Prologue

I held the gun in my trembling hands.

The stench of gunpowder filled the chilly night air. A puff of smoke can be seen rising lazily from the barrel. The characteristic loud bang echoed off the brick buildings long after the shot itself. It rang in my ears.

Other than my thumping heart and ringing ears, however, there was silence. Absolute, suffocating, calm, silence.

I turned to look at my sister Elsa. She stood some distance behind me, clutching her cane with white knuckles. She looked at me with wide eyes, full of uncertainty and fear. I can only assume I looked the same.

"Anna…" Elsa whispered.

I was too shocked to speak. I turned to look at the aftermath in front of me: blood seeped from where the bullet entered, and there he was, unconscious.

No, not unconscious.

Dead.