The interior of the mansion surprises me intensely. The walls are a deep crimson, with black trim, and the chandeliers are black wire, wrapped around yellow lit bulbs. The ceilings are aggressively high, coming to a point at the ceiling, where a large mural of a wolf hangs. The wolf is howling to the moon, and at its feet, are millions of other wolves, their teeth bared.

"Welcome to my abode." I jump at Titan's voice, ripping my hand from his.

"Now, I'd love to give you a tour, but I'm afraid that will have to wait for another time."

I follow Titan down a long hall, the walls covered with several portraits of looming men's faces. They all seem to follow me as I my feet make echoing steps on the shining polished wood floors.

At the end of the hall, lies a humongous wooden door with golden handles, and above the room is a portrait of Titan, a half-smirk lying on his scarred face. I look away from the portrait, clenching my jaw tightly, stepping past Titan as he holds the doors open for me.

It looks like a basic office, with a mountain-sized desk in the center, surrounded by book selves that haven't been touched in decades.

"Please, take a seat, Alessandra." Titan appears right behind me, pulling a chair out for me, and I sit down quickly, anxious to get away from him.

"So," He starts, leaning against the front of his desk, facing me. "I assume you have decided to comply with my demands."

I clear my throat.

This is it, Alessandra. You need to be convincing, deceptively so.

"On one condition." I state, my voice clear and my mind racing.

"Oh really?" He asked, crossing his arms across his chest and racing a thick eyebrow at me.

"Yes." I snap, crossing my legs in front of me, trying to look as confident as possible.

"And what would that be?" Titan hisses, his eyes squinting.

"Before this deal goes any further, I demand to see my father."

He leans back into the desk farther, scanning my face. I keep my expression neutral but serious.

Don't crack, Alessandra.

"I like your intellect, dear. As you wish."

He stands up straight, moving away from the desk. I stand from my chair, brushing the backs of my leggings as I move. I straighten my posture, trying to make myself look more confident than I am.

"This way, beautiful." I almost gag on the bile rising in my throat at his term of endearment, and I walk a safe distance behind him. He leads me back down the long hall, and takes several sharp turns, the building seeming to go on forever.

I wonder for a moment if this monster, this beast walking in front of me is the Minotaur, leading me down through his labyrinth, ready and willing to spring a trap that will keep me hidden in this maze.

I try to control my breathing, knowing that Titan is perfectly capable of hearing my heartbeat, and I hold my heart in my hands, imagining my fingers wrapping around it, holding the beats together and steady.

"How much farther?" I ask as Titan leads me down another hallway.

"Patience, darling." I shiver slightly.

This hallway leads to a dead end, a thin metal door at the end of it. The door is lined with thick iron, shining a dull shine. I look around it, at the cobwebs and dead moths covering the floor. The only clean part of this hall is the doorknob of the entrance, the only sign that anyone has been here in a century.

"So sorry for the mess." Titan sneers. "Only the butcher comes down here."

I swallow hard, biting down so hard on the inside of my cheek that I can taste the metal and coppery blood.

"Watch your step, wouldn't want you to fall down here and get lost."

I ignore his words, following him down the nearly pitch black staircase. The walls are stone, cold, and damp, and it smells of filth and blood. I press the vomit beginning to rise along my throat down, trying to hold myself together.

We make the turn at the end of the staircase, and Titan reaches out, flipping a switch with a metallic crack. Two bulbs hanging from the ceiling flicker on, the buzz of ancient electricity resonating towards my ears. I blink and squint, trying to make out anything in the darkness.

At the opposite wall of the room, I see the outline of a form, thin and sickly. It moves suddenly but slowly, the sound of chains dragging on cement echoing.

"Hello Alvarez. I've brought you a little gift." Titan's snake-like voice slips through his lips, a cold, scaly sneer forming on his lips.

"Go to hell." The form croaks, its voice the sound of tin cans and disease.

Oh god.

"Now, now, Alvarez, not in front of our guest. I think it's someone you're already familiar with."

The black form begins to gain color as it nears on of the lights, the shape being granted a face. A face I knew so well, but so poorly.

"Daddy..." I sob, not able to hold back the tears in my voice.

My father's once handsome face is barely recognizable, with patches of skinless flesh and more scars than skin. His hair is nearly gone, the once black mane now just patches of grey caked in blood.

My father, the strongest man I knew, the man I aspired to be, to make proud, is broken. He's completely lost and cracked and bent, that he barely looks human.

"This is some cruel trick." He gasps, the sound of his voice tunneling through an empty body. "This is low, even for you, Titan."

"How little you must think of me, old friend." Titan scolds, shaking his head. "This girl is real, this girl, is your lovely daughter, Alessandra."

"Don't do this to me!" He screams, spatters of blood splashing over his lips. "I've lost my mind already, don't do this to me!" He is backing away, trying to get out of the light.

I rush forwards, and stop right in front of him. He stops, silent.

"Daddy, it's me." I whisper, and reach out my hand, needing to make sure he was real. But he flinches away from me, his now empty eyes widening at me.

"You ghost, you false vision!" He gasps, his tongue dry and raspy.

"Dad, please." Tears are streaming down my face, and I don't know what to do. "I'm here, I'm not a ghost, I'm here."

He looks me up and down, and then his eyes stop at my neck.

"You have a..." His eyes trail over to Titan, and my father's face fills with rage and violence.

"What have you done to my daughter?!" He screams, lashing forwards but stopping as the chains around his wrist tighten, and he winces.

"Oh, please, Alvarez. You know me. My mark would have been much larger on her puny neck. That is a perplexing suggestion then. Maybe when my son is dead I can take you up on that notion."

I grit my teeth, biting my tongue and holding myself back.

I gasp in surprise. Octavius' voice echoes in my head, and I realize he's using the mating link. I breath a sigh of relief and hide my joy.

"Unchain my father." I demand, standing up from my crouch.

"Ah, you see, Alessandra, that's not quite possible." Titan begins to back away towards the stairs.

I face him completely, starting to move towards him.

"What do you mean?"

"Because then you would have no company down here."

I freeze.

"What." I snap.

"You didn't actually think I was stupid enough to believe you would kill Octavius? Honestly, I thought you would be smarter than this. But you disappointed me."

Realization crashes into me like a truck.

He never intended to let my father go, or me. He's going to kill Octavius than come back and kill me and father. No no no.

I lung forwards towards Titan, but he just smiles and slams me to the ground, and my shoulder lands on something like a rock. I look down and realize it wasn't a rock, but a skull. I scream, and throw it away, wincing at the pain in my arm.

"HE'LL KILL YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH." I scream. I try to stand, but Titan's foot strikes my face, forcing me to the ground again.

"YOU'RE A MONSTER, YOU HEARTLESS FUCKING BASTARD."

"YOU WILL DIE AT HIS HANDS, TITAN."

"Oh, Alessandra, you foolish girl. I've been dead for centuries. My heart might be beating and my lungs expanding, but I have been dead since my first breath. But don't worry, I'll make sure you know Octavius is dead before I come and skin you alive. Enjoy your reunion, dear. I have important murders to attend to."

"DON'T TOUCH HIM, I SWEAR TO GODDESS, IF YOU HURT HIM-"

"Oh, shut up, Alessandra. Death is a part of life, I'm just controlling the timeline."

And he disappears up the stairs, my screams and curses following him as he goes.

I scream and slam the ground, screaming and screaming and abusing my voice, my fist pounding on rock and stone and bones.

This is the time we all die.

This is the day that everything disappears.

This is the day I lose my mind.

This is the day I lose control.