Chapter 1: In Your Absence

A cure for death within the Mai race sparked an adverse reaction similar to rabies infecting hundreds of innocent Mai with malicious side effects. The reaction started slowly with bantam black outs that lasted a maximum of an hour. By day three, the infection turned for the worst embedding a new gene that not only altered physical features around the eyes but morphed canines into sharper more catlike form. At the end of the week the people that were once loved by many, cherished in the center of their community were lost.

Alek had to step away from the presentation that kept giving out facts that he had experienced firsthand, that presentation did not explain how painful it was for the person being genetically altered or how stupid these scientist had been to think it would work. In his opinion Mai were born a certain way and they were not supposed to be changed, fixed, or altered.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" A soft, comforting arm wrapped around his shoulders. He glanced behind him to see the girl with short brown hair, and warm light brown eyes behind him. "Alek…" She whispered, about to get in one of her jealous fits. "I don't know what to say except it's been three years since the accident."

"Stop." Alek told her, pulling away from her touch. "Amanda" He put his hand up, "I love you. I am with you, and forgive me for not thinking of the mother of my daughter!"

"You mean the biological mother of your daughter, Courtney views me as her mother." Amanda nearly growled, "She doesn't know that monster, and forgive me if I hope she never does." Amanda turned to go back inside to finish the presentation, "And we both know you weren't thinking of her as the mother of your daughter."

Courtney Petrov was beautiful in every aspect, she had long untamed curly blonde hair with tints of red in it. It was an understatement to say that she was the subject of Alek's world that kept spinning, and spinning no matter how much was put on his plate. There were complications when it came to Courtney, the first year she progressed like a normal child although Chloe had become infected within the first few months after Courtney's birth. After that Alek found it better to move on fast, that's how he met Amanda. They fell in love and concocted a story that erased Chloe from Courtney's life, it was safer that way. The next year, Courtney started growing rapidly, she became more advanced until just recently she stopped at sixteen. Her rates are monitored frequently between Valentina and the Mai doctors, but everything appeared normal except for the fact that Courtney was as rebellious as her real mother. Alek was in a mental havoc, and he would be lying if he said he did not miss Chloe every single second of every day.

He turned to face the windows, and watched all the adult Mai stand up and shake each other's hands as if this was not a complete waste of time. "Alek" Jasmine said with a sad look on her face, "it's okay to come inside now."

"I miss her." Alek said, "And I keep waiting for the day where this is too much to take but I'm still here." That's my problem. Jasmine walked out and stood beside him not saying a word until his words sunk in.

"You know what really aggravates me?" Jasmine said suddenly but did not wait for an answer, "That you stand in front of me and talk about her like she is dead."

"Jasmine, you know I don't mean to say it like that…" Alek said as Jasmine gripped the railing, "But she's gone."

Jasmine shook her head, "Everyone may have given up on Chloe but I believe that she is still the Uniter! I'll scream it from this position right now!" She opened her mouth to scream what she believed but Alek quickly put his hand over her mouth.

"Do not give these people false hope, they've been through enough tragedy." Alek said with a firm frown on his face, "When are you leaving again?"

"What's the rush on pushing me out of your life again? I'm not Paul or Amy, Alek…I'm stronger than you even if you don't want to admit it." Jasmine was hitting old wounds with the dull blade of her words. "You think- no you believe that everything will work out for you if you erase Chloe, but the past always comes back to get you."

"If I didn't know better I would say you were cursing me."

Jasmine opened her mouth to say something like "I'm not cursing you…blah, blah, blah" but it never came out, she was no longer in the mood to be nice to Alek. He'd destroyed everything Chloe had built in his fury. He'd ruined his connections with her friends and family. His girlfriend had destroyed Chloe's reputation, she was probably the number one reason no one believed in Chloe anymore and those that did kept it quiet. "She loved you." Jasmine said, stabbing his heart finally. "She loved you more than anything and you've destroyed her. I don't know who is more lost, Chloe or the weak boy that is in front of me."

"Shut up, Jasmine!" Alek said finally infuriated, "Why don't you just leave again like you did when Chloe got sick?"

"Don't you dare throw that up in my face!" Jasmine slapped him, "I finally had the chance of a lifetime and I came back! I let it all go down the drain for you! For my friend! If you're trying to make me feel guilty for living my life than you look at yourself. You moved on in a matter of months from Chloe."

"I had to do what was best for Courtney!"

"Lie?" Jasmine screamed as she swung open the door, "You dream of being half the man you used to be! You are just a shadow of a good guy that used to be. It is evident that a lot more than Chloe vanished."