She had to continue running. She couldn't stop, not and with them behind her. Her pulse was echoing in her ears as she was making her way up the next dune. All of a sudden the hot sand beneath her feet disappeared, being replaced with the emptiness of the air.

"I got you." - said her chaser. She still couldn't make out almost anything about him, aside from that breathy, rusty voice. It was almost like he hadn't drunk anything in years.

She could feel something holding on her throat, almost chalking her.

"Ayanna, Ayanna, Ayanna..."

"Do it!" - she heard the voice in her head louder than ever. - "Ayanna, do it! I know you want to. You are strong enough, to finish him before he finishes you."

"No... , no this is not what we agreed on." - she whispered out loud.

"What did you agree on, little one?" - her chaser chimed in. - "You havin' problems with ya little friend?"

Now she was definitely chocking.

"I know you want to see the life leave his body. Finish him before you're finished!"

She couldn't breathe. Her vision was starting to get disy.

Ayanna tried to take in a deep breath and woke up suffocating.

It didn't matter anymore that it was just a dream, she was awake and couldn't breathe. Her mind went in all directions - from I'm dying to considering praying, until seconds later everything normalized and she could inhale again.

She shook her head. "This is getting out of hand."

"Tell me about it... You okay?"

"What is that I hear, the god of evil caring about someone else, but himself? No way!" - she rolled her eyes, before closing them and trying to make herself comfortable again.

"You've seen my thoughts, yet you still have quite the expectations about me."

"You say it like it's not true."

If you could mentally raise an eyebrow, she would've.

"Okay, maybe I'm a little self-centered and narcissistic, but at least I don't have as high self esteem as śomé gods."

Uh-huh, right.

"Ayanna, it's going to be okay. The escape is tomorrow, you'll be safe."

"You think so? " - all kinds of scenes were playing in her head on loop. - "They want to kill all godlings, yeah, but they specifically need my blood."

"It's not -"

"No, it's your fault! They need the blood of active hosts of the five Demon Days and they already have three on their hands! When dad "retired" from dealing with you, you could've picked anyone, Set! Anyone!"

"Look who's thinking only about themselves now." - he teased her.

"Not. Helping."

Ayanna got out of bed, and walked out on the terrace, her eyes drifting towards the fire from the dinning table that Xerald and his minions lit up in the pool downstairs.

"Thank gods I managed to get Philip out of there on time." - she thought.

"Your welcome."

"Oh, shut up!... I'm going to think about how to help everyone else once I'm not in danger myself. I can't really help them if I'm dead, right?"

A group of magicians were escaping the Brooklyn House in a couple of hours - initiates, teachers, godlings...

"...Cyd?"

"Shut up! Ugh."

Yeah, Cyd. And what was left from the infamous "Brooklyn House Fast Reacting Team". But hey, they were still leaving after midnight, which made it a new day, right? And with new days, come new begginings.

"At least I hope that one is going to be good."

"Me too, kid, me too."