Prologue

It was dark.

So dark.

The door opened.

A woman stood in the doorway impatiently.

"It's time. Come along now."

I stood up and followed her as she entered a pure white room.

In the corner was a little girl, shivering and sobbing with her head in her knees.

The girl looked up at me, her eyes wild, and spoke.

"Help me."

The woman spoke.

"Kill her."

I stood there silently. A crossbow appeared in my hand and I pointed it at the girl.

Her eyes widened.

"Please-"

THUNK.

An arrow sprouted from her heart.

The woman frowned and the crossbow disappeared.

"You're still soft. I guess I must put you back."

She approached me.

I stood there silently, watching as she grabbed me by the collar.

She dragged me back to the dark.

My eyes widened and I struggled to break free of her iron grip.

She didn't let go.

She threw me into the darkness and slammed the door shut.

I curled up in a ball on the cold, hard ground and raked my mind, asking myself again and again as the shadows consumed me.

Why me?