
Inside was a large room filled with crates and shelves. Maria switched on the light.
"So what's in here?" He asked.
"You're probably wondering where I got that massive baton, right?"
Nicolas nodded. Remembering how she knocked that security guard unconscious in the woods.
"Well, take a look."
She opened one of the crates and pulled out a long black case.
"What's that? A musical instrument?" He asked.
"Open it and see." She said.
He did as instructed and almost dropped the case when he saw what was inside.
"That's a gun?" he asked incredulously.
"Bingo," Maria said. "Oscar's been stockpiling stuff like this for the last year. Not many know about it."
"Why?" he asked. What reason would anyone have for collecting arms in today's world?
"He's been getting a bit desperate. He's lost almost all influence back in the capital. I guess he's planning to make a show of force if he isn't elected this time. He really is a rotten apple, eh?"
Nicolas simply continued to stare at the gun. It seemed to be an automatic rifle of some kind. It felt heavy in his arms.
"Here, take this," Maria said and placed something in his coat pocket. It was a combat knife.
"For self defense." She whispered in his ear before stepping back and looking into the crate once more.
"But seriously, we'll probably be doing the world a favor by getting rid of Oscar. You know, saving hundreds of lives by killing one."
"Yeah, right." Nicolas agreed half-heartedly.
There was so much he didn't understand. He didn't know whether he wanted to kill Oscar or run away in the night, blizzard be dammed.
"Let's get out of here before anyone else comes along. I got what I came for after all."
Maria closed the lid on the crate and ushered Nicolas out of the room before closing the door behind her.
"By the way, where are the guards?" Nicolas asked.
They had spotted a few armed men around while making their way to Oscar's office, but it was much fewer than usual.
"Oscar's at a town meeting now trying to run damage control after what you said. I think he took most of the guards with him. Not like there's many to begin with, only four or five. This is the arse end of nowhere after all." Maria explained as she typed something out on her phone.
Maria turned left down the corridor towards the main hall of the cathedral.
"Shouldn't we leave through the back?" Nicolas asked.
"No need. There won't be anyone out there now."
Reluctantly, he opened the door leading out into the nave. He took a step forward but froze when he came face to face with somebody standing in his way. He looked up to see none other than Oscar staring down at him.
"Boy?" the man asked, his usual stern face filled with concern. The two stood there looking at each other in complete silence.
"Oh dear, what a surprise." Maria said with a small giggle.
Nicolas forgot to breathe. In front of him stood the cause of all his suffering and pain. His mother would be alive right now if this man had spared even a minuscule fraction of his vast wealth.
Hadn't he been intending to kill this man? His muscles felt like they were made of stone. He wasn't ready for this.
"You dragged me from my meeting by claiming that you had found Nicolas and to come alone. What are you up to, Maria?" Oscar asked.
Wait, Maria told Oscar he was here? Why would she do that? Nicolas felt his mouth go dry as he looked between the two.
Maria stepped forward, placing herself in front of Nicolas.
"Nothing major, just showing Nick here around the Cathedral. I thought there were some things he aught to see."
Oscar's eyes widened upon hearing Maria's words. He lurched forward and grabbed her by the shoulders.
"You didn't take him to the office?" He asked. "Maria, what's kept in there is not for..."
"Hey hands off!" Maria said, trying to shake herself free.
Oscar hardly noticed her struggles. He looked over her shoulder directly at Nicolas.
"He's right in front of you, the source of all your misery." His own voice whispered in his ear.
Nicolas felt something hot in the pit of his stomach. Not only had this man killed his mother, but he had hidden the fact and had been controlling Nicolas' life ever since.
"What did you see in there, boy? Tell me!" Oscar commanded.
His stern voice caused Nicolas to flinch slightly, but his anger kept his legs firm. He looked into Oscar's eyes, something he hadn't dared doing in a long time.
"Why? Why did you let Mother die?" He asked, his voice trembling with anger.
Maria managed to break free from Oscar's grasp, but Oscar hardly paid her any mind. He walked right past her and stopped in front of Nicolas. The man stared down at him with an impenetrable gaze.
"Whatever you saw in that office boy, you'd best forget it for your own good."
"Forget? How the hell can I do that?" Nicolas screamed. "You could have done something. Why didn't you? Well, why? You had all this wealth, couldn't you have used even a little of it?" Nicolas' words came out like a burst dam. The anger built up over a decade, unable to be held back.
Oscar hesitated a moment. It was a rarity, but he seemed to be having trouble finding the correct words. Eventually he spoke, his words coming slowly.
"It was for both of your protection. Any involvement from me would have put both your lives in danger."
Nicolas looked up at Oscar — no, his father.
"He lies. You were a child born out of wedlock. You were an inconvenience to him, so he threw you and your mother out."
Nicolas heard his own voice in his head once again. It didn't bother him, oddly enough. The words were gentle and sounded true. Nicolas caressed the handle of the dagger hidden away behind his jacket.
Kill him, and we can finally be free of this pain.
He once again remembered his mother. Her growing suffering, his younger self being unable to help her. That was it. He was here to avenge her. That was why he had suffered here at the monastery. It was all for this moment.
"Did protecting us involve leaving her to waste away in the slums?" Nicolas asked.
Oscar gritted his teeth in response to the question. He gripped Nicolas' arm, and Nicolas felt the blood circulation cutting off. Even so, he felt a burst of self assured confidence well up from within. He gripped the handle of the weapon hidden within his jacket.
"Don't make assumptions about things you don't understand!" Oscar roared.
The older man's grip was like a vice on Nicolas' forearm, and it was beginning to hurt sharply. Oscar's temper was the stuff of legends, and now Nicolas stared down the brunt of it.
"He's so close," the voice in his head whispered. "Just a simple movement and it will all be over."
Could he do it? Could he really end another person's life?
"Hey, let go. You're hurting him!" Maria shouted as she tried to pull Oscar's arm off Nicolas. He pushed her away, and she fell sprawling onto the marble floor.
"Don't interfere, wench! You'll be punished for this. You won't be leaving this..." Oscar shouted, turning to face her for just a single moment.
"Take your chance, fool!"
The blade went in easier than he expected. Oscar was standing close enough that he didn't even have to reach far. With his free hand, Nicolas stabbed upwards through Oscar's lower back and into his chest cavity.
Oscar gasped, or tried to. A weak wheezing sound came from his mouth as he loocked down at Nicolas in shock.
"Boy..."
His voice was low and barely audible. Nicolas tried to pull the dagger from his father, but it was well and truly stuck. He stepped back and watched as his father fell to the ground. Blood flowing from the wound.
"Oh, looks like you hit an artery, nice going, Nick." Maria said as she walked up to him.
Nicolas didn't respond. He simply looked at Oscar as the blood began to pool around him. His chest was spasming as if desperately trying to suck in any little amount of oxygen it could. Through it all Oscar stared at him, still aware, still intelligent.
Nicolas wanted to look away but couldn't his gaze was trapped by his dying father. Why was it taking so long for him to die? Those eyes bore through his very soul.
"How did I...why?"
Nicolas tried to ask a question. Whatever that question was, he himself did not know. His voice trembled like a nervous child, and he felt like he was about to start crying. Whatever resolve had flooded him before had dissipated like morning mist. Of his other, more confident self, there was no sign.
Oscar coughed and wheezed. It was a terrible sound. Nicolas fell to his knees and let out an involuntary sob. It was going on for far too long. Why wouldn't he just die already?
"Poor thing, close your eyes, I'll finish it." Maria said.
Nicolas watched as she walked over to the dying Oscar. Without any hesitation, she pulled a knife from her coat, bent down and sliced it across Oscar's neck.
Nicolas let out a yelp as he looked away.
After a few more feeble gasps, Oscar finally stopped moving. Even so, his dead eyes continued to stare straight at Nicolas.
He felt dizzy, and the room had begun to sway. He realized he hadn't taken a breath in some time. At that moment, the door to the cathedral swung open, and Diskin hesitantly stepped inside. A group of youths followed him, including Sarah and Ruth.
They stopped a fair distance away from Nicolas, Maria and the dead Oscar.
"You — you actually did it?" Diskin's voice was softer than Nicolas had ever heard it before. His face was completely pale.
Maria stepped forward.
"Yes, told you he had the balls to do it." Maria answered. "Oscar's dead, and Nick here snuffed him."
The gathered crowd looked at Nicolas as if they were seeing him for the first time. Nicolas swallowed deeply. Were they going to attack him? Get revenge for killing their benefactor? Or perhaps they would call the police and have him locked up for life?
"Here that lads? We're finally free of that bastard," Diskin said, grinning from ear to ear. "Can't believe the mutt did it!"
Not everyone shared Diskin's enthusiasm.
"Free until Methaeus calls the police on us." Another young man said.
"You idiot. How's he supposed to do that in this blizzard with all the phones down?" Maria snapped.
"They'll be able to do something about it, eventually. For Goddess sakes you've killed a man. I don't want to be a part of this."
Nicolas felt confused. Why weren't they running from him and calling for help? Some of them looked overjoyed at the sight of his father's corpse. He just didn't understand.
"You're just as much a part of it as we are." Diskin said with a growl. "You witnessed a killing and didn't intervene. You're guilty by association."
The other young man grew silent and spoke no more complaints.
"Maria, what's going on?" Nicolas asked in a hoarse whisper.
"You freed all of us from that tyrant and his men." Maria explained loudly for all to hear.
"No, I mean, why is everyone here?" He asked.
He looked out over the group that had entered. There were almost twenty people gathered before him.
"Simple, I called them. It would've been difficult to prove you killed Oscar, so I had them look in from the outside."
"Never thought I'd see a man take a knife to his own father, and that man being Oscar himself." Diskin said. There was a hint of respect in his voice.
"The security guards?" Maria asked.
"We took them out. Bunch of small town hacks, even with guns in their hands, they hadn't the balls to pull the trigger." Diskin explained.
"Great!" Maria said with a cheerful smile. "Now Nicolas can inherit his father's wealth, and we'll all finally be free. Told ya he could do it."
They continued to talk about the events, but Nicolas had heard enough. He looked down at his hands. They were covered in red blood. The combat knife lay at his feet. So what if Maria had this grand plan? In the end, he was nothing but a murderer, a kinslayer.
He felt his teeth grinding together as he closed his eyes tightly.
He turned on his heels and ran towards the exit of the cathedral.
"Hey where you going?"
"Nick?"
Ignoring the voices, he slammed into the cathedral doors, opening them enough to get out. His shoulders ached from the impact.
The snow had piled up outside, making it incredibly difficult to move. Thankfully, he didn't have to go far. He entered the nearby library and began climbing the stairs to the rooftop. As for why he was heading towards the rooftop, even he did not know.
The top of tall tower house was quiet and bitterly cold. Frigid wind tore through him, freezing his very bones.
"The roof..." Nicolas muttered.
He looked towards the edge of the roof, where a very low wall stood between him and the empty air beyond.
"So that's why I came here."
If he took a step or two in that direction, he wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore. He was a killer now. Best-case scenario, he'd be put in prison, where he'd rot away, ending his life in shame. He took a single step forward but stopped and let out a short, humorless laugh. As if he had the courage to die.
"Don't even think about leaving me behind too, Nick."
The voice behind him belonged to Maria. He turned to find her right in front of him. She pulled him back by the collar, and he fell backwards. He felt the icy cold of the snow on the back of his head but couldn't dwell on it for long as Maria pulled him up into an embrace..
"I wasn't going to..."
"Shut the hell up." She said, cutting him off.
"Did I really kill him?" He asked.
Maria nodded.
"He's gone Nick, he can't control us anymore. Our lives are ours again."
"So what? Methaeus is still alive, and when the blizzard stops, it'll all be over, I...."
"It doesn't matter. We'll get rid of him too. We'll get rid of everyone who gets in our way," Maria replied calmly, her voice full of confidence.
"What do you mean?"
Maria got to her feet and pulled Nicolas up with her. She kept close to him as she spoke.
"The others saw you kill him, Nick and they know you're his son. Now, they think you have the power to change their lives for the better. It doesn't matter what you yourself think. What matters is how others see you."
"And how long until they see through me?" He asked.
He wasn't some charismatic leader who could save other people. He barely had any control over his own life.
"All you gotta do is strive to be that person, Nick. It doesn't matter if you're like that now. With enough work, you can really make your life mean something."
Maria's words hit him hard. Maybe his life really could have meaning if he continued down this path. But he thought of his hospital visits and the medication in his room.
"It's impossible." He muttered. His voice was low and uncertain.
"Look what you've managed to do already. You've gotten rid of your horrible father and have gained a following. If you think about it, you've already come a long way from the creepy guy holed up in his room all day."
Nicolas hesitated. What she said had some truth in it.
"What if I mess up and Diskin figures me out?"
Diskin could easily take power by force if he wanted to. Nicolas would be powerless to stop him.
"You've got me watching your back. I'll play the part of the ever loyal servant. They fear me almost as much as they fear you, you know."
Looking at her blood-splattered face from when she had coldly slit Oscar's throat, Nicolas could believe it. However, he couldn't help but feel he was being manipulated.
"Why are you helping me?" he asked.
Maria seemed surprised by the question and donned a complicated look.
"I was worthless a few days ago. I know we used to be friends, but you were always closer to Addi and Rose. Why me all of a sudden?"
Maria turned back to look at him. Her eyes were no longer calm. In fact, they looked a bit sad.
"We've known each other for years, Nick, do I really need a reason to help you?" She asked quietly.
"Well, no. I guess not."
"Then let's leave it at that."
Maria took a step back and grabbed hold of his hand.
"Those bastards killed Addi, whether directly or indirectly. You know we can't leave them be. You'll get your meaning in life, and I'll get my revenge. How's that sound for a partnership?"
"You want me to find meaning in my life by murdering people?" Nicolas asked.
"We're punishing people who are corrupt and rotten to the core. You'll be seen as a hero."
Nicolas bit his lip. It was true that Oscar hadn't been exactly popular among the youth at the monastery, but he doubted that would hold up in court.
"Well then, what are you gonna do? It's not like you can run away at this point. Might as well enjoy the power while we have it, no?"
Nicolas nodded at the words his other self whispered to him.
He could run to his room and rot away there, or he could work with Maria to bring some people down with him. He'd already committed the worst crime, so why not run with it and take down some people he despised on the way? It wasn't like he had much longer left anyway, so why go alone?
"Yes, we'll make sure they never forget that we lived." His other self said with a smile.
"I suppose I have nothing better to do. What's next?"
Maria smiled.