Ella's POV.

I looked at my surroundings, all pitch black. No light, no nothing. No noise, no air, no life. I was in between of nothingness. I took some steps towards the forward but it felt like I was still standing where I stood a moment ago. This all place was the same. The every step I take was making me come back. It felt like a box, a close place with no openings. No beginnings and no ends.

I felt stuck, I felt trapped.

I placed a hand on my chest, thumping it. My breath constricted and I gasped for air. This place was suffocating and it was choking me.

At once, the feeling of my hand on my chest vanished. Now, I couldn't see anything, I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't even feel my own presence now. It felt like I just disappeared.

"Ella!"

At once, I heard a voice then followed by a place getting illuminated. I looked at it to see Xaiden standing there, smiling at me. He forth his hand towards me and I smiled. I knew he would come to save me. I knew it.

I ran towards him and as I was going to hold on to his hand, he drew it back. I looked at him shocked. He smiled but now, this smile wasn't the ones that I used to love. This was scary and it was creeping me out. His eyes were dark and his gaze was threatening. I opened my mouth to call his name but at once, he started to break. His face shattering piece by piece getting all cracked. Then, his smile widened and his eyes which were once grey started to turn black. The white in them disappeared as it all turned to black. Blood oozing from his face.

I stepped back. My breathing hitched and my heart about to drop dead due to fear. This was terrifying. It was horrific. This person standing before me wasn't a human. He seemed like a demon or a beast revealing his true self.

"Ella!"

He called my name but this time, it wasn't with a loving tune, it was with a threatening one. He stepped closer and moved towards me. I shook my head as if trying to stop him, to stop him from reaching me.

I wanted to scream but I couldn't find my voice. I opened my mouth but not a single voice or word came out.

No! No! Stay away!

I shouted but it couldn't be heard.

He came closer. I looked at him with horror as he drew something out of his pocket. A dagger. I looked at him shocked. "St-" before I could even try to speak, he pounced on me. 

I gasped for air as the burning sensation followed throughout my body. The pain so deep and the blood was now all I saw in this room. Now, the room turned into a dark red colour just like my blood. Xaiden was now nowhere to be seen but the pain he just gave me, was not bearable. I coughed as my breathing started to fade away.

"Ella! Ella sweetie, wake up."

Mom?

It felt like mom was calling my name from some far distant place. I heard her voice, her desperate call for me.

At once, my eyes opened and I started coughing.

"Sweetie! Here." My mom gave me a glass and helping me get up, she helped me to drink it. She placed the glass on the side and hugged me. "You scared us!"

I could sense fear and worry in her voice as she tried to soothe me down.

I looked around to see I was in my own room and an IV drip was attached to my hand. Dad was not here and nor that monster Xaiden.

My heart at once clenched at the nightmare I just saw. It was frightening and it felt like it showed me the true colors of that monster.

"Where's dad?" I asked drawing myself away from the hug.

"I'll call him." Mom said and nodded towards the maid. She bowed and went out. After a few minutes, dad entered.

He sat beside me on my bed and looked at me. Now his eyes weren't holding that hatred, there was worry in them. I felt my eyes tearing up and I hugged him. I encircled my arms around him and cried my heart out.

"I'm sorry, " I cried. "I'm sorry for not believing you."

I felt dad's arm encircle around me. "I'm glad you are safe, " he said.

I sniffled. "Dad!" I drew back and looked at him. "I want to leave this place, " I told him. He held my face and placed a kiss on my head. "Tonight, we leave, " he said.

I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. It was the right decision for me. My life here would always be in danger and now, I don't have a reason to stay too. It's best for me to leave.

***********

Just as dad said, we were about to leave America in an hour. This departure was to kept highly confidential. This was an escape for me from this dangerous life and love life.

I didn't see or talk to Xaiden after I woke up. I wasn't ready and never would be now to see him. The scars that he had given to me were big enough and too deep.

We were flying to a new country now, to a new continent. Dad had already made all the arrangements for our stay there. I didn't tell Jessica, nor Sara. I thought of telling them via letter once I reach safely. I won't be contacting anyone through phones because they might get tracked or traced.

"We are ready," Dad told and we got up to get to the private place where the jet was.

After half an hour drive, we were in an open place. A small farmhouse was there and behind it was a small runway for the private jets. This place was far away from the busy city and was in an open meadow.

It was almost midnight now. Whenever we'd leave America or some other place, we'd leave amidst the darkness of the night. We'd escape in the darkness, hoping no one would know about it. I got off the car along with mom while my bodyguards took out the little luggage we had packed in a short time. Dad was beside us and there were two men holding the torches for us, brightening our way.

We followed them to the farmhouse. The jet was parked on the runway behind the farmhouse. Dad had many such farmhouses built throughout America. Each time, we'd escape from a different place so that there weren't any chances of us being caught. Dad had made all the arrangements like before with his men and bodyguards surrounding the place.

I stopped in the mid-track. My heart heavy with feelings of loneliness and seclusion. I was once again leaving my home. This wasn't that difficult before but now, this seemed so hard. Now, I was leaving behind my friends, my so-called love, my happy life. I was going back in the world of hiding once again and this time, I don't know when I'll be coming back.

A sad smile came on my lips as my heart clenched.

"Sweetie?" Mom called and I looked at her standing a few feets away from me. I inhaled a deep breath and shook my head to clear the thoughts. I followed her to a small room. We sat there and waited until Dad call us.

After five minutes, Dad came in. "It's ready to take off."

We nodded and stood up ready to leave America. I don't even know to which continent we'll be going and for how much time we'll be hiding. I just knew I'll be staying a long time there.

We moved towards the back door which led to the runway. At once, I heard a loud bang outside. My heart accelerated, my eyes widened with shock. A deep fear formed inside me and I looked at dad, terrified.

"Dad?" I asked. At once, loud bangs followed by loud gun-shots started playing outside.

"Dad-"

"We are under attack!" A man came in holding a gun, shouting.

"Fuck!" Dad growled and looked at me. I looked back horrified, my breathing rapid. A panic building inside me. Dad came closer and held my face. "Everything will be fine. I won't let anything happen to you."

He tried to assure me but for the first time, I saw a fear of an unknown terror in his eyes. For the first time, I saw his eyes wavering. Tears welled up in my eyes and every new second, there be another bang or loud gun-shot making me flinch.

"Take her to the basement and through the secret passage, " Dad said to mom and she nodded.

"Dad?" I called out to him with fear. He looked at me and smiled,  "I love you, my princess, " he said and turned around.

"Dad! No!" I cried as he left me. "No! No!" I tried to run after him but mom stopped me. "We have to hide."

"Mom! Dad? He's going out. Mom! We have to stop him. He'll get hurt!" I held onto my mom and looked at her. My heart drowning in the pit of horror and my mind imagining all the scenarios. No! I can't lose my dad. I need to stop him. Yes! I need to stop him!

I ran after him but something stopped me. I turned around to see my mom holding my arm, stopping me. "Mom! We have to save him!" I shouted.

Her eyes filled with tears as she simply shook her head. "We have to hide."

"Mom-"

Before I could complete my sentence, dad's two men came in and pushed us towards the basement. "Madam! You need to hide." One of them whispered and ushered us down the stairs and into the basement. "No! We need to save Dad!" I struggled to get free but one of them was holding my arm tightly.

I could hear people screaming outside, I could hear guns going off, I could hear people screaming in pain. It felt like a war. A deadly war full of bloodshed. This was terrific, this was horrendous.

We were pushed towards a small cupboard. One of the men pushed it to the right side to reveal a small pathway down. I didn't want to go, I wanted to run back to dad. I wanted to see him. I was afraid, I was scared of losing him. The sounds from outside were scary enough to make my assumptions turn into a reality. A deadly reality.

"Ellen! We need to hide!" Mom pushed me forcefully towards the small path but I held onto the cupboard. "Mom! I'm not leaving dad!" I yelled.

"You cannot help him! You are not strong enough!" Mom yelled back.

"I don't care! I want to see him. I am going!" I pushed past my mom to run towards where my dad was. My mom hold on to my arm and jerked me back. "Ellen!" She yelled and slapped me hard on my face. "You don't understand! It's dangerous outside! You can't survive!" She held my shoulders and shook me. "We need to hide." I stared back at her. Tears rolling down my eyes and my heart hurting. My lips quivered and I sobbed.

"Will he be fine?" I asked. She stopped. "Mom! Dad will be fine. Right?" I asked but she didn't reply.

"We need to go, " she said.

"Mom-"

"They have entered!" A man came shouting. Mom looked at me terrified and pushed me down the small pathway. She followed me and gestured the man to cover the entry with the cupboard. He nodded. He was sliding the cupboard when a loud bang came. In the second instant,  that man was lying dead in front of us. His body numb and covering all in blood now. My breath hinged and I felt hard to breathe. This was the first time I have seen a person die before my eyes. My legs started shaking and I couldn't stand more. I dropped down on the floor still looking at the man lying in a pool of blood.

"Run!" Mom yelled but I couldn't move. My body was numb, my legs weren't moving. All I could see was blood and the dead man. 

How things turned out to be this? How they found me? How was this possible? Then my mind clicked. Xaiden...

He did it. He must have given the information. I spared his life, I convinced dad to let him live. No! How could he? How could he do this? He must have told them. He must have heard us talking. He was doing this all.

He was coming to kill me.

"No!" Mom yelled and I looked up to see mom standing in front of me, covering me. What was going on? Why was she standing there?

I saw a man's feet in front. I moved my head to a bit side to see a man standing there, carrying a gun, pointing at us. Color drained from my face. No! No! This can't happen. My heart seized beating and my breathing choked.

"Mom!" I screamed, calling her. Blood splattered on my face followed by a loud bang of the gun as her body fell down before my eyes.