Echoes

Viktor's gaze remained fixed on Aarne, the silence between them thick with tension. The dim light in the room cast long shadows, obscuring the young boy's face, but Viktor could see the determination in Aarne's eyes. It was the same determination he had seen in countless others before, yet something about Aarne's defiance felt different—more personal, more threatening."What do you want, boy?" Viktor had asked, his voice low and measured.Aarne didn't flinch. "To be free. To save the others."The simplicity of the answer struck Viktor like a blow. For a moment, he felt a familiar emotion stir deep within him—one he had buried long ago. But Viktor was a man who had learned to control his emotions, to keep them locked away where they couldn't hurt him. He couldn't afford to be weak.And yet, as he waited for Aarne to speak again, memories of his own past began to surface, unbidden and relentless.

Flashback

The streets had always been cold and unforgiving, but Viktor had learned to navigate them with a kind of grim determination. His mother worked tirelessly, juggling multiple jobs just to keep them afloat. But no matter how hard she tried, there was never enough money, never enough food, never enough of anything.Viktor had grown up fast. He'd had to. His father had left when he was just a child, leaving him to take care of his younger sister, Anya. Anya had been his world—his light in the darkness. He had promised himself that he would protect her, that he would keep her safe no matter what.But promises made in the face of a cruel world were rarely kept. When Viktor was fifteen, Anya disappeared. She had been lured away by the promise of a job, a way out of the poverty that had defined their lives. Viktor had searched for her, desperately trying to find any trace of her, but she was gone. The loss had shattered him, and the guilt had consumed him. He had promised to protect her, and he had failed.He still remembered the day he found out the truth. A man—someone who claimed to know where Anya had been taken—had approached Viktor in a dingy alleyway, offering information for a price. Viktor had handed over everything he had, only to be told that his sister had been sold, trafficked to another country where she would never be found. The rage that had exploded inside Viktor that day had never fully dissipated. It had driven him to the life he now led—a life of power, control, and fear.Joining the syndicate had been his way of fighting back, of taking control in a world that had taken everything from him. He had quickly risen through the ranks, his anger and determination fueling his ascent. But no matter how high he climbed, no matter how much power he accumulated, he couldn't escape the ghost of Anya that haunted him. She was the reason he kept going, the reason he had turned into the man he was. But no amount of power could erase the guilt, the pain, the failure.PresentViktor blinked, the memories receding like a wave pulling back from the shore. Aarne was still watching him, waiting for his response. The boy's expression was resolute, his posture tense but unwavering. Viktor saw something in Aarne that reminded him of himself—an unyielding spirit, a refusal to accept the world as it was. But Viktor knew how that story ended. He knew that the world didn't change for anyone; it only broke those who tried to defy it."You're a fool if you think you can change anything," Viktor finally said, his voice cold and flat. "The world will break you, just as it broke me."But even as he spoke the words, a small part of Viktor—the part that still remembered what it felt like to hope, to believe in something better—wondered if Aarne might be different. Was it possible that the boy could succeed where Viktor had failed? Was there a chance that Aarne could do what Viktor had never been able to do—save someone, change something?Viktor pushed the thought aside. He couldn't afford to think that way. Hope was a dangerous thing, and it had no place in the life he had chosen. But the doubt lingered, gnawing at the edges of his carefully constructed facade.He stood up abruptly, turning his back on Aarne. "You will stay here," Viktor said, his voice harsh. "You will do as you're told, or you will suffer the consequences. The choice is yours."Aarne didn't respond immediately, and Viktor could feel the boy's eyes boring into his back. Finally, Aarne spoke, his voice soft but steady. "You can't break me, Viktor. I won't stop fighting."Viktor's hand clenched into a fist, the muscles in his jaw tightening. He didn't turn around. "We'll see about that," he muttered, more to himself than to Aarne. Without another word, he left the room, leaving Aarne alone in the darkness.As Viktor walked down the corridor, his thoughts returned to Anya. He had failed to protect her, failed to save her. But maybe, just maybe, if he could break Aarne, he could finally silence the ghosts of his past. Or perhaps, if Aarne refused to break, Viktor might find something he had lost long ago—something he hadn't even realized he was searching for.