𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐄

𝐱𝐯𝐢𝐢𝐢. 𝐝𝐚𝐰𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠

For a split second, Alia felt nothing. But then, pain crashed over her like a wave, crushing her underneath. She couldn't scream, she couldn't even think. Lucius was dead. A part of her soul had just been ripped out of her. And it wasn't like anything she'd ever known.

She was 19 again, arguing with the hospital receptionist a good hour after her mother had been taken off life support. The receptionist had just told her what her mother's treatment over the course of 3 months cost. 

"For the last time, we can't pay this! My sister can barely pay her college tuition, and that was with all of us working 9 to 5 seven days a week!"

"I am sorry Miss Zayed, but there's nothing we can do. Your mother should have invested in insurance when she first came to this country," the receptionist in a tone that clearly indicated that she dealt with this often and had a hard time finding a last shit to give. 

After Alia said nothing for a long time, she returned to work. Alia counted to ten in her head and slowly walked over to the waiting room. She pulled out her phone and dialled her sister's number, doing the math in her head. Both she and her sister would have to work twice as hard and long, and even that wouldn't cover half of what they had to pay. She waited silently for her sister to pick up, fidgeting with her scarf agitatedly. Finally, she heard her sister's calm voice over the phone. 

"Alia, I wasn't expecting to hear from you. How is mama? " Alia cleared her throat. "Amara, she passed away an hour ago. I was meaning to call you, but then the people told me how much her treatment costs, and - well, it's too much."

Silence. 

"Do I have to drop out?"

"I'm sorry, Amara" 

Amara hung up. 

A few hours later Alia was still sitting there, head in hands, trying not to cry. Her mother had given up everything for a better life for her daughters, had sacrificed years of her life to getting them an education. Then Alia had dropped out of college to make sure her sister could go. And now, everything they had built over the years was tumbling down.

Her mother had believed that good deeds would be repaid in some way, but she had gotten nothing but pain out if that belief.  

Where was Karma when you needed it?

"Alia"

She shrank back and looked up. A woman was standing in front of her, all dressed in black leather with eyes that somehow shone brighter than the glaring electrical lights in the waiting room.

"Who-?" Alia asked, but before the woman could answer, the bland receptionist appeared behind her. "Miss Bane paid for your mother's treatment." 

The receptionist shuffled off as Miss Bane pulled Alia to her feet, escorting her out of the noisy hospital. 

"Did you really pay all that money?" Alia asked as they navigated the busy streets of New York...

She just laughed dryly. " Maybe not all of it. That ungrateful wench owed me a favour. "

"But why? You don't know me, I'm no one and you-. Fuck, you come into a hospital and pay for a random stranger. Who are you?"

"That's a lot of questions" her companion smiled "I overheard your conversation with the receptionist. Good parents deserve a reward. They're hard to find"

They were silent for a long time before she spoke again.

 " My name is Anatolia Bane, pleased to make your acquaintance."

"The pleasure's all mine"

About 2 years later that same woman ripped out a part of her soul, robbed her memories, but never stopped loving her. She could murder and destroy without a second thought, but love was one thing that was always above, the one thing that the Queen of hell bent her knee to. 

But all Alia knew that day was that life had brought her a friend, someone to rely on. 

And that was all that mattered.

AUTHORS NOTE: ok so this is gonna be second to last part and i am rlly happyyyy. so like ik know shit escalated and stuff but i just remember when i started writing almost exactly one year ago. Thank you for sticking with me!! Stay tuned for PART 20