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1993

"There's no other choice," Remus' loud voice fills the astronomy tower and combines with the bellowing thunder. "You need to accept this punishment."

Mia refuses to accept the repercussions. She merely defended herself and her friends from the insults and mockery. It's not like she committed a crime against nature.

"You have to accept the suspension or else you could be expelled."

She scoffs in disbelief, "And what about him? Will he also receive a punishment?"

"He will be dealt with, but I don't care about him," Remus takes a couple steps forward in a calm way as if not to agitate her much more. "You petrified a guard for trying to break you off him. You were hurting Malfoy with no intention of stopping."

"Malfoy is more than alright. I barely touched him," she argues, but her bruised knuckles tell a different story.

Remus chuckles dryly and shakes his head in disbelief, "You broke his nose and arm and threatened to do worse to anyone if they intervened! Now they're all afraid of you!"

"Then let them be afraid!"

He looks at her as if she were a glass about to shatter, as if a grenade had been placed inside her and is bound to explode at any second. She's ashamed for making him so disappointed, but she's not willing to apologize for her words when they're nothing but the truth.

"They all think the worst of me," she averts her gaze to the exterior view of the tower, looking out onto the stormy waters and darkened skies. "I'm considered nothing but a danger because of my name. They see a death eater in me, so excuse me for being tired of trying to earn their respect."

"And by attempting to run away, would that have granted it?"

She wonders how he knew since it had been a secret between her and Cedric. He promised not to tell anyone, but it seems putting her trust in him had been in vain. Serves her right for being so foolish.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mia heads to the tower's exit, but he manages to block her path. "Let me go."

"Don't pretend to be crass. You know exactly what I'm referring to."

"I have to head to class-"

Remus cuts her off, "You have been excused for the rest of the day, so you're not going anywhere."

Mia's patience starts to wear off as she can't fathom having this conversation any longer. She's aware that she's losing control and is slowly diving into her darkness, but if she admits it outloud, it would mean everyone had been right about her.

"I can't believe he told you," she mutters under her breath, choosing to address her anger to the Hufflepuff instead.

"He was only worried about you-"

"Worried about me?!" Mia slams her hands on the railing in frustration and forms a wry smile full of disbelief.

"He's not the only one," Remus admits. "I know you to your core. I can see you're in pain, but you're not allowing yourself to feel it. You're pushing your emotions away because you think it makes you strong."

She purses her lips and tries avoiding those concerned eyes of his, "Big deal. All of us are in pain. Harry's in pain, Hermione's in pain, Ron's in pain. Even you are."

"Yes, but they're feeling it. I also am," he argues, a sudden flash of thunder illuminating his scar. "You're not and that's why you're acting this way."

Learning the full truth behind her father has been difficult to handle. She's been trying to pretend it's not affecting her, but how can she? Everyone's exclusions and insults are justifiable. She's her father's daughter, someone meant to become a death eater and carry on his legacy. Of course they'll view her as a threat. Even she does.

"Everyone looks at me as if expecting me to go dark one day," Mia voices, not entirely sure why her words are flowing with ease. "I didn't understand why, but once you told me the truth, I couldn't help but understand them. I tried pretending I didn't care, so for months, I tried hiding what I felt by trying to earn their acceptance." She can feel herself start to break and it's making her angrier at how much this truth is weighing on her, "But how can I earn something I never had and never will? It's- it's unfair, because it's what I deserve!"

"And you believe hurting others will grant you that?"

His question frustrates her much more. She just wants at least one person to understand her point of view. It's not like she intended on hurting the guard, but he was simply in the way and got caught between the crossfire.

"I don't care anymore," Mia declares in a stern voice, but her expressions tells a different story. "If I can't earn their acceptance or respect, then I might as well be feared."

"And you're proud of that?" Remus incredulously questions, refusing to believe the most rational girl is actually saying these words. "You injured an innocent guard and attacked your fellow classmate-"

"He deserved it!" Mia's voice shakes with anger. "Someone needed to knock him off his pedestal, so that's exactly what I did! I'm not going to apologize for defending my friends and family, so don't expect me to do so."

He knows this outburst is just a way to cover her real feelings. She's never been one to indulge in her emotions. She always represses them and masks them with sarcasm or anger, but hearing how accepting she's become of this makes him afraid she might take the wrong path.

"I would do anything for you, Mia," he softly says and moves closer. "I've watched you grow up and can say I helped your mother raise you, which is why I can say with liberty that this path you're taking won't get you anywhere."

"Being weak also won't."

He shakes his head in disagreement, "There's a difference in standing up for yourself and being cruel. By making everyone afraid of you, you're proving them right. You're proving that you are your father's daughter and are going to follow in his footsteps one day."

"I'm not," she hastily walks over to him, afraid he's starting to view her as a terrible person as well. She'd be able to deal with the others' shun, but not his. "I won't ever become him, Remus. I can promise you that."

"I know, but you're letting this darkness consume you," Remus can tell is not the answer she was expecting, but it's what she needs to hear. "You hurt people because you're hurting. Don't let this truth become you. You have to fight and find your power and purpose."

Present Day

Mia's spent the last few years stumbling through darkness. Even now, she's still struggling in finding an escape. Hiding her pain for the sake of others has come easy for her. It's a skill she learned to master and has prided herself with.

Well, at least that was the case until today.

Dimitri saunters with his wand toward her. His strong feelings influence the strength of the curse, making it an infinite hex insistent on keeping her trapped. He's powerful and unlike any other wizard she has come across, allowing his resilience and loathing for her existence to corrupt her will to fight and submit to the boundless torment.

Bella's screams can be heard and it's much more painful not being able to reach her. She's in this because of her and now she's uncertain of having the capacity of keeping her safe.

"You have to fight and find your power and purpose."

Those words course through her system like a drug. If she's being honest, she never believed in having a purpose. She believed people were put into this world for no apparent reason other than to exist. Remus advising her this felt like a slap on the face, because in what universe would she find a reason for all this?

Her fate has been sealed since birth, so fighting it would be useless. Fate can never be escaped, so battling the inescapable would be nothing but a harsh sip of incompetence and absurdity, but now as her torturer remains resilient in keeping her chained to perdition, she understands those ten words.

Hiding behind the clouds and the stars' light wouldn't be a concept for her existence any longer. The once constant fog that hovered over her shoulders has begun to fade and for the first time, she knows her purpose is fighting against her destiny and not just existing, but actually living.

Mia pushes herself off the ground and ignores the pain that's insisting on keeping her trapped. Through her clouded sight and tremulous limbs, she grasps her wand and wields it in his direction. Satisfaction is felt when seeing the bewilderment in his face considering all he's done is be the picture of stoicism.

Dimitri becomes infuriated when noticing his curse losing its effect on her. It's incomprehensible how she's been able to escape from it. Take the Longbottoms for example. He tortured them until they lost their sanity, so seeing his daughter defy all laws of nature leaves him unsettled.

Her hand shoots forward, allowing a defensive spell to be casted. Two colors, red and green, advance at the other and create a mixture of sparks that form electrifying jolts to cover the grounds all the way to the lake. A few branches and rubble from the boulders fly around, forming a blaring sound that combines with the explosions emitting from their wands.

Without caring for his plans any longer, Dimitri yells in anger, "Avada-"

"Oppugno," she casts, making the boulders dash toward him and preventing him from completing the killing curse.

Droplets of blood pour from his forehead from barely missing dodging the rest of the rocks. His hair becomes unkempt and his once pristine appearance has become ruined. He tilts his head slightly at her and yells, "Reducto!"

Mia gasps when seeing a flash of light heading to her. She flicks her wand upward and casts a protective spell around her, preventing his curse from reaching her. His failure feels like acid burning his blood that recklessly, he whisks his wand around the grass she's standing on. Flames surround her like an ambush and capture her in its gates.

Pointing her wand to the fire, she says Aguamenti in her mind. The end of her wand begins emitting a surge of water to extend all over the flames like a tidal wave. Its orange blaze becomes extinguished and leaves nothing but a burnt circle and intoxicating smoke behind.

Dimitri suddenly reaches into his pocket and through the darkness, she's able to make out a small red vial that sizzles in its case. He dangles it as it were nothing but keys and smiles in a foreboding way. "I'm a man of my word, darling. I offered you a choice and you chose wrong. Seems I'll have to use this on your vampire then."

Her blood boils at his threat. She's not going to let him threaten the man she loves and make him believe he has a chance in hurting him. He's going to have to go through her first if he wants to see his warning come to light.

"Don't you dare speak of him," Mia growls and with one hand, she moves a fallen tree trunk in his direction. She smirks in satisfaction at his bewildered look, especially when his protection becomes shattered when becoming submerged by the log.

Bella's sudden scream disrupts her attention. She glances her way and is horrified when seeing James holding her wrist and staring at her with a taunting look.

"NO!" Mia jerks her wand forward, an explosion of light striking James in the chest and sending him crashing into the trees. She runs toward Bella and notices the high amount of blood pouring from her broken leg.

"You have to go, Mia," Bella winces at the pain also coming from her concussed head. "I can't walk with this leg, so get out of here while you still can."

"I'm not leaving you," she grips tighter onto her wand and points it directly to her broken bone. "Episkey."

Bella feels a sudden warmth on her injury before a frigid graze takes over. The pain comes to a stop and once she looks down, she's astonished when seeing her leg has been healed.

"Come on," Mia pulls her closer to apparate the furthest from here, but her attempts are prevented when feeling sharp hands yanking her from the neck. She sharply gasps at the collision of her back crashing onto the nearby tree trunk. Her head begins spinning uncontrollably as a surge of pain ricochets throughout her body. A trail of blood pours down her face as if an intricate path has been casted.

James kneels down in front of her, but not before glancing in Dimitri's direction. He's pleased when noticing the wizard is still unconscious, granting him the opportunity to torture the girl he was prohibited from hurting.

Mia attempts to reach for her wand, but the vampire is much quicker. Her weapon becomes split in half, leaving her entirely defenseless. Wandless magic has never been her strong suit. The last time she attempted it, she nearly lost consciousness from how uncontrollable her power became.

"Looks like you're nothing without your magic," he clenches his jaw as his grip on her arm becomes tighter. The sound of her bone snapping and painful screams consume the forest as he relishes the moment, "This has to be my favorite part. Seeing you completely defenseless is just as great as breaking Edward's little heart."

Her gaze hardens at his name coming out from his mouth. She clenches her jaw and as if her wand had returned to her grip, a powerful force emits from her body and sends him crashing into the lake.

Blood pours onto the once green grass and transforms it into a muddy brown color. At the sight of it, her adrenaline finally kicks in. Impetuously, Mia applies pressure on her broken arm and snaps the bone back into place. She refrains from screaming knowing it's only going to delight the vampire, so with haste, she pushes herself off the ground and remains wary of her surroundings.

The water James had crashed into is completely still. The wind and the thunder has gone entirely silent, allowing the sound of her racing heart to be heard much loudly. Her hands shake with every breath and for the first time, she's become consumed by her fears.

Behind her, Bella runs in her direction like a baby deer searching for its mother. Her left leg is stained with blood, but thanks to the curative spell, her bone is healthier than ever. She pants uncontrollably as her head whips back and forth continuously. When reaching her, her eyes widen in alarm at seeing the blood and broken arm.

"Are you okay?"

Mia doesn't say anything, but instead drags her by the hand toward the forest. Silence is usually comforting, but this one is a sign that the worst is yet to come. She glances in the spot that held her father, but becomes horrified when seeing the place is empty.

As if it were a coincidence, the trees and the ground start shaking vigorously. The wind blows uncontrollably and the thunder blares from afar, illuminating the sky as if it were a signal for the end.

"What's happening?" Bella asks in a panic.

Mia can't find a reasonable explanation other than knowing this is linked to her father. He's hiding in the shadows to take her off guard. Now that she's lost her wand, he has a greater advantage and he knows it. If he wants to attack, it would be the ideal time to do so.

"Let's just go," she finally says, both she and Bella starting to run into the forest.

A dark cloud of smoke apparates in front of them. Instinctively, Mia unintentionally pushes Bella back in a harsh way. She's unsure of what to expect, but it certainly wasn't her father holding a sharp blade instead of his wand in his fingertips.

The handle is bony white and has the dark mark carved right in the center. Its silver edge matches the sharpness of his piercing blue eyes and fits perfectly in his palm as if it had been made just for him.

Mia barely has time to perceive the blade slicing through her shoulder down to her collarbone until it's too late. Her hands reach for his wrist in an attempt to prevent the weapon from piercing her, but a grating kick against her ribs sends her falling down just as James regains consciousness.

The vampire runs toward them and grabs Bella by the base of her neck. She reaches into her pocket for the can of pepper spray her father gave her and uses it on him. James clenches his jaw and growls, giving her time to run in the opposite direction. He gives her a ten second head start before lunging toward her and landing right in front. Like done so earlier, he entangles his hand around her neck and proceeds to throw her into the trees.

"Leave her alone!" Mia tries casting a defensive spell, but Dimitri's pointy shoes kicking her in the chest prevents her from doing so.

The grating impact takes her breath away, allowing him to take advantage and crouch down to her level. He pins her broken arm down and brings his hand to wedge the blade directly into her heart.

Searing pain ricochets throughout her body, but despite her arm becoming much more injured, she musters enough strength to prevent the weapon from plunging into her chest. She grits her teeth and manages to use both her legs to shove him off, sending the blade flying behind him. He becomes distracted for a mere moment, allowing her to get up and start heading the other way, but Dimitri's hands find their way to the collar of her jacket that permits him the chance of slamming her into the nearby tree.

Dark patches cloud her vision and shape his face into a blur. His degrading gaze burns a hole into her and his breath hits her complexion like sulfuric acid. She brings her non-injured arm to his and rams her elbow against it with an extreme force.

Dimitri grinds his jaw and crashes her back into the log much harder. Her expression remains impassive to prevent giving him the satisfaction of seeing her in pain, which makes the fury boiling in his veins become much more intense. She lunges forward, resulting in both of them crashing to the ground in a jarring collision.

"You're strong enough to die for him," Dimitri lands a direct hit to her broken arm, prompting loud and unbearable screams to escape. "But you're too weak to surrender."

Blood drips from her mouth and forehead as she pants uncontrollably. Fighting with this broken arm gives him an advantage and makes her weak. She can't let him win against her. She needs to continue and rid him of the cure before it's too late.

Hastily, she applies pressure on her arm and mutters Episkey under her breath. An intense blaze surges from her palm and extends a comforting warmth on her injury. Cold suddenly emerges and hardens her bone, signifying the healing of her arm has been completed.

Dimitri moves his hair back and shoots forward. A few boulders in the way are directed at him, but a protective shield barricades their entrance. He laughs maniacally at her panicked look, giving him the chance to raise his foot and strike it directly into her chest.

Pain reverberates throughout her body at the harsh impact. The few fractures in her ribs and concussion make her struggle in getting up, but seeing her father stride in such a menacing way to her makes her rise from the ground with haste.

Mia shoots forward before he's able to make the first move. Her fist swings at his face, landing a punch directly into his jaw. She notices his blade found its way back into his palm. One sudden movement could cost her everything and she'd be damned if she allows her life to be taken by him.

Dimitri grabs ahold of her waist and pins her down. She's not given the time to register the sharp edges running a line through her cheek until blood begins trickling down. His face hovers above hers and the stench of his breath against her makes her repulsed.

She raises her knee and smashes it against his forehead. He staggers back in a loud groan, giving her the opportunity to turn back and head in the direction of Bella and James. She's wasted so much time fighting her father that she left her friend defenseless against a vampire. Knowing how sadistic James can be, she's not about to risk Bella's life just to save her own.

If she does, how would that make her any different than him?

James is kneeled in front of Bella and is pulling her wrist to his mouth. She extends her hand forward and wills all her strength against him. A flash of light heads in his direction, but he's managed to learn her ways and barely misses from being hit.

He forms a low snarl and drops Bella's wrist in indignation. His body positions itself into a hunting position before lunging himself at her, his hands grasping her neck and slamming her to the ground. He applies pressure on the same arm he injured and when seeing she had healed herself, his gaze hardens within a quick second. His bloodthirsty eyes burn a hole into hers as he leans down and acquires a deep whiff of her scent.

"Your dad and I chose our stage well," he mutters through a ridiculing smirk. "It's too bad Edward didn't have the strength to turn you. Instead, he kept you this fragile little human. It's cruel, really."

She laughs, more out of mockery than anything, "You know what else is cruel? Being used as a pawn in someone else's game. What makes you think my father is going to spare you?"

Her ridicule makes his humor disappear. Impulsively, he brings his hand down to her fingers and snaps most of them as if they were nothing but glass. He smiles at her painful screams, but his delight gets cut short when he's sent crashing into the rocks.

Through her hazy vision, Mia notices her father walking over to her with an impassive expression. His wand lowers and places itself into his inner pocket, but his blade becomes its replacement. She ignores the tight pressure on her chest and uses her remaining strength to stand up. Her hand hurts like hell, but she isn't given the chance to cure it when a sudden flash of light sends her crashing to the ground.

Something is different about this spell. Contrary to the others, she doesn't feel pain, but instead a numbness. She tries moving, but her body remains frozen as if the gravity is keeping her trapped.

James forms a menacing growl as he glares at Dimitri with such intensity, "Are you forgetting we're on the same side?! I want her dead just as much as you do!"

Dimitri stares at him with a vindictive look, "Deal with your human and I'll handle my daughter. She belongs to me."

The vampire hesitates for a moment, but knows better than to disobey his orders. With the cure on his hands, James refuses to provoke him to avoid his immortality being stripped away. He sighs heavily and reluctantly, he walks away in the direction of an unconscious Bella.

Mia starts regaining sensation on her body and wills herself to stand up. Dimitri does nothing but stare at her as he remains in place with a stoic expression that only infuriates her much more. She breathes uncontrollably and musters enough strength to cast another defensive spell against him.

To her misfortune, Dimitri deflects it like it's nothing. He tilts his head to the side and runs his tongue against his teeth. His hands press into tight fists and before she can attempt to create a protective shield around her, he waves his wand in her direction with a counter-curse.

The impact of the spell sends her crashing near the edge of the lake. She groans in pain and attempts to get up, but it's proving harder than before. He's living up to his name as one of the strongest followers of the Dark Lord that she feels like a fool for believing she could have put up a fight.

Dimitri flicks his wand upward and a flash of green flies to the sky. A swarm of clouds gather like a herd of sheep and take on the shape of the dark mark. Its curvatures dance in excitement and as if it were something out of a film, the sky splits open and rain starts pouring as if it had never rained before.

Mockingly, the red vial holding the cure is waved into the air. Its vibrant color sizzles as if the contents were poisonous, and in a way, it is. Immortality is at risk of being destroyed and it couldn't be in the most dangerous hands.

Mia can't let him keep the cure. If she dies tonight, there's no certainty on whether or not Dimitri would or would not force it onto Edward. Destroying it is the only solution and even if it could cost her own life, she's not willing to let a deadly weapon continue haunting anyone with its existence.

Clenching her jaw, she makes sure to prevent him from anticipating her next move. He's cunning and one wrong step could rid her of the opportunity of saving the man she loves. Without a second thought, she whispers Bombarda and before Dimitri can cast a defensive spell, the red vial bursts into flames as if a grenade had been launched.

His rage intensifies and harshly, the ashes of the cure are deserted to the ground. She sighs in relief, grateful for having done at least one good thing tonight. Now what remains is escaping him and making sure to protect her friend from him and James.

"You shouldn't have done that," Dimitri dashes toward her before she can even escape, prompting him to press the sharp ends of his Oxford shoes against her ribs, sending her falling into the lake. The brumal temperature injects into her system like a lethal weapon, destroying her last ounce of strength and leaving her deserted into the ashen waters.

He crouches down to her level and brushes a strand of her hair from her face, "Stop fighting, darling. You know this is your end, so face it like a Grey."

She doesn't flinch when his slender hand wraps itself around her throat. It fits perfectly as if she was made for it, almost like they're each other's missing puzzle piece.

His face is close to hers to where the stench of liquor grazes her skin, "I can feel you lose your strength. It's about time you realize you belong to the lake."

"Go... to hell," she protests, her voice struggling as his grip tightens through every breath.

Dimitri chuckles menacingly and reaches into his pocket. Laying on his palm, the blade rests comfortably as if it were a part of him. When noticing his intentions and how close her nightmare is of becoming true, she focuses on any spell that would give her time. She needs to continue and not permit him the satisfaction of watching her die. It might be the hardest challenge of her life, but she needs to try.

Mia digs her hands deeper into his forearm, her nails scratching the surface and leaving marks behind. He brings his weapon closer to her abdomen and just when a surge of power is able to protrude, the sharp end carves into her left side with ease.

Piercing her abdomen, the blade rests comfortably as if it had always been meant to become a part of her. Blood starts pouring as if a faucet had been opened and when she looks away from it, she's met with the torturing gaze of her demented father.

"Do you hear that?" Dimitri whispers against her ear, his grip on her throat only tightening. "Silence. No one is here for you. They don't care about you and never did. All this time, you've been alone. You know you deserve to die."

Malevolence burns in the flames of his eyes. His sharp words perforate her soul much worse than the blade did. He's trying to manipulate her into giving up and despite knowing this, the broken part of her believes him.

"Did you actually think anyone could love you?" Dimitri breathes out a laugh and ignores her flailing hands and legs. "No one in this family is meant to be loved, especially you."

"Screw... you," she manages to say.

Tears prick at her eyes and there's nothing she detests more than being seen in a vulnerable state. She tries controlling her emotions, but knowing her end is getting nearer and that she won't see the people she loves again makes her unable to remain the picture of stoicism.

His words should be taken with a grain of salt, but there's a truth behind it. It's one she's never wanted to admit, but has always lingered in the back of her head. Ever since she was a child, it's haunted her like a poltergeist and hid in the shadows, but deep in her heart, she doesn't want to admit defeat just yet. If she lets her dark thoughts win, that would only allow her father to obtain what he wants – her death.

Dimitri becomes enraged by her resistance that before she can fight it, he pushes her down into the water. Her head comes in contact with the rocks, causing blood to pour from the graze like it's nothing. If her concussion had already been critical before, it just became a million times more grave.

This is the moment where her nightmare had taken place. The water's frigid temperature against her skin serves as a reminder of what's to come and what she tried to escape from, but will never be able to.

Darkness engulfs her and for a mere moment, Mia swears seeing a cloaked figure watching from afar, almost like it's waiting for her last breath before guiding her to purgatory. Despair consumes her at the sight and raises her level of fear to its maximum as she's not ready to face the angel of death just yet.

Dying at the hands of her demented father would be the cruelest of actions the universe can allow, and if she could choose, she would much rather it be her hands instead of his.

Her nightmare had been a warning, a vision, a glimpse into her inevitable future, and finally facing it makes her terrified of what more could occur if tonight isn't when her last breath is taken.

His jaw clenches the harder he shoves her down, his rage only becoming worse at her thrashing hands and kicks being given. She's able to fight the water from covering her upper body, but not enough as it only leads him to reach for the blade.

Her blood runs cold at the sight from being aware that if another injury is inflicted, the chances of surviving would become extremely slim. If the lake's water isn't the cause for her final breath, blood loss would be the one in control of her hand reaching the grim reaper.

"Like I said, I'm a man of my word," Dimitri's voice is barely a whisper as his face is mere inches from hers. "I told you I'd be honored to kill you if you didn't change your mind."

The pointy end of the blade becomes a part of her again, inflicting a piercing pain that expands throughout her body and makes her gasp for breath. She freezes for a brief second, disbelief and loss becoming more apparent. A part of her had remained hopeful that somehow, she would have been able to fight him off, but it seems her pride had been nothing but empty confidence.

Mia glances behind him, hoping to find those vibrant golden eyes she most heartedly loves. Acquiring one last glimpse of the sun is her last wish, but the pouring rain and darkness are her only companions.

Her screams are nothing but muffled under the ashen waters. Winning this battle is unlikely, but the resilient part of her demands that she continues fighting. Focusing harder than before, she tries gathering all her power into her palms. There has to be something she can do to survive, but regardless of her attempts, magic has left her side. It has faded and gone off to oblivion, leaving her stranded in the darkness as if it had been a set up for destiny to run its course.

Flashes of lightning flood the night sky. Its electric blares take on the form of death's claws and rumble loudly across the isolating forest. The coldness of the water seeps through her skin, causing her muscles to stiffen at its touch. The piercing pain in her abdomen expands like a flash throughout her body like a disease, but inexplicably, its affliction starts to gradually fade.

The water in her lungs overflows and makes the last remaining color in her cheeks officially vanish. A pale blue contrasts the crimson waters surrounding them, its vibrancy becoming a mark of what her father left behind and had no trouble inflicting. She notices patches of light filling her vision and it isn't until the pain officially stops that she concludes everything will end soon.

Fate has been written in the stars like a prophecy. Believing acquiring power and purpose would allow her demise to be escaped had been naive on her part. She should have known better. She should have known destiny can never be outrunned. She has always been destined to die at the hands of her father just like she's meant to become his reflection.

It's unfair, really, but despite its cruelness, a tinge of relief gathers in her chest. With death comes peace and living with this everlasting darkness is torture. Maybe dying could be a solution to everything, but the unknown of the hereafter is what prevents her from accepting this.

Only now, it's too late.

Her last remaining ounce of oxygen and fight is casted away. She tries shoving her father's arms off, but his strength exceeds hers. The crimson red stains his hands – a contrast to the icy hues trapped in his gaze. Her racing heart loses its force, its once tuneful melody that had encompassed her now becoming a wasted memory.

The tall pines murmur and create their own song. The rustling of their leaves against the breeze and the haunting rain resemble the lowest keys of a piano. Their whispers trickle upwards into her ears and despite the water crushing her to its depths, the welcome of death tortures her senses seeing as in the waves, ruination lingers like a curse.

A black door with an ashen knob opens under the lake, begging for a new soul to enter its premises. She wills herself to remain standing, but the waters are stronger than she's ever been. Her grave continues calling out to her and as if a magnetic pull is drawing her in, she descends into the abysmal hatch.

Her father's silhouette becomes fader and his grip is no longer tangible. It only took her defeat for his departure and it aches her that this is where her story has ended. Somewhere is the lake, she's meant to become a specter haunting every corner, and like many, she would be alone.

The only thing that brings her comfort is knowing the cure has been destroyed. Edward wouldn't be harmed and would continue living on. With her departure, there would at least be life after her.

And so, the fallen Grey takes her last breath and enters the black door to welcome death like an old friend.