"When you don't look you don't find. But sometimes you look and wish you didn't find."  Kate. 

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An ear-splitting scream is what woke me up. I sat upright. My left arm feeling like dead weight. I checked the time on the clock on the wall. 3am. I waited in silence, 1 min, 2 min, 3 min. And then the scream was heard again, except this time, it seemed rather close. 

I tried to reach for some sort of illumination so that I can see what was going on. I flipped the switch and I looked around.  Everything in my home seemed rather normal. I wasn't one to open the door in a situation like this, just because I wasn't sure what I would find. That was my little secret, I was afraid. In a society where one had to be fearless, I had a secret amount of fear. I tried my best not to let it show but sometimes it got the better of me, and this was those moment. 

I walked to the window and looked around, everything seemed in order. The moon was shining in its full beauty and there were more stars in the sky than before. So did I just imagine it? Did I really hear a woman scream? 

Suddenly there was a beating on my door. For some reason I'm starting to believe this was the common greeting around here. I walked towards the door slowly. 

"Who is it?" I quietly asked. 

"Help me."

The voice was so soft I may have actually missed it. I opened the door slowly to see a woman lying against my door. Her hand was covered in blood. Her clothes weren't much different. I kneeled down and tried to assess the situation without touching her. 

"Are you ok?" I whispered. 

Suddenly she looked up and her eyes made me fall back. I had seen them before. I couldn't unsee it since the day I had. 

"Julia?" I chocked. 

"Trust no one! You hear me. Trust no one." She emphasized. She was now getting up crawling towards me. Pushing me to the ground I could feel her hand around me throat. 

"You will die in this place if you are not careful. Listen to me and trust no one." She said, her eyes filled with anger. 

I could hardly breathe, and she felt like 100 pounds heavy than anything. My eyes started to blur and I was scratching away trying to release myself from her grip. My hands fighting to loosen her hold. My eyes were closing, the life slipping away.........

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I gasped and woke up in my bed. My body sweaty. I quickly reached around my neck and looked up at the time.  5am. I checked my hand and my clothes. No blood. Was I dreaming? 

I checked my cut arm that to just find the dried blood surrounding it. I slowly lifted myself from the bed, my arm giving into the pain. I was unaware as to why I saw Julia, in my dream. She had died before all of this had happened and I was sure of it. My breathing was still shaking, so I reached over and looked at the paper I was given yesterday. Unrolling it, I read what seemed like rules and instructions. 

"Welcome to you unfortune soul. 

This is an opportunity of a lifetime, so don't waste it, we would hate to have to end your life because of a stupid mistake. The task you are to complete are as follows: 

- Make sure that the prince is always safe. (Remember if its a matter between his life and yours, your life always comes first. If he dies in your protection, not only will you die to, but any family that is related to you will also be cut off.) 

 - Clean and cook. 

Thats it. Just those two tasks. Unfortunately, the person before you failed to carry it out dutifully, I hope that you too won't make the same mistake. You will receive more instructions when you arrive at the palace."

The letter ended with the king's signature. 

I scoffed. Was I working or signing my life away? And for a prince who was old enough to look after himself. Of all the guards that they could have gotten for him, they had to get a nobody like me to guard him.

And what was all this talk about death? I had heard about the Axis, and how unforgiving they were, but seriously? 

I shook my head and got myself dress, since not time was specified on the letter to be at the palace I thought it would be better if I arrive somewhat early. 

Tying my hair in a ponytail, I strapped on my boots and grabbed my satchel. Looking around my apartment to make sure nothing was of; I exited and locked the door behind me. Looking to my right I see Jake walk down the stair. 

"Fancy seeing you this early." He spoke. 

"I have to head to the palace; do you know how I can get there?" I asked. 

"Yep. I am actually going that way. We can take the bus. It will be quick." He spoke. 

I nodded for him to lead the way and I followed behind him. Looking up, I realized how broad he actually was in the daytime. His almond hair flickering a different shade in the sun. 

"You know I can feel you observing me." He said turning around smirking. 

I looked at him flatly. How was I supposed to answer that? "So why do you know so much about this part of town?" 

"I just do. Plus, we got a map of the place before we arrived, did you not get one?" He asked looking at me. 

"No, was I supposed to?" I replied. 

"I don't know, but you have mine." He said pulling a map out of his bag. "I have studied the basic." 

"Thanks." I said folding it neatly into my bag. 

I took a deep breath of the morning breeze. It feels different. The air up here was thinner, and cooler. One could conclude that it actually smelled fresher. I tried to think what this was before the Axis took over. What life inhabited this little area; what stories were told. What kind of life was lived and enjoyed before everything came crushing down? Some places still held a lot of history of the world before ours, others had completely erased it. I wonder if they left it as a reminder of what we once were and the things we took for granted. My mind went back to Julia appearing in my dreams and so many questions came to mind. 

"I can see the thoughts passing from one eyebrow to the other. " Jake commented. 

"I was just wondering how long The Axis was a city and what kind of place was it before the world went up in flames." I thought out loud. 

"As far as I know not much has changed. I mean if you check the books and pictures just the name is different." He spoke. 

"The name? What was the name before?" I asked. 

"They don't really say. No one speaks about it and believe me I have asked." He said. 

I nodded still filled with questions. The bus came as we walked into the bus station, and I looked for the one heading to the Palace. 

"You just need to ride this directly, don't get off unless told otherwise." Jake said. 

"Thank you." I replied. 

"I can meet you here after work if you like." He offered. 

I nodded with a small smile. I still didn't trust this guy, but he was the only person who hadn't tried to kill me yet. So somehow, I convinced myself to stick with him until I found my feet. If I found my feet. 

I sat down by the window and memories each stop as the bus went on. Thanks to my dad, I had a photographic memory. I looked around and noticed that I was the only girl on the bus. However, what stood out was a man in the very back, all in black, his head down. It seemed like he wanted to stand out and seem dangerous. I turned around and looked back to the front. We were soon to arrive. 

The bus came to a stop, and it felt like metal scraping metal, the breaks sounding like some ancient machine.  I climbed out and walked towards the gate. However consciously I could feel and sense a presence following me. Maybe I was paranoid after the man in the bus, but I could never be too careful. Walking up to the gate I showed them my invitation letter and the guards let me through. No word, no direction nothing.

I kept walking towards some sort of entrance. Before opening the door, I looked behind to make sure I wasn't being followed and my paranoia was just a trick of the brain. Nothing seemed off.  I turned to open the door, when I felt the air knocked out of my chest. Before I knew it, I was flying backgrounds and landed on my side. The bleeding left arm. 

I coughed and looked up to find the man I had my suspicion on, standing in front of me. His eyes were narrowed as he walked towards me. I slowly lifted myself off the ground and tried to collect my thought despite my pain. Was it a good idea to start a fight here at the palace? What if this was someone important? He didn't seem like he wanted to pose a threat to the palace...maybe he thought I was the threat. My thoughts were a distraction at this point. I put it away and focused on the figure in front of me. He was big that is true. And his kick to my chest taught me that he was powerful. 

As the tension crackled in the air, we circled each other warily, our movements fluid and calculated. Anyone watching could tell that each step was deliberate, each breath measured, as we sized each other up.

I kept my stance poised and steady, relying on what I had learnt. My muscles were tensed and ready to strike. With a flicker of movement, I launched myself forward, a blur of speed and precision. I made sure my strikes were swift and calculated, a flurry of punches and kicks that could showcase my years of disciplined training.

However, this man was clearly no novice either, his movements mirroring mine with equal grace and power. Like he was dancing with me. He countered my attacks with a mix of agility and strength, deflecting my blows with expert precision. Our little dance of combat was a symphony of motion, each move a calculated response to the other's actions.

As we grappled and exchanged blows, the fight reached a crescendo, the sound of our breaths mingling with the occasional grunt of exertion. Yet, amidst the chaos of our struggle, I didn't want to lose sight. This was my fight to win. 

I looked for his unprotected side and with a swift twist of my body, I managed to disarm the man, sending his weapon clattering to the ground. Which I only realized he had on him. Seizing the opportunity, I pressed my advantage, my movements relentless and unforgiving. I drove him back, aiming my strikes so as to cause them to find their mark with unerring accuracy.

This was getting tiring, and I could feel my left arm giving in. With the little power I had left, I managed to bring him to the ground, pinning him beneath me. Our eyes locked for a fleeting moment, before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his eyelid went shut. 

My breath was beyond normal at this point and my clothes were shabby. This was not what I expected on my first day. I closed my eyes and through my head back to remove the now lose curls and wipe my forehead. 

Suddenly a number of abrupt claps were sounded around me. I opened my eyes and saw a group of people appear from around the garden. Discerning from their attires I would assume they were royal. 

"So, you aren't useless after all." The king said.