CHAPTER ONE
The room was silent at first, too silent, the type of silence that makes you hear every damn thing, until the sound of a knife tearing through flesh ripped the air apart.
Her eyes widened. She didn't breathe. She clung to the wooden frame of the door, trembling, her small nails digging into the wood until it started bleeding.
The first thing she saw was the hand. A woman's hand. Pale, slender, the nails painted blood red as if mocking what was about to happen. The knife glistened under the dim light, then it came down with a force that shook Athena's little body.
Thud.
Her father's groan filled the room.
Again.
Thud.
Blood sprayed, hot and sharp, painting the woman's skin and soaking her dress. She laughed, oh God, she laughed, as if every stab was satisfying. She straddled his body like some nightmare creature, raising the knife again and again, each strike deeper than the last one.
Little Athena's heart thudded so violently she thought the sound would give her away. She pressed her palm against her mouth, biting down on her hand, forcing herself not to cry or make a sound. Tears blurred her vision, but she couldn't look away. Her eyes stayed glued to the scene Infront of her.
One last stab. This one sank in with a sound that would haunt her forever.
The body stopped moving. The room smelled of blood, and it's suffocating.
The woman stood, breathing heavily, her lips curved into a smile that didn't belong to a human. She tilted her head slowly, like she was listening to something only she could hear, then released a low chuckle that made Athena's stomach twist.
Her heels clicked against the bloody floor, and Athena's whole body shook when the woman turned toward her room. Step by step, the shadow grew bigger on the wall.
Athena quickly hid in a corner as the woman's figure loomed dangerously close.
She bit harder into her hand, praying, begging silently in her heart.
The door creaked open.
Athena's heart stopped.
The woman's shadow fell across the floor, stretching long, stretching wide… until the door finally closed again.
For a long, suffocating moment, only silence remained.
After little Athena was sure the woman had already left, she crawled forward, her little knees slipping in the blood. She moved closer, trembling, until her eyes locked on the man lying lifeless.
Her father.
Blood pooled around him. His mouth hung slightly open. And his eyes, God, his eyes were still wide, staring right at her.
Dead. Cold. Unblinking.
Athena stumbled back, a strangled gasp breaking free. Those eyes didn't just stare at her, they followed her. Mocking her. Condemning her. Burning into her memory forever.
She muttered with trembling lips as tears blurred her vision.
"It'...s my… fault."
"I…I… shou…should have stopped it." She muffled into her hands as she cried silently.
Athena's body jerked upright, her breath catching like she had been drowning.
Her chest rose and fell too fast, her night gown soaked in her sweat. She pressed a shaky hand against her neck, trembling so hard she thought her bones might crack apart. Her heart refused to calm down, it banged against her ribs like it was still trapped in that nightmare.
For a moment, she couldn't tell where she was. The shadows in her room looked too much like the ones from her dream, stretching across the walls. Her throat was dry, and when she tried to swallow, it hurt.
Her fingers curled into her blanket, her knuckles white for how tightly she gripped it. She kept seeing it. The blood dripping, her father's eyes staring. Those lifeless eyes that wouldn't leave her.
She squeezed her own eyes shut, shaking her head to make the vision disappear but when she open her eyes again,she saw his dead eyes again. She shut her eyes quickly, whispering to herself, It's not real. Not again. It's not real.
When she finally forced herself to look around, the dim light of her bedroom greeted her. The pale curtains. The messy desk shoved against the corner. Her school bag that is still sitting on the chair where she left it.
It was just her room. Safe. Empty.
Her breath steadied little by little, though her body was still trembling as if the nightmare had followed her out of sleep. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and let out a shaky breath.
Her alarm buzzed suddenly on the nightstand, sharp and annoying. She jumped, her heart skipping again, before she realized what it meant.
School.
She muttered a curse under her breath.
She exhaled slowly, trying to calm her pounding heart in her chest. Just another morning. Just another day of pretending everything was fine.
Athena pushed the blanket off her legs and sat on the edge of the bed, her feet touching the cold floor. She rubbed her hands together, willing the tremble away, and whispered under her breath like a reminder, "It was just a dream."
But deep down, she knew it wasn't just a dream. It never was.
Athena dragged herself into the bathroom after a while,she pulled her uniform from the chair. Her hands moved automatically, buttoning the shirt, straightening the skirt, slipping on her socks like her body had done it a hundred times without thinking. The mirror caught her face when she brushed her hair back and braid it into two. She pressed her lips together with no expression on her face. Blank as usual.
She packed her small school bag, the one that always clung to her lower back, and slung it over her shoulder. Before leaving the room, she stopped in front of the mirror again. For a long second, she just stared. The same girl looked back at her blank, silent, tired. No matter how long she looked, nothing changed.
She turned away.
Downstairs, the house was just as quiet as ever, big but hollow, like even the walls refused to talk. Even though her mother was nowhere to be found as usual, she had more important things to do, like managing the company, taking care of her skin, new clothes, bags, shoes and all.
Athena wasn't really surprised when she didn't see her this morning,she had always lived like that ever since her dad died or rather, was killed. She had endured neglection, abandonment for eleven years so this is nothing compared to what she went through.
Her shoes clicked softly against the polished floor as she walked through the hallway and headed for the front door.
When she stepped outside, the morning air brushed her skin. Her driver was already waiting. He stood straight beside the sleek black car, dressed perfectly in his uniform, every line sharp and clean.
As soon as he saw her, he gave a small bow.
Athena only glanced at him, her eyes dull, her face unreadable. A blank, exhausted look was all she had to give.
He didn't say anything. Instead, he quietly opened the car door for her. She slipped inside without a word, the school bag pressed against her back as she leaned into the seat.
The door shut softly behind her, and the car began to move.
After what felt like hours, The school gate appeared.
After the car stopped, Athena opened the door by herself and didn't bother waiting for the driver to come open the door for her.
The school corridor was already noisy when Athena walked in, her bag still clinging to her lower back.
"Whitehead!" a girl shouted from behind.
Athena didn't turn. She had heard it too many times to care.
They called her that because of her hair, the unusual white color that never blended in with anyone else. She always tied it in two long braids or one, but it didn't help. Her hair still drew eyes, reaching past her waist, brushing under her butt. It was the first thing people noticed about her, and the first thing they used to mock her but actually, she cared less.
"Whitehead!" the girl called again, louder this time.
Athena kept walking.
Before she could process what was happening, a rough hand shoved her from behind. She stumbled forward and hit the cold floor of the corridor hard, her palms smacking against the tiles. The sound echoed, followed by the laughter and mummering of a few students standing around.
Athena pushed her hair away from her face and tried to get up, but three girls stepped out in front of her, blocking the way. Another stood behind, her shadow falling over Athena like a warning.
She ignored them. She moved to stand anyway, she wasn't ready for any kind of drama this early morning.
But before she knew it,one of them pressed her shoe down on Athena's hand. The sharp heel dug into her skin, pinning her to the floor.
Athena's face twisted, but she didn't make a sound. Not even a hiss. She wasn't going to give them the satisfaction, not now, not ever.
Her silence only made the girls angrier.
"Still acting tough?" the one with her foot on Athena's hand sneered, pressing down harder.
Athena clenched her jaw and stared at the floor, her expression blank, her body trembling slightly but still no sound came from her lips.
The laughter around them grew sharper.