Master and servant crept silently through the abandoned factory, each room they passed more dilapidated than the last. It was deathly quiet, only the sound of their footsteps echoing through the halls, Sin leading the way as Maria quietly trailed behind. Their path ended at the old director's office, where Sin began to pace, checking every nook and cranny. "It is here, somewhere. Please be on guard, someone has been here before." She reached the back wall of the room, tracing the fine rifts in the wallpaper. "But I cannot tell when." Maria quickly closed the door at her words and scurried into a corner, her hands fidgeting. "How do you know, this place looks completely abandoned to me." 

Sin opened her mouth to answer but stopped as her hands had reached the middle of the wall. "It is here." Once more she began to mutter under her breath and fine red trails of energy began to spread across the wall, forming a round seal. The rifts and tears began to glow as well, forming the shape of an heraldic eagle. Sin stepped back, staring in awe at the seal. "Come, my master. This is the mark of your ancestor, only you can open it." Maria was hesitant at first but slowly stepped up to the wall, staring at the eagle. A strange sense of familiarity began to wash over her, drowning her hesitation, without a second thought she laid her hand on the head of the eagle. The lines began to glow more intense and became blinding until all Maria could see was pure white. 

When it faded and her sight returned there was no wall in front of them anymore, but instead a set of stairs, leading down into the darkness. "This, may have been a bad idea." Sin muttered, and Maria felt her heart sink as she looked into the face of her servant, seeing only worry. "Why, what is there?" Sin took a step past her, standing between her and the steps to darkness. "The trail goes past this gate. They got past it, this isn't right." She shook her head and slammed her hand against the wall, leaving a deep hole as she growled. "But the next stronghold is a week away, my master, forgive me." She turned back to her and bowed deeply, baring her teeth in frustration. "But we must carry on regardless. Please stay behind me, so that I may protect you." 

Maria looked past her at the gaping maw of nothingness behind Sin and her heart sank even further. "You said you don't know when, it could have been ages ago, maybe they are already gone. You said the defences were trivial for me right? I don't, don't need to be scared?" 
Sin looked at her in surprise for a moment, then she began to relax, a smile forming over her lips. "Yes, my master. A true successor to the queen cannot be denied entrance. Let us go, my master." 

And so they took the first steps down into the dark. Within a few moments they were without light, only the very next step was visible and Maria made sure to hold onto Sins arm, keeping her head down. She could not bear to stare into the dark, all she focused on was the next step, then the next, and the next. It felt like an age had past before they reached the ground and when they did, the light returned. They were in a massive chamber, dug into the very earth. The walls of stone were polished clean, the ground thick with dust. There were no traces of life anywhere to be seen, even the smallest insects had fled this place. Sin did not look across the chamber to the large gate in front of them, she knelt down and ran her hand across the ground. "No traps, no guardian. This is not right." As Sin continued to speak to herself, Maria began to look around the room, the utter void of it. Something about it was calming her, her shoulder slumped down as tension left her body. 

"You are forbidden from this place, Sin. Why did you disobey your commands?" a commanding voice resounded from the very walls, causing Maria to jump and Sin to kneel and press her face onto the ground. In the middle of the room a shadow took the shape of a tall woman, dressed in immaculate black. Her hair was of radiant gold, her features hidden behind an ivory mask, only darkness behind the eye holes. 
Maria began to tremble, she looked at Sin in panic. "Please get up, is that, that the enemy?" Sin did not answer, she staid in place, thankful that her new master could not see the look of horror on her face. 

The figure pinned her gaze on Maria. "You are blood of my blood. Another came before, and I found her lacking. Were you sent by this disappointment? And how did you tame Sin?" 
Maria stared back into the empty eyes of the woman, her heart racing. "Nobody sent me, I came here to be safe, from the enemies. I did not tame Sin, she found, she saved me from them." 
Her words seemed to please the woman, who once more stared down at Sin. "Rise, then, Sin. And answer me: Does the blood of my blood speak the truth?" It took Sin a few moments to get on her feet, she was trembling badly still. Unable to lift her head, she nodded. "The old traitors are still in power, they found and nearly killed her. She is your last true heiress, she requires this stronghold as sanctuary." 

Sin tried to speak further, but a wave of the woman caused her to go silent. Maria finally found the courage to speak up, her hands clutching her chest. "Are you, really, her? I thought you were dead, I don't understand." 
The woman once more stared at her, but despite the dread, the terror that ran through Maria's body, every fibre of her being telling her to look away, to run for her life, despite it all she stood her ground and did not look away. "You are blood of my blood, yet you cannot see truth? Sin, you are a terrible teacher." with a sigh she broke the gaze and walked towards the gate, stopping in front of the massive metal gates. "I am not the last queen, if you could see then you would know. I am but her remnant, she left me here to pass judgement on her descendants, whether or not they are worthy of her legacy."

 With these words the woman turned back to face them and spread her arms. Another intricate circle with the sigil of the eagle formed in the middle of the hall, shining in an eerie green glow. "If you wish to be measured, then enter. You will be bound by truth, know this." Maria looked at her with hesitation, then gazed over to Sin, her ignorance obvious. "When you enter you will be forbidden from lying, my master. So long as she questions you, you will have to tell the truth." Sin muttered, her encounter with the shadow of her former master had left here shaken, she could not meet the eyes of her master. With a deep breath Maria stepped towards the circle, a knot forming in her stomach before she stepped into it. For a moment she could feel nothing different, then a familiar surge began to spread through her body. The thin lines of magic energy appeared across her body once more, and when they reached her eyes she could see again. The figure in front of her was but a puppet, suspended with shining green threads, a tool made for just a single purpose. Maria began to smile, her worries leaving her as she could now see that there was nothing to fear. 

"Very well, blood of my blood. You know your true name, you know of Sin. To be my successor means more than to bear my name, to bear my lineage you must shoulder it's burden." The remnant spoke, her voice echoing from the walls. "Your enemies are many, they are powerful and determined to destroy you. Are you ready to answer their ruthlessness with the same brutality?" 
Maria looked down to the ground, and shook her head. "No." 
Sin looked at her in surprise, her eyes began to widen. The remnant continued:
"You must understand that there is no other way. To be my successor means to walk my path and that path is littered with the broken bones of your enemies. The world will not give up on its degenerate ways, if you are to correct them then you must be merciless. Are you ready to burn down what cannot be allowed to stand, even if it means the death of the countless?"
Maria again shook her head, batting her eyes. "I can't do that." 
Sin took a step forward, raising an arm. "My master!" Her voice was filled by despair, but another wave of the remnant caused her to go silent. 
"If you are not willing to do what must be done for my dream to be realised then you cannot be my successor, blood of my blood. Have their ways clouded your mind to the world around you, would you rather sacrifice your birthright than right the wrongs of the world you live in? Where is your pride, blood of my blood?"
Maria slowly hid her head under her arms, cowering on her knees. "I don't think I'm worthy." 

Sin stared at the scene in front of her in despair, her mouth wide open, every fibre of her being trembling. 
"You disappoint me, Sin. This one is as weak as the last who came here, it seems that my my fury is all but spent." A deep sense of sadness swung in the voice of the remnant. 
"No, your majesty." Sin stepped forward, her entire body shaking, yet even under her merciless gaze she did not stop until she stood at Maria's side. "My master is weak, she was brought up in the muck of the common insects, you must forgive her for not having her burn with your fury as brightly. Please give her another chance, another question that she may prove to you that not all is lost!" 

The remnant looked down at Sin, and as she did not back down under her gaze, she nodded. "Very well, Sin. I will accept. What is the question the blood of my blood should be measured by?" It did take Sin not a moment to ponder, the words leaped out of her mouth at the opportunity. "Ask what she thinks about heroes, the new guardians of the enemy." 
Maria's eyes widened, and she stared back at Sin in terror. "no, no, please don't, anything, please!" Her words fell on deaf ears however, as the remnant spoke again. "Very well. Blood of my blood, our enemies had many who upheld their order. Sin calls those who do so now "Heroes". They are who will oppose you at every turn, the nemesis this degenerate world has birthed to fight you. Do you hate this enemy?" 

Maria stared down at the ground, her body began to tremble. she put her hands on the ground, her fingers clawing at the smooth stone. "Did you not hear, blood of my blood? Do you-" 

"Of course I do!" Maria's voice was no scream, no shout, it was a roar. She stared back up at the remnant with her face contorted in a frothing rage. "Cowardly parasites, they disgust me! They run around the world like they own it and everybody fawns over them even though they don't care! They flaunt their power and brag and the world just loves to hear it, they talk about how great they are and good they are but all they love is their image and their god forsaken brands!" Her voice cracked and grew in pitch as she scratched her fingers bloody. "They talk all their big game but when there's an earthquake people still die like a hundred years ago, they save a few and then pose in front of the cameras like they did anything, and they talk about justice but can't even stop their great "enemies" from escaping over and over because they don't have the fucking guts to kill them." She was slamming her fists into the ground, over and over. "He said he could save everyone but he could not bring my mom back home!" with her last words she let out a manic scream, collapsing into a sobbing, writhing mess.

Sin looked down at her master, again and again she tried to break through the circle, but the energies repulsed her. Finally the remnant rose her hand and the circle faded, Sin swooped down and held her master in her arms, who was still writhing and screaming through her tears. She tore up her servant's arms as she struggled, but Sin did not flinch. First the words of the remnant caused her to see through her rampant emotions and recompose herself, although she was still shaking. 

"You are lacking in much, blood of my blood." Slowly the remnant walked up to them, and took off her mask.  Maria looked up into her face and new tears began to well up, silencing her attempts to speak. All she could do was point up to her. 
"Your blood has awoken only recently, the thoughts of your enemies run deep in your mind. But yet." She smiled, and lowered her head. "You still posses the very same fury that I had when I was alive." the remnant laid a hand on Maria's head, gently running her fingers through her hair. "Hold onto that feeling, blood of my blood. Sin is your greatest weapon, you will not need a stronger blade. She can protect your body, but she cannot protect your heart. May your contempt be your shield, shining brighter than their lies." Slowly she pulled her hand off of her head and took a step back, black flames slowly spreading across her body. They burned her clothes, seared her flesh, scorched her bones. Despite it all, she was smiling. "You are a worthy successor, my daughter. I am glad, and honored that I was not the last queen." With these last words her body collapsed into ashes, which faded into pure nothingness. The gate beyond began to glow, countless ancient runes flaring up across it's surface. Very slowly they swung open and the comforting warmth of home spread into the hall, washing over Sin and her master. They slowly stood up, Sin shouldering her, together they made their way inside.

"Sin," Maria muttered, staring down at the ground. "What is it, my master?" She answered, her voice soft and weary. 

"Why did she look like my mom?"