We Still Stand [Blackfrost]

Chapter One

Natalia was working her way up to become the Black Widow out of the twenty-seven other girls who were competing. It was a fight between life and death. Those who could not live up to the title were sent with a bullet to their heads. Slowly, the number of girls left in the Red Room decreased. Natalia was scared, lost. Just a confused weak little girl who couldn't believe that she was still alive.

She was shy, soft-spoken. She was pushed around by other girls and quietly cried herself to sleep in her sleeping quarters at night.

She was pathetic. An ugly little red thing with no purpose.

"Cry no more. You should consider yourself above these scrawny insolent females." A powerful yet silky soft voice spoke.

Natalia's head shot up in the dark, eyes widened. Her heart jolted in her throat.

Where did that voice come from?

She was sure none of the guards or other men were allowed in the girls' sleeping quarters. Every girl was sound asleep, and none of them awakened from the sound of the sultry voice that spoke in the air.

"You're not dead, because they see potential in you. But potential could mean nothing, that's if you don't fight."

Natalia slowed her frantic breathing and laid her head back on her pillow, closing her eyes shut.

She felt it. The strong motivation and ambition surging through her. She shuddered.

"Yes. That's it. Feel it. Grip onto that feeling and win. You were made to survive."

Natalia fought, and danced.

She was made from marble. She became unstoppable.

She danced gently along with melancholy music. She fought without an ounce of mercy or shame.

Her graceful ballaire moves were familiar in her fighting as well, she was flexible and breath-taking to watch.

She still slightly flinched at the sound of gunshots, barely trembling as she watched one of the girls' bodies collapse to the floor. Blood pooling around her head.

Natalia had nightmares.

And even though she was number one, she still dreamt of being shot in the head. She'd wake up screaming and find one of the remaing girls scowl at her as if she was scum.

"I'm stared like that too, at my home." The voice that had been with her since spoke. She was so used to it coming at unexpected times, she didn't jump in surprise.

She never replied back to the voice.

She was now certain he was in her head, whoever he was.

She liked listening to him speak.

They were far too similar.

She wondered how he looked like. How old he was.

"I am what you call a young adult. Still lost and confused, my father said." He scoffed.

She lightly smiled at that as she ate her lunch in the dull cafeteria, the other girls looked at her as if she were crazy.

"They all hate you, just like my people hate me."

They weren't her people.

Natalia had never had a family or a place to belong since she could remember.

Natalia Romanova had no place in the world.

After the graduation ceremony on her 18th birthday, Natalia had never felt more broken and scrubbed on the floor like a mop. It was hard to stay on top, but she always managed.

With that sultry voice in her head, somehow she was always able to move. To carry on.

She was alone in the dance studio, finished rehearsing a dance.

She was just removing her pointe shoes when she saw him, standing there, in the dark corner of the room.

Her heart fluttered and she felt the shoes drop from her hand.

She couldn't move.

Her heart was beating so fast.

She looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"I do not intend to frighten you." His voice was soft and silky.

The voice that had been in her head all this time came out of the black-haired man's mouth.

He slowly stepped out of the shadows, adorned in a green and gold attire that looked unusually royal in Natalia's eyes. His skin was pale and his eyes were winter blue. His ear-length black hair was slicked back and he was very tall. He stood with a posture of royalty. Natalia couldn't breathe. Out of all the men she'd encountered, he was the most fairly odd and strikingly handsome in a way strange manner.

She swallowed hard but she wasn't scared. Maybe nervous. But the eye contact they shared was deep, an acknowledgment, some unspoken words. A familiarity. Natalia didn't feel like running away.

He came closer, and gestured his open hand to her. She took it, tentatively, and she stood up.

"I am Loki, son of Odin." She watched him bow his head and kiss the back of her hand gently, he gave her a boyish grin that made her face flush. "And you are Natalia."

She didn't speak.

"I have waited so long to finally meet you. I am sorry for the wait, My Lady. I hope you're not disappointed if I'm not what you expected." He gave her a sheepish grin.

She simply stared at him, but it didn't bother him.

His eyes were lovely and he looked at her with a gentle expression.

Her hand was still in his hand but she didn't pull it back. He didn't seem to want to let go of her either.

Somehow, touching her soft hand made him not want to leave.

"I only came to give you this." He said, after he was just staring intently at the petite beauty before him.

He hesitantly let go of her hand and his other hand came from behind his back only to have a golden rose appear in his hold.

Natalia widened her eyes and looked at it.

He took her hand from her side when she couldn't move and put the rose in her hand.

"A present for you."

Natalia swallowed hard and looked back at him.

He was staring back at her with endearment.

And for the first time, Natalia felt a genuine real smile pull in the corners of her mouth. It wasn't as convincing, but it was real. And he returned it, feeling contented.

He stepped back, his eyes still penetrating hers and just when she opened her mouth to thank him, he vanished from her sight just like that.

Natalia closed her mouth and stood there silently.

She looked back at the golden beautiful rose in her hand, the stem of it black with sharp thorns.

Without knowing, the smile on her thick plump lips had widened on her face.