Cold Hearted | Damon Salvatore

twenty

20. Kill 'Em All

Aria splashed water on her face, after turning the tap off, she looked at her hands where the scabs had gotten worse, she then looked up in the bathroom, removing her shirt from shoulder, she saw more scabs appearing, clearly showing Aria that she was dying, but Aria didn't want to die, she couldn't die, she had to live, for her children, for her friends, for her love.

Aria looked at herself in the mirror and wiped the tears that fallen without her permission, "You're not dying" she whispered to herself, "You're not dying today".

***

Aria entered the psychiatric hospital she knew Alex's sister Virginia was admitted in, she wanted to talk to her, she needed answers and felt like only Virginia was able to give her the right answers.

"Hey" Aria greeted the receptionist, "I'm here to see Virginia St. John".

"And what is your relationship to the patient?".

"She's a friend" Aria lied, giving the receptionist a small smile.

***

Aria sat infront of Virginia, a glass window separating them.

"From the way you're looking at me, I feel like you know me" Aria said.

Virginia nodded her head, "You're Aria Connor, Amelia's daughter".

"And you're Virginia, Alex's sister" Aria said, "I don't have a lot of time so let's just get to the point, your sister is hell bent on making me open the vault you forced my mother to shut, according to my mother's grimoire whatever is in that vault needs to stay in but she doesn't mention what exactly it is that needs to stay sealed, I need you to tell me what is it that my mother sealed shut".

"Well, that's the question everyone's been asking since 1882, when my great-grandfather first managed to open it" Virginia said.

"What did he find in there?" a confused Aria asked, but Virginia stayed quiet, "Virginia I can't stop Alex if you don't tell me what is in that damn vault, I need to know, please just tell me".

"It's not a what" Virginia finally said, "It's not a who, it's what it does to you, it strips away your compassion, it takes away your empathy, your capacity for love, eating away at your soul, until all that remains is darkness, my great-grandfather was only in there a few moments, my sister Yvette has been trapped in there for four years, and I can't imagine what she's been twisted into in that time".

"You realise that there is no way your sister could survive four years in that vault, right?" Aria asked.

"I said the same thing" Virginia said, "Except Alex can hear her through the walls, crying to her for help, whatever's inside that vault, it wants out and you have to promise me, you won't let Alex set it free".

"I promise you Virginia, I won't let Alex set free the thing my mom made damn sure never comes out" Aria assured.

***

Aria entered Enzo's cabin where she saw Rayna throwing papers into the fireplace.

"Goodbye, Desmond" Rayna said.