~Ethan Knight~

And with simple words, the surgeon makes my world shatter in thousand and thousands of pieces.

"We couldn't save her"

The words that leave his lips feels like I am being stabbed in the chest by hundreds of knives at the same time. Nothing ever hurt like this, nothing can compare, not even the multiple bullets that already ripped through my body can put up with this pain.

All the memories and images from her flow back in my mind, overwhelming me completely. Her blue eyes sparkling with joy, when she laughs at my cheesy jokes. Her laugh ringing through the room and touching every soul that get the chance to hear it. Her sweet voice calling me at night to tell me she can't sleep, because I am not with her. The warm cookies she baked and secretly brought me in the back of our garden. Her smile... oh how I am going to miss it... all of her is just... gone. Forever.

I fall to the floor, my legs unable to hold on to the weight of this loss.

Grace. I loved her. And now she is paying for it with her death. It's my fault.

The tears flow down my face, as Blake tries to make my numb body stand up again. But I can't. Not without her. This can't be.

I was happy for just a little while, but Life didn't agree with it, so it took what I loved. Grief envelops me for the time I am crouched on the floor of the hospital, but as time passes, an other feeling sets itself in me. A feeling that is battling against the hole that was created in my heart.

Anger.

I want revenge. The people that did this are going to pay. The Italians are going to pay for what they did, because I won't allow them to walk all over us like this. I will make them suffer, no matter how much it costs.

It's been hours since I got the news and I haven't been able to move. But now that Anger is at its highest point, I swiftly stand up on my legs, earning a few worried and devastated looks from my family that I completely shut out, and I leave the room.

I storm through the corridors, heading straight towards the secret garage that is hidden under the hospital and that we own. We own it all, because after all my mom grounded this Hospital and it is currently wearing her name in her honour.

"Ethan stop !" I hear my twin yell behind me, probably trying to understand what I am thinking about.

"Leave me the fuck alone Blake ! I don't have time for this." I yell back with glaze eyes, without turning around to face him. I just need to get home right now and figure out a plan to destroy the Italians. I will find their weakest spots and press on them, until they fall on their knees, begging for forgiveness.

I tape in the code to access the secret door, so I could take a car and head home. Blake wasn't such a fan of my plan though and gripped my shoulder before I could enter the garage. I turn around seeing red and ready to punch him in the face, but I stop myself when Blake embraced me in his arms.

This small movement of affection from him, makes me turn the switch of anger off for a few seconds.

"I'm sorry. She didn't deserve it." Blake whispers, concern and hurt laced in his voice. "But please tell me what you plan on doing, because I can let you do something stupid. Not right now, so just let me help you."

"I-I need to do something Blake... I can't take it. They need to pay for what they did."

"I know Eth... just let me come with you okay ? We will go home together, I'll drive." Blake doesn't really leave any room for an argument, as he slowly drags me to a random car he chose. I don't even see, when we leave the hospital and arrive at our mansion, because the memories of her just storm through my brain, making we disconnect with reality.

I don't want to be in this reality right now. Not when I know she isn't here anymore.

Blake helps me out of my car and directs me towards my bedroom, so I could lie down. He says something about the fact that I should eat, but I am not sure, as I already shut my brain off, only to think of her. I stare at the ceiling, knowing damn well she loved doing that with me, pretending it was the sky in the middle of the night. Her imagination always vividly playing around in her head, and she loved making me part of it.

I can't do it.

"FUCK !" I yell and jump from my bed, unable to contain my emotions, as they try to suffocate me. Without thinking I punch the wall next to my bed, creating a hole. I punch again. And again. My fist is bleeding, making the blood fall to the floor drop by drop... just like her blood that night, which ended up killing her.

I crouch down on the floor, clutching my head forcefully, until I feel like I can't breathe anymore. I hear the steps of my brother rushing up the stairs, heading towards me, but I don't have the energy to stand up and look at him in the eyes. He curses under his breath, when his eyes meet my figure on the floor.

"Take a deep breath Eth, I now you can." He says, when he sees me struggling to breath. I grip my throat, as it feel like my lungs are giving up on me, and I let my fingers entwine with my necklace that has my initials on it. Feeling the familiar object against my skin, makes me calm down and after a few minutes I am able to stand up again, regaining my posture to face my twin.

My hand never leaves my necklace, and when I stand up, that's when I feel it. A change.

I stop breathing as I concentrate on the necklace, feeling it again and again, twisting, rubbing, weighting it in my hand.

"What's wrong ?" Blake words immediately, when he senses the change in my behaviour, as I look at him dead in the eyes, not daring to say a word.

"The weight. It's not the same. Someone exchanged my fucking necklace with a fake one. SHIT!" I curse and rip the fake piece of jewellery of my neck, before throwing it on the ground.

This means nothing good. This is bad. So bad. That means someone has a piece of the keys to access to the secret vault. The vault that we are supposed to be protect from the world, because the weapon in there could change everything in this fucked up world.

"What the fuck do you mean ? How can you be sure ? When and who took it ?" Blake shoots questions, as I pace back in forth in my room, trying to understand what happened. I know I am right, because my brain is built differently, it senses everything, always on high alert, thinking about everything. As if I had like a sixth sense. That is the reason why I am always making the plans and figuring out the lost pieces in the mafia world.

"They probably took it, when I was the least expecting it...when I was with her at the ball. It couldn't have happened before, otherwise I would have already known." Just thinking about last night makes my heart burn into flame, but I don't have a choice. I need to figure out what the Italians are planning on doing. "Killing her was a fucking distraction for them...she was the bait."

"We need to tell Damon, now. Get everyone home, as soon as they can. We need Jace too, he probably knows a few things that can make sense to the plan of the Italians."

Blake is quick to make the call, warning them to come home, but they are already on their way, arriving any minute now. I keep thinking about why they chose me to take the first piece. It doesn't add up, because they probably know our weaknesses as well as our strength. They know I am good with these things, so why chose me first.

Unless...

"BLAKE !" I shout, and storm towards the kitchen , where he went to grab a glass of water, while waiting for the others. Without saying an other word, I step close to him, only inches away from his face, and grab his necklace in my hands. I balance the silver plate engraved with his initials in my hands, before dropping it again.

"They fucking tricked you too !" I yell out, making him jerk back suddenly, because he wasn't expecting my out burst. "Fuck ! FUCK ! FUCK !" I voice louder each time, as I grip my hair, seconds away from ripping it out of my scalp. "When ?!" I snap at my other half, who looked more pissed than anything else at this point. He can't understand how they could pass his barriers and to be honest I don't understand how stupid we were to let it happen.

"ETHAN !" I jerk around at the sound of Damon's voice to see him and the rest of my brothers looking at me, as if I went crazy. Jace is with them staring at me with puzzled eyes. "What is going on ?"

I rip the necklace of Blake's neck, earning an insult from Leo and Grey at the same time, but I don't react, as I drop the jewel in Damon's hand.

"It's a fucking replica. Mine too."

A heavy silence fills the room, nobody daring to say a word, because we all now how fucked up the situation is a this point. The Italians have two keys, only needing one more, as well as the password. They are too close at this point.

I check each necklace that hangs loosely around my brothers necks, but don't find an other replica of the necklace. I sight in relief, but stop dead in my tracks, when I see that my baby sister is no where in the room or near my brothers.

"Where is Magnolia ?" I snap at them and Damon gives me a warning look with how I am addressing him, but at this point I couldn't care less.

"She is not here. She went to see Elijah to understand what happened the night before. He has a lead on the attack and asked to see her. We would have send Blake, because it's his best friend, but hence he was not near the hospital he asked for her." Leo explains, and I shake my head in confusion.

"You let it happen Jace ?" I question, as anger fills me up, even more. My sister is currently outside, alone and by herself, as we are in our weakest moment. Jace shakes his head in disapproval and nods towards Damon, and I understand that he didn't have an other choice.

I recall the events from the night before, analysing every single thing that could give me a lead, as to what Elijah has for information. I turn around to face Blake and himself looks out of place, giving me a hint that this situation is not normal even for him, as his best friend.

"He wouldn't have asked her to see him, especially not now that G-Grace is gone. Things are not adding up Damon." I notice the look my twin gives me, when he mentions Grace, but I don't let the pain show. He is right about the fact that things are not adding up.

"Jace do you have anything ?" Blake asks the leader of the Burning Heath gang, who is the enemy of Elijah's gang, as well as the Italians. He must know some informations, because like we say keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.

"Can we just call Magnolia first and ask her to come home. I don't like her behind outside right now. I can tell you what I know right after I know she is okay." Jace implies, not giving us space to debate on it, as he already dials her number.

The phone rings and rings, but we get no news from my baby sister, as it goes to voice mail. Jace tries again, earning the same result. His expression changes and my heartbeat quickens. He checks something on his phone, before his face visibly pales.

"She is not answering and her location is off. It is never off, something is wrong." Jace affirms, suddenly sounding less confident, but his words affects the whole room, as it falls silent, panic and worry filling it up.

Please tell me she is okay...