leaded, her voice thi

r knees clinging tightly to her

scent of cheap gin clung to his clothes, a testament to how

her ran away, abandoning them- worked himself into

not to go

is bulky frame swaying as he staggered forward, r

se. She'd just gotten home from ano

t seemed almost impossible- every agency that came to her academy for s

lied to, filled her bag, hanging heavy at her sid

ench of rum escaped her father's mouth, e

as if snagged on barbed wire, slowly retr

k. You'd be better learning welding at

s," he spat. "Dre

ashed out, a sharp sting bl

s tears streamed down her now-flushed ski

lips in a defeated voice,

e, sto

s her way, "You want to end u

ward her, closing the short gap between t

ky breath, sweat ro

site." His voice was firm, heavy with the fina

kills to be treated

manded, shaking her violen

hat birth her, fresh sobs threatened to

er all, doing his best to keep them afloat, and still-desp

s his way of coping. Maybe, in hi

stop," Lylah finally said, s

in a low tone, a sad smil

leaving the house before

." he called after her but sh

eyes of the heavy pour she'd held

a mint, slipping it between her lips

cameras, the rush of being seen. She wanted her father to be proud of her. Sh

, she was

lf," she muttered, kicking a

de her bag, pulling h

as he always did after an outburst. The apology she wouldn't h

asn't going to head back home as sh

er thoughts and a growing weight of

d up her favorite track, letting the

he silence- until sh

crawling with stray cats whose eeri

sciously aware that

ked seemed longer now, more desolate. Moving fo

she

as she ventured deeper, recognizin

nto something darker,

til a towering glass building emerged ahead, sl

eath h

t's gothic-like signage glowing in ox

s down Lylah's spine. She stayed hidden in t

its structure, watching like silent sentinels. Two masked figures stood at the

. The sight of it stole her breath, pulling her

nsidered moving toward it

rself, a deep, gravelly voice cu

you l