Prologue

"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."

- GK Chesterton

There comes a time in one's life where the decisions you made in the past comes back to haunt your present. This was not one of them. I decided to risk the lives of a few to protect the lives of many. I walked through the court yard where blood was spilled for what people loved and believed in. The ground was tainted red by the blood of those that sacrificed themselves for the greater good. For a better future for our kind and our families. This wasn't what I envisioned but it was what was prophesized. I took the last few steps to the middle of the grounds, aware of the eyes that were following my every movement, waiting for the moment I took what we fought for. Two of the remaining Assembly members looked at me, covered in cuts and bruises, defeat in their eyes. I wasn't at all thrilled with what I had to do. I hated myself for it.

But this was the only way. It was either them or my family, and I will always choose my family. There's no excuse for war, and I wasn't too thrilled with the prospect of signing the death warrants of the people I cared for, but they wanted to join the fight and was willing to risk it all, I just had to support them. I did and we won.

I was taking my rightful place. I stood in front of Sophia and Lucas contemplating letting them live. I've known them my whole life, I just wished they hadn't followed Vincent and Tobias, because all it has brought them was pain and ultimately death. Nothing I did was going to save them. Either I killed them mercifully or Damon was going to kill them slowly and painfully. I wasn't going to let him fall back into that dark place. I lifted the sword I held and aimed it at Sophia. "I'm sorry," I mouthed, swallowing. Sophia looked relieved, like I was putting her out of her misery.

I readied myself to bring the sword down over her head, but a bang from behind me made me spin around. I saw a blur and before I could react I was hit by something hard. The last thing I heard was someone screaming 'no' as my world faded into darkness.