Leira [Completed]

Prologue

"The will of the strong will never be shaken by doubts of the weak."

—

ARIEL'S POV

The overwhelming urge to collapse stressed my body. I wanted to fall, to give up and die in the hands of those trailing behind me. I felt suffocated but continued to cling onto the little spark of hope which promised my freedom. My heart throbbed and my throat begged for water. It was as if a million needles were pierced in my skin.

Tears stung my eyes, threatening to fall as I wheezed and took a sharp turn to the left. I did not know where I was or where I was heading. I just I knew stopping was not a choice.

Fear crowded my head as I heard footsteps nearing behind me.

"Please," I whimpered as I pushed myself to continue sprinting.

I felt numb. Everything around me started to spin and I lacked the ability to focus. My lungs burned, and it felt impossible to gasp for air.

If you stop now, Ariel, you can say goodbye to this pathetic life, I told myself. This life I had was meaningless anyway. I dropped out of school and all I did in the last few years was find irregular jobs to pay off my parent's debt.

It was too late now because the large amount of cash that my parents owed became impossible to pay off. The bad men came, and my life became that sum of money.

Sticks crunched beneath my feet as I bolted across the eerie forest. Furious screams demanded me to stop, their footsteps louder than before. I took turns, hoping they would leave me alone. I just wished I had a day to feel safe.

Black spots filled my vision and I started feeling uncomfortable. Dizziness took over and the voices around me seemed far away.

I felt my heart stop when I caught a glimpse of a figure in front of me. I turned away in a different direction, catching his puzzled expression as his attention landed on me and the group of people yelling behind me.

The pain was indescribable. My breathing was ragged and tears stained my face. I could pass out at any moment. There was absolutely no way to escape this.

Suddenly, I felt my hand being yanked. I was drained of energy and I could barely register what happened. I shut my eyes for a brief moment, then saw that man who was previously jogging in front of me. He cupped a hand over my mouth, sending me a warning glare. He was most probably double my age, with hair in a light shade of brown and styled in a pompadour. He had a stoic expression as well as a pair of rare and mysterious gray eyes.

The large group of guys found both of us in a short period of time. Regret filled my chest instantly, realizing I dragged this man down with me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. I doubt he could hear me. I turn slightly to face him, bewildered to discover that he had been intensely studying me for the last few seconds. His eyes were observant, and I felt exposed under his intent gaze. It was as if he could see my thoughts and knew all of my hidden secrets.

I felt the urge to hold him back when he took a step towards the five intimidating men. One of them was slim and another was burly. There was another which was a head taller than the rest and two men who looked like identical twins. I could only differentiate them because one had a tattoo which stretched from under his sleeve to his wrist.

"Are you asking for death?" the thin man sneered, clenching his fists. 

It took a simple second for the stranger to make the most shocking move. Everyone's jaw dropped.

A swift fist landed on the slender man, and he dropped immediately. The air around us changed drastically. The stranger still had an unbelievably calm expression while the others had flared nostrils and tight jaws.

Everything was a mess after that, yet the stranger did not have a single fist landed on him. The muscular man swung his elbows in hopes to hit his face, but the stranger grabbed his shoulder and forearm, jerking it backwards. The man fell, his head knocking onto the ground forcefully.

He ducked instantly, expecting the fist delivered his way. He launched towards the tallest guy's feet right after that and continued to kick his abdomen when his back hits the forest ground.

The twins launched towards him before he could stand up straight, blinded by rage. The one with the tattoo raised his leg, aiming to land a kick but was swung away. The other joined swiftly, swinging his arms and throwing his fists several times, but his hits were all blocked.

The stranger found the opportunity to catch an arm and threw an elbow toward his enemy's stomach. That twin then threw a hand around his opponent's neck, trying to strangle him. The calm man reached for the hand snaked around his throat, throwing his head back before swinging the twin into the ground.

The tattooed guy struggled to his feet, only to be knocked down a few seconds later.

Five bodies were scattered on the ground in a time less than five minutes, all of them grunting in pain. I stood aside the whole fight, flinching at every hit thrown.

"Let's go," his tone frightened me. It did not seem like he had beaten down a batch of enraged guys. A look of boredom was plastered on his face as if the whole fight was too simple.

I hesitated to follow, knowing it might not land me in the best situation. The fact that he fought five guys and won without a scratch had sided with the many reasons not to follow him. But I felt as if I had no other choice. 

I nodded reluctantly, quietly tailing behind him as we trudged through the forest. The man seemed to know every turn by heart, and in ten minutes I found myself in front of a house.

It screamed wealth in hundreds of ways and I was embarrassed just looking at it.

He placed his thumb on the fingerprint detector, and soon the gate creaked open. There was a large area of space behind the gate before we reached the main door. He unlocked it as well, and I could not help but gawk at the modern interior of the living room. I felt small, unworthy of even looking around the place.

There were two levels to the house. Just beside a hallway to a few rooms was a banister stretching from the first floor to the second. I spotted a few males behind the kitchen counter, emotionless. Except for one lanky man who shot me a polite small smile.

I took a seat on the leather couch, fiddling with the hem of my filthy, torn shirt. The man made his way to a separated chair, gazing into my eyes. I was horrified with just the way he looked at me.

"What's your name?" his deep and toneless voice escaped his lips, sending a chill down my spine.

"Ariel," I managed to force out as I flickered my eyes away from his face.

"Last name?" he asked, causing confusion to flood my mind. He seemed interested to know who I was, a mere fifteen-year-old. I hesitated before answering. 

"Isadora," I replied with a tone softer than before. His eyes were calculative. There was a gnawing ache in my stomach, and I could not tell if it was the nervousness bubbling or the fact that I had not eaten the whole day.

"Listen," the man started. I forced myself to look him in the eyes as he spoke. "If you wish to live, weakness is not an option." His words sounded more of a statement than anything. I was lost, not understanding a word from his mouth, yet the line found a way into my chest and managed to stay.

"Three years from now, this pathetic personality of yours would be gone. Perhaps then, scars and death wouldn't be an enemy and you'll look me in the eyes without hesitation. Just three years and that hidden potential will come out." It was said in a rather harsh tone. His mysterious gray eyes were fixed on my pair of blue ones.

I was not able to force any words out my mouth. The least I could do was nod.

"Oliver will help you with your needs from today," he told me, gesturing to the polite man. He gave me a small wave and a welcoming smile which, for a second, convinced me that everything would be fine.

"You'll have to be stronger, unlike what you are now," he said. "Ariel Isadora will be dead from this moment. You're now Leira. Leira A'rodasi."

—

edited