a sin

[ Razun Katz, 25736

Current Status : King (0%) ]

"So, any last wishes mom?" Razun asked, walking into his mother, Herain Katz's master bedroom. He swung his golf club lazily and munched on some dark chocolate.

Herain laid on the marbled floor beside her bed, her dark hair in a complete mess, panting and whimpering. Razun saw faint figures hovering over Herain.

[ Herain Katz, 24968

Current Status : King (3%) ]

After a careful retake and indeed confirming the sight of a black coloured three percentage with a 'King' status next to it was floating above her head, Razun almost laughed.

If I can see the Ranking Bar, Sio must have handled the transfer deed already, Razun thought.

[ Siocra Katz, 25737

Current Status : King (0%) ]

Siocra stood near the window pane that poured in the final shadows before dawn came, one hand had light shadow veins flowing through her fingertips that chained Herain to the ground, gripped her throat, rendering her speechless.

The other hand held a single earphone to her left ear. Sio's indifferent, grey eyes washed over Razu, ready to pummel him into a pulp for being late.

Passing a cheeky apologetic grin to Sio, Razu neared their mother.

He shrugged, hearing no answer to his question, "Not that I care."

His hands clutched at the hilt of the club and, swung it swiftly, shattering more than half of Herain's skull, painting the room quiet and the ground red.

Sio let go of her faint shadowy shackles and the ear phone, guiding her hands into her coat pockets.

"Bingo!" Razu exclaimed, looking at Sio with a triumphant smile. "Go on, praise me."

A : [Brutal, Sio]

The sweet voice in Siocra's head teased her.

A : [It was worth the wait. And also, I beg you, please, never cut off the music just as it's about to reach the good part!]

S : [It's like I'm taking care of a three-year old]

Siocra could only fume in her head.

"Why do you talk so much?" Sio grumbled out loud, walking past Razu and down the corridor. Razu jogged upto to her, leaving the door ajar.

"You're the one who botched my golf practice and had me waste my time on doing this shit." Razu said, examining and mourning over his now-bloodied golf stick.

"You're the idiot who promised to do it."

"Annoying twat." Razu scoffed, chewing another piece of chocolate.

Sio instinctively threw a weak jab at Razu's head. He squatted down, dodging it perfectly. Having seen it coming, Siocra crouched in an instant as well and quickly moved in for a roundhouse kick.

Hurling him to the end of the hall, she had the slightest hint of a smile on her usual ghastly, unfeeling face as she saw Razu gilding his golf stick into the floor to keep his balance and prevent him from falling flat on his face.

"You little shit!" Razu screamed, glaring at Sio but stopped swearing, as soon as he noticed Ami, Herain's maid, and the only outsider present inside the Katz vicinity coming towards them. Her pale face withheld a sigh upon witnessing the twins' ongoing banter.

"Ami, good timing." Sio remarked.

Ami looked between the two of them with great disappointment. Siocra reached out to the brunette, "Could you clean up mom's room?"

"Mrs. Katz asked not to be disturbed until breakfast at eight." Ami answered politely at the supposed leader's mention, her eyes glancing over a nearby window which only poured in the faintest traces of blue-red hues. Morning was nearing.

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind." Sio emphasised, her eyes deliberately brimming with mischief and forcing Ami's attention onto Razu's hands, to his blood-ridden golf club.

Her green eyes widened in realisation, darting to Sio in an instant.

"Finally," Ami sighed in relief, making the twins glad at getting an overdue job done. Every single resident of the vast Katz mansion had been looking forward to Herain's death. A satisfied smile overtook her features, "Sure took you guys long enough."

"Sio's gotten a little rusty." Razu complained, straightening his clothes.

"Don't talk as if you helped at all!" Sio shot back. Razu stuck out his tongue in response.

Only scowling for a split second, praying for her twin's immediate demise, Siocra relayed her utmost attention to Ami.

"Is the garden set?"

"Yes, others are gathering as we speak." Ami said, along with thanking them. She smiled brightly and scurried away to get Herain's room cleaned.

Mercifuls, a notorious criminal gang led by the Katz family was prevalent throughout the streets and slums of Droze.

Well, according to Herain that is.

Siocra only found it commendable how Herain had single handedly managed to drive the troupe into ruins within a span of two months, ever since her father's death.

And a hollow leader's position being acquired by Herain.

Right now, Siocra couldn't be bothered if the gang went down the drain or thrived on broken eggshells, nothing mattered other than getting the 'King title relinquishing deeds' in Siocra and Razun's names, that Herain had been reserving away and refusing to sign over as the latest King until this morning.

"Miha and the others got inspection today?" Razu asked, sitting and leaning against the hallway wall.

"Yeah, didn't Yuvi tell you?" Sio asked him, lingering around him with her hands resting in her unusually large pockets once again.

"Don't know." Razu replied nonchalantly, playing around with his golf stick.

"For fuck's sake, don't tell me you guys had another fight."

"It was his fault-" The loud, sudden ringing of Razu's phone halted him and ceased Sio's irritation, plunging her into high alert.

The two of them had already anticipated who the caller would be.

"That was fast," Sio mumbled, crouching down to Razu's level as he put the call on speaker.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"Seems like that old crone died." Meru, announced sauntering into the conference room in his pyjamas, upon hearing about Herain Katz's death.

[ Meru, 101

Current Status - Monarch (58%) ]

Every monarch residing in Ebony Temple, a safe-space created specially for the country's Monarchs, was already swarming around the dim-lit room.

"Yeah, yeah we know. Good riddance." Adyah huffed immersed in her phone, not the least bit intrigued, regarding the announcement declaring the death of a somewhat important 0%-King holder, throughout this damned building a few minutes ago.

[ Adyah, 104

Current Status : Monarch (55%) ]

"Zorian, don't you have to make a call?" Meru called out, sitting one of the last vacant seats but soon realised that Zorian was nowhere to be seen. "Faster than bloody light."

"Well, he's our finest for a reason." Nicol spoke out calmly, her fingers resting against the rim of her glasses and pulling her shawl closer.

[ Nicol Yusuf, 102

Current Status : Monarch (57%) ]

"Mayun, isn't she your relative?" Adyah asked, mindlessly but the table quientened looking at the redhead expectantly. Mayun Katz, one of the youngest Monarchs and a distant cousin of Siocra and Razun, now only enjoyed fights for the titles from the sidelines.

"Sure, doesn't mean I'm going to mourn for her. Besides, I heard she'd been sick for a while now." Mayun replied nonchalantly, passing a humourless smile.

[ Mayun Katz, 119

Current Status : Monarch (50%) ]

"Don't care. Who's their successor?" Rhen asked, his interest finally piqued at scouting new Kings. Kings, seemed like modest term. Rhen called them as his Guinea pigs.

[ Rhen Tera, 103

Current Status : Monarch (54%) ]

"Successors." Mayun emphasised puzzling the room.