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Prologue
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2023-01-11 07:29:10Time.
It was a funny thing. Confusing and scary, dreadful.
For some, it was much more positive than that. They found hope in time.
"Time heals all wounds."
They looked forward to the next day ⏤ the next week ⏤ month ⏤ year, and so on.
They anticipated getting older and the change that time would bring them. The wisdom and knowledge ⏤ the experiences they would have in that time, the ones you're told to enjoy because they happen in the best years of your life and time flies, so you're supposed to enjoy it while it lasts.
Liviana never knew what the hell those people were talking about.
"Time flies," yet her days dragged on until she gave up and ended them early, crawling into her bed at merely 6pm just to make it feel like the day was over and she had made it.
"Time heals all wounds," but why hadn't it healed hers? She still sat in pain, waiting for it to lessen with each passing day, but it never did. If anything, it only hurt worse.
Time is something Liviana hated. She loathed the whole idea of it. The fear, the hope, the pressure of it. Everything.
It wasn't until she met Blaze Castelli that she understood what everyone talked about, how they warned her to not waste time, as it's something you can never get back.
She wished she had listened.
Now, as she sat in this cold, empty room, bloodied and broken, she wished that she hadn't wasted that year on things that, looking back, seemed so minor compared to what she was going through now.
She wished that instead of arguments, she would have just apologized and held him close, like everytime was the last.
Instead of ignoring his existence, she would have told him how much she appreciated him, and how much he had done for her in their short time together.
She wished that instead of 'I hate you', she could tell him how much she loves him, that there was nothing he could ever do to make her truly hate him.
But she didn't, and now it was too late, because she never knew if she would see him again.
Time was something Liviana hated, but it was also something she took for granted.
And now it seems as though her time is running out.
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"I can't do it Livi. I have to go ⏤ I have to run." "No, you can't!" "I do." Emilia says, cupping her little sister's cheek, a sad smile gracing her lips. "And I need you to let me." "But what about me? A- And Tino?" Liviana stutters out excuses, trying to find a reason for her sister to stay. "You can't leave us here. We won't make it. We need you." "You don't need me." Emilia assures. "You never did. You're strong Livi, you always have been. The only thing I did was remind you." "And I need you to keep reminding me." "You don't." She shakes her head, pulling the girl into a hug when the tears start to fall. "You don't need me, Livi, you never have. If anything, I needed you." "Then why are you leaving me?" Liviana cries, burying her face into her sister's shoulder as she holds onto her tightly, as if it was the last hug they would ever have. As far as she knew, it was. "I'm not leaving you. I'm leaving them." She corrects. "I can't marry a man I've never met. I can't marry s
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Little Liviana stood tall and alone, pushed to the back of the room while her siblings danced around in the center. Emilia always was better at being the center of attention- she thrived off of the spotlight. And Tino... he lived and breathed to find even the smallest dose of fun. It looked as though they were in their element, having the time of their life. As much as she wanted to leave - even after her touching talk with her sister - she just couldn't bring herself to ruin it for them. So, she stayed.She stayed, sat, waited and listened, watching as the time flew by right in front of her eyes. And then, before she knew it, two more hours had passed and it was after midnight. It was late, but was it too late? She couldn't be sure. All she had left to do was to hope and pray.The young girl sighs, head tilting to the side as she pries her eyes away from the scene, only to latch on to another. And God, if this one wasn't shocking, she wasn't sure she knew what shocking was anymore.F
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Re-Arranged Chapter One Hundred and Four
Young Liviana sat quietly on her bed, her head hanging low in her hands as her mind spun. What was she doing? What was she supposed to do?Her mind was running in circles, replaying those dreadful conversations over and over again and forcing her to face the questions she hated to have to answer. Which one of her siblings would she stand by? Emilia or Ben? Who did she trust more?The thought alone was upsetting, and she couldn't bring herself to answer it. How could she ever choose between the two? They were both her biggest protectors - in their own ways - and she needed them. How was she expected to pick a side and betray the two people she loved most in the world? It was an impossible decision, and she couldn't wrap her head around it. Emilia or Ben? Her sister or her brother? Her head or her heart?"Fuck," she curses, eyes squeezing tightly shut at the sharp pain she feels shooting through her temple. The question itself sounded difficult and painful, but it felt worse than she
Re-Arranged Chapter One Hundred and Three
Liviana stood thoughtfully before her mirror, examining her reflection closely as she slowly put herself together.It started with the makeup - her sister's special touch, as Emilia insisted they must look their best - though her version of the best varied from that of their mothers. She had never worn a mask so dark.Next were the clothes - clothes she would never call her own, as she couldn't even call them comfortable."Do I really have to wear this?" She asks, pulling at the bottom of the short black dress in a poor, pointless attempt at making it longer. She had never worn anything so small. "It's basically a shirt-"Emilia rolls her eyes from behind the girl, calling her dramatic. "It's not that short," she disagrees. "And besides, it's pretty.""It is kinda pretty," Livi doesn't deny it, muttering to herself about how nice it looked. "But it's too short, Emilia. It's not for me, okay? It's too... different.""Different is good!" Emilia argues. "It's, like, the whole point, Livi
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"Livi?"The girl nearly shrieks, settling for a gasp as she pulls her bedroom door shut in a rush. "Dad!" She greets, spinning around to face the man. "Hi!""What are you doing?""Nothing," she says, frowning. "I'm not doing anything. Why do you ask?""You seem... different," he says. "Odd. Are you sure there's nothing wrong?""Yeah, mhm," she hums, offering the man an unconvincing nod. "I'm okay- everything's okay! There's nothing to worry about here, dad."He hums, eyes raking up and down his surly daughter, and she could practically feel the suspicion in his gaze. It was almost as if he was trying to look into her soul. "Well, if you're sure-""I'm sure," she swears, mustering up the most convincing smile she could as she assures him that she was alright - everything was fine."Good, good..." he trails, clearing his throat. "Listen, about dinner-""Oh, you don't have to... say anything," she says, her smile fading to something more tainted. "It's fine."He furrows a brow. "It is?"
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"Are you... serious?"At the awkward question and the meek voice it's spoken by, Ben glances up from his spot on the bed and hums. "Serious?" He echoes, unsure about what she was muttering on about. "About what?""Mom and dad," Liviana reminds, asking, "are they really that bad?"Ben sighs, attempting to offer his little sister a careful answer. "They're, uh... complicated.""Complicated?" Livi repeats, joining her brother on the bed with a frown. "I don't... I don't understand. What are they?"Ben only grows all the more confused by her questioning, and his lips tilt down in a frown of his own. "What?""What kind of people are they?" She presses. "Mom and dad, I mean - are they good people or... are they bad people?"He hums. "Well, that's a good question, kid," he says, voice soft as he offers his sister a thoughtful look. "What do you think they are?""I think..." she trails off with a sigh, nervous.He's quick to pick up on the traces of anxiety lost in her tone - seeping into her
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The Santora family sat under a thick blanket of silence, tense as they ate. Alonzo sat at the head of the table, scrutinizing his family with a heavy gaze that weighed them down, and soon enough, it felt as though he was trying to burn a hole through their heads with such an intense gaze. The eldest of his kids shortly had enough.Ben coughs, clearing his throat and folding his dinner napkin up in his lap. "So..." he trails, pasting a smile onto his lips and turning to face his father. "Is there any news?"Alonzo narrows his eyes. "News?" He echoes, watching as his son nods. "And, uh... what news would that be? Are you expecting something?""No, no," the young man shakes his head. "Not me-""Oh, and you believe you have a right to my news now too, huh?" He presses. "You think you have that privilege now, do you?""No, I don't- I don't think that. I'm sorry if that's how it came off, but I-""But you what?" Alonzo wonders, asking where he could have gotten the idea that he was somethi
Re-Arranged Chapter Ninety Nine
The Santora siblings walk into the office building, wandering through the halls together, hand-in-hand while they searched for Blaze."Hi, excuse me," Liviana gives the receptionist a bright smile, leaning onto the counter her desk hides behind when she speaks. "I was wondering if you could tell me where Blaze is?"Instead of giving her a direct answer, the employee's eyes drag up and down Liviana's figure, judging her, before they flit back up to her face. Her eyes narrow, and she asks, "and, uh... who are you?"Liviana presses her lips together into a thin line, doing all she could to maintain the kindness in her tone when she offers the woman an answer. "My name is Livi-""I didn't ask for your name," the woman points, scowling up at Liviana and repeating the question. "Who the hell are you? And what business do you have with the boss?"Tino scoffs from his sister's side, prepared to pipe up and protect Liviana's pride for her, knowing she wouldn't do so for herself, but the girl i
