Life is a battleground. It’s an endless race to an imperceptible finish line where only those who have strong wills prevails.I was giving Yulian a silent treatment for the past two hours. And the plane was getting ridiculously quiet for the lack of noise. But there were no words to explain to him that I didn’t want to go because of his grandfather. How could I possibly tell him that we have some sort of history? And me passing out after seeing him last time wasn’t helping my brain at all. I couldn’t stop imagining what will happen to me when I see him again.

There are the hunters and there are the hunted. It is for you to decide if you are going to be the hunter or the hunted. Being a victim is always a choice.Yulian was right, his family wouldn’t let the criminals get ahead of them. Before midnight of the next day, fireworks were set to signal the end of the hunt.Unimaginable joy filled my heart when Yulian whispered to my ears that it ended and we could come home at once. I jumped like a sugar-crazed kid hearing the news.

Pain is our brain’s way of telling us we are still alive.“I told you this before, don’t be such a stubborn child. If you can do everything, they tell you to do then do it. Is it really that difficult?” Alice wiped my body with a wet cold cloth. “Now look at you?”I coughed my chest was hurting so bad. “I am so sorry Alice.”

Trust isn’t an overnight process. There are certain criteria you should meet for someone to give their trust to you. But then there are times when you are overshadowed with familiarity and good intuition.“How would that be even possible? I don’t have any idea where to look.”Mikhail shook his head. “You don’t have to know. We still have two months to spare,” he commented pointing to my cast. “You just have to earn that old man’s trust for the meantime.”

The act of deception starts from the moment you open your eyes to the time you close them. It's everywhere, from the television shows you watch to the person you're talking to right now. Everyone lies, it's part of our lives.“Good morning beautiful!” Yulian bowed down to kiss my cheek. “You prepared this breakfast?” I smiled and placed a plate in front of him.“I didn’t hear you come last night. Coffee?" He nodded. "Black. No sugar," I said stating his preference.