“Tell me more about the man. What was his physique, voice, eye color, hair, and skin?"

Benard clenched his jaw before speaking. “The man was on the taller size with broad shoulders and chest. His voice was gruff, and he was wearing a dark cloak so I couldn't see his face but he had a pale complexion.”

Aaliyah repeated the information in her head to commit to memory. Benard had been silent for some time. “Is that all? Did you see any other distinct features of the persons? Anything that stood out?”

“The man is just as mysterious to me as you—well—no, what I mean is, I do not know anything else.” Benard rambled on, but Aaliyah caught his nervous slip-up. 

“I know you are hiding something from me, you better spill it before I spill your blood.”

She put pressure on his broken arm, causing him to wince. “A-alright! I only know a couple more things. P-please, spare me after it.” 

The tight grip she had on his arm, she loosened. “Smart choice.”

“When the man handed me the money, a bit of his forearm was exposed. The part of it I saw…was tattooed and to me, it looked like…a snake. I think the hair on his forearm was on the darker side.”

It was the snake again. 

Charlotte had also mentioned seeing a snake tattoo on a suspicious man the night her parents died. Were they linked? Could they be the same person? “Anything else? I will not take it lightly if you are holding anything back.” 

“Yes, Ma’am, I swear on my mother's life I have told you all that I know.” 

Aaliyah pressed down hard on her knife and more blood tracked down his neck. “Still nothing more comes to mind?”

“I swear to God that's it."

He had a better chance to convince me if he swore on his money.

Still, Aaliyah felt her chest loosen a bit as she released him from her deathly grip. “Thank you, thank you so much, Ma'am!” Benard's gratitude fell on deaf ears; she never wanted praise coming from a man like him.

She turned her back on him, her eyes going to the door when she felt a shift in the air behind her. Swiftly Aaliyah moved her body. With her dagger drawn, she clashed it with another. Benard’s face twisted in surprise and at her smirk, his eyes filled with fury. He snarled at her, before jumping back.

Aaliyah shook her head at him. "Truly, I am not so stupid as to give you my back," They slowly began to circle each other, "Why Benard, you have to use the little brain of yours from time to time."

He cursed and rushed at her. She blocked his attack before she fainted at him, exposing her left side. He grinned in triumph, as his blade swept toward her; leaving his chest open. Before he could realize his mistake, Aaliyah twisted her body away from his blade and slashed her dagger through his exposed chest.

Benard gasped, his knife clattered to the floor. With a pain-stricken gaze, he looked at her face in disbelief. She tsked at him. “Till the end, you truly are a fool."

“I suppose you are right.” He painfully choked out through the blood that clogged his throat. 

Blood trickled out of his mouth and Aaliyah couldn't help but smile. “I guess you can see some reason." Benard eyelids began to lower. "Although I abhor giving you any praise, thank you, Mr Benard. I am closer to finding my parents murdered because of you.” 

His eyes jerked fully open as they searched her face. “You were the little girl," he rasped out, "The Tesfaye's pride and joy.”

She closed her eyes briefly. “Sadly that little girl is dead. She died with her parents that night.” Aaliyah gave him a chilling smile, “And soon you will be joining the dead as well.” 

He took a short, wheezing breath. She watched his chest slowly rise before her gaze settled on his slightly upturned lips. “You have become a monster just like me.” She froze. Her arms fell slack to her side. Without her support, Benard swayed on his feet before his body collapsed back onto the bed.

As Aaliyah looked into Benard's eyes, Death stared back. Its lifeless, soulless, and familiar gaze greeted her like an old friend.

Monster.

Aaliyah clenched her jaw. I-I am not a monster. A metallic scent began to fill the room, causing her to gag on her next breath. He deserved to die. Something in her chest twisted as his lifeless eyes bore into hers. I did nothing wrong. How dare he call me a monster when he was involved in killing my parents! She yanked her dagger from his chest and went to move away from him and yet… she couldn't tear her eyes away from the bed.

Her eyes tracked the blood as it pooled from his chest, staining the once-white sheets. It was all too fitting the way he resembled Aaliyah. She too was stained and feared that she would never become clean.

I didn't do anything wrong…right?

Unlike before, Aaliyah was able to look away. Her frantic gaze looked anywhere but at him. They stilled upon meeting familiar midnight-dark ones.

Reflected in the mirror, a woman's soulless eyes stared back at her.

Her eyes.

She quickly averted her gaze. Her mind refused to look either at the woman or the dead man...the murdered man.

Maybe in a different life—a life where her parents were still alive and their laughter still filled the air—she would have taken a different path. Been a better person. Become someone that offered light and love instead of death and suffering.

But that wasn't her lot in life. And Aaliyah had lived in darkness for so long that she feared the second she saw any light she would burn.