Liviana Castelli has always been known as an old soul, of sorts.When she was a child, she was the one everybody would call mature for her age. Not because she didn’t act childish at times or because she had the same knowledge or skills that an adult did. That wasn’t it at all. She had moments where she was the wild child, running, screaming, making a mess of herself and everything around her. She could cry, throw tantrums, and say the most immature things when she wanted. So, she wasn’t exactly mature. Yet, she wasn’t immature either.She was the kid who stayed back to help teachers clean after an activity. She was the mom friend in a group of reckless teens, and even before that, when she was a child, she was the friend who was more aware. The one who made sure the other kids didn’t go too far and hurt themselves. She was the one who told kids to slow down when they were running too fast, worried they would trip and fall. And when she was older, she was the one to make sure everyon
What is true immortality?It was a question Liviana has always had. She would sit for hours, the cogs of her creative mind turning like a clock as she wondered, what is immortality?Was it someone who lived forever?She knew that was the most common perception, if not the only. According to the definition, immortality was the ability to live forever; eternal life.That was the idea of immortality, living forever. It was typically something associated with vampires and magic- time travel, even. It was something right out of those movies of magic and everyone's favorite fantasies. Immortality was an idea ripped right from the pages of those wild books, written by the most creative minds. And Liviana told herself not to waste her time pondering the thought too much when she could be doing something much more productive, but what could she say? Her creative mind came alive at just the thought.It lit up like a field of fireflies as she ran through every thought, asking herself, what was t
Liviana Santora has never been one to appreciate the taste of danger. In fact, she was one to do everything she could to avoid a simple smell of it.She was the one to walk side by side, hand in hand with safety. She would stay put, glancing over at the ones that laughed and screamed with joy, soaring as adrenaline rushed through their veins. And she would watch from the sidelines, hiding in safety's warm embrace while she stuck to her side of the fine line that separated life and living."Come on, Livi. Live a little!" They would tell her. "Take a little walk on the wild side.""I can't." She would deny, standing firmly as she planted her feet in the sand, arms crossed as she stubbornly refused to venture out into the wild side that they all encouraged her to try. "It's too dangerous.""It's not dangerous, Liviana. It's fun." The other girl had argued. "Don't you want to know the difference between simply living and being alive? Truly alive?""Not if it's going to get me into trouble
For as long as she could remember, Liviana Castelli has always loved the car.She wasn't sure what it was, but it was as if something in her brilliant mind had clicked into place with the belt of her car seat, and from the moment she was first strapped into the car, ready to take that wonderful drive home from the hospital, she was in love. She had found her place in the back seat of her parents' luxurious automobile. And she never wanted to leave.It was evident in the way she cried as a newborn when she was unbuckled, wailing as she was taken from the first place she had ever thought of as safety and comfort. It was an event repeated nearly every night, as Liviana was the child who would scream and cry all hours of the night. Until finally, they found a way to calm her. Car rides.Her nannies would drive for hours, riding through the late nights with soft music playing in the background, just waiting for the fussy child to fall asleep. But it was a rare occasion when she did. Car ri
When Liviana was eleven years old, she had gone through a traumatic event.One day, when she and her siblings had the house to themselves, they had decided that this was a perfect opportunity to be the normal kids they had always wanted to be. They weren't going to do anything crazy. There were no drawings on the walls or things being thrown and something ending up broken. It was something simple- something a lot of children wouldn't even consider fun, as it was nothing more than a day full of baking.Emilia and Liviana had their heart set on making the perfect cake one would ever have. And so, that's what they did. They had planned, looking up recipe after recipe until there were sheets spread far and wide, all across the dining table. They had looked up reviews, using the comments to depict which ingredients were loved and which had caused the worst takes. And when they were finished studying the opinion of others, they had gotten to work mixing the recipes- using their research to
Las Vegas, Nevada. The city of sin, and a place where Liviana didn't belong. She was the Santora sweetheart- an angel in the disguise of an ordinary person. A saint such as herself didn't belong amongst a city of sinners. She knew that- they all did. And yet, here she was. Sitting on a bed in a hotel room as she watched Violet through dresses and jewelry, deciding what it was they would be wearing for their first night out. "I've never been to a club before," Liviana informs, her nerves obvious in demeanor as the blonde glances over. "It's okay," Violet shrugs. "There's a first time for everything, right?" "I guess so," Liviana mutters, looking down at her lap where she picks at her nails. "I..." she breathes. "I don't know if it's a good idea, though." Violet nods. She had figured as much- and may even agree with the woman, but she wanted to let Liviana work through her feelings on her own. "Why not?" She asks, continuing to sort through their outfits as she waits for Liviana
Liviana Castelli has always been a bit of a loner.She wasn't a loner, as in that she was always alone or that she enjoyed being by herself- in fact, she hated being alone. In her eyes, being lonely was one of the worst feelings one could ever feel. It was too sad, too depressing. And so she always made sure to have someone next to her. A sibling, a friend, a boyfriend- someone she could spend her time with. Someone to save her from herself.And that was both an easy and a hard thing to do.For someone who was adored, admired, and envied wherever she went, Liviana had a love-hate relationship with every person she would meet. Girls were jealous, boys were horny, and both only wanted to use her. She was beautiful, kind, and so, so naïve.Her innocence was often mocked when she was growing up. The girls would pick fun at her for being so inexperienced, never knowing much about boys and sex and relationships. Boys would tease her, asking what it would take for her to let them teach her a
Liviana Castelli has always loved books.She loved to read and learn the lives of others- going through a thousand lifetimes in just her one. She had lived a thousand lives, a thousand stories, a thousand tales of love by just reading what one’s mind could come up with. And she savored every moment.When she was a child, she would read fairytales of princesses and princes, with magic and love and that ending of them riding off into the sunset and living happily ever after. It was all smiles, laughter, and joy. And when she was a child, she loved that. She dreamt of it. And as she grew, she yearned for it.She wanted the easy going love where everything was just perfect and right. She wanted prince charming to come rescue her, breaking her free of her parents’ chains so they could ride off into the sunset, all the way to the safety of his castle. It was a comforting thought for young Liviana, who would sit, waiting and watching, anticipating the moment when he would finally show up. O
Strolling through the hedges was difficult - awkward - and the Santora siblings couldn't handle it. They absolutely hated this heavy feeling hanging between them. Never have they ever felt so detached."Where are we going?" Tino asks, glancing around at the tall rose bushes that kept them secluded. "And why is it so freaking far?" He complains, quickening his pace to catch up to that of his nervous sister, who remains silent. "Liv?""Uh," she mutters, glancing over her shoulder at the young man. "Just... follow me," she says, insisting he not question it. Right now, she was only doing what was best for the both of them, and she needed him to trust that. "We need to get away for this, okay? It's important that no one overhears us."She couldn't risk their parents finding out about her betrayal. They would behead her at the first opportunity."Okay..." he trails, eyes narrowing at the back of his sister's head. "But why?""Because..." she shrugs it off, admitting in a whisper, "it's saf
Liviana didn't know what to do with herself.After her argument with Tino, it was as if the thoughts doubled in tenfold and her mind couldn't - wouldn't - stop. All night she was forced to sit with herself, overwhelmed by her endless thoughts and memories while she retraced every inch and wondered, where did it all go wrong?She would look back on her life, spending hours sorting through all the memories, and it was as if every time she did, she could spot a new lie. It didn't take long for her to have a mental list going, and the more she added, the more she wondered, was any of it real? Where did the lies stop? Where did this act she perfected end? When was enough, enough? Nothing was ever enough for Drusilla and Alonzo - Livi scoffs at the thought, turning over where she lies in her bed. And then came the dreaded thought. What about her siblings? One was dead, one disappeared, and the other seemingly despised her. Her eyes water at the thought, and she pulls the blanket over her
The moment Liviana left the restaurant that night, it felt as if she was walking into a world void of air. It was as though all the oxygen had been sucked out of the planet - if not just her lungs - and she couldn't breathe for days afterward. It was all too heavy, and she wasn't sure she could handle it. How does one go about their life knowing that nothing was as it seems? Knowing that, at any God given moment, it could all be taken away from her? How was she supposed to go about her day knowing that each second could be her last? She just couldn't.Liviana was no stranger when it came to living her life in fear. She knew paranoia all too well, almost like an old friend she was introduced to by none other than her parents. Childhood was rough, and Liviana could say with confidence that she was raised in fear. It surrounded her. It became her. She was scared of everything. And that was always her biggest problem.After dinner with the detective, Liviana only grew all the more paranoi
A younger Liviana wrung her hands together as she climbed the stairs, following her mother's bellows all the way to her bedroom door. "Liviana?!"She flinches at the screech of her name, taking a step back to compose herself. "Breathe," she reminds herself, stilling for that of second before she's startled by another shout of her name. "Shit," she curses, rounding the corner into her mother's bedroom and asking, "yes, mom?""Finally!" Drusilla throws her arms up. "Where in God's name have you been?" She demands, asking what had taken her so long. "Didn't you hear me calling?""I'm sorry, mom," Liviana apologizes. "I was outside with-""I don't care to hear your excuses, young lady!" Drusilla scoffs, scolding the girl for her lack of responsibility. "What if I was hurt, hmm?" She questions. "What if I was in danger? Or worse, dying? What would you have to say for yourself then, huh?""I'm sorry-"Drusilla scoffs once again. "Your apologies mean nothing to me, Liviana. Do better!" She
Blaze could practically feel his heart tie itself into a knot in his chest at the sound of another distraction. Would he ever get the timing right? He sighs at the thought, turning around to greet the man, whose voice he recognizes immediately."Bryce," he greets, pushing out of his chair and offering the man his hand to shake. "There you are! We were beginning to think you got lost.""What can I say? I run on my own time." Bryce shrugs it off, giving Blaze's hand a shake before he rounds the table to take the seat across from the 'happy couple.'"That would have been something to mention days ago when we arranged this meeting," Blaze points, and the detective rolls his eyes. "I specifically asked for a time that suited you-""I'm here, aren't I?"Blaze only hums, narrowing his eyes at his 'old friend', and Liviana coughs."Uh- Blaze," she murmurs, reaching to take his hand in hers and giving it a gentle tug with a silent demand- if not a gentle ask for him to sit. "He's here. That's
"Are you sure about this?" Liviana asked, sparing a paranoid glance over her shoulder in worry. She couldn't believe they were doing this."Yep," Emilia nods, marching through their parents' garage with a determination Livi had never seen in her sister until now. And in all honesty, the look in her eyes scared Liviana, and she couldn't help but disagree."I don't know about this," she says, slowing to a stop and looking back at the elevator they had come from, scared of who could follow. "I think we should just go back-""Livi!" Emilia throws her head back with a groan. "Come on, it's fine! Just come look before you leave-""But what if-""What if we live a little?" Emilia cuts her sister off, spinning on her heels to face her sister with the question. "What if we do this and it's the best night of our lives?"Liviana frowns, arms crossing over her chest as she ponders the thought. Would one night be worth it? "What if it's not?""But what if it is?" Emilia stresses. "We'll never know
"I hate them!"A young Liviana startled in her seat when, out of nowhere, her bedroom door is thrown open and Emilia storms into her room with the complaint. "I hate it here," the older sister pouted, kicking the door shut behind her before collapsing onto her sister's satin sheets, climbing into the bed with her to vent. "I can't wait to grow up and leave. I need to get out of here!"Livi frowns, reaching over to gently pat Emilia's back, watching as she takes a moment to bury her face in a pillow and scream. She couldn't help but chuckle as she observed the action, asking the dreadful question only after her sister quieted. "What did they do now?"Emilia pushes herself up, propping herself up on her elbows to face her sister, who frowns at the sight of tears glistening in Emilia's eyes. "They lied," she says. "Again."Head tilting in her confusion, Liviana asks, "what?" She questions softly. "What did they lie about?""The car," Emilia answers, watching as her sister grows all the
It was as if the moment the words left her mouth, the world around them changed. Life was different. Liviana couldn't explain how, as it was a mere feeling- a pang in her heart every so often as she becomes painfully aware of her situation.The realization hit like a truck when the thought first crossed her mind. She didn't want to believe it, but there was a nagging feeling in her gut that told her something was wrong, and she needed to look deeper. It was over the course of a week, after days of trying to ignore that unsettling feeling stirring inside her, that Liviana's demeanor began to crack and the thoughts she had tried so hard to ignore became all she could think about. They consumed her, and soon, they were the only thing on her mind. She should have known it would have come spilling out of her sooner or later- she never had been good at secrets of her own.Liviana hoped that telling Blaze would help. She wasn't sure how as there was nothing he could do- he was a mere listene
The question plagued Liviana's mind, and it didn't take long for the fear and worry to join it.She couldn't stop thinking about it. Why would Emilia run away when it seems as though she already had everything worked out? She had a plan, and Emilia had always been strict with her practicality. What would be grave enough to have her abandoned it all completely? What could possibly be so bad that it would make Emilia abandon her family? Her siblings? Liviana didn't understand. It was all so sudden, and yet, that night, she never thought to question it.Liviana cursed herself for being so thoughtless, though she couldn't hold herself at fault entirely. Back then, she had no reason to question her sister - who had mentioned running away more times than she could remember during their youth. In all honesty, Livi believed it was only a matter of time before Emilia snapped and finally went through with it. And though she missed her sister dearly, she could never blame or resent Emilia for he