I pressed my hands over my ears, but I could still hear the horrible sounds of the creature's flesh ripping. With every terrible snarl and agonizing groan, the wish to not be here grew stronger. I was laying next to Sara, now. Even though she was injured, she took a protective stance over me.

With each gut-wrenching sound, the groans and pleas for help got quieter. Before long, there was silence. I peeked at the beast and the mutilated creature. My stomach started to turn and I was unable to look anymore. The sight was too much for me to possibly bear.

I could hear the bones popping and snapping back into place as the shifter returned to it's original form. I forced myself to sit up and take a good look. I had to be sure of who it was...

Brianna.

Her straight, black hair fell down her back, and wrapped around her like a blanket. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the moonlight as her fierce green eyes darted between Sara and myself. For a moment I figured that she was going to come after us next. I managed to knock Sara down and stand in front of her. No way was I going to let her take my punishment.

She scoffed. "Don't make me save you again."

"Why did you save me in the first place, Brianna?" I wasn't in the mood for games, I wanted the truth and nothing less. She had no reason to save me. Even if I am her sister...

"Because," the moon reflected off her perfect teeth, "I'm the only one who gets the pleasure of killing you." Her laugh was cold and heartless, which fed my anger.

"Get out of here, Brianna. Our battle isn't going to be today." It came out as a whisper, but she could tell there was power behind my words.

"You don't have to tell me twice." With that, she shifted and took off for the woods.

I fell to my knees. She wasn't my sister anymore. She was turning into something else entirely. I couldn't sense the old Brianna in her like I could the last time we saw one another. This time all I felt was pure rage.

I hadn't noticed that I was crying till Sara handed me a tissue. I smiled and accepted it without a word. I got up and went to grab my bag. Sara was pretty beat up, but it wasn't anything life-threatening. Just a few cuts and bruises, that's all. I touched my neck and winced. It was still tender.

We made our way to my house in silence. Neither of us spoke. We were both consumed in our own thoughts. There was no need for useless chitchat. I was still too freaked out to climb up to my window, so we walked in the front door. My parents had been in bed for at least two hours by now.

I collapsed onto the couch and let out a huff of air. I knew we were in a rush, but I wanted nothing more than to relax. I kept thinking about Sara. She never did answer me when I asked who she was. She never answered any of my questions, really.

"Cassie, I really think we should get-"

"Shut up." I had decided that I wasn't going to take orders from her till I knew exactly who she was.

"Excuse you?" Her tone was harsh. Extremely harsh. But, I didn't care.

"You heard me. Sit down. We're not leaving till I know who you are." I wasn't looking at her, but I could tell she was angry. I could feel her gaze, but I ignored it.

"That is NO way for you to talk to your superior, Cassandra." Yeah, she was pissed.

"Would you shut up about this 'superior' crap? If you haven't noticed, I couldn't care less right now. Since that's out of the way, I want to know everything there is to know about you. Starting with that guy back there." I was sitting up now. We were both glaring at each other. Finally, she took her seat, but didn't break her glare.

"My name is Sarathena Tanaka. I was born and raised right in this very town. I used to be an assassin," she smirked, "but, not anymore. Unfortunately, I screwed up. I killed the wrong guy. Before that day, killing was as easy as blinking. The second I ended his life, everything changed."

I watched her closely as she spoke. I could tell that the memory was painful, but I didn't interrupt her. It was vital that I knew who she was before I went anywhere with her. Even if it was upsetting.

"I didn't go back to our hideout that night. Instead, I took off. I traveled for three years before finally returning here. Now, being an assassin, I made quite a few enemies. One of which you know."

"Creighton." I whispered. She shook her head and fixed her gaze on her hands.

"The man I killed that night was his brother. Even though I feel horrible for doing it, guilt can't replace a loved one. Creighton promised that he'd get revenge. The man who attacked us tonight was sent by him." She shuddered, "If Brianna hadn't shown up-"

"Don't talk about Brianna." I cut her off, "She wasn't saving my life, she was prolonging my death. My sister isn't in that body anymore. In that body lies a vicious monster who wants me dead." I sighed. Even though it was true, those words still stung when I said them.

We sat there in silence for a while after that. I'm not sure if Sara was shocked at what I said or if she agreed. Either way, neither of us moved.

I rested my head on the arm of the couch and sorted through everything. We had to get out of here, and fast. I figured that I'd leave my parents a note, and make sure I pack what I needed. It was all about the necessities, now. I wasn't even sure if I should bring my phone with me...

Sara interrupted my thoughts when she cleared her throat. I glanced at the wall clock and decided to start packing. I climbed up the stairs and into my room, grabbing my backpack on the way. I shoved all my clothes into it and a few pairs of sandals. I went ahead and packed my phone, just in case.

After I was completely ready, I stared at myself in the mirror. I looked pale. More so than usual. I let out a huff of air, and met with Sara in the kitchen.

"You sure do pack a lot of food, Sara." I spoke, while watching her pile everything into a huge bag. Did she have that before?

"You can never be too prepared, Cassie. I don't know how long it's going to take for us to get settled, so it's best that we bring whatever we can." She looked up, and smiled. She seemed so sweet and harmless. Not the kind of person I would have pegged for an assassin.

Before I knew it, we were flying through the woods. I began to feel uneasy at the thought of running into Brianna while out here, but I ignored it. It's best not to get too caught up in things like that.

Out of nowhere, dense fog began to fill the trees. It was next to impossible to see. A sickening feeling washed over me, and I found myself unable to move. I was frozen in terror... why?

"Cassandra..." The word was whispered through the fog, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from. My gut clenched when I realized that I didn't see Sara anymore.

"W-who's there?" My voice wavered.

"Don't be afraid, Cassandra..." The disembodied voice came again, this time it was behind me.

"SARA!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Arms wrapped around me, making me unable to move. I let out a shrill shriek, terrified for my life. Sara was nowhere to be seen, and whatever was whispering beyond the trees finally reached me. I went to scream again, when a hand was pressed against my mouth. I lost feeling in my legs at that point.

I closed my eyes, admitting defeat. I knew there was no way for me to escape such a strong grasp.

"Cassie, open your eyes. I need you to look at me." Was that Sara?

Slowly, I looked up at her. Her tight grasp was keeping me from shaking. I realized that it was her who had been holding me. I looked around, and, to my surprise, there was no fog. Everything was... normal.

"S..." I couldn't speak. My throat felt as if I had just swallowed sand. I attempted to cough, but the pain was too much.

"Don't say anything. We need to get out of here, Cassie." Her eyes narrowed as she looked at a nearby tree. I didn't hesitate for a moment. I was on my feet before she was, but she grabbed my hand to stop me.

"Can you shift?" I shook my head. I was the only one in my family who hadn't been able to shift yet. Her face twisted as she processed this and she tapped at her temple. "You're going to have to ride on my back."

Sara's flesh began to rip as her bones readjusted themselves, revealing her new form. She was solid white, just like her hair. Her body shook as she stretched, before nudging the bags to my feet. I promptly picked them up and slid the strap over her head.

I climbed onto her back and dug my hands into her long, soft fur. I placed my feet underneath her hind legs, and let her know that I was ready. Instantly, we were flying through the air at an amazing speed. It was nothing I had ever experienced before. I mean, yeah, I could run fast as it is, but nothing like this.

The wind whipped at my face, and my hair danced with it. I felt so free and light. It was so soothing. I forgot about everything. All I could think of was the smell of the forest and the wind whistling around me.

There was no way to tell how much time had passed. I wasn't sure if I was awake or not, but I could feel our speed decreasing. I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. We were still in dense forest, but this place seemed calmer. I didn't have the overwhelming feeling to run like I did before.

I filled my lungs with the scent around me. I was on the ground, now. Sara had just finished shifting and was back to her normal self. She sat next to me and took in the scenery. We were sitting in the middle of a gorgeous grove. The ground glowed with predawn light, and the dew sprinkled off the trees.

The beauty of the place took away my words. I couldn't speak. All I could do was sit there in awe.

"Cassie, are you alright?" Sara's words were soft, as if she were speaking to a young child.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You took quite a fall back there." I fell? When?

"Don't worry about me, Sara. Just focus on the trees around us. Aren't they beautiful?" Sara's look worried me. She wrinkled her brow and looked around before turning back to me.

She placed her hand over mine and spoke kindly. "Cassandra, this place was a victim of a fire. There are no trees here."

I looked up and finally saw what she was talking about. Searing pain coursed through my skull. I covered my head, trying to keep it from exploding. My vision blurred and I began to cry. It was too much to bear. I blinked away the tears and forced myself to look around me. It was burned down. Everything was burned to a crisp.

It was horrifyingly similar to where I first met Creighton.

I fell back, still clasping my hands to my head. I was in so much pain, I wanted to vomit. My ears were ringing and I could feel the heat radiating from my skin. Slowly, every part of my body felt as if it were being torn off.

I couldn't take it anymore; I let loose a bloodcurdling scream. As soon as the sound escaped my lips, my vision went red. I couldn't see clearly, but I had the worst pain in my chest.

I attempted to push myself off the ground, but was forced down. I looked up and could make out Sara's figure. Why was she holding me down?

"She's trying to kill you, Cassie." The malicious voice whispered through my thoughts. It touched the pain in my chest and began to soothe it. "Don't let her kill you first." I nodded my head to the unknown voice.

The growl that erupted from my body made Sara jump back. I was on my feet before she had time to react, and was already rushing at her. I ducked out of her reach and lashed at her legs, knocking her down. I slid a few feet away and was too slow in getting up. She was already on top of me, holding my body down.

"Don't let her kill you! Fight back!"

I managed to get my foot on her torso, sending her flying a good thirty feet into the air. I was up in an instant, with my hands around her throat. We landed with her underneath me, leaving a nice dent in the burnt ground.

"CASSANDRA! CASSANDRA, GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF!" She screamed useless words at me, and I smirked.

My hands tightened around her throat as I spoke. "This is your destiny, Sarathena Tanaka. This is what you deserve." The voice wasn't my own, but I didn't care.

"NO!" The voice screamed at me, but I ignored it.

The gunshot ripped through the silent forest. I fell off Sara and collapsed into myself. The shot missed my heart, but punctured my lung. I rolled on my side, allowing the blood to pool at the bottom. My breaths came short as my vision started to clear.

"S-Sar-" I couldn't speak. I closed my eyes and took a relaxing breath. The pain was gone. Everything was quiet. Everything felt... right.

As my breath left my lips, I lost contact with the world.