𝘼𝙇𝙄𝘾𝙄𝘼

♛

𝒯here is something about having power that makes you feel vigorous.

It makes you want to thrive in it.
To have that influence over something or someone.
I've always seen my grandpa, papa and brothers strive for it in the most brutal way possible.

And yet growing up i never understood the appeal, never understood why people wanted to consume it. I've always believed having so much power made one unlikeable. Why use force and authority to get what u want?

Yes i was a king and we were known to immerse and become a force to be reckoned with. The king name belonged to one of the most elite families in all of England for over centuries.

But power, it was greed and greed was selfish, to care about no one but yourself and I thankfully was none of those things

That is until my life was disrupted

And as I stand here at the heathens initiation ceremony i feel the the hunger and greed. It's
so intense that I feel it seep into the marrow of my bones.

The power of having the world as your domain.
I finally understood what it meant. If u have power you succeed, if you have it you win.

Like a game of chess you strategise your opponent and show them the element of surprise. Annihilate and then checkmate.
That's exactly what I want, to annihilate the arsehole who thought it was okay to mess with me.

Which brings me as to why I'm here at enemy territory. The night is calm except for the hushed whispers of excitement that can be heard between the students that are gathered here.

There is at least a hundred of them and each one looks more complacent than the next. Probably elated about how they got an invitation to be here.

I obviously didn't get a personal invite and stole my brother Eli's who I'm assuming was sent by Killian Carson. One of his friends from when they were younger who's part of the Heathens as well.

Eli doesn't know i stole it when he was out obsessing over a certain pink barbie doll. But oh well, what he doesn't know won't kill him.

In fact none of my friends or family could ever know I was willingly here. My friends would think I have gone mental since apparently REU and Kings U have a rivalry going on. 

Papa would have a heart attack if  i knew I was putting myself in any type of danger and mum would stress about, if whether I was hurt or not.

Not to mention Eli and Creighton my other brother would make sure I never step foot outside of the house ever again. They were protective like that, Eli more so than Creighton who was the eldest and made it his mission and promised dad he'd take care of me while I was here at Brighton Island.

I had practically begged papa to send me here so late in the semester despite turning eighteen a few months ago. What would the Aiden king do without his only daughter by his side?  But just like my mum, I had a way of getting everything I wanted from him

The only downside was that I was going to have to skip a few a year and loose focus of my studies at y old school. But that didn't matter as of right now because i was willing to do anything it took, to get my hands on his history with this place, the bastard who attended kings U and was part of the Heathens as well.

I didn't care how I would do it, all I knew was that when I was done with him that son of a bitch was going to wish he never met me.

And there was no better time to retaliate back on him than now. I need to feel the chaos and i want to ruin.

Ruin the life of the scumbag who ruined mine.
Who took everything about me and turned it awful, ugly, to the point where I just wanted to end it all.

Mind you i wasn't always like this. If the old Alicia could hear my thoughts right now she probably would of have a heart attack, wondering just how I stooped so low and if maybe I was on some sort of crack. Me on crack? Not in this lifetime

The old Alicia was good, kind, always smiling, always happy and perfect at everything. Perfect.Perfect.Perfect

And what was left of her slowly started to wither away leaving this new cold and cruel hearted Alicia who was uncaring about the feelings of others. You didn't like what I had to say? get in line with everyone else

Yes I knew I could be a bitch, could even be worse on most days. But you could hardly blame me for it when the world chewed me up and spat me out to bleed and cry until there was nothing left.

Broken
Fake
Heartless

"This world will eat you alive if you don't show them your dominion princess" my grandpa Johnathan king would always say and I had been foolish enough not to believe him until it happened to me that dreadful night

"Hey did you here this initiation is going to be more brutal than the previous one" a guy with a short buzz hair cut says to my right.

" I know, i heard someone actually died" the girl standing next to him replies
" Who cares? I just hope to get in" he actually says eagerly

I roll my eyes behind the mask they made us wear at the gates.  It should be a crime to let brainless idiots make any sort of decisions

Perspiration coats at  my brow as my face starts getting hot and stuffy, any longer and I feel like I'm going rip stupid mask of.
Not yet! You need to stay focus

I've always hated masks and all things Horror.   I remember when Ariella my childhood bestfriend and I were younger, Landon and my other cousin Remington who's a couple of years older than us would put on these spooky face masks with distorted features, the ones that looked straight out of those Horror films for Halloween and scare us around our neighbourhood.

The girl speaking to the buzz cut hair bloke comes to realise what he said and all but dramatically gasps  "The heathens are no joke Blake, it could take them literally a second to get rid of your entire existence"

The Heathens are one of the two clubs at The King's U, the other being Serpents.
There is also the Elites, another "notorious" club at Brighton island, who my cousin Landon is the leader of.

The Heathens.
Their name alone made want to scoff out a laugh because who would of thought a bunch of so called "ruthless mafia heirs"  as they like to put it, would want to engage in cult like protocols.

The gates to the gothic like mansion doors open, taking me out of my thoughts and...speak of the devil, out walk five hooded figures with neon bright, face stitched masks. I'm assuming that's them.

They each come to a halt, standing in front of the doors with an aura so lethal it sends a chill through the gloomy night air.
"They are here"
"Oh my god it's actually them"

People whisper excitedly and some start to tremble out of fear or something else. I'm not sure

My eyes stay locked on the figures and my mind goes blank for a few seconds, while I stare at those eerie masks staring back into the crowd. And I slight shiver goes through my spine

Red. Orange. Green. Yellow and white
There's five of them and each one's mask glows in the dark like a demon that has been summoned. Fatal and blazing in a night full of darkness

They all have similar builds, muscular,  even under the hoodies they are currently wearing. 
Looking more closely, I see they all hold some sort of weapons. Orange mask who is standing in the middle, holds a gold metal club, Red mask who is the one his right has a baseball bat hanging off his shoulders while the one the left, green mask is carrying a bow and arrow.

Yellow mask who stands on the end of one side surprisingly doesn't have a weapon though he does clench and unclench his fists like he's ready to fight someone.
And lastly there is white mask, who stands on the other side of the left corner and strokes a metal chain that's wrapped around his hands like a venomous snake.

Out of all of them he's the most intimidating. The way his clothes mold against his body and his presence dominating like a king that rules over his people. I observe him closer and see  there is an array of tattoos peeking out from under the sleeves of his hoodie.

My breathing starts to get heavy and a flash of heat begins in my neck.  I don't know if it's the leather coat that's sticking to my now sweaty skin, making me feel this way, or if it's the mask I've been wearing for at least half an hour or if it's just the way I'm standing in white masks vicinity, but I have this sudden urge to reach under my gloves and squeeze my nails in the palm of my hand.

Shit! 
Get it together Alicia you can't let him or the others get to your head, not when you need to focus.

There is a crackle of static before a resonant voice fills the air.
"Congratulations for making it to the Heathens' highly competitive initiation. You are the selected elite who the leaders of the club think are worthy of joining their world of power and connections. The reason why everyone wears a mask is because you are all the same in the eyes of the club's founders."
"The price of becoming a Heathen is handing over your life. If you aren't willing to pay that, please exit through the small door Once you leave, you'll lose any chance to join us again."

A few participants that were standing in the first line bow their heads and leave without another word.  The rest who stayed, eagerly wait to see what happens next as the gates close with a load creak and the sound of the static voice comes back on once again "Congratulations again, ladies and gentlemen. We should now begin our initiation."

A horde of crows fly into the direction of the gothic like mansion, their feathers as dark as the sky above and a charge of adrenaline shoots through my body.

This is it.
This is what I've been waiting for since the time I've arrived at this god forsaken place.

In the background I hear the voice continue to say "Tonight's game is predator and prey. You'll be hunted down by the club's founding members. That will be five to ninety, so you have the upper hand. If you manage to reach the edge of the property before they hunt you down, you'll be a Heathen. If not, you'll be eliminated and escorted out.""The founding members have the right to use any methods available to hunt you down—including violence. If their weapon of choice touches you, you'll be automatically eliminated. You are also allowed to inflict violence on the founding members—if you can. No questions are allowed and no mercy shall be granted. We don't want any weaklings in our ranks."

So that's what this is to them. Just a game.
I have heard all about how the heathens initiations work from Annika, but never
believed them to be this cut throat. It's their strategy, they pick the toughest and strongest only to knock them down in the end. It's all one big mindfuck.

"You have a ten-minute head start. I suggest you run. The initiation has officially begun."
A group of people around me sprint and run like the plague, knocking others out of their way. Excitement and fear once again fills the air as everyone rushes to the wild forest. The masked figures who have not moved an inch since the announcement, are still standing like some sort of gods, watching them like predators looking for their next prey.

I put my plan in action, look to my side and run in to the direction of the garden bushes waiting till I know it's cleared to go. It's kind of a blind spot that Annika was telling Cecily about, the last time they came here to visit. She said her brother has yet to put cameras on that section

Bless her extroverted social butterfly personality or else I would of been spotted on the cameras by guards who are watching over everything like hawks.

My heart beat quickens and my pulse starts racing as distant shouts and screams can be heard from the direction of the forest. They probably started the hunt without even waiting for the whole ten minutes to be up. Sick bastards.

I take a peek around and see just a few bulky guards, dressed in all black suits holding shotguns patrolling around the mansion. No heathen in sight. Perfect. I can get pass the guards quickly if I don't draw attention. It's tricky but it will have to do, I can't waste anytime incase a heathen does decides to come this way.

Because if any of them did somehow find out what I'm up to, it definitely wont end well.
And something tells me the heathens don't do well to being threatened.

I take a slight step forward, careful to be hidden behind the bushes as the leaves and grass crunch beneath my Prada boots. Making make my way towards the back of the mansion and stopping by the dark modern rustic door.

I twist the doorknob as faintly as I can and take a quick peek inside. It's vacant, not a single guard in sight, most likey in the security rooms checking up on everything with the ceremony still going on.

The inside of the room has an ominous looking hallway with stairs leading to what looked to be a cellar.

Stepping inside i close the door silently and make my way towards the steeply staircase, coming to stop at a cold, pitch black room. It was so dark and quiet that I could barely see where my hands were, the dingy strong smell of blood and something more sinister lurking in the air.

The sudden urge to throw up took over me, as my hands trembled  and my mind screamed at me to get the fuck out.

My already dim vision starts turning hazy as I catch myself against the wall before I do something stupid and fall.
Don't faint in here bitch if they find you unconscious then you're definitely going to end up dead.

Taking out the spare phone that I managed to slip from the guards at the entrance gate when they were mechanically searching everyone and open my chats to message the number to let them know I'm waiting in the cellar

As I'm waiting I turn on the torch light on my phone to get a better look at my surroundings and... Blimey, It was like that a slaughter house threw up in here. Hunting knives, daggers, machine guns, pistols anything u would need  to take someones life. I walk towards the weapons and pick up a pistol from the dusty table, putting it in my pocket for when I will need it. Do I know how to use a gun? No. But if something were to happen tonight, I definitely wasn't going to die without a fight.

A shuffling of footsteps echoes through the cellar as a lanky looking man rushes down the stairs, constantly looking behind his shoulders and stops when he sees me. His body shakes nervously as takes out a crumbled up folder.

"I hope no one saw you " I say with an edge to my voice. Time was running out and this guy looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here.
  "Y-yes  I was careful, n-no one saw" he replies, out of breath like he just ran a marathon before coming here.
" I need the money now before-
" Uh huh" I cut him off. "Not so fast, first hand over the folder"

He eyes narrow slightly, wondering if I'm playing some type of game with him now, he must see the expression on my face because he sighs in defeat and steps forward placing the folder in my outstretched hand.

I open the folder to look inside making sure
he brought the correct one...and sure enough the revolting face of Jason Hawthorn stares back at me. My skin itches to take the dagger from  across the room and stab his eyes with it multiple times. I'm going to watch as you burn,you waste of space.

The details written in the folder is about Hawthorn attending Kings U and joining the Heathens. Parties,rugby matches,drug smuggling, every tedious thing he has done after screwing up my life.

The clearing of a throat stops me from reading further on as the lanky man starts fidgeting with his fingers.
" The Heathens ceremony will be ending soon, I should be going before anyone finds out"
"Impatient now are we?"
"No, no I need the money. We had a deal Miss King"
When he sees I don't give an answer, he just sighs in defeat.
"I don't want any trouble"
I chuckle at his gullibility, wondering how someone as helpless as him got induced into the mafia.

I pull out the check written for five hundred thousand dollars and pass it to him.
His eyes widen as he eagerly snatches the check and holds on to it like his life depends on it. In his case it probably does.

~~~~~~~~

I met him a few weeks ago after coming to the island when I overheard Annika speaking to Glyndon, my cousin and Cecily. She was telling them all about how the Heathen's initiation was coming up and when it was taking place.

Thats when I thought, when better to go then while the ceremony was taking place. The heathens would be too busy with their mindless hunt and the estate would be empty.

I just needed a way to get to the folder without a hassle and being seen by all the guards.
And I knew exactly who to go to. My eldest cousin Landon. He was cunning to a fault and wouldn't go all protective brother mode on me like Eli. I called Brandon, who was much more friendlier than his twin brother and asked him if he knew where he was.

I found Lan at the Elites mansion working on one of his sculptures in his studio, and asked him if he knew who was desperate enough that worked for the mafia.

"You're asking  ME like I don't already know this stuff baby cuz" he said, like he was genuinely offended and shook his head.
He did ask what I was up to though, and if I was not getting in too much of trouble.

" I do hope you know what you're doing. I know I don't say it often but I worry about you cousin" "Jee, thanks for the concern Lan"
I said semi-seriously.
Lan wasn't a emotional type of person and I knew not to take his affection for granted.

He gives me a lopsided smile and ruffles my hair like from when we were younger and says "Anytime baby cousin"
" Oh and stay away from those fucking Heathens, I hope whoever you're looking for in the mafia has nothing to do with them."

He narrowed his eyes, sounding so serious for the first time since I came in here. I dug my pointy manicured nails into my palms and shook my head "Give me a little more credit Lan. You know I can't stand them as much as you."

And it's true, I really disliked the Heathens. Not just because that arsehole Hawthorn was one, the Heathens were a bunch of unhinged crazy blokes who had nothing better to do than play sick games.

I know you're thinking I'm a hypocrite because Landon is more so similar, but not like the Heathens. No one is as worse as the Heathens.

"Good, well now that that's out of the way and you asked nicely, you also happen to be my "favourite cousin" he shouts the last part so Eli and Creigh can hear him from somewhere in the house

I roll my eyes at him. God I forgot how infuriating he actually was.
" I'll help you but you owe me " he annoyingly smirks.
And there it was. Of course I knew Landon would ask for something in return. He was still family but too omniscient for his own good.

Once I agreed to do him a favour if he ever asked for one, and believe me Lan always has something up his sleeve, he called me a few days later, sending me a number of a man who stole some "Bratva"money from one of the biggest mafia families in New York.

Lan's exact words were "Motherfucker is more desperate than a whore ready to suck cock, you should be able to get to him baby cuz" I cringed at his choice of words. Leave it to my cousin to speak so crudely.

I wasn't going to meet the guy personally of course. For all I knew he could be a lunatic or a junkie. It's the only reasonable explanation as to why he would dig his own grave and steal from the mafia.

I had Laurence, papa's chauffeur who was now my chauffeur since coming to the Island, meet up with him in a deserted alley.

I sat and waited in the back seat of the Rolls- Royce Phantom my grandpa Ethan sent me as a gift and watched the scene between Laurence and a lanky looking man talk, for what seemed like a good few minutes.

The man's body language alone told me everything I needed to know.
It was easy to buy off someone desperate and greedy for money.

Lucky for me I had it and would use it to my advantage. Papa used to say "An avaricious person will do anything it takes to obtain materialistic possessions"

Out of the corner of my eye I see Laurence swiftly returning back to the car and taking the  front wheel.

"He couldn't say yes fast enough Miss Alicia,  didn't even care about how much he would be paid, just kept on saying he would do whatever it took because he was in a "life and death" "situation."

"And he really does work in the Heathen's mansion like he said?"  I ask
" Yes, he works as their lawyer and keeps records of all their books" he replies.

I couldn't help but feel myself smile at that. This was getting just too good to be true. How was it that he is exactly what I needed to get me my data from inside the Heathens property.

"Miss Alicia?" I look up to see Laurence watching me through the review mirror
"If I may give my advice?" He asks
" Go on"
" He looks to be like he will give trouble, why not look for someone else?"

"Well if he says he knows what he's doing then maybe we should give the poor thing a chance.
You have told him about who my family and I are, yes?"
"Yes ma'am"
"Good and if he does fail to get the job done, well, then that's his problem not mine"

I push my Valentino sunglasses up my nose as Laurence drives away from the street and return back to my thoughts.
My mind puts everything that has happened in the last few weeks, into perspective.
One step at a time Alicia.

~~~~~~~~

I snap back into the present as I look at the lanky guy once again.
"Oh and yes, you wouldn't want to be on Eli and Landon king's radars, now would you?
"I say almost pitifully."
"Just a reminder if you dared to tell anyone about this."

He looks taken aback at the realisation of what I just said.  It would take the mere mention of a name and last name for Eli and Lan to turn anyone's life upside down. And if this guy tried anything, my brother and cousin would take care of him.

He swallows hard before answering "N-no I won't say a word"
I give him a sharp smile "I thought so"
I tuck the folder into the pocket of my faux leather trench coat and turn around, leaving the man and the creepy looking cellar behind.

I make my way to the top of stairs, stopping to check and see if there are any guards lurking around and step outside.

A strong breeze rushes through my ebony dyed hair, indicating the current disarray of the night. My hands itch towards the folder that's in my pocket to assure myself it's over. I've awaited to get my retribution while staying in London with my parents up until now.

And now that I had some closure for my scheme to come together, it felt like a small weight was lifted off my shoulders. But not as yet. There was still a lot that had to be done once I went back to the the girl's apartment.

The speaker suddenly announced
"Player number sixty-ninety eliminated"
"Player number forty-seven eliminated"
Shit!

I almost forgot the initiation was still going on, and had to get of here before anyone saw me coming from the direction of the manor.

Just as I'm about to make a run for it, a large chain grips around my midsection pulling me back and knocking me off my feet in the process.

I stumble to the floor with a yelp, making the mask slip off my face. As I spit out the mud and dirt that got in my mouth, I hear the speaker announce: "Player number twenty-seven eliminated."

Shit!
Shit!
SHIT!!!
Player number twenty-seven is my number.

I hear heavy footsteps come towards me and turn my head to the side to see black combat boots in my peripheral vision, followed by a dark chuckle as a low menacing voice mutters
"Going somewhere moya korolyova?"

My eyes widen, my breathing turning slow as I carefully turn my head to look at the face of the unpleasant stitched white mask and a pair of the most luminescent hazel eyes staring back at me.

Fuck my life.

♛