I was sitting in a cafe with Jane, Jen, Azara, and Cressida. We were here to celebrate the last few days I could spend with the certainty of being alive by my side. I try not to think about the outcome of the competition. At the moment, all I want to do is just relax and watch a game of quick ball. It's similar to basketball, except it also involves an obstacle course, a much bigger hoop, the ability to choose a weapon of your choice, and way much more fun.

"Earth to Taryn," Jen finally got my attention, my eyes snapping to meet hers. Her eyes slid to Jane's who was looking at me with concern in her eyes.

"As I was saying, if you die, we'll all die together," said Jane. She could be pretty intense, and this was one of those times.

"Oh hell no, she's far too stubborn to die." Azara smirked.

I chuckled. "Aw, thank you." I said, mirroring her smirk before returning my attention to the game.

I chuckled and continued to watch the games. Ever since my guardian died, I lived with my brother Carter. We weren't related by blood, but we still looked alike, and we were siblings in every other way. It was then that I realized that if I didn't haul ass, then I'd be late for lunch. He would kill me. Crap.

I quickly said goodbye to my friends and heard a chorus of "I'll be watching you in the competition!" back. Chuckles from the other customers followed me on my way out of the cafe as I frantically ran outside.

Carter had already found his mate, Marlee. I still remember the day she blurted it out in front of him when he was about to go on a date with this girl I had set him up with. Everybody thought it was embarrassing for me, but I thought I deserved credit. The jury was still out for the actual couple. At least they're together now. They gave each other a reason to live.

When my guardian was still alive, she trained six people -- Marisa, Carter, Felissha, Marlee, Xavier and I. The day she died was also the day my best friend and Xavier died. It was all so sudden, and I couldn't save them. The reason I wanted to join the king's personal group of guards was to actually have a purpose for life. In this world, a woman didn't get to share much with the men in the room; hell, she was barely even allowed to be in the same room as a group of men, lest she "embarrass" herself.

Most women and men did get to share a reason to live: their mates, just like my brother and Marlee.

I, however, had no intention of telling mine that I was his mate.

I punched and kicked at the designated bag, eventually sending it flying into the door. Thankfully, nobody was going through it at that particular moment. I'd spent the better part of the evening in the men's gym. Well, it wasn't particularly the men's gym, it was a community gym, but not a lot of women ever came here.

I'd spent a year down at a ridiculous excuse for a gym before Carter asked me why I didn't just come here. I'd actually been shocked to hear that women were allowed in here, the brochure didn't say anything about us being allowed so I just assumed we weren't, and I hadn't been in the mood to start a fight on something that small.

Speaking of Carter, I'm officially late for dinner.

I hurried back to the small hut and the scent of bolognese pasta greeted me, making my mouth water. My stomach very loudly announced my arrival. All I had eaten since lunch was a banana.

"You're late, again," Carter said by way of greeting.

"What if you get sick or unhealthy before that big stupid competition? The late King only accepts the most idiotic ones, so you should be just fine, but if you get sick then you won't live long enough," Marlee said playfully.

Nobody had ever seen the King-to-be -- the Crowned Prince. His mother, the Queen, was still considered the highest rank right now because he hadn't even been crowned yet. His father had died very recently, so this would be his first time hosting the contest. He never visits his own kingdom, meaning nobody has seen him, and from the rumors, he was sort of rude and arrogant. Your typical royal asshole.

"Firstly, it's not stupid, I'd actually have a purpose in my life if I won, and second, we all know my body heals very fast, so that's not really a problem," I said, spaghetti chunks flying out of my mouth.

Marlee cringed and Carter groaned. "You probably have the worst table manners of anyone I've ever known, even worse than my friends who are boys." He emphasized on the word "boys." I snorted. Good, I thought, then maybe I'll get out of meeting the King-to-be.

"Just because you eat like one of the Ladies of the court doesn't mean I have to do the same," I retorted, and continued eating my food. In a matter of seconds, I already gulped everything down, considering that pasta was my favorite food.

Suddenly, his eyes softened and he asked me the question most of the people I knew asked me repeatedly, "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine," I said, trying to sound nonchalant for the gazillionth time.

Suddenly, the silence in the room became awkward. I felt a little irritated. Fine, Shira's death, and Marisa's, and Xavier's hit me pretty hard, but I'm oka-

I needed to cry.

Stop it! I mentally scolded myself. Tomorrow was going to be one of the most important days of my life and I could not mess this up. I needed to calm down, I couldn't show any signs of weakness.

So what if Marisa was my best friend and Xavier was my boyfriend?

I felt tears rise up into my eyes and quickly excused myself from the dining table. As I laid down in bed, I let a few tears escape my eyes as I thought back to what happened three months ago.

This is it, I thought. I was going to break up with Xavier. I hadn't been ready to have a relationship while also knowing I had a mate. I sighed in frustration. I didn't want to break his heart, but this was inevitable. His mate was somewhere out there, and mine was right here. I had just found out about what soulmates were right after Xavier and I slept together, and had regretted it instantly, because I hadn't wanted to disappoint mine.

I'd opened the door to Shira's house, where Xavier was currently staying, and the pungent smell of blood had greeted me. My instincts had instantly kicked in, making my finger tips brush against the hilt of my sword.

When I'd entered the dining room, I had instantly hidden behind the corner, not bothering to cover my eyes.

That dining room scene would haunt me in my sleep forever.

Xavier's body was near me. His eyes were gouged out mercilessly and there was a deep red gash running over his chest, strategically placed to make him bleed out quickly. Two large males wearing black masks blocked half of my view. But from what I could see, Marisa, dear god, Marisa was still alive, hiding far across the room. Too far. I couldn't get to her without risking detection and I knew better than to underestimate my opponent. I'd watched her lift a finger to her mouth.

Another woman, who obviously came with the two males since she was wearing a dress with similar fabric, had her hand out and Shira had been lying on the ground. I wrinkled my eyebrows in confusion, what was happening? Why was Xavier; Xavier was; Xavier was-

I had been about to break up with him. Oh dear god, Xavier.

Just when we confessed our love last night.

I had almost lost it at that moment, but the fact that Shira's necklace was gone -- the one with the large pendant that was literally impossible to miss - but as far as I remembered, it had some sort of magic in it. I'd never understood why Felissha had always wanted it so badly and why she was so upset that Shira was planning to give it to either me or Marissa to be her official successors.

I had watched in horror as the woman got out a black-hilted sword and placed it at Shira's throat.

"I already gave it to a successor who is currently training in Kaldovia," Shira had said, not looking up. The woman had chuckled in reply, a sneer grew from ear to ear. Her voice reminded me of an older woman, maybe somewhere in her thirties.

"Do you think I'm a fool?" she had asked. I could hear the malicious smile in those words.

She had raised the sword, but just before she could bring it down, Marisa had rushed out of her hiding place and tried to stop her, but not before smiling at me one last time and mouthing "Sorry."

It took everything in me not to scream as her head was sliced off. 

Shira screamed loud enough for the both of us, however, as she moved towards what was left of Marisa.

I could see the woman smiling through a mirror, her back was still turned to me. I had wanted to go give her a piece of my mind but intervening now would have been wrong. I knew exactly why Marisa hadn't wanted me to step in. I knew better than to ignore her silent request.

Shira had glared up at the trio of hellions, and had said in the proud tone she had taught me to use whenever I was absolutely terrified, "I will never tell you the location of the necklace, and my successor will defeat you, whenever that may be."

The woman had plunged the sword into Shira's stomach, the moment replaying in my mind ever since.

She'd then whispered something into Shira's ear before letting her fall to the floor. Shira had waved her hand at me, very intentionally, as she fell. God knows what she was trying to do.

I jumped when the woman looked straight at me and frowned. It was then that I had realized that I was invisible. The frown on her face had turned into an evil smirk as she said, "I guess the successor is in this very room with us after all." I hadn't been able to breath nor move a muscle until a knock on the door sounded.

I hadn't known who it was, I just prayed it wasn't someone I loved and cared deeply about. The woman and her henchmen vanished into thin air as I rushed towards the woman who was practically my mother. I hadn't gotten to tell her that which was the biggest mistake of my life since you can't turn back time.

Shira wasn't dead when I reached her. I had tried to hold back my sobs so that I could say something, anything; I love you mom, or, I don't know, anything, but she had beckoned me closer and distracted me from it.

"This wasn't your fault," she had whispered, giving me a weak smile before life was drained out of her eyes.

Three months after that godforsaken day, I know that I will never, ever forget the face of the woman who ruined my life. I know I will hunt her down and kill her if that's the last thing I do. And I know that I regret rushing to Shira's body at that moment, because her last words could have been inspiring, powerful.

But for me, she made them a lie.

It was my fault and no one can change my mind.

Edited by Valerie Lyn

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Huge thank you to my readers so far! If you see any grammar mistakes, kindly point them out ;) Thank you again and stay safe everyone!