Black || Jace Wayland [1]

| 04. old beginnings

"Growing apart doesn't change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled."

******

ASHER IMMEDIATELY regretted opening her eyes.

Her head felt like it was smacked into a concrete wall multiple times. The bright lights from wherever she was shined through the thin crack between her lash lines, making her groan. She was in a state where she wanted to get up, but didn't want to at the same time.

Against her better judgement, Asher decided to pry open her eyelids. She squinted due to the sensitivity to the light, but eyes soon adjusted so she could finally see where she was.

The first thing Asher noticed were all of the beds surrounding her. They weren't the plush, luxurious mattresses that she had hoped for. These were a little stiff, draped with sterile white bedding. She looked down to see herself laying on one of them as well. That wasn't the only thing she noticed.

She was also in different clothes.

It didn't freak her out as much as others would think, it was just strange. The black leggings and tank top were petit. Asher presumed that it was from a female. The hoodie, however, barely held onto the young Shadowhunter's frame.

It was made out of thin grey material with no zipper in the front. The thick strings draped down the front of the hoodie, occasionally swinging as Asher shifted in her spot. The ends of the sleeves had a hole for your thumb, but it was so big that the cuffs stretched longer than her fingers.

Asher looked around the room, trying to figure out where she was and who brought her here. The green curtains behind her were neatly fastened in front of a transparent glass wall, unveiling a grand gothic arch adorned with vibrant stained glass windows. Looking at the beautifully stained wooden floors, she could see clear outlines of runes. From the old-fashioned exterior and the rune-covered floor, Asher immediately knew that she was in an infirmary within a Shadowhunter Institute.

Asher subconsciously reached for her stele. She consistently kept it tucked within the waistband of her pants for quicker access Imagine her surprise when the leggings held no such thing.

Asher started to slightly panic and began searching for her angelic heirloom. The slightest movement of her right shoulder sent painful jolts through her upper arm and neck. This caused her to freeze and clench her teeth. She craned her neck to grab a glimpse of her shoulder. Underneath the black strap of the tank top was a heavy white pad taped over her skin. Small spots of blood seeped through the material.

The pain from her shoulder was in no way calming to her nerves about the lost stele. Asher, with as much strength she could muster, stood up from the bed and rushed out of the infirmary. She gritted her teeth to prevent any hisses of pain slipping through as she walked down the vacant hallway.

Different people passed the opening at the end of the hall, a few occasionally taking quick glances at her direction before continuing on with their task. As Asher neared, she heard small whimpers coming from the room next to her. She crept forward and peeked her head in for a quick glance around the room when her eyes fell on the red headed mundane that she saw in the Pandemonium.

Asher slowly walked in, trying not to wake the girl when she felt a presence behind her. Her brain immediately initiated an alert signal and her reflexes quickly took over her body. She whipped behind her in a fighting stance ready to punch the living daylights out of whatever was behind her when the figure quickly stepped back with their hands in the air, indicating that they meant no harm.