8 YEARS AGO ⥼

The endless flurry of snow was at it's thickest at that time of year. The Helsinki institute was overflowing with shadowhunters escaping the harsh winter. I can remember some of the face, most strong, but all painted with the runes. I can remember sitting with a pen as I drew each rune on the back of my hand. My father would tell me that one had to learn every rune in case of a need, but at that young age, I hardly listened.

"Emmi?" My older brother, Elias, whispered as he slipped into my bedroom on the top floor. The walls were white-washed and covered in pen marks from my colourful childhood. Compared to the other institutes, we were more of a hotel than a home. Nobody stayed for long, hence the lack of comforts and the lack of wealth for decorative rooms. "Will you come and train with me?" He finished, dropping beside my small frame with a hopeful smile.

Even at that age, I knew who my Parabatai was fated to be. The Parabatai bond is a sacred thing, something every shadowhunter hopes for. But that bond must be created before turning nineteen. Elias knew as well as I did that we'd sooner die for each other than see us parted. That was our parabatai bond.

I gave a small nod to the words of the elder sibling, his face brightening to an extreme as he leaped up and snatched my smaller hand. At that point, my body was still fairly bare. The runes I had draw were the simple, regular runes that helped my training. But I was drowning in the anticipation to add to that collection.

The training room was a large, wood paneled box with large wooden sticks lining one wall. Eli grabbed the sticks first, throwing one in my direction as we took our positions. The two sticks, smaller than the rest to fit the demands of children, still towered above my height at that time.

His frame lurched forward, thrusting the stick in my direction. I smacked it away with ease. He moved again, tapping at my leg with the stick before I leaped back. A grin moved onto the face of my older brother who gave a small laugh.

"I don't like all of these new faces." Eli groaned. His guard lowered giving me a chance to strike. My stick lowered, swinging the wooden pole that took his feet out from beneath him.

"I know, Eli." I sighed. Dropping to the ground beside him, his frame came to lean against my own. "Why does this have to happen around Christmas?" I added, throwing an arm around his shoulder. His head drooped against my frame with a sigh.

"Christmas is supposed to be for family. Shadowhunter or not." He whimpered. I gave a nod, shrugging his weight off before I stumbled back to my feet. A loud noise drew our attention.

"What the-"

"How did they get in?" We heard a familiar voice shout from where we were stood. "Where are Eli and Emmi?" The voice shouted again. It was mother.

I ran forward, tugging the door open with the large stick in my other hand.

"Mother, whats going on?" I snapped. Two frames span around with anxiety painting their face. Her frame tugged at my arm, Elias running after with his fingers curling around my wrist. "Mum?" I repeated.

Her head shook as she dragged the two children down the corridor.

"Elias. You take your sister to the mirror." She commanded. Elias froze, realising the situation almost instantly. His head began to shake wildly with tears filling in his eyes. "Eli, this isn't open to debate." She snapped.

My father came running around the corridor with a stream of blood trickling from his brow.

"Sofia, they need to go now." He snapped. His frame tore me from the ground, planting a gentle kiss upon my brow before he pushed me toward the dark corridor. Elias took my hand with tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Mum, whats going on?" I cried, turning my body as we began to move. Elias ran down the corridors with my frame trailing behind. "Eli, I don't understand." I whimpered.

"Just come on." He sniffed. I turned my head once more, my orbs finding the sight of my mother deep in combat with a demon. Elias froze. My frame hitting into his figure with a thump. "Emmi," He whispered beneath his breath. "Run."

Elias' fingers releasing my wrist as he began to sprint. A tall, ominous figure stood in the corridor. Elias dipped around his frame with ease, leaving my 11 year old self alone. The tall figure released a small laugh, his orbs caught on my nervous figure.

"Come here love, I wont hurt you." He growled, taking a shuffle in my direction. I stood my ground, watching my brother stop in his tracks as he heard the voice of the man. At the side of my boot lay the knife that always rested there. I could feel the twitch as I waited for the right time to claim it.

"You leave my sister alone." Elias screeched as he leaped onto the tall man's back. That was my queue. My frame snapped down as I tore the blade from my boot and joined my older brother. The man stumbled back, smacking Elias' small frame against the wall with a loud groan of pain escaping the child's lips. My knife sunk in instantly. The blade sinking deep in his hip causing his frame to hunch over in agony. Elias wriggle down, joining at my side with his hands removing the blade from the stranger.

The stranger lurched forward with arms stretched toward my brother. "Don't you touch my brother." I hissed, kicking the hands away. A twirling blade lodged between the man's eyes in a split second. His frame lighting up in an orange light before he slipped into nothing in a puff of dust.

"Run." A voice ordered in a yell, and we obeyed. My fingers snatched the vacant blade from the floor before we began to run down the corridor. Watching my older brother struggle from his smash against the wall, my arm snapped around his frame for support.

In a small storage room, A large mirror lay against the wall. As soon as the door slammed shut, the mirror began to change. The reflective pane turned a flickering shade of purple. Weight began to bash against the door, sending a shiver through my small frame.

"Come on." I shouted. I tugged at my older brother's frame as he limped through the room. We went tumbling through the mirror and appeared in another place.

"Where are we?" I whispered from our position, sprawled on the floor of a large room. The floors were laminate, with lavished walls and large windows. I could hear the mutters from all directions, and I could feel the runes beneath the floor boards.

The door of the room flung open. Four pairs of eyes falling upon the Virtanen siblings.
"Mum!" One of the children screeched. The tallest, most likely the eldest, child raised his clenched fists with his eyes upon us. I shook my head, curling my arms around my elder brother as he sat silent at my side. I could feel the pain through his tight frame.

Another woman came sprinting through the door, knocking the children aside with a fiery expression.
"Who are you? How did you get here?" She snapped, stalking toward us with the appearance of a drill master.

"Our names are Emilia and Elias Virtanen." I mumbled. She froze instantly. Her eyes scanning our frames as her face softened. "Our home was attacked." I finished. I felt my brother as his weight drooped against my frame with heavily closed eyes.

"Alec, help me with Elias." The woman said, gesturing for the tallest boy to come closer. The two came to my side, taring my brother away leaving me bare. "Isabelle, take Emilia and find her a room."

The remaining female looked toward me with a growing smile across her lips. "Come with me." She said with a grin. The two boys beside her came scuffling behind. "My name is Izzy, that's my litte brother, Max. And that is Jace." She finished with a nod. Her fingers curled around my hand as she began to skip through the halls.

"Where are we?" I whispered.

"New York, obviously." She laughed as if I were stupid. I felt myself choking back the emotions. I had been in Finland not five minutes earlier. I was thousands of miles away from any home that I had.

"Why?"
"My home is in Finland."