Chapter Four:

I looked around feeling my heartbeat getting faster and faster. I didn't understand why I was feeling so scared.

"Alice." My name was whispered in my ear and I swallowed hard as I tightened my grip on the railing.

"W-Who are you?" I asked feeling stupid as I talked to the darkness.

"Alice" My name again whispered but this time dragged out more like a sigh.

I blinked and when I opened my eyes again someone was standing before me so close that I could feel the ice cold that was his body. I could tell it was a guy just by how broad his chest and body in general was. He put his left hand on my right and I shuttered by how cold his skin was. I could hear and feel his calm cold breaths on my neck near my ear. He whispered my name in my ear. My eyes widened as he pulled back a bit and my eyes met his. They were like deep dark pools of nothingness that drew my eyes into his. He smirked a bit as the shock set in. He had dark hair and pale smooth skin. He wore the same uniform as Jake did but without any rips or tears. He had short black hair that looked perfect on him

"Who are you?" I repeated.

"Vincent, but you already know that now don't you Alice." He stated in a dark low voice that somehow was gentle.

"What are you talking about!?" I asked as my heartbeat sped up even more.

He hunched over me again but this time his lips were next to my neck as he talked.

"You don't remember?" He asked as his cold breath grazed my neck. I shuttered. "Perhaps I can get you to remember." He said and backed away like before. He brought his lips down to mine making me blush and my pulse speed up. "Do you remember?" He asked as he brought his head to my neck again. I gasped as I felt something sharp and cold enter my neck. It was painful and I snapped my eyes shut afraid to scream. I moved my free hand that wasn't pinned to the railing to his hand and dug my nails into his skin in pain.

"Leave her Vincent, you know this isn't about her." I heard someone say in front of me a few feet away.

Vincent moved away from me and the sharp object was forced out of me and I groaned, well it was more of a whine. I fell to my knees as Vincent turned around to speak with the person that forced him to stop. I opened my eyes as I held the place where the object had been forced from my body. It throbbed and I started getting a head ache. As I opened my eyes I saw Vincent in front of me and Jake on the opposite side.

'Jake, what's going on?' I thought.

"I knew she would bring you out. She always was your weakness." Vincent said.

"Well what's she to you then? She's your weakness as well." Jake said sharply.

"Perhaps but what she means to me is set aside…" he began. "For now that is." Vincent said smirking and Jake glared at him.

'Are they talking about me?' I asked confused.

"So what do you say we finish this?" Vincent said grabbing a sword from his sword case around his waist. He grabbed the other and threw it to Jake who stared at it blankly. "A fair fight." Vincent said and Jake braced himself. When I realized what they were doing I gasped and they engaged in battle. I watched frozen as I saw the two thrust toward the other. I put my hands over my ears as I heard the cling of the swords hitting the other.

"STOP!" I yelled as tears ran down my face. I ran into the middle of the two as Vincent's blade came down. Jake's eyes widened and grabbed a hold of me turning me so his back was to the blade and turned around dropping his as Vincent's blade cut through deeply in Jake's broad chest. Tears fell from my eyes as he fell to his knees. My mouth wide as Vincent rose his blade to make a final fatal blow, and without thinking I ran in front of the blade and caught it in my palms. My hands wrapping around the blade making a fist blood trickled down my arm as I felt the blade sink deeper and deeper into my flesh. I used all my strength even though it was painful, to protect Jake.

I cringed. "I won't let you … hurt him anymore." I said snapping my eyes shut as the blade started rubbing against my bones.

"You're stronger than I thought." The man's French accent was softer than when he was talking to Jake just moments before. He lifted his blade out of my flesh. I heard the nasty sound of the blade coming out of me and I put my hands into my chest holding them protectively.

I turned to Jake and tried to help him as he lay on the ground bleeding.

"Jake!" I screamed and knelt down beside him. "C'mon, get up! Please!" I said chocking up. I put his head in my arms and brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"Get away from me!" He snapped pushing me away so hard that I hit the side of the stairway. I got up and hugged myself. Although I was still in pain I forgot about me and only focused on him.

"It seems as though he does not want your help so…" Vincent began now standing on top of the staircase roof above me. "Let him die." I gasped and glared at him.

"How could you say that!? I refuse to let him die!" I snapped at him and ran over to Jake once again but was stopped as Vincent appeared in front of me. There was something unnatural about him but I couldn't understand what was going on, perhaps it was my mind but it was all too real.

Vincent stepped into me grabbing my shoulders tightly. "33 Monarch" He whispered in mu ear. I looked up and the tight grip on my shoulders disappeared. Before me was just the wind gently caressing my face.

Without thinking I ran to Jake and knelt down quickly trying to figure out what I could do to save him. He moaned as I touched the deep bloodied wound across his chest. My mind erased everything in it and only focused on Jake. 'Please be alright. Don't die on me, please, I'm begging you.'