Prologue

I was running.

The cavern was as smooth as a slithering snake. The walls had ancient carvings embedded with gemstones. Being a girl who liked ancient things, I wanted to stop and study them out of curiosity, but I couldn't. She was coming.

The lady in red was coming.

For me.

I stopped dead in my tracks. The cavern split three. I sent my thoughts, grasping for details. The first was under pressure; it was going to fall on top of me when I step into it. The second one was full of poisonous gas. No way could I survive that.

The last one was the worst nightmare of all. Whispers of the dead and monsters echoed through it, whispering my deepest fear and darkest secrets.

I chocked back a sob. I wanted to scream. Why had I so foolishly followed her advice? She is the enemy. She is my nightmare. I knew it by the way she smiled so sweetly despite the venom in her words; I knew it by the way she haunted me every night.

Yet I followed. I followed her advice and ended up lost in a stupid tunnel. I should've known.

I should've known.

"Luciana..." her voice echoed playfully across the tunnel. She sounded close.

Damn it.

I forced myself ahead to the best option—the third tunnel— bracing for any attack.

I heightened my guard as I ran; I knew, at any moment, something would suddenly jump at me, or grab my leg, or even knock me out.

But nothing did anything.

I just heard the whispers.

I fastened my pace, terror rising in me. The cavern was as dark as the Stygian gloom. Despite being the daughter of darkness, I hated the dark. The dark was where every creature was lurking. The dark was where my nightmares began.

The dark was where my mother died.

I tripped over something and fell face-first to the ground. My hand, outstretched, touched a wall.

I frowned. I didn't sense anything before.

Nonetheless, daring myself, I stood up quickly and looked up. I saw a tiny circle of light. A light of hope.

"Luciana..."

I stepped onto a ledge and desperately searched for another handhold. Her voice sounded near. I couldn't afford to waste time on listening to her voice that was so soft and relaxing, making me feel so loved and calm that I wanted to go to her and sacrifice myself for—

NO! I couldn't afford getting lured. I couldn't afford getting caught again. I ignored the whispers, blocking them out, and concentrated on the task ahead of me. Left, right, left, right.

I had to resist the urge to jump off the frustrating wall and fly upward. No, I don't want to lure her to me, faster than now...

Stick with the wall, I thought. Don't look back.

I climbed faster. I was beginning to make process until...

Something tugged at my leg.

Odd. I didn't remember tying my leg with a cord or something. I stopped and, steeling my nerves, I looked down. In the dim light from above, I saw...

A hand.

I mentally screamed and looked back up. I wanted to be free from this misery. I wanted to kick whatever the hell was holding my leg right in the face. The light—my exit from this nightmare—seemed to be so close, yet so far away.

Pain flared. Fingernails dug into my ankle, tugging me down her. Any minute now, if I didn't get away in time, it's either fall into abyss or faint then fall into abyss.

I gritted my teeth and released my hand to search for another handhold.

Bad mistake.

The creature took a chance and tugged. Its pull was strong. I immediately lost my grip on the handholds and fell.

I tried to use my powers, but I couldn't concentrate. My wound was making me dizzy.

I fell, flailing in the air, screaming.

The stunt ended as I hid the floor with a thud.

CRACK!

Damn. My ribs must've cracked.

I tried to sit back up, but the pain was too much. I screamed in pain and agony and lay back onto the cold obsidian floor. My cry echoed through the gloomy cavern, abruptly stopping the whispers.

In front of me, shadows rose from the floor and formed a figure of a woman. I had to admit, she was pretty; in fact, she was gorgeous. Her face was as queenly as a queen would be, her crimson eyes showing hard determination and her chin held high. Her hair was a flowing lush of black, embedded with luscious roses and sapphires. Her jewelry gave so much sparkle on her, making her look like the brightest person in the world.

Her face killed it all.

Her smile was one of those oh-so perfect smiles, yet I could feel it radiate coldness. Her eyes that showed hard determination were those of torturers that loved blood that splashed from their victims onto their faces. Both of that was a sign of a person who loved blood.

Her gown reached the floor. It was so red it looked black, but I could faintly see patterns on the dress, moving around as it showed pictures of the tortured souls in the River Acheron and in the Fields of Punishment. As one of them faded, a new—and worst—one appeared.

She held out her hand in front of her face, and I saw red liquid dripping from her long fingernails. In my horror, I realized it was my blood. How had she reached so far up?

The lady in red examined the liquid in her hands. Bringing them to her mouth, she licked them of her hand.

I watched her lick off the blood—my blood—in horror. I couldn't move. I couldn't run. This would be the end of me.

Oh well, I thought. At least I won't die in her hands.

My vision blurred as I faded into unconsciousness. Despite myself, I smiled. I willed myself to have the everlasting peace I wanted. Any minute now...

The lady must've drunk all of the blood by now, because she clucked with disappointed. "Oh my, Luciana, you're supposed to be my sacrifice. It wouldn't do any good if you die right now, no?" She snapped her fingers.

My vision cleared. I wanted to cry out in agony. I wanted to die. I wanted to end my misery.

I wanted to see my mother in Elysium.

The lady shook her head. "Lucy, dying in a dream wouldn't do you good. Your soul would forever drift around aimlessly on the soil of Mother Earth."

Upon hearing the little nickname, I glared at her and snarled viciously. Anger burnt out my fear. "Don't you dare call me that, or I'll—"

The lady's smile immediately turned into a hideous sneer. "What, Luciana?" she cut me off, taking a step forward to me. "What would you do to me?" She knelt beside me. "What would do you good to do something bad to someone who rules over the world?" She grabbed my cheeks and forced me to face her. "What would do you good to disobey your patron?"

In spite of myself being afraid and all, I said, "You're not my patron."

She slapped me hard across my face. "Stupid girl," she hissed.

I stopped the tears from swelling in my eyes. I will not show this woman weakness. Before I could make a smart comment, like You're the one who's stupid, I saw red eyes sparkling with strife behind the lady. They moved closer and closer to me.

The lady stood. "You denied me, yet your fate will still be the same. You will serve me until the end of my reign, and then you will take control. It is what the prophecy had said. You cannot defy the Fates."

"What the freaking hell are you talking about?! I don't understand!" I yelled.

Her expression softened. "Yes, I know this is confusing. But the prophecy is a prophecy, and it will happen. If you don't obey me..."

She flicked her wrist. A light shone like a spotlight, highlighting the cage behind her. In the cage was...

It was the seven. They've been through a lot during the second Giant War, and now because of me...

"Your friends get the misery," she said, smiling, her words filled with venom.

The cage erupted into flames before my eyes. The wailings, it was all horrifying.

I knew this was just a dream. But as I heard their cries of agony, even Leo's, who was supposed to be immune to fire, it was getting harder and harder to believe.

"And you..." She snapped her fingers.

A shadow fell upon me. A trapdoor opened, and I fell into the darkness, screaming.

I heard her words.

"Enjoy Chaos, my little pawn."