V.I.R.A.L

Zinnia couldn't help but feel uneasy; that was only natural. Being surrounded by former Syndicate members alongside Scarlett's sister, who in turn gave Team Rhapsody a lot of trouble back in the day. To make matters worse for her, she was alone, no backup, no real way out. If a fight broke out in her mind, Zinnia would almost certainly lose. So, for now, she had to play along and keep the façade up. As long as Riley believed Team Rhapsody were in the wing ready to strike, she was safe.

Riley ducked down, entering her tent as an elderly woman bowed. "Mistress Riley, welcome back… You have a guest?"

Riley sighed, dropping into her seat. "Don't mind her; she's nobody special. Sit."

Zinnia slowly met with Riley's demands, her guard up, ready to act on a pin drop. But something else was bothering her beyond belief. "I'm not here to mess about what do you mean the fate of Rhinefield?"

"It's simple as it can get. I'm talking about the fall of Rhinefield and Victoria in general."

"What?!"

Riley opened a small box up, pulling out a bottle of wine. "It's quite rare to find one of these around here. Any desperate soul would sell everything they had to get, even a simple drop… Regardless, tell me, how is Team Rhapsody?"

"What do you mean?" She questioned, feeling the pressure growing.

"Well, tell me how they are these days. I haven't had the pleasure of facing them in a battle for ooh, three years now. After Alton spared me back at the Christmas ball, I wanted to get as far away from Victoria as possible. As far away from my family and V.I.R.A.L. A few defectors you so quickly took care of joined me, and we ventured into the unknown. I lost a few on the way, but eventually, we made it to Tenyua with a little bit of naivety, believing we were safe. And then you had to show your ugly mug here…" Riley grumbled, pouring herself a glass, not bothering to pour one for Zinnia. "How's my traitor of a sister? Has she stabbed you in the back yet?"

"Scarlett would never do anything like that! Just because you let yourself be consumed by your family, Scarlett is better than that!"

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Riley scoffed, swirling her glass around. "You haven't changed one bit, have you Zin Zin? Always so stubborn, I guess that's your charm, though. It won over Team Rhapsody and Alton; I saw that the first time I saw you both together at your birthday party. Sweet sixteen, wish I had something like that."

Zinnia stared on, feeling her heart race. "How do you know about that? Were you watching us from the beginning?"

Riley tossed Zinnia a pack of cards; opening it, she dropped them instantly, glossing over a set of tarot cards. The same Scarlett used to predict Alton's future the first time they met. "My, the fool tarot card, what luck you would manage to pull the same card first like last time. I suppose this is the part where I make up some bullshit prediction that you endanger or whatever…"

"You couldn't possibly know that!"

Riley leaned against her arm shrugging her shoulders. "It's slightly rude not to invite the others in. I've already surrendered. Nothing hurts to share this bottle with the others?"

"Enough toying with me, Syndicate! What do you mean Rhinefield will fall?!"

"Will? Sorry, more like has. While you've been off on an unexpected journey looking to be the very best like no one ever was Zin Zin, the world has changed. Syndicate rose and struck the heart of V.I.R.A.L with your dear sweet Scarlett being at the helm. The Queen of Syndicate, they call her. I already want to puke… Betraying your close friends was the first thing she did, but you would know all about that, wouldn't you? Knowing them, though, they were completely overwhelmed by the CEOs. The Garden's lapdog is something not to underestimate. The harbinger of death they called it, or these days Mortem. Syndicate is most likely dead and your precious Team Rhapsody to follow."

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.

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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?"