Prologue

"Alex, help!"

Sandra's tiny frail body flew over to Alex's side, weeping in pain and clutching to his chest. The cut from her chest bleeding profusely. The tears streaming down her face made her already injured body look even more breakable and pitiful.

Alex pushed her behind his strong body, his eyes shooting to the culprit.

In front of him stood a young woman, armed and braced for battle. Dawn stood proudly at the cliff's edge, her eyes holding no trace of fear nor shame.

"Why," Alex asked. "Why did you do this?"

Sadness filled Dawn's eyes. "If I tell you, will you listen to me? Will you believe me?" Her voice was a whisper that was carried out with the wind, gently into his heart.

"Alex," the voice behind him cried. A soft trembling hand clutched his sleeve, "Alex, she knows. She knows about us."

Alex turned around to see Sandra's gentle blue eyes, his childhood sweetheart, clutch her chest in pain. "Alex, just let her kill me. Just let her take my life, she has the right to anyways. I'm sorry I love you, Alex. I'll always love you."

Alex's softened heart towards Dawn hardened at Sandra's plea, and pushing away Sandra's resisting hand he lovingly wiped away her tears before turning back to his soulmate.

Hate flashed in Dawn's eyes when she heard Sandra's weak pitiful cry, and by the look of Alex's eyes she stood no chance now of surviving. Dawn braced her body and within seconds threw the poison dagger in her right hand towards both of them.

And without hesitation, Alex reciprocated with his own attack, swiftly withdrawing the bow and arrow from his back to make a deadly shot towards Dawn.

All of their actions were within seconds, instinct pushing them to act.

Thud!Thud!

However, only one weapon found their mark.

The dagger landed 3 inches away from them, buried deep into an oak tree.

Dawn clutched the protruding arrow shaft sticking from her chest, a sad smile forming on her lips. Finally, a tiny lonely tear slipped from her regular brown eyes as she looked into the shocked face of the man she loved and the triumphant glow from his lover's face.

"I wish" she whispered, blood rising in her throat threatening to spill out. "I wish I never loved you. I wish," her words stalled by the triumphant gush of blood spilling out from her mouth.

Alex stepped forward but a hand clutched him back. Dawn, with the last of strength finished the words she had always wanted to tell him.

"I wish I had never met you. I wish - that in our next life, we live never to meet one another again."

Closing her eyes, she let her body fall over into the cliff's darkness.