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Chapter Text

Giggles rang through the air as a small girl ran ahead of her father carrying armfuls of packaged goods. The small girl's short, black pigtails bobbed up and down as she skipped, jumped, and moved her little legs as quickly as she could while pretending her papa was a big bad monster wanting to catch and eat her. She giggled uncontrollably, her Papa falling behind, the bundle in his arm, slowing down his movements.

“Marinette, be careful, sweetie! Not so fast!” Her Papa, Tom Dupain, hollered out to her before he chuckled in amusement at her antics.

“You won’t eat me Mr. Giant Papa Monster!”

Marinette squealed as she turned back to look at her Papa, blowing a raspberry before turning back around and running as fast as her little legs would carry her. Her Papa responded to her with a low and loud, Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum, and continued following her. Unfortunately for the little raven haired child, her usual clumsiness began to set in. She tripped over a loose cobblestone in the road, causing her to fall to the ground. The pain from the impact shocked her at first then tears began to pour from her once bright blue eyes.

“Uh… hello? Are you okay?”

A small voice came from behind the large golden gate in front of her. Marinette lifted her eyes to meet a bright pair of grass green ones. Sitting herself up Marinette took in the boy maneuvering through the gates slats toward her. He was slightly shorter than herself with shiny blonde hair that fell around his face in a messy manner. The boy smiled at her as she nodded, responding, “y-yes… I'm just really clumsy, clumsy Marinette,” she giggled.

“What’s your name?”

“Adrien,” he answered quickly, his smile growing bigger as he continued to take in the girl before him.

“I've never met someone my size before,” he told her, stepping closer to her, his hand outstretched in offering.

Marinette looked at his hand for a moment, then back to his face, deciding he was trustworthy enough, she took his hand as he helped her up before bending forward and placing a kiss to her hand. Both of their breaths hitched when his lips touched her skin. Marinette wasn't sure what he was doing. She had seen boys kiss girls' hands on tv, but no one had ever done that in real life before. The idea made her blush even deeper.

Adrien, however, realized that the hand he was holding, harbored a small laceration. A laceration with bright, red blood seeping through. Turning her palm to face him,Adrien kissed her hand again on the cut before opening his mouth to allow his tongue to run along the wound.

“Adrien! There you are, what are you doing outside the Manor gates!” A young woman of no older than twenty-five, with long blonde hair and grass green eyes, just like Adrien's, quickly grabbed the boy and pulled him away from the girl. A whine escaped both of them as Tom grabbed Marinette and pulled her back as well, throwing her over his shoulder.

Without a word to one another, both parents turned and headed in opposite directions, both quietly scolding their children as they reached for each other. The two small children barely listened to their reprimands as they stared unblinking at the other, until they were no longer visible.

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Chapter Text

Ten years later…

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng! You are going to be late for school again!”

Marinette heard her mother yelling at her from below as she sat at her vanity, her hair still in her pigtails, just as they had been all those years ago, when she met him. She looked at her hand, taking in the small scar that reminded her of the little boy she hadn't seen in ten years. She always wondered what happened to him. She could still remember his shaggy blonde hair and bright green eyes, every time she looked at the healed wound. There was something about him that kept her curious, but she had never met him again, not even at school, or in town. It was like he never left that Mansion on the other side of town.

She stood up from her seat, grabbed her bag and headed downstairs. Marinette grabbed a muffin from the counter and waved to her parents as she ran toward the bakery door. As the bell above rang, she heard her father call her name, “Marinette! We have a delivery that needs to be made this evening. Your mother and I will be getting ready for a catering event, so we need you to deliver it. Please don't be late getting home.” Nodding the ravenette turned on her heels and ran as quickly as possible to her highschool, arriving just as the bell rang overhead.

“Look at you Dupain-Cheng, just barely here on-time again. You are such a loser, isn't that right Sabrina?” A blonde girl with blue eyes in a yellow sweater asked her red-headed, glasses wearing friend. The girl nodding at her in response. Sighing Marinette turned toward her seat and sat down, as the blonde turned back to her again.
“Oh, Dupain-Cheng, don't feel so down, at least this will be the last day you will need to worry about being late to school,” the girl cackled with her hand over her mouth.

“What are you talking about Chloe, I wasn't that late and the least I would get is detention,” Marinette couldn't help but ask. The daughter of the mayor was and had been a thorn in Marinette's side for years now. She had been bullied, framed, and teased without remorse since they were kids.

“Don’t you worry your little head about that. Everything will work out just like it's supposed to,” Chloe responded before turning back to face the front and whispering out of Marinette's hearing range, “you will finally get what you deserve, baker's daughter.”

The rest of the school day went on without a hitch. Marinette wasn't used to not being tormented by Chloe and her minion all day long. It had been a long while since she had a quiet day. The last time she could remember was back in middle school when Chloe had the chickenpox and was out for two weeks. She refused to come to school until every little red dot was gone, even when the doctors said she was no longer contagious. But Marinette wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. She was taking the day in stride and enjoying every minute.

Her walk home after school was quiet as well. She enjoyed the beautiful fall weather, the crispness of the air made her smile as a small breeze kissed her cheeks. The colors of fall, red, orange, and yellow surrounded her, filling her with an even greater sense of ease.

When she finally reached home, her parents were waiting for her with a large, white box, packed and ready to be delivered

Chapter Text

“Happy Birthday, Adrien,” the stoic voice of his father's assistant spoke as she entered the dark room where the boy lay on his king sized bed, staring at the ceiling. 

“Thanks, Natalie. Will I get to see father today since it is my birthday and my sixteenth being well… important?” 

Natalie lightly shook her head side to side in an answer along with verbalizing a low no, before continuing with her normal daily announcements. “However, even though your father cannot be here, Chloe will be sending your betrothal gift. Her choice for your two year feeding and the ceremonial sacrifice at your marriage.” 

“Why does Chloe get to choose? This human will be my first from the source and with me until I'm eighteen, so why can't I choose myself?” Adrien asked, standing to his feet. 

“You are aware of the rules Adrien, the betrothed presents the gift of blood and sacrifice as a testament of love and promise to sustain you for the next two years. Then you will slit the throat of the human and drink them together as part of the marriage ceremony when you turn Chloe and she becomes your vampire bride,” Natalie finished, never changing the tone or resonance of her voice. 

The boy sighed in exasperation, “I don't even want to marry Chloe! She's like a sister, not a lover. I mean we grew up together. She was the only friend I had. How do you expect me to love her? She's rude, manipulative, loud, and not even my type,” he whined as a vision of black pigtails flashed through his mind. The sweet taste of the blood that was his actual first taste from the source, which he would never mention to anyone, he could image still on his tongue. He had been young and broke the rules, but he hadn't been able to forget the taste and the smell of vanilla and strawberries. When he closed his eyes, bright blue orbs still haunted him. 

Natalie's voice brought him from his thoughts, “Chloe was chosen as a means to an end. You know that you must protect your clan Adrien. Your mother would have wanted…” 

Interrupting her, Adrien exclaimed, “Mother would have wanted me to be happy! She always said she wanted me to have eternal love. When she died, father made that pact with the mayor because he was foolish and scared. He… he decided my life for me for his own personal gain! An eternal life of absolute misery. What's life worth living forever if I hate being alive every day, and all he does is hide away in the basement with mother's body as she lay in her eternal sleep. What's the point, Natalie?” 

Without even raising an eyebrow, Natalie allowed Adrien to finish his rant. She was used to his tantrums since his mother fell into her eternal slumber. She couldn't fault the boy though, he never wanted for anything materialistic, but when it came to compassion and love, he was definitely lacking. His father never had been much of one to dote on him. His protection as heir was of utmost importance, even more so since the incident. She knew Adrien wanted, no craved touch and care. He wanted someone to love him the way he once was loved by his mother, but there were rules that had to be followed to keep vampires' secrets and unfortunately the annoying blonde girl played a large part.

“I’m sorry, Adrien. I wish things could be different. However, your gift should arrive later this evening. I shall notify you upon their arrival.” 

The tall, slender woman with black hair, red streaked bangs, and glasses, turned on her heels and exited the room without another word. Adrien sat on his bed and placed his face in his hands. 

This is going to be the worst birthday ever,  he thought.

Chapter Text

Marinette hopped on the pink vespa her Nona had gifted her on her 14th birthday. The scooter was hardly used until Marinette turned sixteen, her parents believing it was too dangerous for a young girl at her age. Now though, they took advantage of having an extra way to deliver their bakery items, utilizing Marinette's bike and creating a hook system using bungee cords to hook the delivery items to the back. 

Tom placed a large white box on the flattest surface behind Marinette's seat and secured the hooks at each end of the bungees under the scooter, around the front, back and over the top to ensure the contents would not shuffel during the ride nor fall from its perch. 

Once he was confident with his work, Tom looked at his daughter beginning to explain, "your maman and I will be back around midnight. We need you to deliver the box and then return home immediately after." 

Marinette nodded, placing her matching pink helmet on before giving each of her parents a quick hug and whispered "I love you," between the three, then mounted the vespa and sped away. 

The bluenette arrived at the Bourgious Hotel wthin ten minutes, the large five floor building not far from her home after all, which was one of the reasons her parents allowed her to deliver there. Pulling up to the side of the building, Marinette made her way around the building toward the alley where the kitchen entrance was located.

Marinette and her parents had been delivering to the hotel for years now. The mayor and hotel owner had been trying for years to get Tom and Sabine to work for him as the hotel pastry chefs, but they repeated turned him down. He definitely wasn't known as a great boss for one and the idea that their income could stop because his spoiled daughter decided she wasn't happy just one time was not at all appealing. They were happy where they were. There business was steady and they lived comfortably, plus they were their own bosses and still made money creating for the mayor, just as through their own volition instead of his. 

As the single, black door came into her field of vision, Marinette flipped the kick stand up on her vespa and began unhooking the box from its confines. The last of the cords were released with Marinette reaching to remove the box, when two large hands landed on hers, stopping her in her tracks. 

"What are you..." her question was halted as a sharp pain was felt on her neck, behind her right ear. Strong arms wrapped around her waist. Her eyes starting to blur and lids closing against her will, while her limbs collapsed it's full weight against the arms holding her. The last thing her eyes saw was Chloe Bourgious's face, her bright blue, excited gaze glaring dangerously with a devilish smirk on her lips, before everything went black. 

Chapter Text

Her head was pounding. A pain so strong radiated through her skull making it difficult to open her eyes, but she pushed herself to try. It was cold and eerily quiet, more quiet than her room ever was, even in the dead of night. Living above the bakery on the main street in town never allowed for complete silence. The soundlessness was deafening. She felt as if she was in a black hole, her ears almost straining as to even hear the smallest of sounds. That made her want to open her eyes even moreso. To know where she was. She couldn't remember much about what had happened, but she knew she was making a delivery for her parents...

Marinette's eyes shot open without the heaviness she had been fighting at the thought of her mom and dad. She noticed the pitch blackness surrounding her in an instant. He breathing beginning to quicken along with the beat of her heart. Where was she? Why was she here? Her parent's must be worried sick, because she obviously never made it home last night.

In her panic, Marinette attempted to move, to push her self to sit up further, but her hands were bound behind her. The floor she was sitting on was not soft, probably stone, from the hard, sold surface she could lightly run her fingers across. Knowing that she couldn't move, see, or hear anything scared her even more as she continued to question, suddenly out loud, just so she could hear something in the soundless space.

"How did I get here? Is anyone there?"

She was answered with a continued silence so she continued talking.

"There has to be a way out."

"I need to get my hands free and try to find a way out."

She struggled with her bindings a bit more, but the more she pulled the tighter the ropes became, cutting into her skin and causing her wrists to burn.

Tears started to drip over her lower lids as she realized she couldnt get free without help. She could try to stand, but in the darkness, she didn't want to take the chance of falling. Her clumsiness was enough of a threat when she had her hands to catch her and light to see. The darkness would just increase her chances of harm. So she sat still, the tears falling faster, until she finally felt herself tire, her eyes closing again, because it didn't matter she couldnt see anyway, and she fell asleep.

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Bright, burning light. That was the next thing Marinette knew. The darkness that surrounded her before was now a blaring brightness in front of her eyelids. With a groan of sheer frustration at the change and inability to move her arms causing a deep ache in her muscles, she slightly opened her baby blues. Just barely through the slit between her lids she could make out two figures standing before her, but her eyes shut again, this time from sensitivity rather than tiredness.

“Looks like she's waking up. Adrikins is going to be so excited! I can't wait to give her to him!” The sound of a clap and an excited, high pitched, nasally voice Marinette was sure she knew from somewhere spoke. The sound did cause her to cringe, so she knew it wasn't from anywhere good, but she was still attempting to get her bearings.

“You are sure she will not be missed?” Another voice spoke, Marinette assuming it was the other person she had slightly seen who was standing before her. This voice was unfamiliar, monotone and stoic.

Marinette tried to open her eyes a bit more, fighting the light, so she could identify who held her captive.

“Pfft, the baker girl. No way! Even if they do put up a fight, no one will find her, Dadikins will take care of it. He wants me to be happy after all and plus, this trash,” Marinette felt a kick to the bottom of her shoe, "she’s been a thorn in my side since we were little. She deserves to be a blood bag, she wasn't going to make anything of herself anyway. Just a lowly baker's daughter who will one day be our marital sacrifice,” the girl laughed wickedly as she finished her speech.

Marinette didn't understand the conversation. She did know who was talking now, though. The mention of Dadikins gave her away. Chloe Bourgeois. The memories of the night came back to her in that instant. Pulling up to the hotel, going to the kitchen entrance, the strange sting in her neck, and Chloe smirking as her body fell limp and her eyes closed against her will. Now she was here, listening to some strange conversation about blood bags, a guy named Adrikins, what kind of name was that, and a sacrifice.

“Well, if you are certain, we should get her ready for the party,” the stoic voice informed as two strong arms grabbed Marinette under hers and lifted her to her feet. At the feeling of her feet flat on the ground, Marinette found the strength to open her eyes. The light still hurt, but this was her chance. If she could wiggle free she could see now and run!

Even with her eyes still focusing, Marinette used all the strength she could muster and turned her torso to pull from the grasp of the person who helped her stand. She could make out the women who had been talking already walking up a set of stairs ahead of her, the rest of the room covered in grey stone. The room wasn't huge and the humidity gave way to must in the air.

Grunting as she continued to pull away, the blunette had caught the man holding her off guard and she ran. She ran as fast as she could. She could take Chloe, she wasn't worried about that. The other woman could be a problem, especially without her arms, but dammit she was going to try because otherwise she didn't know what was going to happen to her.

A low growl emitted from behind her as stomping that shook the ground followed. Marinette tripped on an uneven stone at the base of the stairs, hitting her right shoulder on the handrail. It hurt like hell but at least it kept her from landing on her face. Engaging her core, she pushed herself back to standing just in time as a very large hand reached toward her. Luckily, the swipe missed by near centimeters as she took the stairs two by two.

The two women were already gone from her site. She could make it. Thankfully the door was cracked and she could see light seeping through. With the momentum she had, the blunette rammed her shoulder through the door, opening it with a crash and without stumbling. She could see another door ahead that looked to lead outside, if the window of the room she was in was anything to go by.

She kept running, even with the grunts behind coming louder and louder as the large man continued stomping after her. He was large but slow. It was an advantage she was thankful for until she made it to her exit. The door was shut and without her hands she couldn't turn the knob.

Marinette looked around panicking, looking for anything she could find to help her. With nothing coming into view she turned to face the large man, her hands fiddling with the door knob attempting to turn it, just enough to dislodge the catch.

The seven foot tall, ape, no gorilla-like man slowed with a smirk on his face as he stepped slowly toward her. No words spoken from him as Marinette began to beg him to stop and let her go.

With only one large step to go, the door budged and Marinette pulled, the opening wide enough for her petite form to slip through. The man stopped and watched her as she maneuvered between the door and its frame. As soon as she felt the outside air, Marinette turned, ready to sprint away, but she instantly felt something hard impact the back of her head, the pain was debilitating as she fell face first into someone's arms. The back of her head felt slightly wet and once again her eyes felt heavy.

“Ugh Dupain-Cheng, you made me break a nail!”

Marinette cringed at the shrill sound.

“Take her to the mansion. She needs to be cleaned up and dressed appropriately for the party. She must be flawless when we present her to the Prince.”

Marinette felt herself being thrown over, who she assumed was the large man's shoulder. The bouncing of his steps jolted the pain in her head. Eventually, it all became to much and she succumbed once more to the darkness.

Chapter Text

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRINCE ADRIEN!”

The crowded hall of partiers happily yelled as the Prince stood at the end of an eighteen person table in the mansion dining room. The table itself was barely seen as it contained gifts wrapped in every color of the rainbow, large and small, as well as pitchers and cups of dark red, viscous liquid.

Adrien smiled a small smile at his guests. He didn't really know any of them, besides his father, Natalie, Gorilla, his cousin Felix and Aunt Amelia. He knew Chloe and her father of course, but he didn't have anyone else close to his age in attendance. Most of them were either workers for the Agrestes or “business” associates of his father's.

A heavy weight suddenly pulled Adrien down at his neck causing a small grunt to escape him.

“Adrikins!” Chloe exclaimed, too loudly in his ear, causing him to flinch on top of the already unexpected attack.

“Hi Chlo, thanks for coming,” the blonde boy turned his body enough to pull the girl's arms from around his neck and release himself from her hold.

Ignoring Adrien's response to her presence, Chloe clapped her hands together and announced, “time for my present, my love! Bring her in, and hurry!” The obnoxiously loud blonde girl yelled to the guards standing at the door.

Two large oak doors opened at the other end of the room as Chloe continued to speak, her right hand over her heart as her left flipped her long, blonde ponytail over her shoulder, “everyone is aware that I, Chloe Bourgeois, am to be Adrien's bride when he turns eighteen.” The room stayed quiet as the girl continued animatedly.

“Well, it is tradition that as the betrothed of the prince, I present the gift of first blood from the vein for his royal highness to sustain him until our wedding day as a sixteenth birthday gift. So, Adrikins,” Chloe turns to the Prince, a large, white toothed smile on her face, and introduces, “I give you your gift of sustainment!”

Noiselessly, a stately, vintage, wooden armchair, with delicate carvings throughout the mahogany, burgundy velvet cushions, and ornately, curved arms, sitting upon a small wooden platform with wheels, entered through the now open doors. However, the chair was not empty, with both wrists and ankles tied to the arms and legs of the sturdy seat, a young girl sat limply, her face looking down toward her torso, her dark hair covering her features.

Chloe had moved beside the girl, her hand gripping her navy locks lifting her head as she smacked her across the cheek, “wake-up Dupain-Cheng, you are ruining the surprise,” she ground out angrily as the girl started to pull from her unconscious state. Marinette's eyes fluttered open with a groan escaping her dry, chapped lips. Chloe released her hair roughly, the bluenette unable to control her neck, her muscles weak, caused her head to bobb harshly. The sudden jolt made the girl try to lift her right arm to cradle her head in hope to ease the pain, but her arm wouldn't move. Frustration began to rise within her as she tried and tried with her eyes still closed. The blonde girl beside her laughed that horrible cackle Marinette hated, especially as it intensified the pain in her head. With brows furrowed, Marinette took a moment to think about where she was, why Chloe was this her, and why her arms weren't doing what she intended.

Then Chloe started talking again with shrill, excitement in her voice.

“Adrikins, let me introduce you to Dupain-Cheng, the baker's daughter, your birthday present and our sacrifice.”

Marinette's internal thoughts stopped immediately at her enemy's words. She no longer cared at that moment why her head hurt and her arms wouldn't move.

Sacrifice…

The word shot through her like a dagger through her heart, her head no longer hurt, she could no longer hear anything around her as her mind zeroed in on memories. She remembered the dark dungeon-like room she had been kept in. She had run, made it outside and then nothing. She didn't get away. She started shaking as a sob wracked through her as she suddenly remembered she had been kidnapped and now apparently she was supposed to die?

Keeping her head down she started to tug harder at her bindings. It all made a lot more sense. She was tied down so she couldn't run, but she didn't want to die. Her head hurt, but it wasn't going to stop her from at least trying to save herself. Even through her sobbing, blurred barely open eyes, she struggled to free herself, until she felt a cool, soft hand slide her hair behind her ear and slowly, gently, lift her head.

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Adrien watched as the guests parted. He stood silently at the other end of the room looking at the gift, girl, blood offering? He wasn't sure what to call her at this point, but he could smell her even from where he stood. The smell was familiar to him somehow.

He took a moment to close his eyes and inhale, he knew he liked whatever it was and after a short time, he opened his eyes again taking in the form of the sleeping girl.

She had dark, raven-like hair, flowing around her shoulders and across her face, hiding her appearance. Her skin was light, porcelain, almost like she was already a vampire from how beautiful, smooth, and pale she was. The dress she wore was baby blue, with an open neckline, perfect for latching to her pulse point. As he further examined her, he could tell the dress was form fitting at the waist and bellowed out from the hips, with sheer matching blue sleeves. The girl also wore no shoes with her outfit. He guessed she didn't need them since she was tied to a chair.

Lifting his gaze at what sounded like a hand hitting flesh, he raised his head to see the girl's cheek, though still covered in her dark locks, sporting a light pink. Chloe was berating her for still sleeping. Adrien started to take a step closer, but as the young girl groaned, her head lifted slightly and her eyes fluttered open, he was stopped by a flash of blue. The same blue he was tormented by night after night. He closed his eyes as the same blue moved behind them. His breath caught in his throat as a storm of memories rushed through his mind. A small dark-haired princess, giggling as she ran from a large, giant-like man. The beautiful blue orbs that looked up at him as she sat on the ground crying from her fall and the smell, the taste of her blood. He knew her and he… his eyes shot open at the sound of a strangled sob.

The petite girl was struggling against her binds. He didn't want her to hurt herself. He could already smell the blood under the surface of her wrists as the skin was starting to chafe away. He quickly crossed the room, stopping just short of the girl. His hand lifted to her face as he pushed away the hair hanging there, placing it behind her ear, then cradling her pink, swollen cheek in his hand.

“Shhh, it's okay. Shhh, there is no need for you to cry,” Adrien spoke softly as he leaned in toward Marinette, trying to console her. She leaned into his touch, the cool skin was soft and felt soothing to her still burning skin as he began to lift her head to look at him. Her eyes opened wider as she took in the boy before her from his straw blonde hair, peach lips, and pale skin, but the feature that had her breath catching was his bright peridot eyes. Those eyes that were looking at her softly, not like someone who wanted to murder her, but like she was a true gift.

She couldn't look away, even with her vision still blurry with tears, tears that the hand on her cheek was softly wiping away, the boy's eyes were drawing her in, until he looked down to her right wrist. Moving his hand away, Adrien grabbed the rope holding her wrist to the chair and tore it away with the swipe of his nails.

Before she could even move to grab the other and attempt to free herself he gently gripped her hand again, pulling it to his mouth and sliding his wet tongue gently across the irritated, slightly bloody wound. The redness and pain began to dissipate. Movement no longer caused Marinette to flinch. She looked from the boy to her wrist. It was like she had never been hurt.

“There, all better. What is your name?”

Marinette's tears had finally stopped. With clearing vision she looked around the room, eyeing the party goers. Everyone was watching them like hawks. Almost as if they were anticipating something, maybe it was because she was going to be killed right here, right now. She harshly pulled her hand from the boy's grasp as her eyes looked back at his.

“Why do you care, just get it over with!”

Adrien was a bit taken aback by the outburst, stepping back as Chloe went to smack the girl again, but Adrien caught her hand before it could make contact.

“Adrikins, what is the meaning of this? She is being rude! You are a prince and she belongs to you now she has no right!” Chloe's outburst had his father stepping forward and placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Adrien, Miss Bourgios is correct. She is nothing but a lowly blood bag prepared to sustain your hunger. It is time to accept your gift.” King Agreste released Adrien's shoulder and motioned toward Marinette who was still trying, unsuccessfully, to remove herself from the chair.

Adrien turned back to her, grabbing her right hand once more and lightly resting it in her lap as he leaned forward. Marinette leaned back as far as she could, but the chair kept her from retreating as his lips brushed her ear.

“You will be okay, it will only hurt for a moment, I promise. Please forgive me Princess.”

Marinette screamed as Adrien clamped down on her neck, blood pouring into his mouth as her quickening pulse pumped the liquid faster and faster. A feeling of dizziness started to overtake her. She wasn't sure if it was from the initial pain, terror of what was occurring, or blood loss, but soon she only saw black once more.