CHAPTER 1

Prologue

The first crack in the night came long before the car crash. It had started at the dining table.

Eight-year-old Sophia, seated at the far end of her grandparents' enormous dining table, her pretty leather shoes barely brushing the floor, that was caught her attention. Crystal teardrops hung from the chandelier, making the chandelier look like it was crying, catching candlelight, and scattering fractured rainbows across the pristine white tablecloth. It was so beautiful and somehow sad.

" The quarterly reports show a fifteen percent increase."

Her father's voice broke through her thoughts, very calm and edged with quiet pride.

Sophia looked up. Uncle Richard's face had already darkened to an awful shade she immediately recognized. His fork clattered against his plate.

" Your expansions," he spat. " Always your projects, your success. Some of us have been here just as long, James. Some of us have sacrificed just as much."

Sophia tensed. Beside her, her mother's hand slipped into hers under the table and squeezed it softly.

"I don't need permission to run my own company," her father replied.

He didn't raise his voice but it carried authority.

" It's not just your company you know," Aunt Melissa added smoothly, her smile too perfect. It's a family legacy."

Sophia's fingers curled tighter around her mother's hands.

People always said the word family was a safe place but not tonight.

Sophia glanced across the table and instantly wished she hadn't. Sophie her cousin was already staring at her, not blinking or smiling just watching her.

Then slowly ever so slowly her lips curved, not in a kind or playful way. But in acold creepy way, which made Sophia's chest tighten in fear.

Sophia looked away quickly, her heartbeat increasing.

"Enough." Grandfather's voice cracked through the tension like a whip. For a moment, everyone froze. But it didn't fix anything. It never did. So many things had already been broken and they all knew it.

"Now is not the time for...."

" It's never the time!" Uncle Richard exploded, shoving his chair back violently. " It's never the time to talk about how your golden boy gets everything while the rest of us fight for scraps!"

"That's enough." Sophia's father rose smoothly, already reaching for his wife's hand.

"Sophia," he said, his voice firm but gentle. " Get your coat. We're leaving."

Sophia didn't argue, she slid off her chair quickly, her small hand gripping her mother's as they walked out.

But just before they stepped through the doors, she looked back. Uncle Richard stood rigid his face gray with controlled rage.

Aunt Melissa rested a hand lightly on his arm, her expression calm. And Sophie - she was smiling. A chill went down Sophia's spine.

~~~

The rain had started before they reached the highways. Raindrops at first, Sophia pressed her forehead to the car window, watching the droplets race down the glass, blurring the world into streaks of light and shadows.

Inside the car, it was quiet with murmured whispers from her parents.

"...we should have told her..."

"...it's not safe anymore..."

"... Richard is pushing too far..."

Sophia frowned wondering what they were talking about. Her small delicate fingers tightened in her lap.

" Daddy?" She asked softly.

Her father glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

" Yes, sweetheart?"

" Are we in trouble?"

He hesitated for a second. And that was enough to create more fear in her.

"No," he said. But it didn't sound true.

~~~

The rain had increased now heavily. It slammed against the windshield, the wipers struggling to keep up. The visibility of passengers dropped, the road ahead dissolving into darkness.

" I can barely see anything," her father muttered, leaning forward slightly. " I need to pull over.."

" James, I think we should turn back," Isabella's mom said quietly.

" I'm not spending another minute in that house."

His grip tightened on the wheel.

" Richard's been up to something. I won't give him the opportunity."

Suddenly there was a thunder strike, lightning split the sky, and for one blinding second everything turned white.

And that was when they saw it- the headlights, it was so bright and too close.

"James...!" The scream tore through the car. The impact threw off the car.

~~~

The car spun violently, throwing Sophia Forward as the seatbelt dug painfully into her chest. The glass exploded, the metal made screeching sounds, and everything tilted and flipped.

Her scream was swallowed by the chaos and they were falling.

~~~

The crash into the water was brutal. A wild disorienting force as the water surged violently into the car.

Sophia gasped, choking as the icy water flooded her mouth instead of air.

" M..mom..?!" Her voice broke apart drowned by panic.

" Get her out!" her mother screamed.

Her father was already fighting for the door desperately, his movements frantic. But it wouldn't open or bulge. The pressure held it shut while the water climbed rapidly.

" I can't !" Sophia cried, her hands fumbling with the seatbelt. " I can't!"

Her fingers slipped, they wouldn't work they just wouldn't work.

" It's okay, baby," her mother said but her voice was shaking. " Just hold on...!"

Sophia could hear and feel it, the fear ,she knew they weren't okay.

~~~

Her father resorted to smashing his window. With the glass shattered, the water rushed in faster filling the car in seconds.

" Claire...!"

" I'm okay..help Sophia!"

The water surged higher, her breath coming in sharp and shallow.

" Daddy!" she screamed. "Help me!"

" I'm coming..."

He turned towards his daughter and then stopped, his eyes widened, his hands flew to his chest.

"James?" Her mother's voice broke. "JAMES!"

He didn't respond or move,his body had gone still and was floating

" Daddy?" Sophia's voice cracked. "Please..."

The water had gotten to her chin now.

" Sophia." Her mother twisted towards her, straining against her seatbelt. Blood trickled from her forehead, mixed with the water.

" Listen to me," she said, her voice urgent and desperate. " When the car fills, the door will open. You hold your breath and swim up. You must survive."

"What about you?"

Her mother smiled, heartbroken but brave.

" We will be right behind you."

Sophia shook her head, panic rising.

" No .....no...!"

" You must survive, Sophia," her mother whispered. " No matter what."

~~~

The water covered them. In the cold darkness and pressure, Sophia held her breath and counted. Ten... Twenty...Thirty...her lungs burned. Then click the seatbelt release.

Sophia shoved the door open with everything she had, it resisted then opened.

She kicked upward, her small body fighting through the freezing water, desperate and frantic for air.....

Her lungs felt like they would explode.

Finally, she broke the surface, she swam out gasping, choking as the rain poured into her mouth.

" HELP! she screamed. " SOMEBODY HELP!"

The lightning flashed and that was when she saw the figure above the broken tree. It stood still watching.

" Please!" she sobbed.

The lightning flashed again and he was gone.

The current violently pulled her away from the river, away from her parents.

" No..!" she screamed, trying to go back, fighting but she was too small and too weak to move through the wave.

The last thing she heard, small and faint echoing in her mind was her mother's voice...' You must survive Sophia.'

~~~

Beeping sounds brought her back to reality. She was in a hospital.

Sophia stared at the ceiling, blinking slowly as everything came in little fragments. The crash...The water...Her parents...

" Miss Sophia."

Mr Thomas sat beside her bed, his suit wrinkled, his face down. Relief filled his face when she looked at him.

" Thank God you're awake."

Her throat felt dry. " Where's mom and dad?"

His expression fell. Before he could say anything she knew.

" I'm so sorry," he whispered. " They didn't make it."

She turned away, stayed quiet because something inside her had died.

" They've been making arrangements," he continued softly. " Your family..."

Sophia kept staring at the ceiling, counted the tiles, lost in thought.

~~~

They came in later, her grandparents came in first showing real grievances, the tears kept flowing. The others later came in.

Uncle Richard and Aunt Melissa who were perfectly composed, broken but not completely because Sophia saw it. And Sophie, she stood at the foot of the bed, staring down at her quietly. Then she leaned closer.

" Now maybe you'll know what it feels like," she whispered cruelly, " to be second best.

She turned to leave with the same smile from dinner.

That night, alone in the hospital, Sophia stared at the ceiling again. Replaying the events from the day.

' The fight at the dinner '

' The accident '

' The figure at the bridge '

' Sophie's hatred.'

Someone wanted her family dead, but who?

"This wasn't a mere accident," she thought.

But one thing was certain they made a mistake leaving her alive. Her small fists curled into fists at her sides. She resolved into creating her quest, she would find them and make them pay. She would survive, no matter what.