Cassie.

Savannah's footsteps echoed down the empty hallway as she wandered aimlessly, lost in her own thoughts. The walls were painted a dull beige color, with fading yellow lines running along the edges of the floor tiles. The only source of light came from the few small windows that lined the walls, casting a dim glow throughout the corridor. She knew she had a purpose being here, but for some reason she couldn't find out why as her eyes were blinded by emotions and literal tears.

As she approached a spot on the wall, Savannah's eyes were drawn to a piece of graffiti on the opposite side. It was a crude drawing, with black spray paint spelling out the words "Ethan's turf." What coincidence!The sight of it sent a wave of anger through Savannah, and without a second thought, she slammed her fist into the wall. The impact caused her knuckles to split open, but she didn't stop there. She hit the wall three more times, each blow fueling her rage further.

Breathing heavily, she sank back down to the ground, tears streaming down her face. The pain in her hand was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. She couldn't believe that her own family could do something so cruel, something that had taken away the person she loved the most. This wasn't the first it had happened and as much as she tried to keep Jefferson away from them,deep down, she always knew she was just delaying the inevitable.

But as much as she wanted to seek revenge, she knew that it was impossible. She was bound by the family rules, rules that had been drilled into her since she was a child. Rules that prevented her from taking matters into her own hands.

Lost in her despair, Savannah's eyes landed on an old newspaper lying on the ground. The headline caught her attention: "Evershades donates 4 million dollars to charity." It was a grim reminder of her being a free prisoner. A convict that couldn't escape the grasps of her family and the world built around her, no matter how hard she tried.

Without a word, Savannah stood up and made her way to the end of the hallway. The darkness seemed to close in around her, but she pressed on, determined to find a way out of this endless cycle of pain and suffering.

As she emerged from the hallway, she was met with the bright lights of the city outside. The sounds of traffic and people filled her ears, a stark contrast to the eerie silence of the hallway. For a moment, she just stood there, taking it all in. It was a small moment of peace amidst the chaos of her life. She savored every single moment of relaxation, as she realized it would be needed for a later day.

Savannah knew that she couldn't stay there forever. She had a job to do, a job that would take her right back into the heart of the darkness. A job of which she had no other choice than choosing. With a deep breath, she set off towards her destination, her resolve stronger than ever before.

She made her way through the city streets, her mind still reeling from the shock of Jefferson's death. She couldn't help but feel guilty for putting him in danger by being with him, and the thought weighed heavily on her mind. As she walked, her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. Straining her eyes and identifying the Caller ID, Seeing that it was Cassie, her best friend, she answered the call with a mix of relief and trepidation. Cassie seemed to know what to say when to say it, and therefore she was Savannah's greatest asset to combat this guilt and grief being felt at the moment.

"Hey, Cassie," Savannah said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Savannah! Oh my god, I'm so sorry," Cassie exclaimed, her voice full of concern. "I just heard about Jefferson. Are you okay?"

Savannah hesitated for a moment before answering. "I'm...I'm not sure, to be honest. I mean, I just found out, so I'm still in shock. To even think I talked with him just few hours ago."

Cassie's tone became softer. "I can't imagine what you're going through right now. If you need anything, anything at all, just let me know. I'm here for you, okay?"

Savannah's eyes welled up with tears at the kindness in her friend's voice. "Thank you, Cassie. That means a lot to me."

Cassie had known Savannah ever since she could bear thoughts. A formidable ally turned friend, She has made her way into Savannah's heart and is seemingly there to stay. So comfortable is she in Savannah's heart that she knows most about her family and even the deepest secrets that shouldn't see that dusk of daylight.

"This is what? 2:29am. What are you still doing up?"

"I had no other choice." Cassie replied, with a rather disinterested and tired voice. "I was behind schedule and therefore all the work eventually piled up, leading to this day. You know how it is."

"I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. I think I would have a word or two with Seth. He can't keep this up."

"Oh no no! Don't you dare. You tell him that, I wouldn't even have a job to be worried about" Cassie said, as her tone went up little bit, sounding a bit sweet to the ears, as a woman talking about her long awaited husband who's yet to return from the army.

"Besides, there's just something about your brother that makes me want to work for him"

"Ugh, don't go there please" Savannah pleaded, still making her way through the streets.

"You do realize he's unnecessarily hot though, right? I mean, how the hell can one man look so... godlike." Cassie flirted, biting her lips on the other end of the line.

Savannah forced a weak smile at the comment but didn't have the energy to engage in conversation about her family.

"I'm sorry, Cassie. I just can't really talk about my family right now, It'd be best we don't bring up anything about them, for now" Savannah said, her voice strained.

Cassie picked up on the change in tone and quickly backtracked. "Oh, of course, I understand. I didn't mean to bring up anything that would upset you. Just know that I'm here for you, okay?" She said, referring to the Jefferson incidence.

Savannah nodded, even though Cassie couldn't see her. "Thank you, Cassie. I'll talk to you soon."

As she hung up the phone, Savannah's thoughts turned back to Bart, her boyfriend before Jefferson. She wondered if he was mad at her for cheating on him with Jefferson, and the guilt that had been weighing on her all night only intensified. Her only comfort seemed to be the fact that Bart is amongst the few of her affairs still alive. She knew she needed to talk to him soon, but for now, she just wanted to be alone with her thoughts.

The city streets were quiet as Savannah made her way back to her apartment. She couldn't help but feel a sense of unease in the stillness, as if something was waiting to jump out at her from the shadows. She quickened her pace, her eyes darting around nervously. Finally, she reached her building and climbed the stairs to her apartment.

As she unlocked the door and stepped inside, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. She was safe here, for now. But the events of the night had left her feeling vulnerable and exposed, and she knew she needed to be careful. She made her way to her bedroom, shedding her clothes as she went, and crawled into bed.

As she lay there, staring up at the ceiling, her mind raced with thoughts of Jefferson, Juan, Bart, Cassie and her family. She knew she needed to confront her demons head-on, but for now, she just wanted to close her eyes and escape into the darkness. The strife that came with The Gathering was unmatched, and she didn't want to go through it, but it was family tradition and therefore she had no say; No one in her family did. Finally shutting her eyes and with a deep sigh, she let her mind drift off into sleep, hoping that tomorrow would bring some semblance of peace to her troubled mind.