They arrived home and it was still early in the afternoon. The party wasn't until later tonight. While Aysha was grateful for the day off, she would've preferred to continue training. She laid the dress on her bed with a small smile on her face before going down to the basement. In the corner, there was a red punching bag and a pair of gloves were hanging near the weapons. There were a few targets on the opposite wall. She'd have to practice her aim as well.

Aysha picked up four knives and set them beside her on the floor. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and opened them again. She held one knife and cleared her mind. She focused only on the target. She pulled her arm back and let the knife go. The knife had been close to the red dot, but it landed on one of the inner rings. It had been close, but she needed to do better. She picked up the next knife and aimed at the same target. It was centimeters away from the previous knife's position. Another knife entered her hand as she threw it again, this time it hit its intended target.

Aysha had barely broken out in a sweat. She jogged toward the targets and pulled out the knives to hang them back on the rack. Afterward, she put the gloves on and stared at the punching bag. Hand-to-hand combat was not her forte. She was a close-killer. It was easier for Aysha to sneak up on her opponent and strike them down, but she knew she wouldn't always have that luxury.

She steadied herself and thought of a clear image in her mind. An image of a world made free. She entered position and punched the bag slowly. One, two, one, two. Slowly, she built up her rhythm. She thought of all the things she would one day accomplish. She imagined her parents smiling at her, proud of everything she'd done.

"Hey."

Aysha stopped punching the bag and turned around to see Craytia leaning on the doorway, "I thought I told you. You don't need to train today."

"I know, but I chose to."

"Aysha, I had someone look through your records-"

Aysha snapped her head at Craytia. "You did what?" Her voice was just as low as always, but there was an edge to it. She was clearly unhappy with Craytia's decision.

"Don't act so surprised," she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I didn't know your parents had been killed, and I'm sorry but I'm willing to strike a deal with you. I'll find your parents' killer and in return, you'll do something for me." Her green eyes glittered with something untold. With the fact that she knew Aysha was now in the palm of her hand.

"It wasn't your business to know." Aysha looked away and asked, "What do I have to do?"

That was the sad truth of being human. The ability to be controlled on a whim by your own desires. The ability to break down inside. It was what made humans human and it was what ultimately broke them in the end.

Aysha had practically signed a deal with the devil. One she didn't even know if she could possibly uphold. One she didn't even know would be fulfilled, but she had taken the risk anyway in hopes of getting her revenge.

Craytia clapped her hands together, her eyes shining. "I knew you'd say yes. See, this is why I like you so much Aysha. You always pounce on an opportunity when given the chance. You're so much more fun that those I previously sponsored."

Aysha was tempted to say that she knew that wasn't the real reason. She suspected the older woman that had entered the house was Craytia's mother. Paranoia creeped into Aysha's heart. It was natural for Craytia to assume that people were trying to kill her. After all, they usually were, but Aysha feared that she was playing into Craytia's hands more than she knew. What if Craytia already knew that she had listened into their conversation, but simply didn't care? She was afraid, and had a feeling that that was the case.

"What will I be doing?" Aysha asked again.

Craytia smirked at her, but it wasn't her usual confident smirk. It was colder and felt...wrong. And almost, evil. She sauntered towards Aysha. Her aura was like that of the first day Aysha had met her.

Cold.

The fun, playful Craytia had left and standing before Aysha, was the real Craytia.

The Jewel of Orenda.

Craytia gently stroked Aysha's cheek before letting her fingers settle around Aysha's neck. Aysha felt her breath catch as she stared silently. The only thing she could hear was the beating of her heart.

"No matter what you cannot refuse this. If you do, or if you even attempt to escape, I will find you and kill you." Her words were filled with venom and Aysha knew that what she meant was true.