𝐖𝐀𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒━︎━︎ S. Rogers 【︎ 𝐨.𝐡.】︎

𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫

CHAPTER FOUR:
SOME KIND OF GAME

THE BUILDING WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY. Liliya was the only one that was roaming it, and even then she couldn't stand to leave her bedroom because even if she was the only one there, all of the bodies were still lying on the ground. And the smell of death was really starting to get to the blonde teenager. She swallowed thickly, Katrine's letter clenched in her hand. She was angry at Karine, she didn't want to kill her best friend, and she was pissed that she had to. Because that was the only way out―︎that's the only way that it would all end.

Liliya Petrova was scarred for life. Witnessing so much death since the age of five, she didn't understand how she hadn't went insane yet. Trauma did certain things to people, and maybe the others hadn't really affected her before because they were simply strangers that had no other desire than to see Liliya bleed out on the floor. But Karine Llarona was her best friend, she was the one that kept Liliya sane, and yet Liliya had been the one to kill her.

She had cried over her, and she found herself no longer able to sleep. Every time she blinked, all she could see was the blood that was coating Katrine's lips as she said her final words. That was the most traumatic thing Liliya has ever experienced in her sixteen years of living―︎and that was saying a lot. Because Liliya has experienced a lot in her life, having killed a few times before, only because she had no other choice. She didn't want to kill, she didn't enjoy it. And she knew that that was what they wanted from her. They wanted to twist her mind into this emotionless monster that barely blinked when she shot someone in between the eyes. And she had a feeling that they were on the path to be able to do just that.

Starting with Liliya murdering Karine. Liliya felt like they had planned this somehow. She felt like they had decided she was going to be the best out of all of those kids that they had chosen. Liliya was smart, that was out of the question. She understood tactics, she could create a plan to murder a whole city in under thirty minutes. Liliya knew what she was doing. She knew how deadly every weapon could be, she knew how poisonous every plant could be, she just knew. And that's why she was made to be the best.

A knock on her bedroom door startled the woman, causing her to almost fall off her bed in surprise. She looked at the door, wondering if she had heard things, before the sound came again. She swallowed thickly, quickly folding the note back up and placing it in her back pocket. Liliya stood up, carefully making her way over to the door with her knife in her grip. Pulling the door open, she quickly raised her weapon, ready to swing only for the person to catch her wrist.

"Now, now, we wouldn't want to kill the person who saved you, would we?" Dr. Von stood there in front of the woman, seeming to have not changed a bit since she first picked Liliya up when she was five.

Liliya narrowed her eyes dangerously at the woman, anger immediately fueling her veins. "Saved me? Saved me from what? Becoming a murderer? I hate to break it to you, but you failed incredibly well at that."

"You did what you had to do to survive." Dr. Von simply explained to her. "And look where you are now. You survived. You won."

"Won?" Liliya felt tears fill her eyes, her anger only growing worse. "This is some kind of game to you? I had to kill my best friend because of you assholes! I had to kill the only person that ever gave a shit about me!"

"We'll talk more about this later, Ms. Petrova." Dr. Von calmly talked to her. "Right now, I would like it if you would come with me, so that we can get started on the next steps of letting you become the best version of yourself."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Liliya whispered. "You put kids against each other to see who would win. You turned kids into murderers, and cruel torturer's!"

"We turned kids into survivors." Dr. Von corrected her, her voice still calm as she talked to the blonde. "We put them in a situation where it was kill or be killed, and we wanted to see which path those kids would chose. We were surprised when most of them chose the former. Our intention was always to have one come out on top, and we had a feeling that you would be that person as soon as we first picked you up."

"Kidnapped me, you mean." Liliya hissed.

"No, your parents gave you up. Rather easily I might add. They knew that they couldn't give you the best life, and we offered to give you just that. They handed you over very easily." Liliya didn't believe a single word falling from the woman's mouth, shaking her head as frustrated tears started rolling down her cheeks. She shook her head in denial.

"No. You're lying."

"Believe it or not, lying has never been my greatest quality." Dr. Von cocked her head slightly, reaching forward as she wiped the tears from Liliya's cheeks. Liliya shrunk back against her touch, her glare hardening. "That was one thing we could never really take from you."

"What's that." Liliya scoffed.

Dr. Von look at Liliya for a moment before bluntly answering, "Your humanity." Liliya rolled her eyes in disbelief. "No matter how much you killed, or didn't kill, no matter how much you watched, you always cried for them. You're so emotional, so humane. And though that made watching you even more heartbreaking, I'm afraid that we just can't have that anymore. It might take us a little off schedule, but, I think you're worth it."

Liliya swallowed thickly. "What do you mean?" She watched as Dr. Von sighed, pulling a tranquilizer gun from her pocket. "What the hell are you going to do to me?"

"In time, sweetheart. In time, you will understand that all we wanted what's best for you." And then she shot the gun, and Liliya's vision turned black.