Miraculous Ladybug: The New Holders

Volpina: Part Fifty-Eight

Once school was out, Alya waved goodbye to Marinette and Chloè and began walking to her apartment.

"It's a shame you had to take the ring off... Alya, was it?" Lila's voice sounded from a nearby alleyway.

Alya whirled around to look at Lila, but she wasn't there. Then, someone grabbed her bag and shoved her into the alley from behind her.

Lila shouldered Alya's schoolbag, only to then grab the collar of Alya's shirt and pin her to the brick wall of a building. Alya sluggishly noticed her had some kind of ribbon around her neck. "You see, it's actually very difficult to manifest a dead person in a silver band. It's easier if the ghost does it themselves." She growled. "Put it back on, and show me your demons, Alya. Whoever is in that ring is clearly haunting you, and I want them to watch you die."

"What are you-" Alya demanded, but then Lila's freezing hand enclosed around her throat.

"No words, I'm not done talking yet." Lila grinned sadistically. "Now, I'll take cold, dead hands for valuable information any day, but silver-band ghost manifestations cost a lot more than a pathetic revealing spell. And seeing as you're so obviously ignorant to these things, this ghost must've manifested the silver band anchor themselves." Her chilling grip tightened around her neck. "Who the hell would do that for you? Why would they??"

Alya gasped for breath desperately. "Y-your.... It's-"

Lila let go of Alya, and Alya collapsed to the ground, clutching her chest, coughing, and gasping for air.

"Tell me!" Lila snarled.

"Y-you're crazy!" Alya scrambled to try to escape.

"Catena!" Lila swung her arm in an arc. Suddenly, red chains launched up from out of the ground and bound themselves around Alya.

"What the hell?" Alya screeched, as she was immobilized immediately.

"Exactly, Alya." Lila snapped. "Ugh, why would you have to go and do that? Now I'll have to deal with paying for this." She rolled her eyes and sighed annoyedly. "Well, while you're here, you may as well answer my question." Lila grabbed a fistful of Alya's hair and jerked her head up to face her. "Who is in that ring?"

"It's your sister, Lila." Alya grit her teeth.

Lila was silent for a minute.

"Damn her!!" She whirled around and kicked a nearby dumpster. "I knew it! How could she?! I'm her only family, and she left me behind to go off playing hero?!" She suddenly grew silent. "Wait. If you have her diamond..." Lila turned to face Alya. "Then that can only mean you're Volpina."

Alya froze.

"Hehehe, I'm right, aren't I?" Lila giggled. "Well, since you love Eliza so much, surely you'll want to take place in her resurrection?"

Alya felt her blood run cold. "Lila, please, she wouldn't want this-"

Lila swung a fist into Alya's face. "Shut up, you don't know what she would've wanted. Just because you may have swapped spit with her doesn't mean you know her, filthy pezzente."