Venezia's POV:

By the crack of dawn, my eyes opened up and I found myself in the middle of an ocean. On a boat. Off course.

There was a stinging pain in between my neck that reminded me of last night. I gently placed my hand immediately to find relief and ended up noticing a cut. A small cut was neatly placed in between the bones of my neck. My lips fell apart and worse realizations were hitting me like slow waves. I tried my best to row the boat towards the shore, somehow I could view the countryside area nearby. Was I still in Venice? I was way more confused to accept even the obvious facts. I kept wondering along with the happenings from the event last night and how I ended up here. Don't worry! I didn't have much of a hangover, but somehow it still feels so heavy. Heavy in my chest. I was so emotionally drained after last night, that it became very hard to gather my thoughts around. Somehow I managed to row my boat, parked near the pier, and secured it around a rope railing.

I was cold.

The Scene Setting (Except it is daylight instead of night) : 

There was a shiver that ran down again in my spine and I lightly quivered, when I turned around and walked towards the broad lanes of seaside Venice. Everything felt so gloomy around and there was an unwelcomed sense of irritation in between my ears that bothered me too much. The sun wasn't suitable and I was finding it difficult to breathe.

But I kept walking.

Empty-minded on the road full of less crowded shops and stalls. Except for me, no one else was seemingly bothered by my presence. It was annoying. I had this sudden urge to argue with someone random, or fight with a stranger. I swear to god, if somebody would come and stand in front of me, I would literally commit murder.

But I made haste.

My pace was steady and my hands were tied to my elbows. I needed someone to comfort me at this very moment, but also I couldn't trust anybody. I felt weak. I did not just felt betrayed by someone I love the most, for whom I have given my everything, and felt like still he could not belong to me. Does he even want me? Is he even grateful? But then again, feeling this way is pretty selfish, isn't it?

I remember this feeling.

And, isn't love also mean being selfish sometimes? The idea of it seemed so new to me. Maybe I'm new to this, maybe I don't know what to do anything anymore. Because again, whatever I did in the past? I'm starting to regret it.

My pace naturally stopped when I saw a foot-trodden lily thrown away and left in the middle of the street. How ironic! At that moment, I gave up. It's like tiny knots inside of me were now slowly being untied by themselves. A tear finally trickled down my cheekbones and made my sight blurry. I never cry.

And I hate whatever is happening to me right now. I continued walking, avoiding what I was actually feeling, as always. As far as I could remember the routes, the tiny and narrow streets. I kept on walking. No, I should brisk walk. My entire built-up rage was putting pressure on my toes now and my calves hurt. The tears weren't stopping this time and my nose is flushed red. This is embarrassing. Not to strangers. To me. I hate this. I hate to admit that I'm actually feeling vulnerable right now. I hate to admit that whatever my reality is, maybe it has been caused by myself. I hate to admit that someone who can make me feel a whirlwind of emotions wants to kill me!

Apparently, he hates me again.

Mark's POV:

I felt a diabolical presence in my veins last night. What was I even thinking? I was going to murder the woman I was totally in love with yesterday! Worse! The thought of it just haunts me so much. and now I am thinking, maybe I should have done it.

Maybe if some way or the other I could make peace with the sobbing pain I'm having so badly in my heart. My chest hurts and I don't wanna feel so many feelings again anymore. Everything was going according to plan until the message of her being alive again rang in my ears and I can feel all my senses again. The idea of finishing all those who have put me through pain my entire life was so relaxing that without giving any second thought to it, I wished the same for her. I don't know why I couldn't do it so easily though, because the kind of pain she is putting me through since she has come back, is too much to bear with.

I rested both of my elbows on the bar counter while sitting on a stool and my back facing the bar counter. Feeling the same sobbing pain in my chest, I heaved a heavy breath out and let my head hang back in the air, facing the wooden ceiling. I closed my eyes and let the confusing idea of last night just sink in. For a moment, I was getting pretty clear until a large thump of an ale jug caused immediate irritation in my mind and made me lose it.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU???"

Rio's POV:

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?????" Mark shouted at me.

The tone. The volume. The expression. Everything coming from him made me question my existence. Nobody has ever talked to me that way in a very, very long time. Not until I had full control of my life. I was already so bloody angry at him and now he's made me even more furious. The audacity?

"What is wrong with me?" I squinted my eyes and cracked my knuckles after pushing that jug of ale into the bar countertop. He was nothing in front of me and I was about to kick his ass. Until he just got the signals.

"Hold on, I meant what's up hahah, y'know? What is up? Just casual nothing serious in here going, nothing..." Mark's tone was now causal, more timid. He looked around while trying to relax me, making sure there was no scene that was about to be made in a daytime open bar. This brothel worked as an open bar when the sun rose and turned into a stereotype in the dark. But anyways, creating a scene is the least of my concerns right now. If he wouldn't have been under my protection? The madam of this brothel would have thrown him away, way earlier.

She was pissed earlier and now his sissy little voice pisses me off even more.
"Shut up! I'm not here to listen to your blabbering, at least tell me where were you last night. Why weren't you in the very event you organized yourself.?"

"That doesn't have to do anything with you with big guy!" He laid a hand on my shoulder. "I was minding my own business. After all, the love of my life just returned after a veryyyy long time." That sly smile. I could never completely trust him now. So, I decided to be direct.

"I know what your intentions are, Mark, it is certainly not as straight as I am thinking.."

"Really? You also can't think "straight?". he replied.

what's that supposed to mean?

"Okayyy, I don't know what you mean by that but honestly, at least tell me what's up with you...."
"Maybe I can be of some help?" will being direct and easy with him, really work? I don't know, I have never adopted a child before.

"Aughhh, okay." he groaned and replied after a short pause. It does work! And then, he continued to explain, with his head hung over and facing the ceiling all over again.

"It's annoying that I can't even decide this, but now I don't care. I couldn't do something that I planned last night!"

"And what was it that you planned?" finally my curiosity will be quenched but I tried not to sound excited.

Mark shifted his gaze again to me, giving me a suspicious side-eye look. Which made me desperately think that he would never trust me with the information he was about to tell me. Maybe I need to do a little more convincing. "You know it breaks my heart that you didn't even consider to tell me what you've planne.."

"I am going to finish her off." I got interrupted.

"What!?!?!" yes, that was my reaction. After a short while. I raised my voice which clearly denotes, I care! Crap!

"Murder! Like the others, I wanted to kill her too." He clarified, lowering his voice and getting very close to my face. Why is he trying to clarify?

"It's just, It gives me so much peace Rio. Every mission you've come back with, successfully. It gave me so much pleasure. So much freedom. Hearing all those who have hated me, troubled me, just die. Or basically get burned alive, haha! feels so good! It felt like I was dancing on their graves. Y'know?... Don't get me wrong Rio, but you don't know what those people have done to me. And now, Venezia."

This sounds familiar. It's haunting. It's like the same story being repeated all over again. It's creepy. I'm wondering what if he never opened up to me, like this. I'm glad he's talking, it's not easy. But seeing him talk about this, so passionately. worries me!

"and why I didn't want to tell you was because I wanted to feel that pleasure. Of killing her by myself. Imagine if just the news gave me so much peace, how about doing it? Hahahah! You must love your job Rio!" 

I don't. That's the thing. I really don't. I wish I would have been that heartless to be able to enjoy it. I honestly repent each and every deed I did since... and part of the reason why I do it is because I know I deserve to be in hell. I know I deserve this endless cycle of misery.

"but I couldn't do it, Rio... I couldn't! You know all this when I locked myself inside trying to figure out my emotions, I won't lie but I honestly couldn't." He held the collar of my torso and looked into my eyes, bringing me back from the deep cycle of my thoughts to his thoughts.

"And the only way out seemed best was to kill her off too. I was so disturbed that I forgot I loved her too. And last night, I think the best emotion took the toll of my actions, and now I'm here."
Gripping it even tighter, he asked the most terrible and triggering question ever. "Tell me Rio, have you killed someone who's close to you?" I was aggravated.

I ended up pushing him away and scuffled my way out towards the doorway. Stumbling and making my way through the crowded back alley, I didn't... I didn't know if I was running away from myself. It's like I have seen a ghost of myself back there.