Shrouded Away (Book #1)

16 Years Later

She wiped the blood from her cheek. With a wave of her wrist, her sword flew into her hand. His eyes followed her blade as she pressed it against his neck.

"Don't. Move"

He had a face beyond decent, so authentic looking and soft that it was apparent that this boy would grow into a handsome man.

Yet his eyes spoke contrarily, they told a far-stretched tale of horridness and suffering.

She strengthened a generous amount of pressure to the blade.

He stared at her eyes which were clouded with doubt, knowing she wouldn't harm him, well at least not kill him.

She felt another pair of eyes on her.

Mother.

The alarm's sound went off. Immediately she backed away.

"You did great," the blond complimented.

"And you could've done better, Casper," Marcela said as she walked into the arena, her cape billowing behind her.

"And you," she said looking at the girl " Also could've done better, lucky for you this is just training.

When you go out for actual combat, getting lost in their eyes won't be a good excuse to lose. No excuse is acceptable for losing."

"Yes Madam" she addressed her mother the way she was instructed, in training sessions.

"Lunch starts within a few minutes, wash up, go eat, change into your official uniforms and meet everyone at the AV room"

Both of them nodded and jogged out of the arena. They walked through the large doors into the manor.

She jogged past the blond.

"Hey! Andrea!" He called catching up to her " you know everything thing isn't a competition"

Both of them stopped. "What do you want?" Andrea asked monotonously.

"Well, I was just wondering why have you been so distant all of a sudden."

The brown-haired raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner.

"Ever since you found out about, Marcela selecting a group of Sicariuses to go out to fight the Divinuses you've been pretty hard on yourself, we both know she doesn't treat you any differently just because you're her daughter"

Andrea mentally rolled her eyes, of course, her mother doesn't treat her any differently because she's her daughter, she treats her differently because of her capabilities.

"You're starting to sound like an old man, Casper," she said as she continued walking.

"Have you ever even met an old man?"

"Please! Please! Please!" The man begged. " Show me some mercy!" Andrea used the sole of her feet kicking him on the forehead pushing him on his back.

She looked down at the feeble man on the floor with his limbs aching for being tied for too long.

He wasn't telling her what she wanted to know.

Where had he sent the group of Imperium children, obviously it was Divinus. But where was that goddamn place?

"Andrea!! Focus!" Her mother scolded. She steadied herself, compressing her grip on the hilt of her sword.

Reeling her arm back and ran the sword through the left side of the man's chest. His breathing stopped, eyes losing their life.

A sight she had grown up seeing.

Andrea halted her footsteps, clenching and unclenching her fists.

"Well let's hope you live long enough to become one" she retorted with a stoic expression.

"Aw, c'mon you don't mean that" he swung an arm over her shoulder, his unoccupied hand in his pocket. "We all know I'm going to live up to an old age and still be healthy"

Somehow they both heard the uncertainty in his voice.

They both treaded through, mazes of hallways and reached a dead end. Casper took his hand out of his pocket and ran his hand over the barrier when he felt the slight bump and he pressed it.

The wall parted revealing an energetic hallway of Sicariurs in white coats or black Spandex suits, running around with their hands occupied with a flask or a modern gadget they were experimenting with.

They all stopped rushing around and gave an opening for both of them to walk through.

"You know this is another reason why I like walking to my room with you" he whispered to her, sending shivers down her spine.

As they turned around the corner she shoved him lightly and asked monotonously "And what are the further reasons?"

"Well.." he said as he positioned his arm back on her shoulders again. "I get to be around a girl with telekinesis and she is the daughter of Madam Marcela, though usually, it's not a good thing, cause the hateful looks she gives me when I'm.." he lent down and jokingly whispered in her ear "this close to her"

He let out a chuckle.

Heat rose to Andrea's cheeks, her stomach felt heavy, her heart was threatening to break out, but from the outside, she had a perfect poker face.

She pushed him away not liking how he was making her feel.

"I have to get ready now and.. so do you." She muttered, hiking towards the staircase and entering her room. She shut the door behind her and let out a breath, and peered at the view through the windows.

She was appreciative of it, but that was the most what she saw outside the manor.

Her mother let the other Sicariuses go out the manor, go on concealed missions, capture Divinuses or young lost Imperiums.

The infuriating aspect was that she would constantly get teased by Casper for not being eligible to go out of the manor.

He was roughly four years older than her which making him a senior.

But her?

She only got to do some of the cheap and nasty work.

She got to slaughter them.

It was perilous at first, but her mother and some of the seniors helped her through it.

She remembered asking her mother the first time about how unpleasant this was when she was just seven, her mother replied saying,

"We look after each other, we are dependable to each other, we fulfil our goals, we accomplish, there is no such word as "can't" for us, we stand united with each other, we are powerful together, we don't have limits, blood doesn't matter, but the ability does, we aren't evil, just unpredictable, determined, combative, clever and just a little ruthless"

She was now prepared and willing to go out and confront her enemies, all she needed was her mother's verification and a few weapons.

She ran her finger over the imprint on her wrist.

A halo with three lengthy bones is situated symmetrically, with a cracking skull in a triangle in the core.

The Malum mark.

Usually, it'd be covered in phrases, notes and observations she jots down on her hands.