The light was so bright, all I could see were spots dancing in front of me. Was I becoming blind? No, of course not. Then obviously everything would be dark, not this bright. Though if this continued, I would become blind. All I could see was white light so bright, I wouldn't have even been able to see my hand if it was waving right in front of my face. None of my senses were working now that I thought about it. I couldn't feel anything, my sense of smell was blank, my mouth had no taste, and I couldn't hear anything either. I stood there, or sat, blinking several times. I wasn't sure if minutes passed, or hours, but the first sense that returned was my smell. The salt in the air was strong, like I was right by the ocean. I heard it too, the waves crashing. But it wasn't loud, so I was either farther from the coast or the waves weren't that strong. I tried opening my eyes, maybe my sight had returned too. The ocean was right in font of me, I was standing on the beach facing the water. It was beautiful to say the least.

I heard someone clear their throat behind me. I swung around and took a quick step back. Standing before me was a very tall man, oozing power and brutality. His dark hair was shoulder length, and standing massive behind his shoulders were dark, onyx wings. His eyes were hazel and held such ferocity in them that I was taken aback to be the receiver. He looked like someone who was built out of the very elements of the earth and given life. I took another step back and felt the icy cold ocean water sweep over my bare feet. That was when I noticed what he was wearing. It looked like a warriors uniform. Tightly fitting to his body, I could see all his muscles and the several weapons that hung from his calf, thigh, and waist. He had stones, rubies, embedded into his uniform. What their purpose was beyond me. Maybe he liked the decoration, though I doubted it.

"Who are you?" his deep voice vibrated through me. I took a third and final step back.

I opened my mouth to tell him my name, but stopped. What was my name? I looked down to think, I couldn't forget my own name, I had one. Everyone had one. I looked back up at him and shook my head.

"I don't know."

Confusion rippled through his rough hewn face.

"What?" He took a step forward, but I wasn't going to yield any more steps back. "Listen, what is your name?"

I started to panic, my hands felt freezing cold and my feet was numb from the water. My heart was beating so fast, I was sure he could hear it. I think he knew I was alarmed because he raised his arms and faced his palms at me, trying to calm me down.

"I don't know my name!" The stranger took another step forward. "I don't know where I am!" He crossed the space between us and I looked at him, my eyes wide. "Who are you?" He raised his hand and next thing I knew, everything was dark.

I woke to a cold, dark room with a small lamp in the corner which was the only source of light. Beneath me was a hard bench with some blankets to make it a bit softer. I stood up slowly and stretched my legs out and my arms above my head. The room was empty except for a toilet in the far right corner, a chair next to the the lamp, the bench I was laying on, and a door across from the bench. I swallowed and found my throat was dry and itchy. There was s glass of water on the stand next to the lamp but I wasn't going to risk anything. I didn't know where I was or who that man was.

That man! He attacked me! Just as I was remembering what happened, the door opened and the same man from earlier entered. In the small room, he towered over me and took up almost half the space. He crossed over to me in two large strides and stared down at me. I wasn't going to back down. Sure, I didn't know who I was, where I was, who that man was, or what he wanted with me. But I'd be damned before I showed any more signs of weakness.

He signaled to the bench behind me.

"Sit. I need to talk to you." I stood my ground. He attacked me and kidnapped me and now he was going to order me around? I don't think so. Crossing my arms across my chest, I stared back up at him. I felt like a little girl, I came to his chest, max. Maybe if I stood on my tippy toes, I could come to his shoulders but that was a stretch. I lifted my chin stubbornly.

"No." I glared at him as menacingly as I could. "I demand to know where I am and who you are."

He smiled at me but there was no warmth in that smile. "You demand?" That smile turned lethal. "You're in no position to be making any demands."

Damn! He was right and I was starting to get a bit scared. I dropped the stubborn act and sat down as he said. If this was the situation I was in, I would play whatever game he wanted. Maybe then I would have a chance of making out of this, whatever this was, alive.

He glanced at the cup of water on the stand next to me, "Drink! It's just water." I didn't respond, that wasn't important.

"Listen, I'm telling you. I don't know who I am, I don't know what my name is, and I most definitely do not know where I am." I gripped the edge of the bench as hard as I could.

"Please let me go!" I pleaded. He stood before me with his arms crossed over his chest, watching me like he was reading a book. His gaze never wavered from my face and I was squirming under it.

"Tell me what you remember then." He grabbed the chair, placed is directly in front of me and sat down, his eyes watching me like I was the prey the entire time. I felt like a child, sitting to await their punishment for doing something wrong. But I had one thing going for me, I was telling the truth. As long as I told them the truth, I had nothing to fear.

I took a deep breath before starting. "I remember a bright white light. That was all I could see." I knew I was talking fast, but I was nervous, and I wanted him to know I was telling the truth. "I couldn't see, hear, or feel anything. Then I could hear the ocean and finally my vision came back and I was looking at the ocean when you cleared your throat and I turned to you."

He was getting annoyed, I could tell.

"I'm telling the truth I promise! I don't remember anything!"

"Do you know where you are?"

"In a room?" He cocked an eyebrow. No smart assery then. "I don't. I genuinely do not know where I am. I am telling you, I don't remember anything!"

"Do you remember how you got here at least?"

I stared at him hopelessly. I didn't remember anything about myself.

It continued like this for a while, it felt like a few hours but I had no way to be sure. The stranger left after realizing I really had nothing else to offer. Though I told him everything I knew, I was sure he'd come back and I wouldn't be leaving this room anytime soon. But hopefully he'd talk to whoever was in charge and I could leave. I didn't like it here. I don't know how long I was waiting but I started to get tired and fell asleep.

All I could hear was metal crashing into each other. People were crying out and screaming. I could hear… horses? Some animal, they sounded like they were dying and scared. Something was running towards me, I couldn't tell what it was but it was getting closer faster and faster. It was about to crash into me—

I jolted awake. A wave of nausea swept over me so hard, I barely had time to make it to the toilet before I threw up. The cold sweat was causing my hair to stick to my forehead and neck. My hands felt clammy and my legs weak. After I threw up, I moved to sit next to the toilet when I noticed something moving in the far shadows.

"Who's there?" I called out into the shadows. Sure, if there was a murder, they would respond 'Hey, it's just me don't worry about it!'

A tall figure stepped forward. This one was different from the stranger from before. He was wearing a similar suit as the other but instead of rubies, this one had blue stones. Clearly they stood for something, not just decoration.

"Is something the matter?" He glided to me so swiftly, I realized I was still next to the toilet with my back up against the wall. The man before had a rough and intimidating, but warm voice. This one was cold, icy. It felt like the dripping of the inky night.

I shook my head. This was it, this was the person who would end my life. Something glinting in the dark caught my eye. It was a blade, a thin long blade, in the man's hand. I started trembling, the vomiting and the lack of eating took its toll, not to mention the man with a knife in his hand. I closed my eyes. I would not let my fear show through anymore than I already had. I counted to ten, if he wanted to kill me before that, there was nothing I could do. After I finished counting, I let out a long breath and slowly stood up.

"I don't know what you want, but I told the other guy everything I knew." He just stared at me, cold and hard. I knew this wasn't going to be pleasant. If his cold icy glare didn't give it away, the shadow tendrils dancing around his body sure did.

I don't know how many days had passed but I found myself in front of another stranger. The first two men from before were standing on either side of him. I was tired. I didn't know what else I had to offer them.

"So, you don't know what your name is and you don't know where you are. What do you know?" His deep voice was soft, elegant, and graceful. So similar, yet so different from the other two. He had a small smirk playing on his lips and he looked beautiful beyond belief.

"Honestly, I can only remember from that day at the beach when he found me." I indicated to the stranger with the red stones.

"Hmm." His voice was so soft I wasn't even sure I heard he made a sound.

"Wha—" A pain so sharp, so painful rang through my head. I screamed out, clutching my head. It felt like my head was imploding and I was trying to hold it all in together with my hands. I didn't think I could hold the pain any longer, but thankfully I sunk into oblivion.

I was lying on the floor of the same damn room. I don't think I was ever going to leave this room. The same three men from before were there, though the one I was talking to was crouched above me. He offered my hand, and helped me up back onto the bench.

"What did you do to me? How long was I out?" I whispered. It was the most amount of pain I had ever experienced in my life. Whatever limited memories I had of it.

"Two minutes, barely. You're telling the truth." He looked at me like I had three heads growing out of my body.

"I know!" I raised my voice and looked at all of them. "I've been telling you this for a while now. But you're all too thick to listen."

The stranger with the red stones opened his mouth to say something and took a step forward but the stranger, the beautiful one, held his hand up and he stopped.

"You have to understand, we don't know who you are. You don't even know who you are. You could be someone intending to attack us." I couldn't stay upset. They were right, I was a complete stranger to them and for all they knew I was here to attack them. Maybe this one was more reasonable.

"I understand but please think of it from my point of view." He had to understand, he had to let me go. "I don't know who I am, I am in a strange city. Three strange men who apparently have made their life mission to torture me have essentially kidnapped me and held me hostage."

He chuckled, the other two behind him stood like statues. Though I could've sworn I saw the red stone guy's lips twitch.

"No. I know what you're thinking and no."

"Please! I can't live like this. This isn't fair to me. You've condemned me without even knowing anything about me or me having done anything." He sighed. I felt a bit of hope rising in me.

"Let me leave this hell— room." I corrected myself. "Have someone keep an eye on me. But I am not going to be able to remember or find out who I am sitting in this room like a duck."

"Ducks don't just sit around doing nothing." The warrior stranger smirked. I ignored him, letting him rise me up won't get me out of here.

"Please." That was all I had left in me, I didn't know what else to do. My mystery was a danger to them, I understood that but I couldn't continue like this and stay sane.

"Fine, but there are rules." I smiled, my heart beating faster every second. I could see my freedom, I was close I just needed to keep it together for a little while.

"We're going to meet every week so I can get an update on your… situation." He nodded to the one with icy cold demeanor, "If you step one toe out of line, we'll know. And it won't be good."

"Okay, I promise, every week." I smiled.

"My name is Rhysand." He smiled and extended his hand for me to shake. All of that made absolutely no sense to me but I was about to be let go from this hole. For all I cared, he could've told me his name was blah.

"Hi." I smiled back at him, careful to not show my excitement too much. Though I figured he already knew seeing as he could read my mind.

The stranger with the blue stones walked over to me.

"Azriel." He didn't extend his hand for me to shake or smile. I didn't care, I smiled at him anyway and extended my own hand to him. I didn't care that he was icy and brandished a knife in my face. I was about to be free and that was all that mattered to me.

"Hi!" He looked at me hand and at my face, trying to read me and finally, after what seemed like five minutes, shook my hand. His hand was covered in scar tissue. It looked like his hand had been mauled and ripped, burned then healed. From how he carried himself, it didn't seem to hurt him, and I was about to be free. That was all that was going through my mind. I looked up at him and smiled once more before looking to the last stranger. The warrior with the red stones.

Rhysand and Azriel left the room, so I assumed the third one was who would let me out of here. I walked over to him lot more confidently than I had felt when I first met him

"Hi." I said extending my arm for the third time.

"I'm Cassian." He shook my hand and I was surprised to find it warm and unsurprisingly, strong. "Just so you know, I still don't trust you and if I had it my way, you wouldn't leave this room until we knew everything about you."

He turned on his heels without another word and walked out the door. I took it as my order to follow him. I caught up to him in the hallway and managed to keep his pace which was quite fast. Inconsiderate prick. Inconsiderate prick who was about to take me out to my freedom.

"So, are you going to show me around?" I asked casually.

"No, I'm going to drop you off where I found you. Navigate yourself around." He grinned at me wolfishly. Fine, if this was how he wanted to be, two can play at that game.

"Fine, drop me off the roof of a building for all I care. As long as I never have to see you again."

"My pleasure."

"You prick!" I shouted. That bastard! He literally dropped me on the rooftop of the building next a river along the city paths. After we left the building, he picked me up and flew me over the city. I couldn't breathe the entire time we were flying, the city was the most beautiful, inviting, loving thing I've ever seen. I was enjoying the flying, it was exhilarating. Until the bastard, Cassian, dropped me on the roof top of a cream colored building and flew away laughing.