"I'm fine," I huffed crossing my arms.

"You don't look fine."

I turned to the nurse and huffed. "Just get me my clothes please. I just want to go see someone."

The nurse looked down and sighed before leaving the curtained off area. "Follow me."

"Finally."

The nurse led me down the isle of more curtained off areas and empty beds for about a couple of minutes and stopped at one silver colored curtain different from the other light blues.

"I'll get your clothes, you wait here."

The woman disappeared behind the curtain and I heard her footsteps trail away from me.

I unlocked the door half expecting to see a waiting Jun ready to pounce on me. When I opened the door, there was no one in my room. It was left empty and forgotten. The curtains were closed and all the lights off.

I sighed as I closed the door behind me.

"Jun? Alix? Holly?"

I walked towards the bathroom and peeked inside, empty.

I sighed and tossed the ragged scrubs on the ground. "Good riddance."

My keys jingled as they fell with the load too, but before they hit the ground, it seemed time slowed.

This is it.

Every sense I had, heightened and I suddenly smelled dog and blood. Along with this, I could feel a heartbeat pulsing behind me and short, silent breaths.

Before I could respond, my body moved without my control.

I spun around quickly and met eyes with Sethrans across the room. I growled at him and leapt towards him with my hands sharply swiping at him.

Sethrans snickered as he moved out of the way without being seen. I collided with the wall softly and he stood in the center of the room laughing at me.

"You weren't in here when I came in," I spat fixing my posture.

Sethrans shook his head. "I have abilities, little one. You don't expect an Alpha to be powerless like you."

I tensed and felt my heart pulse quicken. "I am not weak."

Sethrans shrugged. "If you're not then why can't you hit me? You only managed to touch me before because I wasn't expecting it. Since that moment in Rilla Mont, you haven't touched me. At your speed, Shades could kill you in a blink. You have no elemental power or physical strength. Just face it, you're a little kid."

My jaw tightened and I could feel a dense heat forming around me. The energy suffocating me and making my vision blur.

Sethrans grinned. "You're so weak if I bait you anymore, you'll kill yourself. You're so stupid." Sethrans shook his head and turned his back to me. "So, I'll leave, you're much too important for me to lose. I came to say that Holly traveled into our area again in search of her keys. Let's say she found more than she wanted."

"Bast-."

"Until next time," Sethrans approached a wall and placed his hand on it before completely disappearing, sight and scent.

I pulled the cover over my head and squeezed my eyes tighter.

Was it a one way process? How can that ink dude contact me, but not me him? How am I supposed to get powerful if this dude doesn't help me?

I sighed as I opened my eyes.

Typically, I get to him when I'm sleep or...drained.

I threw the cover back to my waist and forced myself to calm down while staring at the crimson ceiling. "Weak," I whispered remembering Sethrans smug face. I frowned and covered my face. "I'm..."

I looked around and felt the tears streaming down my face harder.

I'm not going back! Never. I'm not going to that woman.

I looked up at the street signs and kept running. I had to be getting somewhere. I had to run from Avine.

I stopped as I approached a four-way street. In the darkness of the very early morning, few cars dotted the sides of the streets and only one car was driving in my distance.

The car in the distance was an all white car with the word Police printed on the side.

At the sight of the car, I felt that if I could flag them down they could take me away from here...away from Avine.

Sure enough the car stopped can a pale man with bold black glasses called out to me.

"What 'ya doin' on the street darlin'? Where's your home?"

Home? Home? Where's...my home?

Just before I took a step closer a warm hand enclosed around mine.

"Get away from my sister dirty bum."

My heart quickened as I turned to who was holding my hand. It was an older kid.

The cop in the car sighed. "No children should be out at this time, get in the car so I-."

Before I could say anything the older kid next to me spit at the cop through the window and darted off with his grip on my hand tight.

"Wait," I cried, struggling to keep up with him.

He looked back at me and shook his head. "Don't cry. Whatever you do, don't cry. It lets people know you're weak."

No matter how much I thought, I could never think up how much of an influence those words would mark me with. Neo, had to be the greatest influence on me out of all the people I've known.

I turned around in the bed and thought of that cursed word weak. Every time Neo said it to me, he was scolding me for something truly stupid that I did.

"Do you not think?!" Neo flicked my shoulder. "You wanna live on the street, you learn quick. What are you crying for? Shut up Kassina."

I refused to stop crying. It was a simple mistake and Neo didn't have to yell at me for it.

I pulled my knees to my chest and bowed my head. "I-I-," I sobbed, "want to...go back to Avine!"

Neo went silent and sat next to me. "I can take you back...but you gotta stop leakin'." Neo nudged me and I lifted my head towards that doorway. "What did I say about cryin'?"

I wiped my tears away. "It means I'm weak."

"No, it doesn't. I said it shows to people that you're vulnerable."

I sniffed and wiped my eyes again. "Then I won't cry. I will be strong, like you Joseph."

Neo smiled and patted my head. "Just next time, don't cut yourself and hold it pointing across your body."

The stillness of the room was like firecrackers burning my ears. It was so quiet in the room that I wanted Sethrans to come back and fight me.

It was too quiet. So quiet that...I could hear all my past memories.

I smiled, it's been a while since I saw Neo's face as a twelve year old.

"Now, show me how to hold it."

I nodded and held the blade defensively exactly like how Neo taught me. I held it under chin level and stared straight. I squatted down partially and turned my feet so that it would be difficult to knock me over.

"Good," Neo pushed my shoulder roughly and I only budged an inch before turning to him and pointing the blade to the center of his chest. "Swift," Neo smiled backing up.

I smiled as I sheathed the knife hand handed it back to Neo. "I'm ready. Take me back to Avine."

I yawned and pulled the cover back up to my shoulders and I turned toward the windows. I closed my eyes and tried to remember what happened after I got back to Avine's.

What I thought of next was far from what I wanted and it made every inch of me flare up. There was something so dark in my past that I refused to remember.

"Neo," I whispered. "Think of Neo."

Neo. Neo. Neo. Neo. Brussel. The last time I saw Brussel. ANYTHING!

I pushed out from the bed and rushed into the bathroom quickly. I felt my heart beat dramatically rise before feeling my stomach twitch.

I gasped as I shut the bathroom door and vomited into the toilet.

Flashes of black ink covered everything I saw and I felt my hands begin to twitch.

No. Not again.

The pulsing power around me began to thicken and press agianst my throat.

I gasped as I leaned back and struggled for air.

Jun? Jun? Why aren't you here? Is it because I'm weak. I'm so weak. I'm...a murderer.

I looked towards the doorway after hearing my front door open.

I struggled to clean off any happening of it but then I caught myself staring at my hands under the water expecting the blood to wash off.

"Kassina?"

"Murderer," I whispered staring at the bubbling water. The water around my hands started to turn into a light-yellow color and then shift into an orange color.

It wasn't until I could smell copper that I realized what I was doing.

I pulled my hands from the water and stared in awe as the running sink water returned to normal.

"Kassina?" Alix's voice by the front door called.

I turned off the water and rushed to see a worried Alix. "Alix," I whispered walking towards him.

"Kassina, I-I, I felt your..."

I met eyes with Alix. "I-I have to say something Alix. It's been killing me for...since forever and I need to say it!"

Surprised Alix shut the door and looked at me and then looked away. He blushed and stuttered. "W-What...d-is it?"

I froze as I looked at the corner of Alix's avoiding eye. I tried to say something, but nothing came out. At most, I just away silently.

I just couldn't say it. I couldn't say anything.

"Why..." I started sure, but paused twisting up all my thoughts, "are you here?"

Alix crossed his arms and walked toward my kitchen. I locked the front door and followed him.

"I just left one of my...," he searched the marble counter top and snatched at nothing. "Found it. I was looking everywhere for it."

I looked at his hand. "For what?"

"It's my..." he looked opposite of me and huffed, "don't worry about it. What did you have to say to me?"

What? Do I confess? Do I spill my sins on the floor?

"Nothing," I whispered looking away from Alix. "I didn't want to say anything. I'm sorry. Since you got your thing I guess you can leave now."

I walked out of the kitchen and towards the doorway.

"Kass...ina..." Alix solemnly whispered.

I turned to Alix and gasped as his figure suddenly came at me and pinned me against the hallway wall. "Alix?" I gasped feeling his boiling hot grasp. The air around him was scorching.

He closed his eyes and brought his face close to mine. He hesitated when his lips were a couple centimeters from mine. His light tan face was blushed red everywhere and I could feel his fluster.

"Alix?"

Alix's blush died down and he returned to normal. He pulled his face back, loosened his grip on me, and opened his eyes. He stared at me with his brilliant eyes.

"What are you doing?" he growled. "As our Obsession, we both feel whatever painful or horrifying feeling that you have. Don't be so coy! We are you and...Tell us of any haunting feeling. Kassina...?"

Alix let go of me and walked toward the door. "Jun and I are sparring and neither of us can do anything if our weakness is...in danger. Kassina, control your emotions before you cause us to crash along with you, okay?"

"Al..."

Alix left just as suddenly as he came.