I toss and turn on the exurbanite sofa, regardless of how plush or comfy it felt, I couldn’t stop the unease flowing through my veins. The smell of wood, the faint natural glow of the tree sap swirling on the roof like a fun stock in night sky star stickers. The quiet hum of the city, not a single siren or car horn, just the rustling of the giant leaves overhanging and the sway of this tree moving in the wind.

To think this building, no, this tree. Carved out to home hundreds of people inside, and is still breathing. A modern apartment mixed with the natural breath of the wood inside. Arched doors carved, the tables and kitchen benches all carved around to make natural shelves, ledges. Purposeful, sturdy. The true power of nature.

I look at the digital clock overhanging the TV. Six am. I have been lying here for two hours questioning everything. This world, Mother Nature, the vitae trees. The existence of multiple worlds. How does this all fit? It's so chaotic and hard to follow. How are so many vampires comfortable with the idea? Let alone travelling from world to another world as if it's normal. Are the werewolves the same? What about Magiqs? They would know more? It's just a normal way of life for them.

Then there's me. A small speck in this ever-growing universe, but an unnatural one. The half breed to never exist. I wonder if the answer to my existence out there? Will I find it if I was to go and travel this multiverse?

I’m pulled out of my thoughts as I hear the door slide open and slam with a close, and cause me to jump up from the plush couch. Heart skipping a beat and refusing to settle. I lay my eyes on Shade. In his Pj shorts and white shirt, hair styled the bed and groggy eyes looking at me with a scowl.

“Ever heard of gently closing the door.”

“Ever heard of ear plugs?” he skulks over to the self contained kitchen, where the wood of the tree has been carved to make room for benches, shelves and cupboards. He turns on the coffee machine, and waits while scrolling on his phone.

“For fuck’s sake, Shade, are you trying to wake the whole complex?” Adrian scuttles out of his room, still in his boxers, but his shirt is nowhere to be found. I didn’t realise it before, but both of Adrian’s arms sleeved with tattoos. I never noticed them with the jacket he was wearing yesterday.

“Good morning to you too, Princess, would you like some coffee?” Adrian responds with a snarl and plonks himself on the leather armchair, relaxing into the cushion. “Is he always like this?” I grumble, laying back on the couch and grabbing a pillow to put over my face. 

“Are you always such a bitch?” Shade asks in return. I hear him begin the grinder, and I swear he moved the machine closer to me. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, can I, introduce you to the world's largest prick.” I throw the pillow at him and snarl at him. 

“Oh, go and drop dead!”

“At least I will be gorgeous when I do! Unlike your ugly Jack the Ripper lookin’ ass!”

“You are one step closer to me killing you.”

“Enough, both of you.” Adrian intercepts. We both still, looking at the blonde. “I swear to god you two, if you keep going I am going to throw you both on different planets.” Shades' shoulders fall and return his attention to the milk. 

“killjoy.”

The place falls to silence except the loud screeching of the machine and the heavenly smell of brewed coffee. I look up and see four mugs on the counter. One of a vampire dramatically getting killed with a stake, another is a mug I recognise back home, words sprawled from one side to the other ‘Go the Blues!’ The third is a game controller, with the slogan nerd life, and the third is a plain black mug. 

“Is Bastion up?” Adrian asks, head hanging over the back of the chair, eyes still closed. 

“Probably you know he sleeps in more.” Shade shrugs and beings pouring milk into each cup. 

Before Adrian can speak, we hear the sound of keys jingling and the front door opening. Bastion enters the apartment with two paper bags of fresh produce and groceries. Shade raises his brow, tilting his head and fringe covering his left eye. 

“You feeding a human?” Bastion raises his brow and tilts his head to me. 

“She needs normal food, remember?” I felt the air leave my lungs and heart skip a quick beat. All eyes were on me as silence fills the room once again.

“For me?” my words came out softer than I intended. Bastion nods and moves to the counter. I watch him pull out enoki mushrooms, pack choy, instant noodles, frozen meats. Shade eyes the food and glares at me before going back to the coffee. “Thank you?” my voice raises in pitch. The vampire just shrugged with a warm, boyish smile.

“Don't know how long you will be staying here. Thought you might need this till we get you home.” 

“Oh hey, eggs.” Bastion slaps Adrain hand away from the eggs. 

“Not for you. You're not gonna waste them like last time.” 

“But the foxes aren't gonna feed themselves.” Bastion raises an eyebrow in disbelief.

“uh huh.”

“Coffees up. Come get it, you delinquents.” Shade grabs the footy mug. Bastion the gaming mug, and Adrian grabs the vampire being staked mug. i hesitantly get up from the couch and reach for the plain black mug. 

“Thanks.” 

“Don't think I'll make one for you every morning. got it.” Shade glares at me while taking a sip.

“Calm down bluey, I’m not going to be asking every day.” I shoot a glare back at him. Shade stops for a second and looks to his mug. I can see the two brain cells in his head make a connection.

“Maroon,” venom spits from his lips.

“Born and raised. Though I don't really give a shit it’s just fun to watch our states bitch at each other every year.” I give a menacing grin, his jaw clenches, and visibly swallows, his hand clenches and unclenches. “And that we win every time.” 

I see the rage bubbling beneath them but Shade tears his eyes from my gaze, and forces himself to walk away and tsk at me.

“Whatever. It’s not like I care what some halfbreed thinks.” 

“Shade.” Adrian lets out an exasperated sigh from the other room.

“What?” 

“Can you not be yourself for five minutes?” Bastion chips in with a smile and patting Shades shoulder and skulls his coffee before heading back into his room. Adrian does the same and puts his mug to the counter. 

“Already?” Shade cries out, getting up from the chair he just sat in. 

“We gotta hurry if we wanna make it to the forest today. Sighting of flyers that way.” I hear Adrians voice from his room. 

“Flyers?”

“Mutated feral vamps. Think flying squirrels without the fur.” Shade rolls his eyes and skulls his coffee. A shiver ran down my spine as I picture hairless flying squirrels.

I think back to the conversation we had yesterday. how the war twisted and warped magic in this world, how the ferals mutated with it and become beasts who are ten times more monstrous. i nod my head in answer. unlike the others, I couldn't skull my coffee and rush to get ready. the churning anxiety in my stomach prevented me from doing such a thing and I worried I would just throw it up and wasted Shades efforts. not that I should feel back for the prick. 

“You coming?” Adrian steps out of his room, black skinny jeans, white graffitied shirt, hair styled and brushed as if he is going out to the town. I put the sipped coffee down and swallow the non-existent spit in my dry mouth and follow behind him. watching as he grabs his katana. Both Bastion and Shade, ready they are on a shopping trip for the city and we line up before the door. 

“Stick close to us, yeah?” Bastion smiles at me and we all head out the door. I felt odd hearing those words, seeing his smile, so warm and friendly. I couldn’t help but feel there is more to this than it looks. He can’t be doing this because he wants to? I’m just some freak, something to keep a close eye on.

The city is quiet at this time of morning. The usual early morning deliveries for the grocers, restaurants are alive. people rushing to work, catching large boats travelling along the river. The tree's large branches are forced to bend and move to let the natural sunlight in as mechanical arms hold them in place. The suns filters through, other parts have large patches of light for the natural growth of flowers and parklands. A jungle, not one of a concrete but literal plants. a dystopian dream if it weren't for the horrors outside the city’s natural walls. 

“I’m surprised that a city like this exists. If these mutants are so bad why isn’t the place overrun with them?” I ask dodging and weaving through the people. I get odd stares every now and then from the young high school students. I stop, feeling like I was back at high school once more. The endless gossip behind my back, the whispers of the freak, the unusual one. The weirdo.

The trio kept moving forward, not noticing me still from the unprocessed trauma. I take a deep breath and swallow the emotions down and catch up.

“Theres a potent fungus emits a foul smell that deters natural predators. Even we struggle to get near it.” Adrian scrunches his nose.

“Huh, I didn’t smell it when we came in.” I take a deep breath trying to smell the foul odour but I am met with the pleasant smell of street food cooking for the morning hour rush.

“Well aren’t you lucky,” Shade sneers. “Maybe because it doesn’t work on freaky halfbreeds.”

“Do you wanna fucking go.” I snarl, feeling my fingers ache, the familiar sharpness growing from the nailbed.

“Cut it out,” Adrian slaps Shade on the back of the head. Shade bared his fangs at the eldest but is quickly met with the butt of Adrians blade. “Not in public.” Adrians eyes follow a group of soldiers patrolling along the edges of the street. “Don’t want to get thrown do you?”

“Well if you stop hitting me.”

“If you stopped antagonising the girl.”

“I don’t need you backing me up.” Both pair of eyes look to me. I mask the hurt in my chest and swallow the lump away. “I’m fine, lets just get moving.”