He’d been silent for a long time now, which concerned Isabel a little. It wasn’t like Alex to stay quiet this way – not talking, not even looking at her. She glanced over to him and saw the reflection of the street headlights on his face. He looked so thoughtful, so….calm. He always managed to calm her fears with his mere presence. Even if she mentally fought with herself at the simple thought of it, she was glad he was here.

“Alex…” Isabel said softly. “Alex?” she repeated, raising her eyebrows when he didn’t respond. “What’s wrong?” she asked when he finally looked up to her.

“Nothing.” He lied with not much of conviction in his voice.

He felt her eyes still resting on him, definitely not convinced and Alex took a deep breath. She could read him so well sometimes that it frightened him. Then again, he could do the same almost every time he looked at her, so he knew how she must feel.

“It’s just….this girl.” He said.

Isabel looked away, lowering her stare slightly. Curiousness? Fear? Jealousy? Whichever filled her eyes; she hid it from Alex very well.

“She had such a shocked expression on her face when she looked at me. She even knew my name…it was…I don’t know, like she knew me.”

“Why is that?” Isabel asked, almost reluctantly.

“I don’t know. She looked…” he started, sensing a slight jealousy coming from Isabel. “Familiar.” He finished with certainty.

They both arrived in front of Isabel’s house as he finished that sentence.

“Well, there you are.” He smiled softly.

“Thanks, Alex.” She said, returning his smile. “Thanks for walking me home.”

“Just be careful, Isabel.” He spoke.

The two shared a rather long look that seemed to keep them frozen into place for a few minutes. After a rather eloquent silence, Alex finally said his goodnight and began walking away into the darkness. Isabel watched him and suddenly felt her heart ache at each step he took in the opposite direction. Pretending not to care had been useless so far. Months had gone by since she’d put some distance between them, and even though she’d done a convincing job of ignoring him in his presence, she found it unbearable at night – or in moments like these.

“Alex!?” Isabel called out, almost impulsively as he began crossing the street.

Alex turned around and locked eyes with her. She suddenly kicked herself mentally for following on that impulse. She looked at him, at a loss for words for a little while and finally remembered to breathe. A guilty look spread across her face and within her voice.

“Goodnight.” She almost whispered, but spoke loud enough for him to understand.

He smiled softly and then turned back around and walked away. Isabel stood there for a while and then turned back to the house. She began walking up to the front door when something startled her. A hand grabbed her arm and she almost jumped out of her skin. That young girl from the Crashdown appeared in front of Isabel as a look of fear came across Isabel’s face. The young woman still had a firm grip on Isabel’s arm but quickly removed her hand.

“Isabel…” she spoke as Isabel took a few steps backwards.

“What do you want? Who are you?” Isabel managed to ask, making out the outlines of the girl’s face in the night.

“I have to talk to you. You need to listen to me.” She responded with certain desperation in her voice. “I don’t have much time.”

“Are you one of us?” Isabel asked through her teeth, keeping a fair distance between them.

“Well…Yes…and no…I mean, not like you think.”

“Are you a skin?” Isabel then asked in a slightly reluctant voice.

“Over my dead body!” The young girl explained. “That’s what I need to talk to you about…”

“Why should I believe you?” Isabel carefully pointed out.

There was a short silence following Isabel’s question. The stranger standing in front of her simply stood there and looked at her with teary eyes for a little while.

“Because I know you. Look, I can’t explain…You just have to listen to me.” She spoke in a very shaky voice. “You have to be careful. Don’t believe everything that they tell you. You have to listen to yourself and not to them…”

“Not listen to whom??” Isabel asked confused as the young girl spoke as fast as a fax machine.

“Nicholas, Khivar, whoever else has been sent to destroy you…!! Because they will. They will….” the girl replied with desperation filling her every word. “Don’t let them win, Isabel. Don’t let them get to you…You can’t believe the things that they say to you!”

“I have no idea what you are talking about…what is…??” Isabel started, walking right passed the young brunette.

“Vilandra.” The stranger spoke behind Isabel’s back. Isabel turned around in shock and fearfully stared at the person standing in front of her. “I’m talking about Vilandra.”

“Who the hell are you?” Isabel muttered almost to herself.

The girl stayed silent while Isabel slowly examined her. Isabel noticed a tight bracelet around the girl’s wrist that attracted her attention. Her eyes stared at the person’s clothes, which seemed to be from another time entirely.

“You have to listen to me.” The girl said, stepping forward and closer to Isabel.

Isabel grabbed the girl’s arm in anger and suddenly got a flash of herself crying and screaming as she was held back by the men that looked like guards. She was struggling to get away but couldn’t. And then an image of a young child’s face appeared.

Isabel let go of the girl’s arm and opened her eyes with fear.

“Please…” the young girl whispered with teary eyes.

Right as Isabel was about to reply, a voice was heard from behind the young girl.

“Well, what do we have here, Vilandra?” Nicholas spoke in his usually irritated voice.