Smokescreen 》Alec Lightwood

Prologue

Panic.

Thats all that Alec Lightwood registered as he woke up that fateful morning. He could hear someone yelling for him, the sound coming from the room next to his. Screaming and yelling wasnt unusual at the Institute, whether it be in anger or excitement he was surrounded by the loud sound.

Alec jumped out of bed as he cautiously followed the cries of his name, panic blooming in his chest. It was early, the light wasn't yet seeping in through the tall windows of the institute.

His sister, Isabelle, stood in the doorway of the next bedroom. In Alec's sleepy state he didn't register that it wasn't her own room.

'What's going on?' He yawned, exhausted from their mission the day before. Alec noticed Jace approaching them, a confused expression gracing his face.

'Izzy?' Jace questioned.

Izzy's lower lip trembled. She looked up at her brother through glassy eyes.

'Alec.. she's gone.'

Isabelle's words jolted Alec out of his sleep deprived state, as the panic he was feeling grew. He could vagely hear Jace questioning Izzy behind him but he didn't turn. He was more interested in the room in front of him and its lack of inhabitants.

Everything was as it always was. Bed pushed against the wall, books and cds strewn throughout the room, photographs adorning the walls and surfaces. Only something was missing.

She was missing.

'Where is she?' Alec whispered to himself, and then louder. 'Where is she!'

Isabelle held her brothers arm tightly, as if pleading with him to pay attention to her. Jace stood beside her looking at Alec with sad eyes, pity written all over his face.

'I don't know big brother.. I don't know.' Izzy was unconsciously tracing her parabatai rune, her voice thick with emotion.

Alec ran a hand through his hair. 'She wouldn't just leave! Not unless she was -' Jace cut him off.

'Taken? The institue is the safest place any of us could be. We would know if someone breached our security, Alec.'

The panic reached boiling point and exploded in Alec's chest as his heart rate quickened, his breath coming in short gasps. She was gone. No note. No goodbye. Nothing. Alec zoned out, being dragged under by a sea of emotions he didnt know an empty room could bring out in him. A scream clawed its way up his throat and as he tried desperately to silence it, his hands tightened into fists his nails digging in harshly against his palm.

She was gone.

Behind him, Isabelle began screaming.