Prologue

-3 Years Ago-

When I was a young imaginative girl I would run through the woods in search of new bugs or undiscovered animals, now I am running for my life. Currently, I am barefoot through a forest in a world I have barely any knowledge of. I use my blood-covered hand to push my own curls out of my eyes when I stop to listen. Except for the rustling of leaves the air is mostly silent, giving me the security to take a break. I lean against a tree and after taking in several deep breaths I touch the bleeding wound on my side. His blade was small but he moved it around to the point of feeling like my sides were being mixed with a blender.

I look up to see a moon shining brightly down on me, its light is red toned which gives me a sense of uneasiness. The moon I am used to back home is bright white and made everything look like something out of a fairytale. I miss home more than ever, and it is that sense of homesickness that will keep me going. I reach down to the stab wound once again, just as the other time before, blood spews out and I bite my lower lip to muffle screams of pain.

Okay, this is okay; I am going to be o-k-a-y. I just need something to stop the bleeding....

I bend down which causes a sharp pain to shoot up from my side all the way up my spine. I tear at the hem of my dress; I keep pulling up to get the most of the cloth by making what was a cocktail dress to damn near a tube top. With a grunt and one final pull I completely free the cloth from my body. I wrap it around my waist and prepare myself for the pain I am about to endure. As I pull the cloth tightly around me I ground down on my teeth and my eyes begin to water. Just when I feel like I am not going to be able to handle any more pain the cloth can't get any tighter and I know I can knot it up

The sound of a twig snapping under the weight of someone's boot fully grabs my attention. I stand straight up and look around me to determine the location of the sound. She is after me and I know she is going to try her hardest to catch me. I cannot completely blame her wanting me dead, after all, I killed her brother just before I got away.

"If you surrender right now...I promise I'll guarantee a quick death instead of a slow painful one." Delorme's voice comes at me in a far away whisper but still manages to make hairs on my body stand up. Although her brother, Delios, caused most of the physical pain, Delorme was the one who would make me soil myself simply by a look on her face. After tonight, nothing will compare to the look on Delorme's face when I threw the skin of her brother, my captor, at the ground where she stood. If it were not for the sound of an obvious incoming guard of mutant soldiers I would have had her head on my own dagger as well.

I hold my hands and smile as the sensation of warmth dances on my palms. I watch as a small spark forms into a flame, and that flame then shapes into a softball-sized ball of fire. I turn to the west; the direction in which Delorme's voice came from and I throw the ball of heat in the air. The ball rises high above my head and splits into four smaller balls of fire. With a swift move of my wrist, the balls blaze across the sky, I know it's not enough to hurt her in any way but it is enough to buy me some time. I finish catching my breath and begin picking up the pace toward my freedom again.

As I get closer to the veil I feel my veins cool as the magick within my body pumps with fervor. When I look at my arms and I see that my veins glow with a blue sparkle I can't help myself but smile. Months of torture, months of conditioning, and months of me waiting for the perfect opportunity to execute my escape were now finally paying off. Having a stomach of fresh blood probably would have helped me even more but the thought of going to a sector and feeding on a helpless person made me sick. Just thinking about blood makes my fangs poke at the surface of my gums but I force myself to retract them back. I used to be in a sector, I used to fade in out of consciousness usually only waking up to a searing pain of someone else's fangs on my neck.

Just as I reach the veil Delorme appears shortly behind me, her silver hair blows wildly in the air. I look back at the veil; it beckons me forward home. Beyond the refractions of light, I can the see the familiarity of the old cemetery of my town. Quickly I turn around and shove my hands in Delorme's direction, a wave of force pushes her back, she yells out in anger, and I jump through the veil.

...

I come out the veil landing on soft wet dirt, the smell of a freshly watered lawn fills my nostrils and I am forced to hold back tears of joy. I get back to my feet knowing that I am not safe until I seal the veil that I just came through. With both hands, I grab at the air that the veil distorts and with as much strength possible I pull it together. I grind my teeth again as I feel my wound enlarge with the force of strength I use against a magick barrier older than the world I come from.

With one final squeeze and a flash of bright light, the veil is sealed and I fall to my knees. My breaths are shallow and every time I exhale I cough up my unusually dark purple blood. "I...did...it." I sigh in relief and the sharp pain of a stab wound reminds me to take care of it.

"Enough with that," I say as I hold my right palm over the wound. I feel the heat radiate from my palm to the wound and slightly wince as I cauterize the wound. Once the smell of my own burning flesh has wafted away I stand up, I chuckle when I stand because my legs feel like jelly. Just like a baby giraffe, I make my way to the unforgettable Worthon Crypt.

The crypt was settled in the middle of the cemetery as it was built for the very person to have died in Winchester Cove. I do not remember the name of that person, but I do remember playing across the street at the playground where friends and I would make up stories of unspeakable monsters that lived in the crypt. If only my young childish mind knew how true those stories would come to be. This was the perfect spot because this was the old cemetery where nobody ever visited anymore, at least that is how things were before I was taken.

When I stand outside the crypt the doors open up to me as if on command. I have dreamed of this moment for so long that nothing surprises me. I knew the crypt was going to be nothing more than an empty room with a pedestal in the middle. After the things, I had seen and experienced I did not think to question any of it. On the southern wall is the pillar that with the right amount of pressure opens up a stairway in the ground.

Following the stairs leads me to a wooden door that is cold to the touch. After barely touching the wood the door swings open and I walk into the circular room. With a snap of my fingers the scones lining the wall light up giving the room both light and warmth. I stand in the middle of the room and kneel down to prepare for the best part of the dream that I have wait so long for.

With my right hand I dig into the middle of my chest, at first, it hurts but then the pain fades away into relief. The first crystal I pull out is a pale yellow and as I float it up toward the ceiling the air around me begins to stir. The next crystal is emerald green and the scent of grassy fields fills the room as it joins the yellow one. A blue crystal came out third and as it floated up the sound of a stream bounced off the walls. Last was an orange crystal that shrouded me in a blanket of warmth now that my body's temperature was dropping.

I stare up at the crystals with wet eyes and a smile. There was a fifth one but that one I dealt with before my escape. I can feel my body grow weaker and know I must act fast with the small bit of power that still lingers in me. I take a deep breath before saying the words that will truly set me free. The things I have seen, done and felt are too much for me to live with. I wish that maybe one day I will gain the strength to go back to that place and end it all, I just hope that I will be left with enough to remember this wish.

"The time has come, what once was entwining,

Memories, power, and magick are now binding."

The air goes stale, scents and sounds are now gone, the feelings of warmth are lost leaving me to shiver. I raise myself up and slowly make my way back up the steps. With each step, I wince as it feels like my body is literally breaking. Once I reach outside the door to the crypt slams shut, the force from which pushes my face down onto the ground. I close my eyes and the last thing I hear is the faint sound of sirens as I watch each painful memory fade away into nothing.

***Next Chapter on Tuesday-19/06/18***