Role

[Serenity Holmes]

Ren-Ren. That's such a lovely nickname. You always hated it when I gave you nicknames, so what's wrong if she said it to you? Does it remind you of me? Are you that festered in your hatred that anything tied to me makes you homicidal to everyone around you? Or are you starting to see that love is just an illusion to hide what the real power is? Control.

---

PAIN.

"Arigato."

She could have had a better pronunciation of the Japanese language. Still, at night, inside a local convenient a few walks away from her hotel, Serenity was enjoying her time in Japan. The weight of her championship match was average for her; Serenity's been used to high-profile championship matches in her career, but this one felt different. The personal weight was heavier; she'd never been the one to lose her relaxation unless provoked, but when it came to Natasha, there was an uneasy feeling rupturing in her stomach. What made it worse was that it wasn't Natasha's fault; there was unexplained negativity toward her. How could a woman be so cheerful when the world around her was a ticking timebomb? In the face of adversity, she held her head high, and even Heir to the Throne, Natasha became the number one contender, and Serenity defeated Allen Chaney. It should be a straightforward match, so why was Serenity so hyper-fixated?

After gathering her items in a bag, snacks, and other essentials, Serenity exited the convenience store, fluffing her leather jacket and walking in her black boots on the wet terrain. The streets were cleaned and respected even in the shady aisle illuminated by the wall-to-wall shops and high bloom lights hanging from apartments above. There was little traffic from locals in the vicinity, but Serenity marched forward days before her match with Natasha.

The walk back to her hotel was late at night, almost approaching the twilight hour. Serenity brushed a finger in her hair, a little tired from spending the entire day fulfilling her public appearance duties and marketing Legacy. Although she wanted to sleep the whole day, Roberto was adamant about Serenity's participation. It's not easy to be in another country where the culture was home to your opponent, but she's wrestled in the Japanese market and was even a former Japanese champion.

Serenity.

She stopped and spun on the heels of her boots. No one was there; she was alone underneath a street light. The bag of her goodies fell into a puddle, and her heart raced as the voice echoed through her ears again.

Serenity.

Her eyes frantically look everywhere. Why was she coming back again? Hasn't she had enough of making her life hell? God, if there even is a God up there, please send this woman back down to the depths of hell. She resented her mother's presence following her everywhere she turned, and it was becoming adamant the connection between the living and the dead was getting more robust against her will.

Serenity, can we talk?

Of course, the puddle of water. She looked down and saw her mother's face in the reflection. Her breathing increased, and Serenity stomped on the puddle to distort it, making her mother's face ripple into nothing. She picked up her belongings and walked down the aisle, shaking her head and slapping herself in the face, attempting to clear her head and focus on what was important.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. It's just my head. She's not here." The words comforted the average person, but she wasn't normal. Her mind wasn't it, and she wondered what it was. Guilt? Punishment? Karma? The more she thought out of the outcomes, the more-

It didn't make sense.

What?! Now, she was completing her sentences. Serenity dropped the bag again and assumed a southpaw stance in her kickboxing background, spinning around at different angles and preparing to strike out of the shadows. Her fists were balled tightly, and she was on high alert of her surroundings.

I'm behind you!

She threw a kick only for it to hit the air. Serenity growled after hearing her mother's laugh and picked up the bag again to march down the alley, garnering some attention from locals concerned about her erratic behavior. She saw them looking at her and dropped the bag to march towards them, where she held onto the collar of a young woman before slamming her against the wall as she yelled out in pain.

"Do you think this is funny?! Do you like making jokes?! Am I laughing now?! Do you see a smile on my face?!!" Serenity pressed her hands on her body, decreasing the space between them. She realized what she was doing and let her go. The attacked woman grabbed her friend and ran away, hoping to escape the madness emulating. Serenity sat on a bench and leaned forward, covering her ears with both hands, rocking back and forth.

The sound of her sobbing, but it wasn't from her exactly. Serenity stood up and strolled back to the streetlight. She saw herself a child, nine years old to be exact, in her little pink pajamas, holding her teddy bear, tears flowing down her face, and curled up in a ball. She looked behind her and was alone in the alleyway. Serenity took a step by step, approaching herself and gently placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay." She said softly, trying to comfort her until noticing a scar on her neck. These weren't scars; they were bruises, fresh and the type of bruises when grabbed. That's when she lifted the shirt and saw the belt marks being whipped on her back to the point she remembered the exact moment she was struck down.

When the little girl lifted her head, her eyes were black, and she spoke in her mother's voice...

Hello Ren-Ren!

"Ahh!" Serenity jumped back and landed on her blossom on the wet concrete; the contents of her plastic bag spilled into the streets. She sat up, rubbing her lower back from the landing, and the puddle ruined her black jeans. However, she looked ahead, and that little girl was gone until spreading her legs to see her again in the puddle, smiling at her. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Her voice boomed down the alley, echoing for someone to hear her in distress.

I came to say hi. After all, you called for me to be here. You didn't think you were free of me that easily? No, my little Ren-Ren, you're starting to understand what I've been trying to teach you all this time.

"Teach me?!" Serenity shifted her weight around and knelt to look closer into the puddle. "That's what you've been trying to do?!" Her voice cracked, and her lip quivered, shaking as she wanted to get this all off her chest. "You hurt me! You fuckin' took my life and made it hell! You ruined my childhood, and you want to tell me that it was all a lesson?! Do you have any idea how much pain you've caused me?!"

And it made you stronger.

"I HATE EVERYTHING BECAUSE OF YOU! I HATE YOU, I HATE NATASHA, I HATE THIS STUPID DEAL I MADE, I HATE THAT I DRINK, I HATE THAT I CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT YOU LURKING BEHIND ME! I DON'T NEED YOU! I'M MYSELF, AND I DON'T NEED YOU TO SAY ANYTHING TO ME! I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS, AND I WILL BEAT NATASHA WITHOUT. YOUR. HELP!"

She yelled at the top of her lungs, and it felt good to release that. After years of pent-up frustration, refusal to receive psychiatric treatment, and distracting herself away from her demons, she finally let go. Her mother, or at least what her mind projected of her, rolled her eyes and spoke patronizing to Serenity's confidence.

Serenity, my little Ren-Ren, you need me. You're always me. Whether you choose to see it or not, you are becoming me. Your little fight at Legacy should be mine that's what Legacy is becoming. Legacy, not your father's, mine-

Serenity punched the puddle. She punched, and punched, and punched until the knuckles on her right hand became bloody. She was in the fetal position on her hands and knees, once again breaking down from the reminder of her past. She stood up and dusted herself off, walking forward drenched in wet jeans and ruined boots, leaving her spoiled contents behind. There wasn't anything left to say. Her face was drenched in tears, the blood trickling down from her right hand, and in that walk, it was a cold-hearted woman hellbent on history, cruel history, following behind a path of her own doing.

However, the word "Legacy" meant something, and Legacy would be correct, but Legacy wouldn't be her mother's or her father's; it would be Serenity's.

---

SUFFERING.

I've had enough of you, Natasha.

I've had enough of this good girl act. I've tried my best to give you the benefit of the doubt that you're this little princess in your world covered in rainbows and ponies. How can you see the world through rose-colored glasses and believe everything is okay? I've always wondered how a woman in your position who's been a secluded success, watching her beloved comrades reach heights you've barely climbed and continuously prove-proving your sub-par talent in this company, makes you happy.

I did everything to understand. You have a simple life: friends, family, love, the need to prove you're the best, and this undying attitude to show the world what you're made of.

It's cute—nothing special, but pretty—but makes me want to throw up. Why do you have to have such a perfect world when the rest of us have to be reminded how terrible our lives are? Why is it fair that everything can be a great day when you wake up compared to us, who must be ready for the worst thing in our lives?

Then it finally hit me.

You haven't suffered. No. You haven't experienced real pain. You don't know what it means to be scrutinized at every point of your life, where you wonder what is real and what isn't. I've heard you talk, and it bothers me how much joy you can have in an industry that will do everything to tear your mind into pieces.

And that's where I come in, Natasha.

Are your jokes going to work on me? Is this the part you tell me how many times you've been in the gym training alongside your bitches of prey in hopes you become champion? Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but to be the champion, you're entering a world that will be ready to chew you alive.

This isn't fun and games. It isn't about inspiring your fans, friends, and family. It is about testing whether you are willing to remain true to your core values and hold onto your virtue when you are pushed beyond your limit. It would be best if you learned that there are many bad things and bad people, but I am willing to be the villain in your story.

That's what you want.

You want someone to be evil so you can have the excuse of playing the good girl with people kissing your ass every day, but here's the thing...

I was that same girl, too.

And look what happened to me!

In the alley, Serenity began unzipping her jacket to show the single-strap shirt with the scars and permanent bruises from her childhood days. Underneath the moon and dim street lights, she had to show the world the reality of what she endured. Once she put the jacket on, she kept walking. Although she was a few miles from her hotel, no one bothered her, and those in her way made it back inside to avoid a woman hellbent on causing pain.

Now I have to do the same for you. I've let you think you were getting in my head by playing the good girl act, but we all know what you were doing. God, it's the oldest trick in the book, and for someone younger than you, I think you would pull a tactic that others wouldn't have seen.

Or you're too green to understand how the real world works. I tried to be you—the innocent little girl who wanted to wrestle and make an impact. But the world isn't so black and white. You have to get your hands dirty and make decisions that will help you at the cost of others.

Let me ask you this, Natasha.

If you become Invictus Champion by some miracle, can you handle the world's weight on your shoulders? Are you ready to become the target of everyone in the locker room, including your so-called friends in the Birds of Prey? I saw how you faced Charlotte, but I knew you were holding back for your love and respect for each other. You don't have the killer instinct to pull the trigger to get victory, regardless of whether the person in front is someone you love.

I had to defeat my father to prove I had what it took to be here, standing in front of you with the Invictus Championship around my waist years later. That's what it means to suffer. You don't have what it takes to sacrifice everything and everyone you love to be the best in the ring.

You say the same thing every damn time!

You want to get in the gym, train your ass, learn new moves, be happy you even exist around your friends, and yeah, you became the number one contender, but being a champion is entirely different.

I was going to be nothing until Roberto made me realize the type of person I had to be. I can't walk around thinking I'm untouchable because I train and follow the rules. No, I had to align myself with a powerful man and learn that every move is like chess: calculated and always three steps ahead of my opponent, which brings me to you.

You may think you have what it takes to beat me, but I know you're a coward. You can't pull the trigger, which means I have the perfect opportunity to finally get my hands on you and push you to your limit, where I know you will quit.

Serenity was close to being back at her hotel, but she stopped. She needed to decompress and take a moment to close her eyes to breathe. However, she saw the moon before approaching the empty road that lined her path. Serenity grabbed onto a bike,, leaned against a wall,, and threw it on the ground,, as she knew the anger in her was boiling.

Natasha!

Legacy. I finally understand that there will be one, but it won't be yours.

It will be mine. It will be mine when I take my foot and shove it so far down your throat you'll be choking on my shoelaces. You need to suffer and know what it means to lose everything after fighting so hard. It would be best if you felt empty, and I am willing to make sure you return home as a failure that your entire family pities you every day to the point you want to rip someone's throat out so you can feel better about yourself.

It makes me sick that a pathetic person gets to have the peace I've always longed for, but now I realize I can never be at peace, so I have to settle for ruining yours.

I'm better than you in this ring. I became a champion while watching you struggle to break free from the average athlete until you finally became the number one contender. Unfortunately, it ends here now that your pipe dream won't become reality.

I won't let you sit there and joke and pretend that everything is okay. I want to see you cry afterward; I want to see you look at yourself in the mirror, and when the tiny crack in your armor is gone, you'll look down and realize that you are not the woman you think you are.

You are just a little girl in a world that preys on happy souls like you. Who do they send?

Me.

And I'll happily be the one to rip everything you love within an instant. I want to be the one standing over your fallen body, raise your head in a bloody mask, and let the world see what happens when you decide to remind me of the weak little girl I once was. My mother said I'm becoming her, but I'm proving her wrong. I'm becoming me.

It may not be what people want, but it's what people need.

You need me to be that evil entity in your life, and I will play the role because when you suffer, Natasha, you will see what type of person you are.

You will find that you can't survive on trust and love alone. There must be more to it. There must be the darkness in you that must be lurking within.

I guess Legacy will be introducing the new world to the honest Natasha Walker.

And I can't wait until I take credit for breaking the fake one at Legacy.