Chapter 1: No Music in Solitude

Six months.

Six months it has been, since the war ended; since the death of Valentine Morgenstern; since Clarissa Morgenstern chose Jace Herondale over everything. It has been six months since Jace had seen Clary; since he had held her in his arms; since he had told her he loved her, and she returned the words he had hoped to hear.

Because of her unique gift for creating new runes, Clarissa was insisted to stay in Idris to create the new wards, for the Glass Towers, that had been torn down during the battle for Idris. Clary had eagerly agreed; she loved Idris. But Jace was not allowed to remain in Idris for the inquisitor feared her distraction. He had to return to the institute, which he reluctantly did after Clary asked him to go quietly. She assured him that she would be home "to him" soon.

Now it has been six months with no contact to Idris whatsoever and Jace has been the loneliest he has ever been. He was around his family, the Lightwoods, but at the same time, he was alone. Isabelle had Simon; Alec had Magnus; Maryse had her husband, Robert; and even Clary's mother Jocelyn had her love, Luke. Everyone tried their best to make him feel better, but no matter how hard they tried, Jace always felt like a third wheel.

He, starting months before, began keeping more and more to himself, even more than how normally was, which caused the others to worry. Jace spent most of his time wearing himself out training, torturing himself into boredom in the library, or alone on the roof. Maryse Lightwood was upset most by the change if only because of the silence.

There was never that many people in the institute. Simon and Isabelle generally kept to themselves and Alec almost never there anyways, so the silence was not necessarily from the lack of people noise, but from the lack of music flowing through the Institute's halls.

Maryse used to come home everyday to the soft sound of Jace on the piano. The music would flow from his fingers through the institute and bring a sense of happiness and peace to the stone citadel. She could walk up to the library and just stand at the door and watch Jace sit up straight, relaxed at the piano and watch his hands glide gracefully along the keys with his eyes closed with skill, his slim fingers producing music throughout the whole room. He would actually appear at peace; full of passion. Maryse could actually smile at the peacefulness of her son.

But now, the silence was almost disturbing; nerve-racking. Maryse walked up the stairs with half hopes, but as she approached the library doors, as always she found them closed before her; no sound flowing through the doors at all.

Maryse pushed open the oak doors and found the room totally silent, the windows closed to the beautiful day, the sun shining through the red curtains, casting a bright red glow on the carpet. She walked in and uncovered the piano. Running her fingers along the flat top and keys, a layer of dust stuck to her skin.

Maryse sighed deeply, recovered the piano, and pulled the oak doors closed behind her after taking one last longing look towards the instrument that used to bring so much peace to Jace Herondale.

She walked downstairs again and approached the training room. She already knew that that was where Jace was going to be, but the sounds of the high intensity training Jace has been putting himself through confirmed her assumptions.

There Jace was, as Maryse looked in the window to the gym from the hallway, shirtless and in a comfortable pair of sweatpants, pounding with all his might on a hanging, sand-filled, punching bag, He seemed so angry, physically punishing himself, but Maryse knew her son better than that.

She was his mother in all but blood and she could tell that Jace had not slept well or been happy in months; the hollows of his longing expression along told her that. And she knew exactly what was holding him back. He missed the girl he loved; he missed Clarissa Morgenstern. It had been too long since he had contact with her. Maryse knew exactly what it was like to be in love and then be separated. She knew Jace and Clary's story and held it close to her heart; she knew everything they had gone through. Their separation had happened so quick, they hadn't even had the time to be at peace with each other in their hearts.

Maryse turned to leave her son in peace, hoping that he may find some soon, and Jace noticed the movement in the window. He turned with inhuman speed to watch her leave. Jace let out a deep sigh and returned to the sand bag. His hands dripped blood from the excessive pounding and his muscles screamed at him to stop, but this training, this pain, was the only release he had from the constant stream of thoughts he had about a certain flame-haired Morgenstern.