Chapter One

It's 2099 - almost a year after Castillo's murder. No one knew who had killed him - even the guards were permitted by Viktor not to tell anyone - the knife had been extracted at the crime scene, and was immediately hidden under Jordeyn's mattress. She couldn't bring herself to speak of what happened that day, but she did, however, tell the rest of the group: Blayne, an 18-year-old female with pale skin, electric blue eyes, and flaming red hair, Cayeden, an 18-year-old male with ashy blonde hair, moss green eyes, and sun-kissed skin. And, of course, Azyriah - the oldest of the group. 19-years-old, chocolate brown hair, copper eyes, and golden skin.

Although none of them particularly enjoyed the story. Especially Azyriah, considering he sought himself to be Jordeyn's male figure ever since her mother and father died - had broken Viktor's leg, a rib, and his arm. Thankfully, the injuries weren't severe enough to the point where a boot was needed, but, he definitely couldn't try out for the school's varsity football team. Cayeden - Blayne's boyfriends of three years - tried with everything he had to hold him back. But, Blayne's pleas of protest were enough for Cayden to realize that the longer he held him back, the more afraid she'd become of him: something none of them wished to experience. So, he had let him go allowing him to protect the one person who he'd watched over for as long as he could remember.

Jordeyn, on the other hand, taunted Viktor the entire time mercilessly: asking him if he enjoyed what was happening, and telling him she'll do it again herself if he even thought about laying a finger on a single hair on her body. She wanted to feel anything but guilt for what happened to him, but seeing him hurt hurt her even more. He hadn't hurt her - only scared her - but that was enough of a reason for her to defend herself. Just not like this.

Hours passed, and Viktor lay in a cot with Cayeden at his side. He cleaned and wrapped his bloodied and broken leg, cleaned his face, and gave him a pair of crutches. Nurses tended to his ribs checking the bandages overlaying the stitches from surgery. "Hey man, I'm sorry I couldn't stop Az. I know that he helped raise Jorde, but that … That was something else. He can just get so fucking agressive it's almost terrifying … You know?"

"Yes, I know, but no. What he did was understandable. I shouldn't have done what I did no matter how much I wanted to. My parents raised me better than this. But I should never have killed him in front of her. It's how her parents died, you know … A shard of glass to the brain for her mother and a metal pole from the street in the heart for her dad. Seeing a knife in Castillo's chest probably didn't help with her trying to forget the sight of it. But Cayden, please just promise me that you'll help me change - for the group. I can't keep going how I am … Drinking my problems away, smoking my thoughts into nothingness, and taking my anger out on everyone around-" he began to hyperventilate. His heart monitor raced, and a cold sweat broke out on his upper brow. Then nothing. As quickly as he had begun to spasmodically breathe, he stopped. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, veins bulged out of his neck and forehead as his grip on Cayden's arm relaxed.

"Viktor- Oh, God, doctor, please … Fuck, does no one listen around here? I need a doctor right the fuck now." Cayden stormed out of the room, grabbing a doctor by the collar of his lab coat and dragged him with to Viktor's side. He ran out, fetching any available nurses and doctors as they began to rush in with defibrillators and an adrenaline injection.

"Three … two … one … Clear!" Nothing. Azyriah stared in horror, Blayne held onto Cayden's arm tightly and Jordeyn ran out of the room as soon as she saw what was happening. "Three … two … one … Clear!" The line ran straight.

"Come on Vik, you don't get to fail on us now … You haven't watched us graduate like you said you would. Hell, you haven't even graduated yourself yet." Tears streamed down Cayden's face as his voice was smothered by tears.

"Three … two … one … Clear!"

Finally. The monitor awoke again. His heart raced for a fraction of a millisecond and slowed to a stabilized state. His breathing was labored and he managed to choke out, "Jordeyn." Azyriah raced out of the room and down the corridor when he saw someone sitting in the corner of the lobby's waiting room.

"Joredyn…" Her head flew up, face stained with tears and lines of worry. She pushed herself up onto wobbling legs and stumbled into his arms clasping to the front of his shirt like a crutch. His hand laced itself into her hair, holding her to his chest as she nuzzled herself into the warmth and comfort he was providing her, "Hey, sh … It's okay. He'll be okay. Trust me. I know that I'm the one who did this, but it was to protect you. Believe me, please. There wasn't another option." She pulled back, looking up at him contemplating whether or not she should trust him. His thumb grazed her cheek, smoothing the tears flowing down her sharp features. A subtle nod - almost small enough to the point where it wasn't noticeable - was sign enough for Azyriah to wrap his arm around her shoulder pulling her in as they made way to Viktor's room.

They walked slowly past room after room - a family of six saying their last good-bye's to their grandmother, another family - consisting of two - weeping over their child's dismembered body, and another room which appeared to be a wife clinging onto her husband's arm as the doctor's unplugged his life support. Jordeyn had never seen anyone in this state since the bombing that killed her family occurred. She still remembers every detail of that day as if it just happened the day before - flames eating the buildings and dead bodies, the scent of burnt flesh filling everyone within five miles with sadness, despair, and draining them of all hope. That's when she met them: Cayden and Azyriah - who'd both also lost their mother figures - and Blayne, who was fortunate enough to not have had the feeling of loosing her family. Although she didn't know it at the time, her parents died whilst in surgery due to blood loss. She was fifteen at the time: no parents, no siblings, aunts, or uncles to watch after her during the adolescent years of her life.

She crouched in a corner surrounded by the three - Azyriah's arms around her then, just like they were now - Cayden sobbing into Blayne's neck as she cooed comforting words into his hair, drying the tears on his face every now and then. That's when the nurses had come with the news: "I'm sorry Ms. Matthews. We are so very deeply sorry, but they didn't make it. But please, trust me when I say, they loved you more than you could know. They wanted me to tell you that if anything didn't go as planned." And that's when time had stopped. No matter how many times the discussion replayed in her head, the outcome was the same every single time: "We are so very deeply sorry, but they didn't make it…"

"It's okay. Everything's okay. Just breathe. They loved you, and you know that." Those were the words that Azyriah spoke as he pushed the hair dampened with tears out of her face, caressing her back and face with fingertips of compassion.

That's when she came to his room: monitors beeping, tubes coming out of his chest and arms, bandages and casts around his arms, legs, and torso, and his eyes opening and closing between conscious and unconsciousness. "Viktor I- I'm so sorry…" She had pushed Azyriah away and stalked towards his bed.

"Hey darling," he chuckled lamely. He smiled weakly showing a line of perfect teeth. Everything about him appeared to be perfect: his eyes, smile, hair, hell. Even the fact he was an absolute bitch towards her most of the time was perfect to her. He was her only escape to the real world - a world of adventure, curiosity, and joy. The only person who truly showed her what the world was capable of when the human species were put into a situation that triggered their fight or flight senses. "I thought you would've left." A breathless cough left the back of his throat.

"Why would you think that? I was the one that partially played into this happening to you." She moved to a chair beside him, laying her head on his arm, the scent of stale cologne lingering in her senses. His arm shifted to caress her hair, playing with it ever so slightly.

"I'm not really sure … I just thought that you'd have left because I wasn't exactly, well, you know …" He spared a glance at Azyriah - arms crossed over his chest, hands pale from gripping his elbow so harshly.

"I'll say this once, and hopefully once only. I'll never leave you unless you ask me to. I'll stay by your side through everything despite what you do and say to me. Unless, of course, whatever you do affects whether or not I'm living by the end of the day."

Tears welled in his eyes. It seemed like everyone was emotional, and Jordeyn didn't exactly appreciate it. But keeping herself together in front of everyone for everyone was tiring and she couldn't stand it because she knew she shouldn't have to make the others depend on her not to completely break down. He chuckled softly, allowing a tear or two to slip out of the corner of his eyes. He raised his right hand up as much as he physically could and swore, "I, Viktor Xavier Frazier, swear to never put your, Jordeyn Matthew's life in mental, emotional, or physical danger."

"Oh please." Was her only response with an eye roll on the side. She knew that no matter what, they'd always be by each other's side. Even if things went south, they wouldn't - couldn't - leave each other's side. She didn't want to leave his side. She didn't know if he felt the same, but she hoped and prayed that he did. She couldn't bear the thought of loosing him after the two years they were there for each other: two short years, but they had felt like a lifetime, allowing them to become dependent on one another for so many things. Things that no one but them could understand - their inside jokes, how they think, how they portray everything differently -. No one, but them.