Untimely

- I -

The sun shone brightly against the red velvet curtains that hung from the elegant windows with such grandeur. Its light reflected off the glass of trinkets and collections that stood proud with years of accomplishments and determination. Portraits of distinguished individuals hung alongside the walls and would smile down at those passing by.

Anyone would have wanted to be a part of such success.

But for reasons unknown to Mara, this particular group before her was not happy.

"Shit."

A chorus of tired voices echoed across the room.

Mara looked between her brothers beside her and the strangers before them, unsure of where this would be heading.

The outsiders had just seemingly appeared out of nowhere. She knew, that everyone knew, that anyone in their right mind would know better than to enter their house.

"How dare you trespass this fine institution." Her father stood up promptly from his chair and gripped his cane, his booming voice further hardening tension.

The tallest, and biggest, of the intruders held up his hands. "Listen, I know this sounds insane, but we're your children and we lived here too."

The rest of the group looked at him with dissatisfaction.

"What a way with words." the woman with a black coat mumbled.

"Nonsense! I've lived in this house for forty years and I don't recall ever seeing or adopting a child as ugly as you." Her father stomped his metal cane at the ground and the man recoiled, a torn expression plastered in his face.

"You don't belong here." One of her brothers shouted. It was Matthew, the tallest of her siblings and the most stubborn in her opinion.

"Well, we were here first!" One of the other strangers yelled back as he took a step forward. A black hat adorned his head, and a black vest and coat covered his otherwise bare chest. His get-up sort of reminded Mara of a grim reaper.

The man beside him held the former back and cautiously pulled a knife out of his pocket.

Mara could feel the adrenaline filling the room to the brim as everyone was just itching for someone to punch, but she just couldn't bring herself to feel the same.

She clasped her gloved leather hands together. She didn't want to risk anything yet.

Mara scanned the group carefully, immediately locking eyes with a boy smaller than the rest of them. His green orbs stared back at her with such rigor that she wondered if he was even a boy at all.

She could feel him eyeing her up and down, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't doing the same.

He looked so out of place. His school boy outfit lay crisp on his small frame as dust and drops of blood coated around torso. But despite his young appearance, his eyes held more weight and malice than any of them combined.

His eyes seemed so familiar though. She knew she had seen that same set before. It just can't possibly be the same person.

Mara swallowed her thoughts.

Now probably isn't the time to think about such things.

She could feel the tension rising, and Mara could only hope her family would be safe.

The man beside her, Jesper, took her shaking hand into his, letting her know that they would be able to get through this. Although she refused to break the line of sight between her and the boy, she felt calmer and squeezed back tightly.

"Clearly, you have no right to be here." Another one of her brothers, Leon, spoke calmly, "Leave or we will make you."

"Alright." The man with a knife took a step forward. "Let's see you catch these hands then asshole!"

The man threw his knife directly at him with immeasurable speed, but Leon was faster.

He raised a hand and the light behind him and the rest of the siblings shone brightly down at the intruders, blinding them in the process and Leon dodged the knife.

Mara and her brothers quickly scattered, picking a target as the invaders tried to regain their surroundings. Two of her brothers had already jumped from the railing to join Ben on the first floor just as the light had dimmed down, while her and the rest of her brothers opted for the stairs with Mara hesitantly following along a few trails behind.

But as soon as her siblings turned a corner, the boy appeared in front of her in a flash of blue, stopping her dead in her tracks.

For years, Mara had been trained to never give your opponent the time or luxury to arrange their thoughts, and yet her mind could only turn a blank.

He was just a kid, and her moral compass simply wouldn't allow it.

However, in a second, she found this thought to be a mistake as the boy locked his fist with her jaw.

Mara stumbled back from the shock. She felt her ego burn as she processed what had just transpired.

Moral compass can kiss my ass.

"Okay schoolboy," She took off her gloves and wiped the small patch of blood that he drew in her lip, "Show me what you got."

The boy smirked then immediately threw his foot up to her face, but Mara stepped back just a few inches out of its range and followed it up with a punch to his stomach.

His face contorted, but he didn't reel back. Instead, he gave blow after blow with even more strength.

This was definitely no kid, that much she realized. He had all the grace and movements of a seasoned fighter. And with the addition of his ability to blink into different spots in area, he made himself to be a difficult opponent.

But Mara knew better.

She went to land another fist to his face, but he blinked away and her knuckles only brushed the wall. A prick of air traveled across the back of her neck and she felt the blood rush in her veins.

Mara quickly swiped a leg under him. His knees buckled and gave way, but before he could hit the floor, she spun behind him and wrapped an arm around his neck in a lock.

"Not bad." the boy's voice came out hoarse.

"Who are you? Who do you work for?" Mara questioned him, ignoring his casual critique.

The boy didn't answer. His grip on her arm tightened, and she became conscious of just how near his hand was to her bare skin sticking out from her uniform.

She still didn't want to risk it.

Mara adjusted herself to put as much distance between his hand and her skin, but the bou took note of the opportunity and twisted himself out of her hold. In no time, he had pushed her to the wall and pinned her there with her arm behind her back.

"Shouldn't have let your guard down." She felt his breath just behind her ear, causing a wave of bumps to appear. Amusement laced his voice and Mara wanted nothing more than to wipe that stupid, smug grin off the face of the earth.

"Sure, like this?" She drew her head back harshly and felt his nose cripple under her force.

The boy abruptly let go and Mara quickly turned around. He was reeling back into the railing, and God only knows how long that thing had been standing for.

In most cases, she could less care if she punched someone to the ground. They would have deserve it anyway. But this, was oddly not one of those cases.

So without thinking twice, she reached out her bare hand just in time as the wooden barrier gave way from his weight.

Upon contact, Mara immediately found herself standing in the crumbled building of the Academy with the boy just a few feet away, kneeling at the ruins around him under the falling ashes.