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I heard a buzzing in my head, felt it poking into my brain. When I opened my eyes I could see a bright light right above my head. I wanted to move but couldn't. My wrists and ankles were tied down. I put all my strength into it, trying to get free but there was not a chance of success. It would happen again. I heard steps and exactly knew what would come next. "Miss Kalia Arany, here again? Getting bored from the old rune? You know, I thought about a new one." As if I had a choice. Somebody pulled my shirt up and I could feel a stele being placed. Through the pain I began to scream.

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I not only screamed in my sleep, but also in real life. I dug my fingers into the blanket and struggled for air. While the world blurred a bit out because of all the oxygen someone opened the door to my room and sprinted towards me. It was dark and I could not make out who it was and flinched back. Holding my arms in front of my body I tried to protect myself. "Hey, hey, hey, it's me Jace. Don't be afraid. I won't come closer." As soon as I heard his known voice I could control my breathing again and started to see clear. Because of exhaustion I put my head back onto the covers. Just now I realized I laid in this bed, the wrong way around. But it seemed so cozy. Now it was just another place of nightmares and misery. Jace sat down beside me onto the bed.

Jace: "I heard you screaming. Are you okay?"

I struggled to get up.

Jace: "No, keep laying. You just slept for three hours. Did you have a nightmare?"

I nodded.

Jace: "Do you want to talk about it? Shall I stay?"

I shook my head.

Jace: "Okay. You know where my room is. Just in case."

He put on the light on the nightstand and dipped the room into a shallow light. He had no shirt on and I kinda liked what I saw. Runes all over his trained upper body. But they looked different from mine. I caught myself staring and once again tried to get up. This time with success.

Jace: "What are you doing?"

Kalia: "Getting up."

Jace: "Are you kidding me? You slept for three hours. It's too early and you are exhausted."

Kalia: "I am not." I spoke in a pissed tone of voice. I was not even annoyed tho.

Jace: "Try to sleep again. Good night."

He sighed and left the room. I didn't want to go back to bed. Instead, I headed for the bathroom to shower. The cold water helped me to wake up. When I finished I wrapped myself in a towel and looked into the mirror. I had huge bags under my eyes. They seemed tired. I stepped in front of the wardrobe and opened it and picked out a dark skinny jean with rips. There was not a single shirt in my size, so I just chose the smallest one and tucked it into my jeans. A dark sweater jacket completed my outfit. I used to wear things like that at home. Stealing the shirts of my brother was one of my favourite occupations. The thoughts about him made me sad, so I shook them off.

As I stepped in front of the desk I looked at the plate. Some pasta was on it. Jace was nice to me and I don't even know why. I was a stranger and not really a polite one too. I felt guilty for talking back to him. He deserved better. I wandered through the room some more and discovered a bookshelf in a small recess. I took one out. It was about runes. I sat down with it on the bed and started reading and got lost in it. Someone knocked onto my door again. When I lifted my head I noticed that the sun was almost rising. Once again a book cast a spell over me. The door opened.

Jace: "See, when you say 'come in', I could react a little better. You're not a talk-active person."

What am I supposed to answer to that?

Jace: "Anyway, good morning. Did you fall asleep again?"

I shook my head.

Jace: "You slept three hours. This day is gonna be fun. You also didn't eat? How do you survive?"

He looked at the plate, still full.

Jace: "Come for breakfast. You need to eat."

Again I shook my head. I was hungry, but not THAT hungry.

Jace: "Fine. I'll get you later when I go train. You'll like it."

I nodded and he left again. Why did he care so much? Why would he bother if I starve or die because of exhaustion? I decided to read some more until Jace came back an hour later.

We went to the training room. It was huge and had a lot of weapons. I liked it.

Jace: "What's your preferred weapon?"

Kalia: "I don't have one."

Jace: "No preferred weapon?"

Kalia: "No, not a weapon at all."

Jace: "How did you fight?"

Kalia: "I didn't."

He looked at me, not understanding a single thing. I mean, I don't blame him for that.

Jace: "But you lived in an institute?"

Kalia: "Just two years."

Jace: "Okay I need to know. Where? London, Sydney, Mumbai, Kiev?"

Kalia: "Not even close. Guess more."

Again I played with him. He realized it but it seemed like he didn't bother about it.

Jace: "Copenhagen? Vienna? Roma?"

Kalia: "No, go on. Three more chances."

Jace: "Are you kidding me? Moscow? Lisbon? Capetown?"

Kalia: "You are getting closer."

Jace: "Kalia! Tell me, now!"

Kalia: "Siberia."

Jace: "That does not exist anymore. It was destroyed centuries ago. The clave itself did it. Horrible scenario." He seemed distressed.

Kalia: "Guess the clave didn't do a tidy job. Some people are left, and they recruit new people for their uses."

Jace: "Their uses? What did they do to you?"

Kalia: "Do you think my ability comes from nothing? That I was born with it? That it was a present from the angels?"

I lifted my shirt and showed the rune that gave me the ability to keep control of demons. He looked at it, not understanding what it meant.

Jace: "How did they find out about such runes?"

He seriously did not get me. Don't get me wrong, I'm blond myself but the sayings about blondes being dumb is partly true as it seems.

Kalia: "You know, we were running around, through the grass of the green grasslands, following the butterflies, smelling the flowers, the sun was guiding us and then an angel appeared and..."

Jace: "Kalia!" He interrupted me angrily.

Kalia: "They tied me to a desk and had some fun with experiments."

I turned around and went away. This time I was annoyed.