I squealed with laughter as Oliver carried me into the building. He lowered me easily, but my legs were still unsettled by the sudden adrenaline that pulsed through me. I stumbled and he caught me with a devilish smile which warranted a sharp wack against his chest from me.

"Why do you even ask if I'm ready?" I inquired once again with exasperation.

"It's fun," He responded simply before pulling me closer to him.

"I'm not a rag doll, you know," I grumbled, though I couldn't resist a smile rising on my features. I did have fun, despite my protests.

"Of course not, Queen Katia," Oliver teased, lowering his lips over mine softly. I ran my hands over his stomach and around to the back of his pants, smoothly reaching for a small package he had stowed away in his pocket. When my fingers wrapped around it, I bit his lip before dancing away, twirling as I brandished the package.

"What's this?" I asked mischievously. "Did you get fan mail?"

"You minx," He growled, a familiar hunger in his gaze as he watched me. My smile only widened as I aimed to open the package. He abruptly stepped forward and I just as quickly stepped back.

"Ah ah!" I warned, holding my hand up the package, "I know how to do magic and stuff." I was teasing. I wouldn't actually do anything to something of his, but I enjoyed his response as he tensed, preparing to tackle me.

"I bet it's another toy car," Levi announced with ease behind me, swiping the package away before I could move to avoid his grasp. He opened the package and sure enough, a small figurine of a vehicle landed onto his palm.

"It's not a toy," Oliver grumbled with embarrassment, "It's a vintage model car and a collector's item." Levi leaned over me, placing the car on my shoulder before making vroom noises. I couldn't help laughing with amusement at Oliver's reaction. I took away the miniature car from Levi and handed it out to Oliver innocently.

"I'm sorry I stole your... collector's item," I said politely. He stepped forward, reaching for the object while simultaneously grasping my hand in his firmly.

"Don't worry, you'll pay for that later, little devil," He stated deviously.

"Katia," a voice called from the stairs. I turned to look at Sebastian, his lips turned down with that familiar frown of thought. I'd come to notice he always looked so serious when making a decision. At the same time, I never knew what decisions he was making.

"I'm coming," I answered without waiting for his request. Oliver released my hand, taking the small car from my grip. Instead, Levi reached out to take my hand in his, brushing his lips on the back in the most polite and yet heated way.

"Until next time, darling," Levi mused with disappointment.

I smiled pleasantly, moving to follow Sebastian. I wasn't too eager. For the past two weeks I had been called to Sebastian, either his room or office, where he would inspect the words on some proper appendage such as my forearm while simultaneously writing it down in a notebook. At first, my heart had pulsed dangerously with excitement. But over time, I found it boring if not just soothing enough for me to take a nap.

This time, Sebastian led me to a random sitting room, only this room was absent of most décor or furniture. The only furniture in view was two armchairs around a small coffee table. I frowned, looking around as if there would be a sign that said why we decided to go here.

When I looked to Sebastian, I noticed he still held that deep-thought frown.

"Are we doing something different?" I asked curiously.

"I think it's time," Sebastian answered simply, his voice quiet. He cleared his expression, looking at me with one of his warm smiles. "Can you remove your jacket for me, Katia?" A small blush responded to his question, though it was an innocent enough request. Usually he only needed my hand or forearm bared, so asking for more skin was new.

With the weather warming up, I had been wearing more leggings and tunic tops. Over this one, I had a jacket due to the small chill in the night with Oliver. I removed the jacket agreeably as Sebastian took his seat. I moved to sit on the second chair when Sebastian reached out to stop me.

"Sit with me, here," He requested, his tone so suddenly serious that I tensed in response. I hesitated, but only until he flashed a reassuring smile. Then I only tried not to die of embarrassment as I moved to him, sitting across his lap. It would've been an awkward position if he'd left it to me, but Sebastian reached for my legs and adjusted them so that they hung over the arm of the chair. I held my hands to my chest nervously, feeling his other arm laced across my back to keep me comfortable in his grasp.

"I'm sure I'm confusing you," Sebastian stated though I could hardly focus with him so close to me, almost surrounding me. I nodded briefly before just as quickly shaking my head. He laughed quietly, amused by my obvious confirmation of confusion.

"Why are we here?" I braved to ask rather than inquire why he needed me so close to him this time. I could already feel my body begin to relax against him, his finger brushing absently across my arm while his other hand ran slowly over my leg.

"You're not going to like it," Sebastian told me, his decision-making frown reappearing across his features. There was a hidden message behind his statement. Whatever he was deciding, he obviously wasn't going to like it either.

"I trust you," I answered, leaning my head against his chest comfortably.

"I've realized much of the information on your skin won't benefit us, no matter how much of it I write down," Sebastian said carefully. A small anxiety flourished at the comment; being told some part of me was useless to him didn't help my nerves. "It's obviously information meant for witches. And anyway, I think I've only barely scratched the surface of what I did record. It would probably take me months to get everything, if not more."

I swallowed loudly, refusing to lift my head to look at him.

"Do you want to send me to the Exodus coven?" I asked, fear lacing my words. Sebastian tensed abruptly against me.

"Absolutely not," He answered, his words sharp and chastising, "You're staying here with me. That wasn't what I meant." I relaxed once again in his grip, glad he wasn't aiming to get rid of me for whatever reason.

"If I'm staying here, it doesn't matter what we do. I'll be okay," I said determinedly.

"You told me there was a wall within you shielding you from the true power of Genesis. You get flashes of information, but the rest is hidden. I want to...," Sebastian hesitated, as if not certain he wanted to continue his request, "I want you to awaken. I want to break down that wall entirely. Then at least you will be able to use the information that lights your skin."

I finally lifted my head from his chest, looking into his eyes with uncertainty.

"Awaken?" I asked quietly. I wasn't sure what he meant by that. Was it another way to practice magic? Miles always had me adding pressure to that wall within me in order to draw more power from it, but it was firm. Over time, I could gain more abilities despite the wall, but to destroy it entirely? "How?"

"Well...," Sebastian moved his hand from my leg to my arm, grasping my wrist before lifting it in front of us. He brushed his thumb over my wrist lightly, drawing that familiar sunglow and the words that followed. "I want you to read the words."

Immediate fear tore through me. It wasn't the first time I'd be asked to do such a thing, but it was forbidden. I just knew it was.

"I can't," I told him, my voice high with fear. I looked away, pushing my face into his chest to further make my point.

"Come, Katia," Sebastian called sweetly, releasing my wrist to brush my hair from my face comfortingly. "Don't be afraid. I'll be here with you the entire time. We're in an empty room, so you don't need to fear losing control. You can break whatever you wish."

I shook my head repeatedly, keeping my eyes closed firmly.

"I can't read it," I told him again, "I'll get hurt. I can't, please don't make me." Sebastian grasped my face in his hands, lifting my eyes to look into his.

"You can do this, Katia. You can break down that wall," He said to me determinedly, "I know it's frightening, but you have to trust me. I know you're ready. We've only been holding you back and you know why." I tried to process his words over my increasing panic. Why did I fear reading the words? The consequences...

"The smoke," I whispered, though I was referring to the memory of chaos that haunted my mind. I didn't want to go back there. Whatever it was, I didn't want it. The power couldn't be worth it. But then I thought of the Exodus coven attacking Miles and Levi. I thought of Desmond; his warning echoing my thoughts. If I could access more power, if only to protect those I love, wouldn't it be worth it?

"It's time for you to know the truth," Sebastian continued, "Don't be afraid. I'll be right here for as long as you wish me to be. Okay?" My breath shortened with fear, but I nodded obediently. He released my face carefully and I curled in his lap, making myself small in his grasp.

He reached for my wrist again, brushing his fingers against my flesh soothingly. I remained with my eyes closed at first, trying to talk myself into fighting against my every instinct. The only reason I opened my eyes was because of Sebastian, his presence holding me so protectively as if he could fight away any danger that might threaten me.

I looked from him to the glow of my skin, its light reflecting bright in my eyes until it was near mesmerizing. The words seemed to shift as I watched them, clearing and rewriting itself almost for my benefit. This entire time, I had assumed they were calling out to those who touched me, divulging information for them. But as I watched, another feeling came over me. It was a feeling of purpose, like a key finding the lock it belonged to. The words called to me, asking to be read, and they sang of grave consequences all at once: light and dark, safety and danger, and blissful ignorance finding morbid knowledge.

In the beginning...

Heat began to rise around me. Flames that scolded my flesh painfully and destroyed everything I loved was crackling in the distance of my subconscious.

... there were three...

Smoke rose behind the words, choking the screams that echoed painfully around me.

... Leviticus ... Exodus ...

Blood painted my skin as flesh was torn. Tears streaked faces and there was no hope.

Genesis.

It was all suddenly gone.

I stood leaning against a tree just on the outskirts of the Genesis House. I would have preferred to be in it, considering that there was an initiation celebration in progress. A newfound witch had been accepted into the coven, so all of the elders were present among many of the coven members. But someone had to patrol the grounds. I sighed, looking around boredly.

I heard a shift of movement in the dark. It could have been an animal, but it caught my attention regardless. I called on the power within me, preparing myself to cast against whatever dangers might appear, and took slow, quiet steps towards the sound.

As I came to the small clearing, I saw a small raccoon just shuffling into a nearby bush and physically relaxed. Animals.

Suddenly, a hard body slammed into me, knocking me to the ground. Before I could scream for help, his hand was over my mouth and he was biting ferociously into my neck. I screamed behind his hand, struggling for my life. Just when I thought I was finished, the man released me, bending forward to stare into my face curiously.

I didn't recognize him, but at the same time I did. Shiloh, my mind whispered.

"Did I do it right?" Shiloh asked innocently, looking back to address someone who had stepped from the trees as quietly as the shadows themselves.

"Perfect," Desmond answered emotionlessly. "You have the heart, Seb?"

Sebastian appeared behind Desmond and stepped towards me, crouching in front of my dying body. He looked down at his hand where a familiar orb rested in his grip. Its color was bright red like a flame. I didn't recognize it nor how dangerous it was, but another part of me did. It was the heart of a Phoenix.

Sebastian abruptly tore his hand through my chest. Within a breath of a second, my beating heart was ripped from me and in its place he shoved the heart of a Phoenix. Around the world, every Genesis witch felt a skip in their own heartbeat, like a ripple of water in their own pulse.

"Goodbye, Genesis," Sebastian said darkly.

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Music: Closer by The Chainsmokers feat Halsey