MOM! PLEASE OPEN YOUR EYES! PLEASE—I BEG YOU!”

I shook her frantically, my hands trembling, slick with her blood.

“No, no, no… you don’t get to do this. You don’t get to leave me!”

My voice cracked, torn apart by panic and disbelief. My breath came in short, sharp gasps. I couldn’t feel my own body anymore—just the cold weight of dread and her fading warmth beneath my hands.

“Please, please… wake up,” I whispered, rocking back and forth on my knees. “This can’t be real. It can’t be happening.”

I pressed my forehead against hers, shutting my eyes so tightly it hurt.

Let this be a dream. Let me wake up in my bed. Let her call me for breakfast. Let her laugh again.

But the silence was deafening.

The coppery scent of blood filled the air, thick and metallic. My mother lay still. Too still. And I was falling apart.

Tears blurred my vision as I screamed—raw and broken—until my throat burned.

“I need her,” I whispered, voice shattering like glass. “I need you, Mom…”

But the universe didn’t answer.

I didn't hear the footsteps.

I didn't see the shadow creeping up behind me.

But I felt it.

That electric charge of danger brushing the back of my neck.

Before I could react, a sharp force slammed into my side, sending me crashing to the floor. The wind flew from my lungs, and stars danced in front of my eyes.

“What the—?!” I gasped, scrambling backward on the floor, blood and tears smearing my skin.

A figure loomed in the doorway, dressed in black, a ski mask covering their face. His eyes locked onto mine—cold, emotionless. He stepped forward, holding a blade that gleamed under the soft light from the shattered lamp.

“Stay the hell away from me!” I screamed, grabbing the vegetable knife I’d dropped earlier.

My hand was shaking. I was still crying. My heart felt like it had already shattered into a thousand pieces—but something in me snapped back into place.

I wasn’t just a grieving daughter anymore.

I was my mother’s daughter.

I rose slowly, knife clenched tight. “You picked the wrong girl."

The masked intruder lunged again, and I barely dodged in time—his blade slicing through the air where my chest had been just seconds ago.

My back slammed against the wall with a grunt, the picture frames shattering around me.

“Who the hell are you?!” I shouted, swinging the knife at him, wild and desperate.

"Your worst nightmare, dove"

"Don’t call me that!"

I blocked one strike, then another—but the force of his blow sent the knife flying from my hand. It skittered across the floor, vanishing under the bed.

He grabbed my wrist and twisted it painfully behind my back. I cried out as pain shot up my arm.

"I have finally found you after so long" he muttered darkly into my ear.

“Go to hell,” I spat, slamming my head backward into his face.

He grunted, loosening his grip just enough for me to elbow him in the ribs and break free.

I stumbled toward the door, but he tackled me to the ground. My chin hit the hardwood hard, my vision swimming as the copper taste of blood hit my tongue.

He grabbed a handful of my hair, jerking my head back. “You are way to important to escape"

Through the haze, I saw it—my mother’s eyes, once full of warmth and fierce love, now lifeless beside us.

And that… broke something inside me.

I reached behind blindly, my hand finding the edge of a shattered lamp, and smashed it into his shoulder. He hissed, staggering back.

My breath came in ragged gasps as I scrambled toward the hallway, legs aching, head spinning.

I thought this was where I was going to die—as he lunged at me, knife glinting under the flickering hallway light.

Nevermind.

A blur of movement, fast as a shadow slicing through the dark.

Suddenly, the man above me jerked back with a choked cry, the knife clattering to the floor. I blinked, heart hammering.

Behind him stood a tall figure cloaked in black. Masked. Silent. Still.

The Man in Black.

He didn’t say a word—he never did. He just seem to always appear when I need help.

He grabbed the attacker by the collar and slammed him into the wall with bone-snapping force. The sound echoed, violent and final.

My attacker slumped. Out cold.

The Man in Black turned to me, face hidden in shadow, gloved hand outstretched. But then—he turned to my mother, lying dead on the floor.

He stepped toward her.

"Back off!" I snapped, stumbling to my feet, planting myself between him and her.

He tilted his head, eyes narrowing beneath the shadows of his hood. “You couldn’t even save yourself from that asshole,” he said, voice like smoke and steel. “What makes you think you can defeat me?”

I froze. His words weren’t cruel—they were clinical. Factual. And… fair.

My hands clenched into fists at my sides. My legs trembled from exhaustion. My skills were rusty at best, my muscles heavy with adrenaline and grief.

He didn’t strike. Instead, he turned his attention back to my mother.

I opened my mouth to scream, to threaten, to demand answers—

But he did something unexpected.

He knelt.

Bowed his head low to her body. Then murmured something in a language I didn’t recognize, something ancient and solemn that rolled off his tongue like a prayer or a farewell. His gloved hand hovered over her chest, then curled into a fist and rested over his heart.

It wasn’t mockery.

It was… respect.

He rose in a fluid motion, his gaze back on me.

“It’s happening,” he said simply. “We don’t have time.”

I blinked, heart pounding, emotions coiling into a knot of confusion and dread. “What’s happening?”

His silence stretched, the seconds heavy. Then:

“Something we all tried to save you from,” he said, his voice low, quiet, filled with an emotion I couldn’t name. “But so be it.”

He cupped my face "You need to be ready. Things that are coming from now on, are going test you but whatever happens, remember  it's always up to us to break and trust no one" 

Silence, none of said anything but he let go of my cheek. Suddenly I heard sirens amd turned my attention towards the sound "whats coming.." he was gone as it turned back.

So sign of the attacker either.

My eyes turned to my mother, filling with tears. As I ran outside, acting.

I flung open the front door just as two police officers stormed up the porch. “HELP! He’s inside!” I cried, collapsing into one of their arms.

“Ma’am, stay back!” the officer said, drawing his weapon as they rushed inside.

I turned, leaning against the railing, watching as they disappeared into the chaos I just barely escaped.

My whole body trembled, blood on my hands—some of it mine, most of it not.

My mother’s voice echoed in my head:

“I will always be with you, right here.”

And as the night closed around me, I whispered back, “I’ll find James. I’ll find the truth. I promise."

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

I was sitting on bench right next to house, a blanket on my shoulder, a cup of somthing hot now gone cold liquid in my hand. But I couldn’t focus on anything.

My brain was blank and everything had faded to white noise in the background. I look up to see that 2 police offers finally coming out of the house—with my mother's body.

I immediately get up and run to them, some of the officers trying to stop me but I didn’t cared.

"W.where is he?" I asked, my voice shaking as I try not to look at my mother's lifeless face.

"I am sorry but by the time we got in, he was able to escape through the window but don't worry he will be in our priority to find" with that they left, leaving me standing there.

Suddenly I was hugged from behind, making me almost lose my balance but they stopped me.

"Omg! I am so sorry Lia. I just heard what happened" I look up to see Amelia hugging me and her mother standing behind her.

I would have cried, should have seeing her but it was like I had gone numb. Nothing mattered anymore like a peice of me died with her.

I closed my eyes, at the thought of her face again. I am still standing here while I would have see her face again or hear her laugh.

I realized Amelia was spoking me to me but I couldn’t hear anything just look at her. 

And just like that I ended up in her house, surrounded by all my friends—Amelia, Axel and Damien trying to get me out of my haze.

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

It’s been four days.

Four days since everything changed. Since the world I knew shattered beneath my feet. Since I saw the life slip out of the one person who meant everything.

Four days, since we helped me.

I’ve been staying with Amelia since that night. Her parents—bless their kind heart. They’ve cooked for me, talked to me like I wasn’t completely broken, even brought up the idea of adoption so I won end up in foster care.

And as for Damien and Axel? I’m convinced they’ve moved in. They've been here more than their own homes—hovering like stubborn, annoying guardian angels. But today, something felt different. Lighter.

I sat curled up on the couch, blanket tucked around me like armor, when I heard loud whispering from the kitchen.

“Shhh, you're going to spill it, idiot!”

“I’m not the one who thought putting chili flakes in hot chocolate would make it ‘spicy and exciting.’” That was Damien.

Axel’s voice hissed back, “Don’t knock it till you try it!”

I blinked, barely holding back a sigh, when they both burst into the living room—Amelia trailing behind them with a camera-ready grin.

“Presenting… the ultimate grief-destroying culinary creation!” Axel said, holding a tray with what looked like hot chocolate topped with rainbow marshmallows, crushed cookies, and… was that a pickle?

“What. Is. That,” I deadpanned.

“We call it Chaotic Cocoa Surprise. Patent pending.”

“I refuse to drink that,” I muttered, even as Amelia plopped down next to me, grinning.

“Come on,” she nudged me. “We made a pact—no sad staring into space today. Only weird drinks, bad jokes, and forced laughter.”

“Keyword: forced,” I said, but my lips twitched.

Axel gasped like I’d slapped him. “Wow. No faith in my culinary artistry.”

“Oh please,” Damien shot back. “The last time you made pasta, it ended up on fire.”

“It was flambé!” Axel defended himself.

“It was your shirt!”

We all burst out laughing.

Even me.

It caught me off guard—that sound. It felt strange and foreign, like something that didn’t belong to me anymore. But it was real.

“You’re laughing,” Amelia whispered, a little awed.

I nodded slowly. “I… guess I am.”

They all beamed like they’d won a gold medal.

Damien shoved a cookie into my hand. “Victory snack. Eat up, warrior.”

I took a bite. And even though the taste was dry and weird, I didn’t mind. It was the first thing I’d eaten in a while that didn’t taste like ash.

For a moment, it kinda felt lighter.

But of course that moment had to end. The door opened and in came her mom. She had a pitied look in her eyes. One thing I hate the most.

"Hey sweetie. There is a social worker outside who wants to talk to you"

I knew this was coming but gosh listening to it make it real. I sat up and followed her out. She lead me to the living room where a woman in her early forties waited, a kind smile on her face as she saw me.

"Hello honey, I am Sophia Williams and I the social worker assigned to your case. I am so sorry for your loss and I wished we meet in better circumstances but remember everything happens for a reason"

Oh yeah. My mother died for a reason sure.

I just silenced to her as she kept on blabbering about what's going to happen next "We just need your blood so we could match if you have a relative or not" I nodded, already knowing I don't have any.

She called a guy who very gently took my blood, even making soke small talk andofdering me chocolate after it was done.

"The reports should be out in few hours, until why don't you go back to your friends and have fun?" I nodded and went back to the room.

All of them waiting for me.

"Looks like I am about to became the next Zane" I joked even though it lacked any bite.

Zane was our friend. One day his friends also died in a car and in got in the foster care. He was adopted by some couple and had to move away. Since then no phone or calls.

"Not going to happen" Amelia declared, coming to hug me "You are not going anywhere cause my mother will adopt you"

"Amelia— "not I don't want to here anything"

We stayed like this for some time before Axel cleared his throat "Enough with this emotional sap. Let's play monopoly"

We all looked at him like he has grown 2 heads before elaughinb and then finally agreeing.

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

It's been 5 hours since and I am sitting in the living room waiting for her to tell me the news I already know.

Sohpia finally come in—with a full blown smile.

I don't like this.

"I have good news Liana" she sat down "We were to find your dad and 6 brothers. We have already contacted them and they will be here in few hours"

Suddenly the floor beneath my legs slipped and I slipped in it.

What the fuck.