When you're in a coma, you relive your whole life. From your darkest moments to your best and brightest. You relive it . . . and then you wake up.
If you're lucky.
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Alec, at nine years old, was a beautiful thing in itself. He was always training to become the best shadowhunter he could be, but sometimes he felt like it wasn't enough.
At the age of nine, Alec was different from other boys his age. Whole his friends may talk about girls, he constantly found it hard to focus on them. He always found boys more attractive than girls. However, none of them interested him at all.
That is, until Jace.
Alec was practicing his aim with his bow in the training room, when some blond kid comes out of nowhere just as he fires an arrow at the target. The boy had quick enough reflexes to stop walking, as the arrow hit the center of the target.
Alec is surprised if not worried when the blond stands there, unmoving. For a moment, Alec is afraid that maybe the arrow knicked him, but when the blond turns his eyes on him, all Alec can see is shock and awe.
"That's impressive." The boy states, nodding. "What's your name?"
Alec smiles slightly. "Alec."
The boy smiles back, a slight bit of cockiness showing. "I'm Jace."
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Jace was hurting physically and mentally. He had never healed himself from the fight with Alec that very nearly left his parabatai dead. He deserved all of the pain he felt and he could barely contain the guilt he felt. It didn't matter that he was possessed and couldn't control what he was doing, he still felt guilty.
And then he found Clary gone along with Lilith and whatever was left of Jonathan. Clary was dead. The whole place had blown up when Lilith tried to attack Simon, triggering the mark of Cain. Simon's five words to him when Jace arrived broke something inside of him.
"She's dead. I killed her."
Jace had seen that Simon's guilt would probably kill him, so he had pushed down everything he was feeling at that moment, and pulled Simon into a much needed hug. He let the vampire cry into his shoulder.
Forty minutes later, he and Simon arrived at the Institute, Maia and Jordan in tow. Jace rushed straight toward the informative infirmary to find out if Alec was alright. He was worried and hoped to God and to the Angels that he hadn't killed his parabatai.
Alec was his brother. His best friend. His parabatai. And Jace couldn't lose him. He wouldn't be complete without Alec -- by the Angel he wouldn't be able to live without him. Alec meant too much to him now and always has but this was going to break him. Clary being dead he could handle but Alec . . . it would destroy him.
Jace came to a stop as Magnus stood up from his seat, eyes filled with regret and sorrow. Swallowing thickly, Jace said, "Is he okay?"
Magnus took a shuddering breath, closing his eyes to hold back tears Jace guessed. "Alexander is in a coma and the Silent Brothers don't think he'll wake up."
It was silent for several moments before a heartwrenching sob escaped Jace's mouth and he collapsed into a complete breakdown. Tears fell like waterfalls from his cheeks and a painstakingly familiar cry of anguish left his lips.
And just like that, Jace shattered.
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Maia never thought that she would be so in love with two different boys at once. This was never something she could have imagined for herself. At all. Especially after what happened with Jordan all those years ago.
It's been two weeks since the final showdown with Lilith and Alec ended up in a coma. Two weeks was a long time for people like Jace and Magnus. When it was someone you happened to love and care about more than yourself, it hurt worse. It was a pain that wouldn't go away, at least not until they knew that person would be okay.
Maia would never admit it to anyone but Alec was her friend. When she needed help, he was there. He was the one who had convinced Jace to talk to her about that night. If it weren't for Alec, Maia probably would have kicked Jace's ass for it. The truth of the matter that made it so painful for Maia was that Alec was family. He was pack and seeing him the way he was, hurt.
Maia was so deep in thought that she hadn't realized that she wasn't alone anymore until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She snapped out of her thoughts, blinking and turned to see who it was.
Simon stood behind her, that awkward smile she loved so much resting on his face. "Hey Maia."
Maia stared at Simon, her heart swelling at just seeing him. She smiled slightly, "Hey Simon." She hesitated briefly contemplating her next words. Deciding to just ask, she said, "Any news on Alec?"
Simon's awkward smile disappeared and Maia felt her hope die a little. He looked down at the ground before looking back up. "No. He still hasn't woken up. Magnus won't leave his side and Jace isn't any better. Izzy's trying to take care of them both."
Maia stared at Simon and realized that he was still dealing with the fact that Clary was dead. "How are you holding up?"
Simon closed his eyes and sighed. "I honestly don't know. I . . . Clary--"
When his voice cracked, Maia grabbed him and pulled him into her arms just as he burst into tears. In the past two weeks Simon had been trying to busy himself with anything he could to distract him from the pressing matter at hand.
Clary was dead and Simon hadn't let himself properly grieve. Maia held her boyfriend as he cried in her arms and was only slightly surprised when the door to Taki's opened and Jordan hurried inside. She had a feeling that he must have sensed Simon's duress and wanted to make sure he was okay.
At the sight of Simon sobbing his heart out, Jordan paused eyes finding Maia's. She understood the question and gave a slight nod. Jordan closed the distance and wrapped his arms around the both of them.
While she hadn't known Clary that long, she had worked her way into Maia's heart and the loss of her was felt greatly. Alec being in a coma and the thought of him possibly never waking up, broke something inside of her.
And for the first time since Jordan came back into her life, Maia let herself cry. Not for herself but for those they lost and those they still might lose.
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Images rushed through her head like a whirlpool of memories. She had no grip on time or reality and she didn't remember how she got here. Nor did she have any idea what was going on around her. In these images, all she could see was Lilith attacking Simon only to be blown backward and a bright flash of light followed by a thunderous sound. And then nothing.
The memory was playing on repeat inside her head and she kept telling herself that she was okay. But it was all inside her head. Outside in the real world, a boy two years older than her, watched her sleeping form.
"Soon Clary, we will have the world at our fingertips."
Chapter One: Comatose And Mortality
Start from the beginning
