Izzy sigh as she lifted another clothing, "What about that outfit?"

Alec shaked his head stubbornly,
"No."

Izzy then grabbed another outfit,
"That one?"

Alec's eyes went wide at the sight of tight leather pants along with a short tight pink t-shirt... They were just so.... "... Yes."

"Really?!" Izzy said enthusiastically.

"Hell no! Where did you even got that... Thing." Alec said with disgust as he looked up and down the monstrosity. Tight leather and bright colors was not and will never be his thing... Over his dead body.

Izzy looked at her brother with a smile... But also a twitching eyebrow."Alec... Do you actually  dislike them or are you trying to get into my nerves."

Alec groaned and he rolled his eyes, "Do actually thing that I am in the mood for that?"

"Okey, fine.... I will leave you alone then." Izzy said as she turned on her hill.

"Wait!...."

Izzy stopped, waiting for the key words.

"...... I am hopeless."

Izzy hummed but didn't made and effort to turn.

Alec sigh, his sister was being difficult. "I. Need. Your. Help.... Please."

Izzy smiled, satisfied with his answer as she turned back at him. "Thank you... Now last chance. That... Or that~"

Alec observed the two outfits, wishing they were the most comfortable and common... But the word common doesn't really happen to be in his sister's vocabulary. But he had to say, he was quite surprised and thankful for the last two choices.

The first outfit was pretty simple. It included a pare of skinny black jeans with white shoes and a bright purple shirt, tight at the arms comfy at the body part, which was accompanied by a white hat.

It wasn't bad but not in Alec's liking,
"A hat?... I will wear a hat while I am inside a building...wouldn't a hood be more comf- acceptable? As you know, we don't want to be discovered."

Izzy with a sarcastic expression just decided to let it drop. "So it's a no, I guess."

Izzy then showed Alec his last option which seemed to be quite fitting in Alec's liking.

It was a grey knitted turtleneck sweater witch in opposite of the purple shirt it was a little tight at the chest, at the abs and at the the beginning of his arm. The turtleneck was comfatable and a little open at the neck and the palm area, it had also a hole at the edje of the sleeve for the thumb to go in. Beside the grey turtleneck sweater Izzy gave Alec a pare of short black leather boots and black jeans.

Alec stared at it before nodding, even if tight clothing wasn't the ones he favored, it was the best out of all the previous outfits.

Izzy cheered at his choice before placing it down on his bed gently and leaving, letting her brother have his desirable nap he had been whining about.

The moment Izzy had stepped out of his room Alec had already been set on a comfortable position under the covers, his blinds closed and ready to be consumed by sleep...

.... At least he hoped it will be a dreamless one.

... This time.

...Just this once, he wished to the angels...

He would sleep peacefully.

~~~

  Where am I ?!

That's all Alec could think as he looked around the endless whiteness.
That wasn't his usual nightmare...

Closing his eyes and counting to three, hoping when he opened his eyes he will wake up before the worse come.

But, as usual, he had no luck.

Even when he had reached the number three, his eyelids were way to heavy to lift... His body felt as if it was being dragged down my an invisible force that only got heavier and heavier. But what made it worse was the slowness of it...

He felt as if....

He is under water

He felt like he was falling deeper and deeper as the surface was getting further.

He felt his body falling into the dark, at the endless depths, as if the ocean was bottomless.

The light that made him feel warm and safe, that held his freedom that would fill with air his lungs that seemed to be stiff as rocks...

It barely touched him anymore...

Leaving him alone at his fate that only brought him silent agony and fear.

He couldn't move, he couldn't swim at the surface, to the light, to his esc

He couldn't scream or yell, to call for help or let out the pain.

The environment was getting cold too... The only warmth his blood that rushed through his vains.

Although he didn't do anything.

He hoped, he really did, deep inside that someone will or is going to save him...

Because, the nightmare was so realistic.... That he actually felt as if...

He was dieing.

He felt that his eyes will never open and soon his body will completely turn cold....

~~~

Alec woke up with a big gasp, his body covered with cold sweat as tears had stained his pale cheeks.

Alec sat there, not knowing how long he will need to calm down his quick breathing. He tried to focus at one thing as he soothed with his hand his throbing heart. He has being seeing the same nightmare for years....But as time passed, he was falling deeper and deeper.

Sometimes, he had panic attacks when he woke up. Feeling scared that he will never wake up again....It was and always is terrifying, feeling as your body slowly become cold and hard as a rock, as if dead under six feet under the dirt and grovel.

It daunted him and still does. It stole his sleep, the one thing a living body needs to survive... He usually went for days with no sleep by using every rune that would be helpful...

But his body has reached its limit...

A thick string only left, holding him before he collapsed and got destroyed.

He couldn't handle all those thoughts, they made him even more depressed.
He wanted to get rid of this suffocating feeling...

He let out a deep breath before getting up and getting into the shower, cleaning himself from all that sweat.
The warm water made him feel relaxed almost immediately, it's warmth spreading all over his body, making his temperature feel normal....

But something deep in his gut just wouldn't get warm, something like a hole of something that was missing, like a puzzle...

He couldn't understand but neither did he care.... As long as he is still alive even when he truly believed that the nightmare is the end of him, he just kept telling himself that people can't die from a dream...

And he tried to believe it too...

Desperately.

~~~

Alec had gotten dressed, the chosen outfit fitting him nicely, more than he actually expected. With another deep breath he left his room and headed towards the main room, nodding at the people who politely greeted him. After all, he was to be the new head of NY Institute.

Finally arriving at his destination he was not surprised to see Izzy wearing one of her usual revealing dress, even so the black dress couldn't fit more perfectly to his little sister. Next to her was Jace and Clary who had both wore black theme clothing. Clary having obviously got one of Izzy's revealing dresses as Jace wore his usual tight leather pants and leather jacket along with his boots and a plain shirt, Alec still couldn't understand how was his brother able to run with that much leather.

However Alec did notice something that shook him. "How did you hide your runes?"

Izzy started at him for a good minute before making an offended face, "You, Alec Lightwood, the brother of me, Izzy Lightwood, didn't understand that we put foundation over our runes?"

Alec blinked twice before speaking,
"... What Is Foundation....?"

Izzy's mouth then hang open, "Oh my god! Alec! Have you seriously not learned anything from me!?"

Jace couldn't help but chuckle at his brother, "Come on Alec! Even I know what foundation is!"

Alec glared at him before smirking,
"But of course, you are a princess after all."

"You! -"

"I think Alec is preety good covered." Clary said with a small smile which Alec was thankful for. At least one person did not attack him.

"Well, his runes are indeed covered with his clothes but the deflect rune is quite worry some." Izzy said and Jace nodded in agreement. "If it slips even slightly down or pulled then it will easily come to a revial."

"So, what do I do?"
Alec asked pretty much annoyed at this point.

Clary shrugged, "We don't really have the time for that now, we better get there before it's too late. It's easier to notice someo enter when all have already arrived."

"But, what if Alec gets in danger?"
Izzy asked, concerned about her brother. Let the games aside, she didn't want Alec to have the slightest possibility of getting himself in danger that could easily be avoided.

"Clary is right. I will take the responsibility if something gets down but I am sure that this will not accure. I won't allow it." Alec spoke and Jace followed right afterwards. "But-"

"It's an order." Alec said slightly louder than before as he was the first to walk out of the institute, obviously not leaving room for any objections.

Jace shake his head but followed nevertheless. Izzy and Clary following closely behind, already feeling that it will be a long night.