Chapter 7: Nadja's Death, Sarah's Birth

Escape Through Blood

The house was boiling. Vitro's paranoia was at an all-time high, and Aleksa's violence was too much to handle. Sarah watched them carefully, waiting for the moment. She had secretly worked for weeks, stoking the flames of their hatred, planting the seeds of mistrust and suspicion. Now, she was about to let those seeds ripen.

One evening, the three of them were huddled in the darkened living room. Sarah made her move.

"Vitro," she said, her voice even but with a hint of concern, "I overheard Aleksa on the phone a little while ago. She was making plans to leave. She said she's tired of living in the shadows."

Vitro's head snapped up, his eyes tightening. "What?"

Aleksa, lying on the couch, sat up. "That's a lie," she snapped coldly. "I didn't say anything like that."

Sarah shrugged innocently. "I'm just telling you what I heard. I thought you should know."

Vitro's eyes flashed between Sarah and Aleksa, his face darkening. "Is that true, Aleksa? Are you going to leave?"

Aleksa rose, her face flushed with anger. "Of course not! She's lying to get you against me!"

Sarah remained silent, letting the charge hang. Vitro's jaw flexed, and he rose, his fists clenched.

"You've been acting strangely lately," he said, quietly and menacingly. "Always creeping around, talking on the phone. What are you hiding?"

Aleksa backed away, her eyes wide. "I'm not hiding anything! She's the one you should be afraid of!"

But Vitro wasn't listening. His paranoia had taken hold, and he advanced on Aleksa, his face twisted with rage. "You think you can betray me? After everything I've done for you?"

Aleksa's fear turned to defiance. "You're a fool, Vitro! She's manipulating you!"

The words were the final blow. Vitro struck Aleksa, grabbing her throat. Sarah watched, her heart pounding, as the two of them battled. Aleksa fought back, clawing at Vitro's face, but he was too strong.

The fight was intense and chaotic. Vitro's fists gripped Aleksa's throat, his face red with rage. Aleksa's fight grew weaker, her body slowing down until she finally went limp. Vitro released her, backing away, his chest heaving.

Sarah seized the moment. She grabbed a candlestick off the table and struck Vitro in the head with all of her might. The blow fell with a sickening crunch, and Vitro crumpled to the floor, blood streaming from the wound.

Sarah didn't stop to see if he was dead or not. She ran to the door, her heart racing, and disappeared into the night.

Burning the Past

Sarah didn't ease up until she'd found herself in a secluded part deep in the forest. She leaned against a tree, panting. The adrenaline wore off slowly, leaving her shivering and exhausted.

But she couldn't stop. She knew Vitro would track her down if he survived. She needed to eliminate all traces of her previous existence.

Over the next few days, Sarah methodically eliminated every trace of herself and Nadja. She burned photos, ripped up papers, and quietly buried whatever she thought could have traced her. She chopped off her hair, colored it, and drastically changed her appearance so that she barely knew the person staring back at her in the mirror.

The timid, frightened Nadja was no more. In her place was Sarah—icy, calculating, and determined never to be anyone's victim again.

A New Life, a New Lie

Sarah moved to a crowded city, blending into the crowds. She had a small apartment and worked at a local café, keeping her head down and her past hidden.

But beneath the veneer, Sarah remained a predator. She had learned to trust no one, but had also mastered how to make people believe in her. She was bright, polite, and humble—just the perfect disguise for someone who'd seen the worst of humanity.

She lived by a revised rulebook: she would never again be vulnerable; betrayal was repugnant and would never again occur.

Meeting David

One night, as Sarah was closing the café, there came a man. He was tall and nicely dressed, with kind eyes and a friendly smile.

"Sorry," he said, glancing at the clock. "Am I too late for a coffee?"

Sarah paused before agreeing. "Yes, But I don't mind. I can make some for you."

As she brewed the coffee, they started to talk. David was his name, a lawyer, and a financial analyst. He was charming and affable, and for the first time in years, Sarah experienced the flicker of something she had thought was irretrievable: hope.

Over the next few weeks, David was a regular at the café. He arrived late in the evening, and they would talk for hours on end. He was everything Sarah had ever thought she wanted—stable, successful, and seemingly loyal.

Even with her defenses dropped, however, Sarah never forgot what she had learned. She kept a part of herself locked away, something that observed and waited at all times.

For she was certain of one thing: that she would kill David if he ever turned against her.