All Chapters of Retribution : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Valencia Nightingale. Run Run Valencia My legs pushed harder as I sped through the forest, the only sound I could hear was the forceful pulsation of my heart and the blood rushing through my veins. My eyes scanned through the dark emptiness but there was nothing but a vast array of trees and gnarled shadows casted by the moonlight. The scent of rotting, damp and dirty soil filled my nostrils as I pushed through the tangled grasses and leaves. The ground beneath my feet was no longer sturdy, it was soft and mushy, threatening to swallow me hole, the earth was unstable. Just like my life. I was practically robbed of my sight, the darkness was too intimidating, too cruel. I was innocent. I didn’t do anything. Was my existence really that much of a threat? I wanted to yell, to cry for help, to curse the heavens and whatever supreme being played boss over there for putting me in this situation once again but I couldn’t, I was stuck in this nightmare. Running away from a fate that was

Anastasiya Van Houten A yelp escaped my lips as I was tossed onto the hard, unforgiving earth. I could barely see anything with blinding lights flashing directly into my eyes from different directions. The only thing I could hear was a roaring almost trickling sound in the background. I thought I was alone for a moment, until a voice—a rich, dark baritone—cut through the chaos. “You must be Anastasiya, Nice to meet you. I’m Malcom Reece” He stepped into my line of vision, his silhouette temporarily blocking the blinding lights, giving me a clear view of his face. I froze, caught off guard by his appearance. He was young—shockingly so—with messy blonde curls framing a face that could almost pass as innocent. Almost. The crinkle in his eyes deepened as he glanced at his outstretched hand, urging me to shake it. A sneer adorned my lips as I glanced at him head to toe. Did bro forget that my hands were chained behind me, sure I had picked the lock on the way but no one knew that.

Anastasiya Van Houten“Anastasiya.”“Anastasiya.”The voice was faint but unmistakable. My head snapped around, searching desperately in the suffocating darkness, which pressed against my skin like a heavy shroud. I reached out blindly, but my hands grasped only empty air.I stood still, waiting for the voice to call out again, but the silence echoed like a drum.“Who’s there?” My voice trembled, barely a whisper, swallowed whole by the void.No reply. Just empty space.My mind whirled in confusion. Where was I?Wasn’t I supposed to be dead? ...Am I dead?Was this what it felt like to be dead?I was lost and confused, suffocating in a darkness that had no end and no beginning. My legs pushed forward—I didn’t know what to do but to keep going, hoping that the voice would sound out again. My skin prickled at the possibility of what lurked in the darkness.As time dragged on, I could feel each step getting heavier than before, so much so that I struggled to lift my legs. Huffs escaped my

Anastasiya Van HoutenMy vision blurred, the overlapping voices blending into a chaotic mess. I tried to latch onto one voice, but they all jumbled together into incoherence."It's me, Hannah.""What are you feeling, princess?""Could she have internal bleeding?""What's your full name?""Enough," I gritted out, my voice sharp with exasperation. The confusion was unbearable, my patience fraying by the second.The room fell silent. The expectant and curious looks on their faces dissolved into hesitation as if they could sense the frustrated energy radiating from me. I was seconds away from smashing something and forcing someone to explain why I was in this godforsaken hospital room."I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I just—" the crying woman began but was swiftly cut off by the doctor."Let's not overwhelm her with too much information," he said, stepping toward me with measured caution. "I understand what you're feeling, Miss Nightingale."I eyed him warily as he continued, "Do we have you

Anastasiya Van Houten.Once again, i was lost. My reality sucked out of me and hurled into this nightmarish limbo, an eternal vortex of confusion...wonder, a grappling sense of loss of identity. I needed a line, a very broad one. One that explained where Valencia began and where i ended. I wasn’t a very religious person and i didn’t believe in miracles or special happenings that had no cause or explanation. Everything that happens around you, even down to the smallest detail was orchestrated by someone’s actions or words.Smart and Logical. It wasn’t until you were finally standing right infront of it, stuck in an endless road with zero possibilities, trying to make sense and put logic to words and try to create a plausible explanation that it finally hit you. Not everything has an answer or a cause. What ever you think you have figured out, that very answer you think you’ve found after years of searching.It’s always wrong.You’re always wrong.I stood rooted to the spot, my brea