Audra Farley.

The house was ruined.

This little room with soaked ceilings leaking and creaks on every step was the place I called home. There wasn't a better place for a woman with only little to spare. I could not afford or make enough for a proper home and nights on the streets showed enough cruelty for the young woman I was. That was the only place I found solace as there wasn't a single thing in there that didn't remind me of my little one. From the pictures on the dusty tables to the paintings on the wall, every glance was a harsh reminder.

An hour outside was enough opportunity for an intruder to destroy the whole thing. I didn't have a single nickel in the drawers, neither was there a television or jewelry set that could be of any value. I would say I didn't have a thing that they could take and even if I did, i wouldn't have left it in there anyway. I was not hurt that the bed had been moved to the other side of the room or that the wood holding the whole thing together was in two but that the few memories that my world revolved around had been destroyed with it.

I'd stepped on the shattered glass on the floor and the few crumpled paintings that formerly hung on the wall. Already, I was in debt knowing the owner of the building only tolerated me because I had no where else to be. The rent hadn't been paid in months and the few bucks I made was not enough to settle them but even still, there was hope something would change. The furniture didn't belong to me, I met them in here and the bed was also provided by the owner. Now they were all broken, it was either I left as soon as I could or have the cops take me straight to jail.

When the decision was made, I didn't bother to carry the smallest clothes. Turning around to lock the door, I met a strange looking woman standing right in the middle of the entrance. It came to my mind that she was responsible for the mess but I could not be quick to conclusions cause she could only be a stranger. However, the more she stood there the angrier she looked. It was something I didn't notice at first but after a few seconds of standing in front of her, it seemed to me that she didn't like my presence.

"I think you're in the wrong room"

"I think you're in the wrong world" Was her response and it was quick and harsh. In that moment, an image flashed before my eyes and although, I was not sure what it meant, I immediately felt alerted. My eyes went wide and I got physically prepared to run. It was strength I didn't even know I had in me, a sudden urge to move. With all I felt inside, my feet stayed in a position. There wasn't a single muscle that moved, it was like an whole explosion went on in me yet I couldn't show it.

I didn't know who this woman was or why she looked at me that way but even after what I saw and heard, I didn't trust my gut and still waited a few seconds to see what would happen next. I didn't have a single word in mind to say or anything I could use to describe my confusion.

"Who are you?"

"Marianah, and I've come to take your life"

"Sorry? I don't know who you are"

"You don't need to"

It was at that moment I realised I should've trusted the feeling when it came but it was too late cause before I could move, she marched into the room in three large steps. I knew what was going to happen next so the next thing I tried to do was run. I didn't make it far, she grabbed me by my neck and pulled me back to where I used to be. Her fingers were strong and muscular, it cleaved to my skin like something made from pure iron. I was confounded to one position, it was almost impossible to move without having my entire respiration cut off.

"Fascinating, you're just the way I left you"

"I don't know who you are"

"I introduced myself already, what more do you need?"

"Leave me alone"

Samara Shaw.

"Run"

It only took a second or less before he held on to my arm and immediately, we headed out of the building. Justin ran the fastest I'd ever seen anyone run, even faster then Accius. Undoubtedly, our pace was almost the same. It was one of those times where the other side of me kicks in and I do things inhuman but even with how fast I went, he was still ahead.

Along the way, we saw Accius who had already made it close to the exit of the building by then. It wasn't expected that any of us would stop so joining us, we were out of the building in seconds. It was quite difficult to look back with the pace I maintained. I was curious to see if she was right behind us and although I knew that if she was, she might have caught up with us or at least I would've heard her footsteps but at the same time, all I wanted was a single glance.

Maybe it took minutes, maybe it took hours, I didn't know but at the end, we were far back to where we came from. Thick bushes surrounded us and a stream was positioned in front with the bright sun shining above. I was tired, hungry and completely famished. That was actually the first time I didn't bother drinking water that wasn't from a source I confirmed clean. We stopped by the stream and drank like dogs.

"You can go to the other side of the steam and take a bath or something" Accius said and sat on the ground like the other did. It may have been long enough for me to get better but I was still as terrified as I was before while the other two looked like we were completely safe.

"A bath? Are you insane?"

"What?" Justin asked "You don't want a bath? You're very sweaty and I don't think you've noticed but you reek"

"What about the woman? She'll kill us if she sees us here"

"We're just a few minutes away from Thorne, I'm sure she wouldn't dare to make it this far"

"And how do you know that? You've seen her before and I'm just as sure you know this would happen but you both wouldn't utter a word about this. My life is in danger, this whole thing revolves around my safety and neither of you thought it right to tell me about it?"

"I did" Justin said, looking back at Accius. Neither of us liked that we could not make any decisions concerning this or that we made it to that point because of it. "But Accius here is too scared you'd run away the moment you hear the truth and that, of course, would mean he wouldn't see his lover again"

Something changed and Accius' whole look was different the moment those words came out. I'm certain that if it wasn't that he was just as exhausted, he might have sprung up on his feet in anger. If he got upset or not, I no longer cared about anyone's emotions besides mine. It seemed to me that the moment I brought up a topic like that, it would, at the end, result in me getting nothing.

"Then I guess it's better I get running, isn't it?"

"If you go back, you would die and if you go forward, you would lose every access of freedom you think you have."

"Oh, is it better if I stay with you and run around all my life? You two have turned me to a complete disaster. It's either running from here or running from there. You have no importance as to why we even came out here the first place. It's been one problem or the other, I can't do anything without thinking of the danger that lies ahead. I think it would've been better if I didn't leave for two irresponsible confused young men"

"I'll tell you the truth" Justin said "But if you look at it from his perspective, I think it's better if you didn't leave us cause we might be irresponsible and confused like you said but we're also your safest option at the moment"

"I'd like to know who that woman was and why she hated me so much"

"That was Accius' and Vince's older sister. It's weird you didn't notice, I could've sworn they all look similar"

They have a sister? I was so surprised by the sentence that I couldn't make up the words to say next. I would never have imagined that she was related to the twins. Yes, she looked powerful enough to be one of them but why would she attack me if I was the one to pick the crowned king? Or at least that's what everyone thought. "Why would she try to kill me?"

"You see Samara" Justin started and that easy when Accius stood up to take his leave. Neither of us was worried that he was walking away. In fact, it was an advantage to us seeing he wouldn't interrupt every now and then.

"You may continue"

"They may all be giddy in there to know who would rule but not everyone wants you to he queen. She believes she's the firstborn and so, should be the rightful heir to the Throne"

"She's not wrong, she should be the ruler"

"Things don't work that way in Bellum, it has to be one of the boys to be king"

"Why? That's unfair on her side"

"If she marries a man that beings no dignity to the land, he will be king automatically and we'll end up a complete shame so the law was made years ago to always keep males as the rightful heir to the throne. Besides, she didn't exactly pick the right spouse"

"Even if she did, she wouldn't have been queen either ways"

"But at least she'd be something, definitely a lot better than what she is now" He laughed and proceeded to say "Don't tell me you feel pity, it's her fault she gets all of this"

"I understand, I just wish there's a better way"

"Typical Astra, you got that trait from your mom"

"So what's the next plan? We're away from her now, where do we go next?"

Accius came back once the question escaped my lips and just by the look of it, I already knew he would give a reply I wouldn't be happy with. The question wasn't directed to him but it seemed even Justin looked up to him to give an answer. It would not be good, Accius was not the type to expect much from, at least with the little I'd learned about him.

"I think it'll be better if you go back to Thorne and we do the work"