Sleep didn't bless me yet again.

I lay awake, on this soft mattress, witnessing the sky turn from clear blue to deep orange red. And eventually dark black.

Moon wasn't so kind to bless me with its presence tonight, leaving me by myself as the vast emptiness once again engulfs me. The prickling of my heart, the only thing that made me realise that I was awake. Alive.

Rest of the feeling became numb to me long ago as my heart refused to let go of whatever it was holding dear. The pain a constant reminder, pushing me to the brink to remember. To never forget. But how could I remember something that I don't even remember ever having. Apart from that golden locks and the electric touches, I remember nothing more.

This emptiness in my heart was growing as the days passed by. Even rapidly so, ever since I arrived here.

I need to return.

There was nothing in this place. There was nothing in the world outside the ocean. I was wrong all along. So was my mom. There was no one here waiting for me.

As I allowed myself to be delusional, my own feelings were starting to eat me alive. The more I stayed here, the further it would push me into this delusional world that I created. And one day, I would never be able to escape from it.

Smacking myself on the back of my head, I get off the bed. I needed to pull myself together and get back into reality.

I take slow steps into the darkness, feeling as if the earth was pulling me down, forcing me to the ground. But I continue to walk through the darkness, my eyes sharp as ever and the view clear as a sunny day under the blue sky.

Taking off the long t-shirt over my head, I step into the shower and let the warm water wash away little of whatever tiredness was stuck to my body as if it was a part of me. I become more awake as my entire body slowly gets soaked. I stay there for a long while. Until my mind can't wander anymore. No thoughts invading it. Until it's completely blank.

Empty.

Mindlessly, I walk through the steam that owns the contained walls and stand in front of the mirror, my reflection blurred. Hidden. Invisible.

Inhaling a deep breath, I wipe the mirror and watch as another pair of eyes looks back at me. Even the black in them dull, no sign of joy or even life. I bring my palm up and cover one side of my face, forever hidden from prying eyes. Even from my own.

My mother said, I was born special. That I was a goddess blessing. And I did believe that. Until I heard the Lycans around me. About my hideous self.

That I was born evil and would one day turn against them. Transform into a monster that they would one day fear. And I too became aware of what I looked like. What I was. What I could become.

Their judgemental eyes and unkind whispers made me the girl I am now. I became a Lycan so strong yet so weak. A royal that held no power. A burden to my family. And only a misfortune to my people.

They said, they feared me. But from the very beginning, I never saw fear in their eyes. Not even a whiff of it.

It has always been hatred. Pure anger.

They were livid that the almighty, the moon goddess, had damned their saint princess, a goddess herself, with something unholy. Something so evil born to someone so pure.

They then started predicting the downfall of the kingdom. Counting their days of peace because they believed in me.

Their damned princess.

As the fog slowly dispersed, the mirror finally showed the reflection of the figure standing in front of it or half of it, as my palm still stay glued to one side of my face, covering half her face.

Her skin now so pale, almost white that it made the black in her eyes stand out even more. The black that had been forged, concealing the silver within them. While the other side of her hidden safely within the palms of my hand. The true dark side. With eyes black as coal. Eyes that held the darkness of hell.

Slowly, I let go the hand hiding that half of my face, only to reveal a matching pair of dark eyes. So innocent. So deceiving. So unreal.

And definitely so not me.

The reflection showed me someone who was not me. A face that was not mine. A me that was not me.

As anger bubbles within, I throw a hard punch at my own reflection and the mirror bursts into small fragments as they fall onto the tiled floor, further separating into tiny pieces, while a line of red flows from my broken knuckles, branching into a stream of rivers created by the missing pieces of the broken mirror.

No matter where I went, I was not wanted.

Would it be better to just disappear? Could I just leave-

No. I cannot do that. My parents will be livid if they hear it. They will raise a havoc and the peace might really be gone. All because of me.

Just deep breaths, Zoe. I tell myself. There was no point in fulfilling their predictions. Just take a deep breath, Zoe. Everything will eventually be alright. You'll be just fine. Just wait a little longer. Until the sun rises from the ocean and paints the sky blue once again. Then you'll be high up in those blue, above the white fluffy smoke, safe and miles away from here. On your way back- home?

I exhale a shuddering breath as I look at my reflection on the now broken pieces of mirrors. She looked fine. She was fine. So, I turn around and walk out of the steam, my feet digging into the sharp glass piece, pricking my heart alike.

I lift my leg up and take the glass out of my heel, making the red liquid pool out. Crushing myself for being careless, I continue out of the bathroom. It will heal soon anyways.

And like promised, it only took a few minutes. After I was all dressed, the blood had dried, and the flesh had knitted itself back, only a line of red replaced the open wound.

I take my previously packed suitcase and wheel it out of the closet. Giving the room one last look, I walk out.

The sun had been out for a while now, flooding the whole house with a perfect ray of golden through its glass walls. I place the suitcase by the sofa and make my way towards the kitchen where the sweet aroma of the freshly baked goodies invited me. "Morning Sam."

"Morning, Princess." He smiles at me then turns back around, back to his cooking, leaving me to pry. Sam had been cooking all our meals since day one and he was the best at it. He rarely spoke but he always had foods catered to our needs and I liked him for that.

I take an apple from the fruit basket on the island and head back out to sit in the breakfast table, waiting for him to finish and serve them on the table. Soon Alex joins me on my right and the other two a while later.

"Where are you going?" Egan quirks his brow, pointing at my suitcase that was still by the sofa. I roll my eyes at him. "I thought I told you we are leaving before. If you are not ready, I will leave you first."

"Wait what? Are we really leaving?" Egan gives me a confused look before he looks at Alex on my right who had now stopped eating. "I thought you would be reluctant to leave now that you've found your m-"

"Egan." And just like that he stops his sentence after Alex calls out to him. "Are you done packing? If not, we are really going to leave you here."

"You did not prepare me for this. I really thought we were staying for a while longer." Egan gets up from his seat, grabbing a croissant, shoving it into his mouth. And unlike the usual Circe, she gets up abruptly, somehow nervous and follows after him while my eyes are on Alex the whole time, trying to figure this boy out.

Just what was going on his mind now. When they were both out of sight, Alex finally turns around and gives a nervous laugh as he, himself prepares  to get up and leave. "Alex?" My stern voice halts him and makes him turn around to face me.

He looks away, scratching the back of his head, avoiding my glare. I put one leg over the other and cross my arms, while my eyes throw bullets at him, but he does not say a word. Well this was a first. "Alex, if you don't start speaking on a count of three, I will make sure-"

His phone rings just in time and he retreats upstairs with a not so apologetic look on his face. "You can answer your phone here just fine. Where do you think you are going?" I yell out but he is nowhere to be seen, although he clearly heard me, he doesn't bother to reply back.

Great. What a perfect timing for someone to interrupt me. "Just you wait Alex, I will make sure to personally discipline you to never hide anything from me ever."

I mutter to myself as I continue eating while fuming at the same time, but a loud knock on the door silences me. With the steam still blowing off of me, I get off my chair too and march towards the door when another loud bang, angers me even more. "Hold on." I shout out, stomping my feet heavily.

"Wait a second." Why would a guard knock on our door? Do they not have access into the house? Could it be someone else? But since when did we start having guests over? And even if we did, why weren't we informed beforehand? How could anyone have gotten past the guards?

My pace slows down and eventually halts but the banging on the door comes at a shorter interval and louder than the ones before, as if the one behind was getting impatient, intolerant as I delayed the process, prolonged the time in giving them access into the house.

I perk my ears up and listen to any little sound outside, but it was just deafeningly loud. Just that one heartbeat drummed equal to that of a thousand soldiers, that pair of lungs heaving heavily. Just who was this-

But all my thoughts freezes as the door flies open, making me jump back into the house and take a defensive stance. And before I could look up and force submission out of the intruder, and demand reasons for his intrusion, I'm prisoned to a suffocating grip of two strong muscular arms and his electrifying embrace.

It was him. 

To all the disappointed readers out there, I'm sorry to have bought such disappointments, if you wish to you can discontinue to read. I can only promise that it will be worth your time at the end. But if my work does not please/satisfy you anymore please do feel free to stop at any time and imagine your own happy ending. 

Do stay safe and healthy.

Love Mila ❤️