A/N: This story idea have been sitting in my google docs for far too long now. It's messy and going to take forever to write, but of course I started to write it. What kind of writer is not masochist sometimes? Anyways feel free to leave comments and follow the story.

Also the chapter names are too long for the website, that's why they are not finished!

One often meets their destiny on the road they take to avoid it

"I'm Stella Benedict" said the Asian girl standing before her presentation, next to two mannequins, dressed. Because it would be hard to bring all of her designs with herself, she was told to bring a presentation and the two assigned works for her audition. "And I want to be a famous designer. I know big words from a girl like me" she nervously laughed as she changed slides. "But I let my designs speak for me" she finished as she went on with her presentation, full of pictures of her with her clothes.

"That one is familiar," one of the teachers said as she looked at Stella's pictures. "It's the same one that the girl with the strange mark on her pictures wore."

"Oh!" Stella's eyes shone in excitement. "You must be talking about Clary Fray. She is my best friend; we are like sisters and that dress you see in the picture was given to her by me for her 17th birthday." Stella explained the situation, making the judges smile from the sweet story.

Upon finishing her presentation, the teachers thanked her participation and told her when she should expect the results to come.

"One last question," another judge said. "Are those contacts you wear?"

"Oh…" Stella said, her hand resting on her cheek. "Of course, it's always my eyes," she thinks to herself. "Yes, I have this look because it makes me look cool," she said with an embarrassed smile. "Or more like a freak" she adds in herself as she packs up with a big sigh. She really hated God giving her these freaky yellow cat-eyes.

"How did it go?" Clary asked as Stella sat down in the café in front of her and next to Simon.

"Good, I guess. I couldn't read anything off their face. And got the usual question about my eyes. Because it's always my eyes" she said as she rolled them while picking up the menu.

"Maybe they just don't want a demon in the university" bickered Simon, making Stella scoff.

"Thanks, Simon, for being the supportive friend you are."

"Gotta be something, I can make history with you know? The Jew who befriended a demon. We could make headlines with it" he said as he gently nudged her.

"Gosh, you can be so childish. Demons don't exist and my eyes definitely can be chalked up as some freaky twist in nature. Like albinism. But let's focus on the more important tasks" Stella composed herself.

"Like what?"

"Like Clary's 18th birthday" Stella rolled her eyes as she pointed at the giggling redhead. She loved to watch her best friend's bicker.

"Oh, right. How could we forget?" Simon grinned. "The big 18. What do you want, Clary? A pony? A demon-free party?" he teased.

"Very funny, Simon. Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of a small get-together. You know, just us," Clary replied, still giggling.

"Boring!" Simon declared dramatically. "If it were my birthday, I'd have a rock band and a cake the size of a car."

"Good thing it's not your birthday then," Stella shot back, smirking. "Not everyone wants a circus for a celebration."

"Well, we have to do something special," Clary interjected. "It's not every day you turn 18."

"How about a themed party?" Stella suggested. "We could all dress up as our favorite historical figures or something."

"Or as demons," Simon said with a wink, earning another scoff from Stella.

"I swear, Simon, one more demon joke and I'm throwing my drink at you," she warned, though her smile betrayed her amusement.

"Alright, alright," Simon raised his hands in surrender. "No more demon jokes. But seriously, Clary, what do you want to do?"

"Honestly, I just want to spend it with you guys," Clary said, her tone sincere. "We can figure out the details later. I just want us all to be together."

"Aww, see, that's why we love you," Stella said, reaching across the table to squeeze Clary's hand.

"Yeah, yeah, group hug later," Simon said, rolling his eyes. "But let's at least plan something fun. How about celebrating tonight after mine and Maureen's gig?"

"Now that's an idea I can get behind," Clary said, her eyes lighting up. "Celebrating after your gig it is!"

"Perfect. And Simon, try not to summon any demons while we're there," Stella teased, making Clary laugh.

"I make no promises," Simon replied with a grin, earning a playful swat from Stella.

"I still don't get it. Why not marry Jocelyn?" The black-haired woman stretched, her movements languid and cat-like. "If you act like a husband, be one, Luke!"

"It's not that easy, Martha," the man sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping as if bearing an invisible weight. "I can't. Not until I'm sure she's over Valentine."

"I think she did that a long time ago," Martha rolled her eyes dramatically as they arrived at the scene of the crime, the stench of decay hitting them like a wave. "She had it easy. Clary looks just like her."

"I know where this is going," Luke muttered, his voice tinged with frustration. He knelt beside the corpse, examining the deep, jagged wounds that marred its flesh.

"But me and Stella? How can I ever forget him when she looks at me with his eyes?" Martha's voice wavered, the usually strong and confident woman revealing a rare glimpse of vulnerability.

"You can't run forever from your own daughter, Martha. The truth…" Luke began, but his words were cut short by Martha's furious glare.

Martha clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white, her body trembling with barely suppressed rage. "You know as well as I do, Luke, that keeping Stella hidden is the only way to keep her safe. If the Clave knew..."

"They would come for her, I know," Luke interrupted, his voice heavy with resignation and a touch of sorrow. "But she deserves to know the truth, Martha. She has a right to understand who she is, why she is the way she is."

"And what good would that do?" Martha spat back, her eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and fear. "Knowing she is the daughter of two warlocks, one of them being… him. I prayed, Luke, I prayed that she would be an ifrit like me. So, I could hide her from that crazy world."

"You know that the truth has a way of coming out, no matter how much we try to hide it."

When Stella stepped into their apartment, she noticed how dirty it was. The dishes were towering in the sink and clothes were everywhere. The state of their house made Stella sigh, but she couldn't blame her mom for it. She had been working overtime all day, every day as a police officer. Stella tried to help her mother as much as she could, but between school and her part-time job of being a cashier in some shop downtown, she barely had the time to do anything else.

But now she was free until her afternoon shift, so she decided to tidy up the apartment. It took some hours but she was finally done. Stella washed the dishes, the floor, started up the washing machine and threw out the trash while she listened to her favorite songs.

Then she saw the sticky note on the fridge saying, the following:

Working overtime, I left money to order takeout. Or if you want normal food, give it to Jocelyn and ask her to cook dinner for you too.

Ah, yes. The catalyst of Stella and Clary to become best friends was the fact that they were neighbors since birth. Her mom always used to say that she and Jocelyn met at some yoga class for pregnant women and their similar story of absent men made them instantly click with each other, leading them to buy these two neighboring apartments and to Jocelyn open her shop under them.

"I need your help!" Speak of the devil. Clary suddenly burst in with her dress in her hand. "It's torn, Stella. My favorite dress!"

"This calls for an emergency!" she giggled as she grabbed the dress from Clary's hand and hurried into her room to get her sewing kit.

"They are all so cool," Clary said as she gazed over the mannequins in Stella's room.

"Those two were commissioned by a girl we used to go to the same school. These are my initial designs which I sent her to approval. So, now I'm waiting for her answer" Stella explained as she stitched up Clary's dress diligently.

"The quality is high tier. I guess I know now where all your pocket money went" Clary smiled as she touched the gothic looking dress to feel its texture.

"I need this to be finished. I won't only bring in money but fame too. And I really need that" she said as she finished and gave Clary back her dress. "And it's done. Feel free to come if any of your other clothes have problems."

"You know I will."

"Clary" Stella suddenly spoke up when her friend was about to leave. "Do you feel like there is something you are supposed to remember but… just can't?"

"And then you feel that strange emptiness?" her friend turned towards her.

Stella nodded, her eyes fixed on Clary's, searching for some kind of reassurance. "Yes, exactly. Like a part of me is missing, or there's something important I should know."

"Sometimes, I feel that way too. Like there's a whole other world just beyond my reach. And now mom gave me this weird paperweight called stele. She said it's some family heirloom…" Clary told her best friend a bit disappointed in her birthday gift.

"At least you have family heirloom" Stella shrugged her shoulders. "But I can see why it's weird. Considering that you only have your mom and Luke as your family. Just like me. There's mom and me and no one else."

"You left me out," Clary said, rolling her eyes in fake annoyance.

"Ah, how can I forget my sister from another mother?" Stella giggled as she stood up, realizing that she had to go to work soon.

Clary smiled, her mood lifting. "That's better. Don't you dare forget me. Now hurry, or you'll be late for work."

Stella quickly changed into her work uniform, a simple yet professional ensemble, and grabbed her bag. As she was about to leave, she paused, turning back to Clary.

"By the way, did Simon say what time his gig starts?"

"Eight, I think," Clary replied, glancing at her phone. "But knowing him, he'll start late. You should have plenty of time after your shift."

"Perfect," Stella said, giving her friend a quick hug. "See you there. And thanks for the chat."

"Anytime," Clary said, waving as Stella closed the door and she went back to her apartment.

Stella was late as always when she was working. She didn't even have time for makeup, she just had a quick shower and put on some clothes and sunglasses. It was Clary's day and she wanted to be unnoticed. But even then, she missed Simon's gig and only found them before the Pandemonium club because she had that tracking app on her phone.

And by the time she arrived Clary was having some intense gazing match with some blonde guy having weird tattoos.

"Oh, did I just witness love at first sight?" Stella said teasingly as she put her hands on Clary's shoulder.

"You see me too?" The guy looked at Stella flabbergasted. "How do I not know you two?"

"Is this how you guys flirt nowadays?" she lifted her eyebrows incredulously. But soon the guy was called and he was gone fast. "Come on Clary. Don't tell me this is how low your expectations are!"

"Hey, what are you two talking about?" Simon stepped closer to them.

"We just talked about that rude blonde dude" Clary looked at Simon.

"You mean the non-existing dude you two have been speaking to?" he looked at them worried.

"Are you thinking of what I'm thinking?" Clary looked at Stella's and she grabbed her hand taking her towards the club.

Once they were in, Simon declared he's going to get some drinks, leaving Clary and Stella to themselves. Soon Clary noticed the guy again and they started to follow him. The crowd was dense and Stella hated it. It made her want to vomit.

Her attention then soon wandered to the man not far from them. He was sitting on a sofa with a bunch of people with piercings and in all kinds of clothes.

His darker skin tone, the same shade as hers, and the man himself wore various jewels. In addition to his open black shirt, he had more make-up than she ever put on herself. Then he looked at her and Stella had a strange feeling, as if she knew the man. But then she saw his eyes, the same yellow, catlike ones. And then she knew she had to ask. So, she let Clary go to the back rooms while she approached him.

"Hey," she called after him and he stopped to look at her. "I never saw anyone with eyes like mine," Stella said as she pushed up her sunglasses.

"Who are you?" He looked down on her form. "And why don't I know you?" he asked and she just raised her eyebrow. This was the second time tonight that someone said this to her. What the heck was going on here?

"Guess what? Brooklyn is a pretty big place to live in" she looked at him sarcastically. "I'm Stella by the way."

But before he could say anything, Stella saw Clary breeze by, scared and frantic, prompting Stella to run after her friend before the man before her could say anything. She reached her in time and she got into the taxi as well. Then Clary started to talk. About people with tentacles and the tattooed ones killing them and making them turn to ash.

When they arrived in Clary's apartment, Clary told the same story to her mother too as Stella was gazing at the floor, leaning against the wall. Clary was pacing frustrated as her mom listened to her story.

"Did the guy have tattoos like this?" Jocelyn asked as she waved the paperweight thingy above her arm, revealing the same tattoo.

Clary paused her pacing and looked at her mother, her expression a mix of concern and confusion. "Yes, Mom. The blonde guy had tattoos like that. But what does this have to do with anything?"

"I've dreaded this talk with you, that's why I kept it to the last minute" that was when Jocelyn's assistant, Dot, appeared, telling her that they have been found. "But we don't have time" Jocelyn sighed and pulled out a necklace which she put on Clary as she said that she angered a powerful man, and motioned Stella to get closer. "Promise me that you stay by her side and keep her safe."

"I promise" Stella nodded without any hesitation as a portal appeared behind her and Clary.

"You two need to find Luke. He will help you" she looked at them.

"Find Luke?" Clary repeated, her voice edged with uncertainty. "What's going on, Mom? Who are these people with tentacles? And why are they after us?"

Jocelyn hesitated, her gaze flickering between Clary and Stella. "There's so much we should have told you both earlier," she admitted, her tone heavy with regret. "But there's no time for regrets now."

And in a blink of an eye, they were teleported to the police station. Once there, Stella left Clary to look and speak with Luke as she looked around. She quickly found her mother's desk with a picture of them when she was like five. It was nostalgic to see it, to remember a time long gone by. Back then she remembered spending more time with her mom. They often went to the park, building sandcastles and she usually helped her with swinging. Oh, those were the days.

"I miss you, mom" she said with a sigh as she noticed Clary walking towards her with a face of disappointment and buried anger.

"We have to go," she said, grabbing her friend by her arm and walking out of the police station. "Luke, he's not on our side. We have to go back and find mom."

"And then what? We have some psycho guy on not just your mom's but on our tails too, so I think it wouldn't be the best idea to sprint back there in search of your mom."

"Please Stella… We have to find my mom" Clary pleaded, being very overwhelmed by all these things happening to her in the course of only one day, more precisely night.

"Right," Stella sighed, realizing that their situation was dire and they were in need of someone who could help them navigate on this dangerous waters. "But if we die, I told you so!"

"Okay, okay…Then you told me so" she smiled for the first time tonight. Then they made their way home,but upon arriving they found Jocelyn's shop turned upside down with everything torn or broken. Stella does her best to calm the scared and sad best friend's, but understands her tears.

"We find out who did this and get back at him, I promise" Stella told Clary to try and lift her spirits, they had to stay strong to find out what the heck happened there.

Going up they were met with the familiar figure of Dot, Jocelyn's assistant. She looked suspicious as she repeatedly asked Clary where her mother hid some kind of cup.

"I have no idea Dot and I don't think I have time for this" Clary said confused as she looked around her trashed apartment.

That was when Stella had a hunch and instructed Clary to leave the apartment. Because in seconds Dot attacked them and transformed into some hideous creature. Of course Clary ran out into the street, heeding Stella's advice and Stella started fighting with this demon. She grabbed the knife from the counter, thinking it would be a suitable weapon. No. It was not.

Stella tried to make use of her mother's self defense lessons she got since she was nine. But against a demon, it was quite hard to fight. It was like hitting the wall. Felt like too. And as she slid through under the table, a song on her phone. Not usual for Stella. She always thought this phone had a really sensitive touchscreen, but this was really a bad time for any song to start.

And as the fight progressed and Stella was getting more and more cornered, she made a decision. She moved quickly and agile to lure the demon closer to the window. And when it inevitably came closer Stella used all of her strength to push the demon out of the window, breaking it and falling down with it. Stella screamed angrily as her yellow eyes shone while she used the demon's body to siphon the impact.

She then rolled a bit on the street as they reached the ground. Stella felt weak but bit her tongue so as not to cry out loud. The demon stood up fast, faster than Stella could, but before anything could happen a sword was driven through its back and it disintegrated instantly, letting Stella see the scared Clary and the rude blonde they met back at Pandemonium with a sword in his hands.

"You didn't say your friend here is a warlock" the blonde turned to Clary after he scanned Stella.

"A what now?" Clary looked back at him incredulous.

"She's a warlock, her eyes are the marks of that" the guy said as if this was a fact like the sky is blue.

"If I am, why did I never notice?" Stella asked, lifting her eyebrow in confusion. She remembered what she read about warlocks in those fantasy books she got. "In the books warlocks are practitioners of magic. Magic I never had to begin with."

The blonde guy sheathed his sword and looked at Stella with an intense gaze. "Maybe because you haven't been trained, maybe something is blocking your powers or maybe you are an ifrit. But trust me, those eyes don't lie."

Clary stepped forward, worry etched on her face. "Can someone please explain what's going on? What are these creatures, and why are they after us?"

The guy sighed, clearly frustrated by their lack of knowledge. "My name is Jace Wayland. I'm a Shadowhunter. Our job is to protect humans from demons and other dark forces. What you saw tonight are demons."

"And this... warlock thing?" Stella asked, still trying to wrap her head around the concept.

"Warlocks are half-human, half-demon. They have unique abilities, usually magic. Your eyes are a common marker of warlocks" Jace explained. "And if you're just discovering this now, it means you have to be quite young"

Clary and Stella exchanged a glance, both processing the overwhelming amount of information. Clary turned back to Jace, her voice trembling slightly. "What do we do now?"

Jace looked around, assessing the situation. "We need to get you two somewhere safe. The Institute will be the best place for now.

"The Institute?" Stella asked, skepticism creeping into her voice.

"It's a place where Shadowhunters train and live. It's protected by wards that keep demons out," Jace replied. "And it's the best place to start getting answers about what's happening."

"What do you think?" Clary asked Stella, not sure about trusting in this Jace so easily.

"We need answers and he has them," Stella answered as she briefly looked at the blonde. Whatever this world was they were now irreversibly pulled into it. "We have to find out what happened to your mom."

"And about you being a warlock," Clary nodded as they decided to follow Jace.

"And about me being a… warlock" Stella whispered to herself. She then looked at her bruised hands and knew. Her life is never going to be the same again.