In the snow-covered garden behind the palace, the two sisters stood face-to-face. Gunfire and screams echoed around them, but between Sofia and Alia, there was an eerie silence. Splatters of blood on the snow looked like scattered red rose petals.
Alia held her signature silver knife, while Sofia gripped a small tactical dagger. The ancient "psycho" madness in their eyes had reached its peak.
Sofia screamed, "Alia, I'm telling you one last time—step aside! Who are you fighting for? For that snake, Aryan?"
Alia offered no reply, only a demonic smirk. And then, a horrific battle commenced.
The Duel of the Royal Psychos
Alia was far more skilled than Sofia. her movements were as swift as the wind. When Sofia tried to strike, Alia dodged with surgical precision and left a deep gash across Sofia's back. Sofia gasped in pain but immediately counter-attacked.
Using her childhood training, Alia twisted Sofia's arm behind her back. She leaned into Sofia's ear and whispered:
"Big sister, you've lost your royal spark under Dimitri's spell. Love has made you weak. But me? I am still the same old Alia who loves to bathe in blood."
Alia delivered a powerful kick, sending Sofia flying across the ice. As Alia prepared to pounce, Sofia realized she couldn't win through sheer force. She had to use her mind.
Sofia stood up, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth, and spoke in Bengali:
"Tui dokkhotay amar cheye shera hoite parosh Alia, kintu tui bhuila gesosh je ami tor boro bon. Tor protiti chaal amar chena." (You might be more skilled than me, Alia, but you've forgotten I am your elder sister. I know every move you make.)
Alia charged again, more ferocious than before. The metallic clang of their blades sliced through the air. Alia grabbed Sofia's collar, pinning her against a stone wall with a knife to her throat. Her pupils had shrunk to tiny dots—pure psychotic form.
At that moment, Sofia pulled out the steel pin Dimitri had given her. But she didn't drive it into Alia's heart. Instead, she looked into Alia's eyes and said calmly:
"Alia, you want to kill me? Do it! But remember—I've kept your child alive with my own milk. If I die today, that baby becomes an orphan again."
Alia's hand froze. For a split second, motherhood and the pull of blood triumphed over her lethal skills. The madness in her eyes transformed into a hollow despair.
Alia lowered her knife and collapsed onto the snow. She screamed in agony, "Why, Sofia? Why did you force this weakness upon me? I wanted to kill you!"
The blade's edge was still inches from Sofia's throat. When Sofia mentioned the baby, no mercy appeared on Alia's face. Instead, she burst into a demonic laugh that tore through the silent snowfall.
Increasing the pressure of the knife, Alia hissed, "You're wrong, Sofia! You aren't my big sister... I am yours! Did you forget that night? The day we first spilled blood, my hand moved before yours. You were always just following me."
Sofia stared, stunned. Blurred childhood memories began to sharpen. Alia continued:
"Our parents hid the truth of our birth so we wouldn't kill each other. You were always the fake princess pretending to be calm. I was the true hunter. I am more skilled, more cruel. You think you're a 'mother' because of Dimitri? That's your weakness, Sofia, not your nobility!"
Alia slammed Sofia onto the ground. She knelt on Sofia's chest, gripping her collar. Her eyes were fully consumed by the "psycho" look—the curse of their royal bloodline.
"I won't take my child back from you, Sofia. I want you to raise him. Because I want him to grow into a monster like me, not a weakling like you. But first, I'll bury you under this ice!"
As Alia raised her silver knife for the killing blow, a massive explosion rocked the grounds. The battle between Dimitri and Aryan's forces was at their doorstep.
Sofia, pinned down, grabbed Alia's wrist. Her own voice now carried that old madness. She gritted her teeth, "If you are the big sister, then the fight will be like the elders'. Let's see whose blood has more spite. Come on, Alia... let's end this drama today!"
Alia gave one last wicked grin, but in the blink of an eye, the scene changed. Sofia looked away for a second, and when she looked back, Alia was gone. Only her footprints remained in the snow. Sofia screamed, "Alia! Where did you go?"
But Alia was no longer the enemy. Ricky's voice mail and Viktor's love had awakened the "Royal" blood in a different way. She realized Aryan Volkov had used her as a pawn.
Suddenly, a hail of gunfire erupted from behind Aryan's ranks. As Aryan prepared to storm Dimitri's palace, Alia emerged from the shadows with her own secret unit, striking Aryan in the back like a lightning bolt.
Holding an automatic gun in each hand, Alia mowed down Aryan's guards, screaming:
"Aryan! You thought you could cage a Russian Phoenix? Today, you see the price of betrayal!"
Sofia stood frozen. Her sister, who had just tried to kill her, was now single-handedly demolishing Aryan's army. As Alia's unit swarmed the traitors, Aryan was forced into a desperate retreat.
Dimitri and Viktor emerged with their men. Seeing Alia fighting Aryan, a mysterious smile played on Viktor's lips. He turned to Dimitri, "See that? A Phoenix is born in fire. Today is Aryan's last day."
Sofia didn't hesitate any longer. She gripped her tactical dagger and stood by Alia's side. Two sisters—two psycho princesses—reunited after years to fight as one. A river of blood flowed across the snow.
Alia looked at Sofia, firing a round while smirking, "What's the matter, little sister? Why are you standing there? Come on, let's paint this city red together!"
Sisters in Blood and Smoke
The dust settled. Aryan Volkov's army was decimated. The white snow was now stained a deep, dark crimson. The smell of gunpowder and the piles of bodies bore witness to the ferocity of the royal sisters.
After the war, Sofia and Alia sat side-by-side on a crumbling stone wall. Their white shirts were soaked in blood and torn in places. Fresh blood smeared their foreheads and lips, but their eyes held a strange peace.
Alia pulled a pack of expensive cigarettes from her pocket. She lit one for herself and offered one to Sofia. Sofia took it without a word. Alia sparked the lighter for her.
They both took a long drag, the smoke drifting into the misty sky.
Alia exhaled and gave a faint smile, "Kire soto bon, onek bochor por abar eksathe haat rangailam, tai na? Psycho shobhabta ki ekhono ager motoi ase?" (Well, little sister, we've stained our hands together again after all these years, haven't we? Is that psycho nature still the same?)
Sofia flicked the ash, her voice returning to its usual gravity. "Nature doesn't change, Alia, it just hides. I realized today, when you shot Aryan in the back, that the old Phoenix was waking up inside you."
Alia laughed, but this time it wasn't sinister. She looked at the sky. "You know, Sofia... I wanted to hate you. But when I saw you saving my child with your own milk... I realized the bond of blood isn't that easy to break. You are much stronger than I am."
Sofia leaned her head on Alia's shoulder. Two blood-soaked warriors, finally at rest. Sofia whispered in Bengali:
"Alia, shoto belay jokhon amra oi loktare marshilam, tokhon tui amare bolshili boro hoye amra ei prithibi shashon kormu. Aj prithibi shashon na korle-o, amra nijeder shotru-gulare to shesh korte parsi." (Alia, when we killed that man as kids, you told me we'd rule the world. We might not rule the world today, but at least we finished our enemies.)
In the distance, Dimitri and Viktor were approaching. Viktor's eyes were full of pride for Alia, and Dimitri's held an endless love for Sofia. But in this moment, the sisters didn't care about anyone else. They were just two sisters, blending their dark past and present into a single cloud of cigarette smoke.
Alia tossed the butt into the snow and stood up. She reached out her hand to Sofia.
"Come on. Let's go to our little prince. He must be waiting for his two crazy mothers."