CHAPTER 1

It was dark. Perfect for the ones who called this planet their home. Power and hunger were one and the same here, always one ending with the other.

The air was quite a trickster itself; seeming sweet and inviting but once you surrendered, on your own, and took in all your lungs could hold, it was then that its mask was disintegrated. Suffocating and bitter, as it was, truly. This could only be the makings of one…

I awoke quieter than usual, becoming accustomed to the re-occurring nightmare. It wasn't real, of course not. How could it be? I had dreamt this cursed nightmare far too many times and nothing, NOTHING, like this had ever happened, not in reality. It was just another glitch in my always-has-been-always-will-be imperfect life.

The morning remained the same as every other non-workday morning: Wake up in sweat, realize the nightmare has passed for now, get up, get dressed, grimace at the reflection in the mirror, make another empty goal to lose weight, eat breakfast, and find something to do since it was my day off from work.

I spent most of the day watching movies. I was more than dreading the night out with the girls later on but being sick of the same 4 walls had been the guilty party in my decision to go even though I knew this would be just another one of their selfish attempts to "save me from myself" since all I did nowadays was work. Don't get me wrong, I love my friends but they didn't understand my rock music, dark writings, my bleak view on humanity- though mostly I just pretended to hate life completely. I wasn't depressed. It was more the fact of that I didn't fit in here. I just simply didn't belong.

It came faster than what I would've liked. My friends decided on a Japanese restaurant which of course made Sterina overly happy. I was a bit surprised at the idea considering none of them except Sterina had ever tasted Japanese food. It just seemed like an odd thing for people that usually went for Chinese or Mexican.

We went inside and, after getting almost the whole menu translated for us, ordered what we thought sounded halfway decent. I, of course, ordered water and some sticky rice stuff that Sterina recommended. Everyone else ordered main dishes and desserts.

He led me down a dimly lit hallway, though I didn't even know who "he" was for there was no one in sight. It was just something pulling on, more than my heart, my soul, telling me it would change my life, though my mind was screaming no. Already, being here, I felt different. Deep confusion swept over me as I saw the hint of a blue light pulsating up ahead.

"Lynn. Lynn… LYNN!" I blinked and staringly looked up at her.

"I'm sorry Erah. I was just thinking." I muttered. Usually being around my friends kept me normal and, oddly, happy but tonight, I feel as if all patience, all ties, were being severed.

'Am I losing myself? How much can one meaningless nightmare change someone?'

"Are you even listening?" Now her patience was growing thin. "I'm trying." I admitted Dremanna looked at me. "Try harder." Sterina sighed that annoyed sigh and dug into her Oyakodon.

For 3 hours and listened to Dremanna and Lachelle talk about boys, Erah talk about college, and Sterina, secretly, talk about TV shows and stories she writes. In a way, when it came to her stories, I was the only person she could talk to, so, of course, she never talked about them when the others were paying attention.

After the Japanese restaurant, I was pulled and pushed into meeting a guy at the most boring place ever: The Art Museum. A blind date was NOT my idea of dating. I've had boyfriends and as far as that is concerned, I am convinced there is no "soul mate" out there for me. So I went inside the building. Humoring my friends was one thing I did best.

Knowing they wouldn't wait for me, all I had to do was walk around a bit and leave. Piece of cake.

The walls were covered with paintings of all sorts yet somehow did not look cluttered. It was astonishing to me how paint splatters and atrocious mixes of colors could be considered art, let alone art that was worth anything. But I suppose that's always gonna be that. If it's painted by someone famous, it's a masterpiece but if the same thing is painted by a stranger, it's junk.

I'm guessing that's why I never liked or enjoyed art museums. A bit too hypocritical for me.

I walked down rows after rows and halls after halls, and through many rooms full of paintings and drawings along with man-made vases and other solid creations. Some, to my surprise, were actually nicely done and I must admit I was somewhat impressed at the creativity put into it.

Suddenly, something blue caught my eye. I turned the corner, watching the glowing shadows on the wall. I focused my gaze on what lied before me, just a few feet away. It was strange and definitely more like something you'd see in a horror movie or one that had a power hungry, blood thirsty villain in it.

I carefully took a few steps toward it. As I reached my hand toward it, entranced in its beauty, it began to glow softly, a bit more than before. I knew I should just turn around and go back the other way but for some reason, I couldn't pull myself away from it.

My hand automatically continued to stretch forward, now brushing my fingertips against the silver scepter. I was scared. No, scratch that. I was TERRIFIED. There was something telling me this thing was bad news. I tried shuffling my feet to turn around but it was no use. I tried pulling my hand back but that too did not prevail. I had to do something.

So I touched it. Against my will, against my might, I touched it. Obviously, bad idea.

As soon as my hand wrapped around it, the last thing I saw, was a way too bright blue light and then, complete black.