The Belinskis were one of the richest and most influential people in New York, easily reigning over the social circle there. With their wealth and status, they indulged in heavy intoxication and drugs and were generally arrogant and oblivious to their surrounding. Their three children- Max, Lana and Cody were spoilt and entitled. Since their family could get away with everything, they didn’t bother with following the rules. Law was on their side, and it made them bold and absolutely reckless.

It was that recklessness that led Lana to have a drunken fling with a man named Jonas. Jonas knew just how wealthy the Belinski family was and decided to use that to his advantage. He pretended to be a very caring and sweet boyfriend, taking Lana away on adventures, letting her rant about her family and pampering her to no end. The ploy worked and Lana fell in love with him.

It was during their Vegas trip, that Jonas proposed and convinced Lana to get married the next day. Being in love with him, Lana was excited about the prospect and they got married without any prenup. It was a week into their honeymoon when Lana’s father and brothers discovered them and were furious about the entire thing. They forcibly dragged Lana away and with the help of their lawyers, secured a divorce.

Jonas was threatened and with the money that he had already secured from Lana’s account, he left New York. However, the connection about him and Lana did not stop there. Lana found herself pregnant and absolutely refused to have an abortion. She was unhappy at being separated from Jonas and started to despise her family. Her physical and mental health began rapidly declining and she did not survive childbirth. Before dying, she named her baby girl Astoria Belinski.

Although the baby was a part of the Belinski clan, nobody wanted to accept her. Cody found out the whereabouts of Jonas and left her on his doorstep. Unknown to them, Jonas was engaged in drug trafficking and other questionable activities and was hardly fit to raise a child. Jonas was furious, but quickly backed down when he was informed that he would be given a monthly allowance to maintain the child. He saw Astoria as a means of a steady income and nothing more.

Astoria grew up amidst a strange bunch of people in Jonas’ club. He would often leave her with the strippers during the day and her first memories were of loud music and the smell of alcohol. Jonas would never permit her to call him dad and the concept of parents and a family were absolutely alien to her.

The club’s bouncer Claxton would be the one to take her to school and pick her up. She was rather silent and withdrawn in class and would only speak when spoken to. Her classmates often ridiculed and teased her and her earlier years in class were rather difficult. But she was good at sports and would enjoy long walks and taking self-defence training with Claxton.

Her relationship with Jonas was hardly existent and he was often seen in the company of women or with other drug-dealers. She was 10, when she first stumbled upon a stash of it, and not understanding the consequences, ate it. The next few days saw her sick and hospitalised, with Jonas completely furious at her. Not for risking her life, but for wasting the money he received on medical expenses. But what surprised everyone was her miraculous healing rate and Jonas understood then, that she wasn’t an ordinary human but a Dhampir.

He didn’t do for her, but the club’s bartender Lucien, being a dhampir himself, took her under his wing and began teaching her about the species' history and abilities. He gave her many books on the runes and introduced her to various kinds of weapons, explaining that she’d have one of her own when she turned 18.

Although the Belinskis were consistent in putting money in her account, she didn’t see a single penny of it and was often living and dressing like a poor man’s child. She didn’t have many facilities or things to amuse herself with, so she found herself often in the local library.

She was 13 when she first understood that people didn’t just fit in good and bad categories, but there were also those who were absolutely degraded. One of them was a man called Caius. He was a frequent member of the club and one of the richest men around. The girls and people, in general, were especially wary of him and one night, Astoria found out just why. She was friends with most of the strippers, especially Meg. Meg was like an older sister to her and taught her everything, from making simple dishes in the kitchen to make-up. She was also one of the few who remembered her birthday and always got her a gift. Meg had been missing that night, and Astoria was walking around the club looking for her when she peeked in the room and saw a sight that would give her nightmares for years to come.

Caius was leaning down and drinking blood from the body of Meg, who seemed unconscious and almost lifeless. His gaze turned towards her and as he reached out to grab her, she screamed and ran to Claxton and Lucien. Meg was declared dead the next day and Jonas instead of banning Caius was parading more strippers in front of him. Shaken because of watching her dear friend be murdered in front of her and Jonas’ absolute indifference, Astoria understood that she had to make provisions to move out as soon as possible.

When she turned 18, Lucien held a small weapon claiming ceremony for her. He had familiarised her with most of the weapons and Astoria already had a favourite- the Elektra. That was what she held first and the weapon emitted a beautiful peacock blue hue as the runes appeared. The Elektra had claimed her, and she couldn’t be happier. Her turning 18 was also the time when the Belinskis had cut off her funds and Jonas was insistent on joining his club as a stripper and helping him transport drugs. Not wanting to be a part of that life, she stole some money from him and ran away.

Astoria had to struggle for a long while, doing three jobs simply to survive. She lived in a small studio with a roommate and tried to get by. She had no direction and no idea where she wanted to go and what she desired to do. It was at that time that she decided to meet her mother’s family. Jonas had never spoken to her about Lana, but a few snippets that she had heard from the club were the only information she had about her. Wanting to know more, Astoria finally gained the courage to seek an appointment with Cody Belinski, her uncle. He wasn’t happy to see her, but just for the sake of his sister’s memory, introduced her to Max and her grandparents- Theodore and Irina. She wasn’t welcomed in the family but Cody told her all about Lana, gave her some pictures and a few of her mother’s stuff.

Seeing her intelligent and engaging personality, Max provided her with some funds to pursue her studies in law. It wasn’t what she wanted, but knowing that something was better than nothing, took the opportunity and studied law. She interned in Max’s company where she had to hide her relationship with the family and had to adopt Jonas’ last name. Astoria wasn’t happy there, but it put food on her table and didn’t force her back in the club, so she didn’t complain.

It was during her internship that she met Valeria Aldridge who had engaged the firm to deal with some legal matters revolving around her family. As a fellow Dhampir, Astoria spent many days talking and training with her, enjoying her company greatly. Although Val had to leave, she promised to keep in touch, and though she wasn’t the most regular correspondent, they often spoke with each other over the years.

A few years passed by in this manner and Astoria had all but settled in her life as a lawyer. Lucien was retiring from the club and was throwing a party to which she was invited. Although, she didn’t want anything to do with that place anymore, just for the sake of her former mentor she went. The party was underway, when a harried and distraught lady crashed in, asking to see Jonas. Curious about her identity, Astoria followed along and eavesdropped on their conversation. It turned out that the woman, Anna, had a daughter who was kidnapped. What was more astonishing was that the girl was Jonas’ daughter too, which made them half-sisters. Astoria heard in increasing horror as Jonas refused to help find her, and threatened Anna if she came to the club again. The woman left in tears, but a plan was already forming in Astoria’s head.

As a lawyer, she was often in contact with detectives, and she hired the best ones to give her more information about her half-sister Lake. Months of searching and gathering information finally led her to Caius’ den. Having already lost Meg to him, Tori was determined to do anything to save Lake. She broke in and found a woman, almost half-dead and rushed her to the hospital. The doctors were doubtful about her survival, but Astoria persisted. Seeing the miraculous rate of healing, she understood that her sister Lake was also a dhampir.

Once Lake was recovering, Astoria explained everything to her, from her family to how they were half-siblings, to how she found the information and managed to rescue her. Though she wasn’t a fan of Lake’s decision of not going back to her parents, she supported her. It seemed like finally, after years, Astoria had someone to call as a family.

The two girls grew closer, living together and enjoying the novelty of having a sister. They had no set plans and were still debating on what to do next, and where to really settle, when Astoria received a call from Valeria. Val had been the dhampir ambassador in Evermore city but was deciding to leave and move to Italy. She had called to invite Astoria to take over, knowing from her experience just how skilled she was. Astoria thought it over, spoke to her sister and realising that this could very well be the new beginning they had desired, accepted the position.

She arrived in the city with Lake and soon found herself in a dojo, surrounded by people who would now look to her as a leader. It was intimidating at first, but Astoria was determined to do her best. Perhaps in Evermore, she would finally find a home and become stronger and powerful just as she had desired long ago. Whatever it was, Astoria knew that this place would have a deep effect on her and she was keen to start this new chapter in her life.