Chapter 241: The Infamous Nobody and the Girl Who lost Everything Part 3 (2/2)
Zinnia stood up, her eyes wide open as her lip was trembling. ”No… Everything you said is a lie! I don't believe it… Scarlett would never.”
”Oh, but she did. She's been playing you the moment she tried taking my place and killing me during the Paradox shit show. Scarlett's been planning this for years; I bet Alton didn't take it well if he's still alive. Mortem isn't so kind to Children of the Garden; if he isn't dead, he'll be made a puppet tortured for the rest of his days. I can already see it now, him begging for you to save him.” Riley teased, drinking the last of her wine. ”This village found us on our last legs. You see, their last guardian fled hundreds of years ago when Mortem came looking. They've been defenceless since. But with me here, I can grant them that safety they so desperately need. With Mortem on the move again, it's only time before its clutches reaches here. The village elder has granted me a place in her home for protection.”
”All you do is lie.” Zinnia snapped, looking terrified, walking backwards. ”Those children came to me to free this village! You got them all hostage.”
Riley sighed, throwing her cup away. ”I guess in their eyes that's true. The children here are brought up to believe any outsiders are threats. I had my men rescue them from the storm, but I never expected you to turn up. Zinnia Trost, what a hypocrite you are calling me a liar when you've been lying through your teeth this whole time. Team Rhapsody is waiting. No one is here to help you. You abandoned them all, and because of that, they are all dead.”
The village elder turned her head, whispering. ”Zinnia Trost…”
Riley stared at Zinnia with a sinister look. ”And now I'm going to act out my first mission of protecting this village by disposing of the girl who aided in ruining and taking everything from me. I cannot allow you to take it all from me a second time!”
Zinnia's eyes widened as she was propelled from the tent, crashing against the barrier keeping the village safe. Collapsing to the ground, Riley strolled out, tying her white cape around her neck, cracking her knuckles. Zinnia pulled herself from the ground, whispering. ”Damn it… As if this couldn't get any worse? I can't run away. Those children are relying on me to save them.”
Punching the ground, a lightning bolt struck as Zinnia summoned her electric katana, ready to fight. Holding it out to her side, she began running at Riley with a predictable pattern. Going to lunge her katana forward, Riley prepared thoroughly only to be thrown off to find Zinnia's katana in the air. From her coat, she threw two electrical imbued knives catching the girl off guard entirely. Managing to avoid each blade, Riley was hit with a direct punch in the stomach. There was little impact, to begin with. Still, a tornado of power rippled through Zinnia's hand blasting Riley back out of nowhere. The moment Riley was knocked back, Zinnia ignited in a jolt of lightning, bypassing Riley striking her serval times. Catching her katana and swinging it across, sending an electrical strike knocking Riley back down.
Floating in the air, Zinnia prepared to call on a lightning storm to be misdirected with serval explosions. Avoiding each one as best she could, it was too late to realise the actual intention as Riley was using her own moves against her. Feeling something tug at her leg, Zinnia was ripped from the sky dragged across the barrier before being lunged into a worn-down hut crashing to the ground. Riley limped over, holding her leg, dragging out large chunks of sharpened wood ready to finish Zinnia off. As she did this, Zinnia lunged out, trying to create an element of surprise, but that failed all the same as she was held in place by Riley's psychic presence. ”Three years, it's been three fucking years, and you can't let me live in peace?! Aren't I allowed to move on from that disgusting family without the reminders of who I am? Riley Syndicate, Riley Syndicate. I don't want to hear that blasted name ever again. Yet here you are, trying to force me out of my new life! You're a damn parasite who just can't get the memo. Now begone and die.” Zinnia stared on with a furious look as the wood was propelled at her. The anger and fury Zinnia feel boiled and resonated in physical form as smoke poured from her body. This kept going until she vaporised into a pile of smoke, throwing both of them off. ”What?!”
Coming back together, Zinnia clutched her katana tightly behind her, ready to counter. ”Hero's slas-.”
Zinnia stopped her attack as the Village Elder stood between them smiling. ”Old hag, get out of the way! Let me finish her!” Riley barked.
The Village Elder turned to Riley, continuing to smile before placing her hand on Riley's head. All her fury and anger faded as she fell to her knees, calm. Zinnia stood back, shocked, stopping her attack. ”No way… That power, I… It's…”
”You can use it too, yes? It's the staple of this village and is passed down through the generations. My mother had it, as did yours… This is the power of the Trost clan. I thought I lost you, Zinnia… 400 years later, and you return home… Your mother would be so proud.”
”I don't understand.”
The village Elder smiled, holding Zinnia's hand on the verge of crying. ”Zinnia Trost, my name is Kenya Trost; I'm your Grandmother. Don't you see? You're home.”
Zinnia stared blankly, looking around, feeling overwhelming pain in her chest as she whispered back, feeling tears trickle down her face. ”I'm home?”