One

NOVARIA’S POV

People’s obsession with winter had always baffled me.

The soft snow, cozy sweaters, hot chocolate by the fireplace… everyone made it sound magical. But to me, winter was nothing more than a cruel season wrapped in pretty lies. No matter how many layers I wore, the cold always found its way into my bones, the streets became empty too early, the skies looked permanently angry, I don't get to hangout with friends, and I spent most days trapped indoors like a prisoner serving a sentence.

I hated it.

A sigh escaped my lips as I stared through my bedroom window at the dark clouds swallowing the night sky whole. The streetlights flickered weakly against the heavy fog outside, barely illuminating the snow-covered sidewalks.

It was already 10PM.

Too late for anyone reasonable to still be outside.

As if winter wasn't enough punishment for me, it was actually my worst day of the week.

Monday.

I rubbed my palms together and tucked them beneath my armpits, trying to preserve what little warmth remained in my body. 

Maybe a cup of tea would help.

Dragging my feet across the wooden floor, I made my way downstairs toward the kitchen. 

The scent of simmering stew filled the air, mixing with the warmth radiating from the stove. For a moment, I relaxed. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be so bad after all.

I had just reached for the kettle when my mother walked in.

“Novaria, I need you to go buy a loaf of bread for dinner.”

I slowly turned to look at her, disbelief written all over my face.

“Right now?” I scoffed. “It’s freezing outside. And it’s dark.”

“And?” she replied flatly, not even sparing me a glance as she stirred the pot on the stove. “The store is only a few blocks away. Grab a coat and stop acting dramatic. Dinner is almost ready.”

Before I could protest again, she walked out of the kitchen.

I stood there in stunned silence.

Honestly, if Morgana had been my age mate, or better yet, my younger sister, I would have dragged her by the hair and spanked every ounce of stubbornness out of her.

My mother and I were like oil and water. We argued constantly, sometimes over the smallest things imaginable. But somehow, she always found a way to make herself the victim. Admitting she was wrong was apparently beneath her dignity, and that alone irritated me beyond words.

Ever since Dad left, things between us had only gotten worse.

I trudged back upstairs with a scowl etched onto my face and pulled my thick coat from the wardrobe. My baby cat curled lazily on the bed, blinking sleepily at me.

“You’re lucky you get to stay warm,” I muttered, gently stroking its tiny head.

The cat purred softly while I sighed in defeat and headed downstairs.

The moment I opened the front door, an icy gust slammed into me like a physical force.

“God!”

I instantly shivered as freezing air crawled beneath my coat and wrapped around my skin. It felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over my entire body.

I pulled the coat tighter around myself.

“It’s just bread,” I whispered under my breath. “I’ll be back in five minutes. Then I’m burying myself under my blanket for the rest of the night.”

The streets were eerily quiet. Snow crunched beneath my boots as I walked quickly down the sidewalk, my breath visible in the freezing air. Every passing second made me regret not arguing harder with my mother.

What kind of parent sends their daughter out alone at night in this weather?

“Morgana has officially lost her mind,” I grumbled to myself.

Seeing that It was already late for regrets, I quickened my pace and forced myself not to think about it since I was already heading to the store. 

The deeper I went into the street, the quieter everything became. Then I heard voices. Male voices. Loud and tough.

My heartbeat immediately slowed with unease.

At first, I tried ignoring them and kept walking, lowering my head as I tightened my grip on my coat. Maybe if I walked fast enough, they wouldn’t notice me.

But as I got closer, I realized the voices were coming from a dark alley ahead.

Three men sat there, partially hidden by shadows and cigarette smoke. And they were staring directly at me.

My stomach dropped. Once again, I instantly began to regret not going back. 

“Hey there, pretty girl,” one of them called out with a crooked grin. “What’s someone like you doing out this late?”

The others burst into drunken laughter.

I kept walking. Faster this time.

My pulse hammered violently against my chest as fear slowly crept into my veins.

“Hey!” the man shouted again. “I’m talking to you, bitch!”

Before I could react, footsteps rushed toward me. Then, a rough hand grabbed my wrist hard.

I gasped as my body jerked backward.

“Let go of me!” I snapped, panic instantly flooding my system.

But the man only laughed. His grip tightened painfully around my arm as he yanked me toward the alley.

I opened my mouth to scream, but his filthy hand clamped over it before any sound could escape.

My eyes widened in terror.

“Mmhh!”.I struggled violently, kicking and twisting against him, but he was too strong.

The other two men stood up slowly, their disgusting smirks making my skin crawl.

“Oh damn,” one of them whistled. “She’s prettier up close.”

“I bet she tastes even sweeter too,” another man disgustingly said, laughing like a hyena, smoke curling from the cigarette hanging between his lips.

Fear exploded inside me.

“Please…stop this madness.” I cried once his hand loosened slightly. “Please let me go.”

But they only laughed harder.

The first man suddenly slapped me hard across the face..Pain burst through my cheek as my body crashed onto the icy ground.

For a second, my ears rang. I tasted blood in my mouth. Tears instantly blurred my vision, not from weakness, but from pure fear.

I had never been this terrified in my entire life.

The man crouched beside me, his fingers brushing against my shoulder in a way that made my stomach twist violently.

“Now,” he grinned wickedly, “let’s have some fun.”

Then suddenly, Heavy footsteps echoed through the alley.

The laughter stopped.

A strange silence fell over the atmosphere.

I looked up. A tall figure emerged from the darkness like something pulled straight out of a nightmare. The dim streetlight behind him cast long shadows across the snow, making him appear even more intimidating. He wore a black jacket over dark denim jeans, expensive leather boots crunching against the ice as he walked forward slowly. Gold glinted around his neck and wrist. Tattoos crawled along his hands and disappeared beneath his sleeves.

Everything about him screamed danger.

Real danger.

Behind him stood several muscular men dressed in black, their expressions cold and unreadable.

The entire alley suddenly felt suffocating. The three men who had attacked me immediately stiffened. Fear flashed across their faces. And that was when I came to the conclusion that he could be their Boss.

My breathing became shaky as panic overwhelmed me. Without thinking, I crawled across the icy ground toward him, my knees scraping painfully against the snow.

“Please…” I begged desperately, clutching onto the edge of his coat. “Please let me go, sir… I swear I didn’t do anything…”

The strange man furrowed his brows. It was certain he knew those guys, but it was far from being a friends