Chapter 1: The End Is Near

As Ivy Bennett lay dying, her thoughts were consumed with the image of her phone. More specifically, the email titled Loan Rejected.

How silly to think of something in the face of death. And yet, Ivy did it. The memory tortured her more than the bullet lodged in her side. If only that loan had been accepted all those years ago. Just one of those banks needed to say yes and she'd have been on the first bus out of the city to University. Perhaps then she wouldn't be here, dying from a stray gunshot.

Her ears were filled with the chaos of the room. Men shouted frantically while gunshots rang through the air like fireworks. What followed after those bangs were the heavy thuds of bodies dropping to the concrete floor, while blood painted over the moulded walls of the abandoned building, giving it a fresh coat of crimson red.

Ivy's body convulsed as the wound sent shockwaves of pain through her nerves. It was like a searing hot blade had been pushed through her stomach. No- worse than that. Out the corner of her eye, a man whose designer suit stayed pristinely black rushed towards the rusted doors of the building. His feet showed no hesitation while racing away from the bodies of his own men. His hand eagerly grabbed the doorknob and yanked it forward- nearly pulling the door off its decaying hinges. His chin dipped over his shoulder while looking back. At that moment, his eyes locked with Ivy. She tried to form words to speak, but all that came out was a mangled cry for help. She knew he had heard it by the way he had stiffened. In response, his eyes creased at the corners as his eyebrows knitted together, forming a V between them. But then, his expression hardened as he turned and flung himself out the door.

Just like that, Ivy's brother left her.

She sharply inhaled and hoped what she saw wasn't real. But it was.

Anger tingled in her chest before it spread to the rest of her body. How could Yuri, her own brother, just leave her?

He was the one who dragged her to this business meeting and forced her to count the thousands of dollars he received from an associate. He was too paranoid to let anyone else do it. Everything was fine till the duffel bag of cash was found short by one hundred dollars. Yuri was the one who fired the first shot.

Ivy gurgled from the blood rising in her throat. So this was the thanks she got. After letting him use her university savings to fund his gang. After doing everything her brother ever asked her of, after sacrificing her own dreams and aspirations and staying by his side so Yuri could always have someone he trusted. That trust sure got her far.

If Ivy could laugh, she would. But her jaw went slack. It was numb, just like every part of her body. If this was the end, she'd surrender quietly. Her eyes fell shut as a dull buzzing in her head overtook her.

"Ivy!"

The sudden voice caught the dying girl's attention. She recognized it- but why?

With what little strength she had, she forced her trembling eyes open and caught sight of Cilian. Well- a blurry image of him. But, why was her brother's errand boy rushing towards her?

Before everything had gone to Hell, he was standing opposite of Yuri as the deal was being made. He was always by Yuri's side, like a dog on a short leash.

Despite his large frame, Cilian seemed to dodge the gunfire and reached Ivy's side.

He crouched at her head and reached under her arms, getting a firm grip. He then carefully dragged her to a nearby support beam that looked like it could crumble any minute.

But for now, it acted as cover.

"Just hold on, you're going to be okay." Cilian huffed, collapsing to his knees. His shaky hands reached out and pressed against Ivy's side. She winced and gritted her teeth. Was this guy nuts?

His raven black hair fell in front of his eyes while looming over, his eyes narrowed and focused.

"Stay with me, got it?"

Ivy's gaze grew heavy. It dragged down Cilian's figure and noticed a red liquid gushing through his black hoodie. Her eyes nearly widened.

Cilian's breathing became laboured while his pressure on her wound weakened.

"I'm gonna…get you out of here."

As soft and tender his voice seemed, Ivy didn't believe those words. But as death's clutches wrapped around her, she decided to take that small gift of comfort and held it close. Then, her eyes fell shut and she drew in a last breath.

But then, her eyes had the sensation to open.

Ivy kept them close in wait for something to happen. Nothing too spectacular of course, but maybe the hymns of angels? The familiar touch of her mother? God telling her she had fought well? Hell- even just a white light.

Ivy swallowed thickly, her eyelids twitching.

"Yo, head's up!"

Ivy flinched while a what? Flashed through her mind. She peaked one eye open, just in time to see a soccer ball barreling down from the sky.