Abigail had stepped forward, halting Thomas and Magdalene with a raised hand. "Let me handle this one," she said, her voice calm yet brimming with anticipation. "You two have bigger concerns. This pet belongs to me."
Magdalene hesitated, her sharp eyes flicking between her daughter and Laverna. "Abigail—"
"Mother, please," Abigail interrupted, an amused smile curling at her lips. "I've been waiting for this. And I don't intend to share."
Thomas grunted, his expression unreadable. "Don't get careless."
Abigail merely laughed, twirling one of her clawed fingers. "Oh, don't worry, Father. I intend to enjoy myself."
Laverna remained silent, her fingers twitching at her sides. There was no point in words. Only action.
Abigail took a measured step forward, her lips curling into a sneer. "What's the matter, pet? Cat got your tongue? Or are you finally realizing your place beneath me?" She flexed her fingers, the metal claws of her gloves glinting under the firelight. "You've always been weak. Always been pathetic. You think crawling out of the dirt changes that?"
Laverna's gaze darkened, her jaw tightening. "You're wrong. You were all born with privilege. Given power. You never had to fight for it. You don't understand what it means to struggle. That's why you have no soul."
Abigail's laughter rang through the burning hall, sharp and cruel. "And yet, I'm still stronger than all of you. My dear brothers included. They clung to their titles, their duties, their foolish honor. I don't need any of that. I only need power."
Abigail acted first, lunging as she aimed to inject Laverna with her syringed fingers. Laverna twisted and dodged, her boots sliding across the blood-slicked floor. The chandeliers above rattled with every evasive maneuver, their dim candlelight casting flickering shadows across the room.
A wooden column splintered as Abigail's claws tore through it, sending shards flying like dagger-like shrapnel. Laverna barely managed to duck, feeling the sting of debris against her skin.
The syringes at the tips gleamed ominously, filled with unknown substances that could be poison, paralyzing agents, or something far worse. Every attack came with deadly intent, designed to not just wound but to end her.
Abigail's fighting style was calculated and refined. She was not just some spoiled noble with a thirst for violence; she was trained, her movements deliberate, each strike meant to herd Laverna into a kill zone. Her gloves were not just weapons, they were tools of precision, an extension of her expertise in death.
Laverna rolled aside as Abigail lunged again, the tip of a claw scraping against the marble floor and leaving a deep, jagged groove in its wake. The impact sent a sharp vibration through the ground, knocking over a nearby candelabrum, its flames licking hungrily at the drapes. Smoke curled into the air as the fire spread, transforming their battle into a dance of light and destruction.
A sudden explosion rocked the chamber when the fire reached an oil lamp, sending glass and embers flying in all directions. Laverna barely managed to shield her face as a searing gust of heat rolled over her. The once-pristine study unraveled into chaos, the crackling inferno casting monstrous shadows along the walls.
Breathing heavily, Laverna kicked a table over to create distance, only for Abigail to slash through it with a single, effortless swipe. The halves clattered to the floor, shards of wood and glass embedding into the already fractured marble. The smoke thickened, clawing at Laverna's lungs as the fire consumed more of the chamber, the oppressive heat pressing against her back like a living force, demanding she surrenders to inevitable ruin.
Abigail smirked, stepping forward with the grace of a predator. "You're running out of space, pet. And air. How long do you think you can last before the smoke takes you?"
Laverna didn't answer. Instead, she darted forward, feinting left before twisting mid-step. Abigail tried to counter, but Laverna was faster. She dropped low, sweeping Abigail's legs out from under her. The girl toppled forward, barely able to catch herself before Laverna pounced, pinning her down.
A sharp crack echoed through the room as Abigail's face slammed into the floor.
Laverna grinned, tightening her grip. Again. Crack. Again. Crack. Each impact sent another tremor through Abigail's body until, finally, something snapped.
Abigail gasped, her once-mocking eyes wide with disbelief. Laverna could see the flicker of fear creeping into them, the fear of someone who had never tasted true defeat. The predator had become the prey. Abigail struggled, but Laverna kept her pinned, her strength fueled by years of torment, of helplessness, of being treated like less than human.
"Not so strong now, are you?" Laverna hissed, leaning close. "This is what it feels like. To be powerless. To be nothing."
Abigail's lips trembled, her pride refusing to let her beg. But the glint of defiance had dulled. Laverna locked eyes with her, letting Abigail see the inevitability of her fate. Her breath was ragged, her strength all but gone, yet Laverna pressed her forehead against Abigail's, making sure she understood that this was the end.
With a final, ruthless slam, Laverna drove Abigail's skull into the floor, cracking the marble beneath them. The room quaked from the force, dust, and debris raining down from the ceiling. The once-opulent study was a battlefield now, littered with ruin, ash, and the shattered remains of the past.
Before she could savor the moment, strong hands wrapped around her hair and yanked her away. She rolled twice before catching herself, flipping back onto her feet with ease.
Thomas stood before her, his chest heaving, his entire body trembling. A darkness swirled in his gaze, something deeper than rage. He reached down, his fingers pressing against Abigail's throat, checking for a pulse. His face contorted with venom as his gaze snapped back to Laverna, his body radiating an unrestrained fury she had only seen once before.
Beside him, Magdalene knelt among the remains of her sons, her trembling hands desperately gathering what little was left of them. Blood stained her fingers as she tried to piece them back together, her expression one of silent, shattering grief. Her breath hitched, but no sobs escaped, only a hollow emptiness that swallowed the air around her.
"This can't be happening..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "Not my boys... not like this..."
She took a cautious step back, her instincts screaming at her to disappear into the shadows. But he moved faster.
With a furious snarl, he seized her by the hair and hurled her against the stone wall of the study. The impact sent a thunderous crack through the room as the wall caved inward, debris crumbling around her in a jagged crater.
Before she could recover, he closed the distance, his breath hot against her skin, his grip tightening painfully. "Look what you've done," he spat, his voice thick with loathing. "I should have killed you when I first met you!"
But Laverna was not afraid. She bared her fangs, a slow, predatory smile spreading across her lips. "You should have tried harder."
The battle was far from over.