1 1. Betrayal.

She sprinted down the street to her home, tears streaming down her face, a letter in hand. Everybody was walking around normal, giggling and smiling, their world was perfect while hers came down. She ran but her legs kept giving up, the thoughts of what awaited her view threatened her and paralyzed her feet- Her parents.

When she reached her mansion, she was frozen in her tracks in shock at the sight of her house on fire. Smoke was billowing from the top of it, and flames licked the sides of the structure, spreading quickly. The clean white walls of the mansion had been burnt charcoal black. She screamed out as loud as she could in agony. Her parents were inside, who she loved the most, breathing their last breath -smoke?.

She ran towards the door, but before she could reach it, several people had circled around her and restrained her. They were preventing her from going inside the house in an effort to prevent yet another victim of the fire.

She let out another piercing scream, her lungs burning with the smoke and her vocal cords strained with her exhausting use.

Her heart broke into shards of glass that cut into every other organ in her body as she watched her childhood house burn along with the two people she loved the most.

She couldn't bear to even think of her parents dying like this. Alternate peaceful deaths flashed through her mind: of old age, in the arms of one another, of sickness, even murder, as it was quick. It tore her apart knowing that they were suffering, burning inside, screaming as the death came closer to them all because of her.

They were dying and she couldn't do anything about it.

"Let me go," she yelled out loud, struggling to break free from the people that held her down from taking any step forward. She couldn't understand why the people were holding her back — a tear escaped her eye as she looked around at the people that surrounded her. She had never been this angry and helpless before, and she struggled, but the people held her firmly down.

"Let me go," She screamed again, trying to escape their grasp. "I want to save my parents." They didn't listen, though and others were too busy trying to keep the fire from spreading.

"Why don't you all understand me?" She screamed again.

"They're-they're in the house." Her voice fell into a whisper and she sank to her knees in defeat as she realized she was helpless.

She saw hoses being aimed at the house and the firefighters trying to put the fire out. The firefighters were having a difficult time stopping the flames from spreading as it was a huge mansion and the wind was working against their favour.

Her right hand held her gown tightly while her other hand crushed the letter. The creases tainted her skin and there were webbed red lines on the palm when she looked.

Tears of anger streamed down her eyes. She wasn't sure if it was because she was grieving or because the smoke was irritating her eyes and throat. She didn't seem to care about the physical effects the fire was having on her. She was numb, but her mind was spiking pointing inwards.

Why was it always her fault? Why does this have to happen to her? What fault did she commit that would cause her family to crumble like this? Was truly loving someone the root cause of all this?

Love... it was the only word that brought her here to watch her family die in front of her. Because of the one she loved. Her first love had used her to kill her parents mercilessly. She was losing her parents right in front of her eyes while she could do nothing but just envision them screaming in agony in front of her. How unlucky was she to lose them like this?

Her first love was the reason she was here looking at her burning house. The pain she was going through right now was unbearable. She wished she could have been inside and died with them.

Her first love was her last. She vowed to do it.

She got up from her knees and was about to go inside when the cops held her down again.

"Miss... You can't go inside. It's dangerous." The officer said as she held her arms tightly.

"That is why I want to go inside. I want to die with my parents. I want to find my mom and dad and embrace them for eternity." She angrily whispered.

"Miss, try to understand. That is not what your parents want. I'm sure they wanted you to be safe and sound. And we are trying our best to get the fire down. We hope to save them as well. Please, try to cooperate with us." The officer said but she shook her head frantically.

"No... no... no... I don't want to be alive. I want to die as well." She screamed as she tried to run inside but fell down to her knees as the officer pulled her back.

She looked back down at the crumpled letter in her hand with tears and anger in her eyes. Then, she realized there was also a picture of her with her parents in her hand. They were smiling together in the picture which her love/traitor had taken. Looking at the image and then back at the burning house, her eyes narrowed remembering what she had read in the letter a few minutes back.

A FEW MINUTES AGO...

As she walked towards their favourite place, she found a gift box and an envelope under it on the bench they always sat on. Her name was written in his handwriting, on the envelope. Her eyes started twinkling as she smiled. Then she opened the box and saw the beautiful neckpiece with a heart-shaped pendant. She slipped the chain on with a bright smile. Then she opened the letter and her smile eventually dropped.

My love, Ida. My heart is heavy as I write this letter to you. I deserve to apologize to you. I know what a wonderful person you are but I have hurt you. I had betrayed you so badly than anyone can ever imagine.

I am not just your fellow university student. I am something you can't even imagine. I acted as if I loved you, to get close to you and to get intel from your parents as they are connected with my enemies who are trying to bring me and my empire down. So, today... I am going to bring them down.

I am sorry for taking away everything from you today. Your companies, the power your parents hold, the house that means a lot to you, the love of your parents and most importantly... Your parents themselves. Keeping them alive is only a risk for me, my family and my Empire.

Please, try to forgive me and I hope to see you soon, Ida Celeste.

She went back to her car, not walking this time, running.

PRESENT.

"I'm sorry, we couldn't save them. Your parents are…. gone." The officer said to Ida gently.

Hearing that, Ida didn't bother responding. She excused herself and found herself a patch of sky to scream to.

"I hate you, Alden. I hate you, Alden Orion." Ida yelled as she ripped the chain from her neck with anger. Never has she uttered a name with such resentment.

Alden, high above in a protected watch place, his heart crushed as he watched her crying for her dead parents and saying the words that he never wanted to leave from her lips, ''I hate you."