"Where am I?" Emilia mumbled, glancing around the strange building in which she was trapped. It really didn't make much sense, the building. Stairs on the ceiling, hallways twisting in impossible angles, likely impossible to walk down as well, and sprialing walkways that lead nowhere, and yet Emilia knew exactly where she was going. Her moved without her commanding them to do so, carrying her down the strange hallways, her body naturally moving with the strange angles and impossible spirals.

Her feet carried her to a platform of some sort, overlooking a dull, grey world that was steadily crumbling down around her. Buildings were falling and there was the distant sound of screaming, they sounded familiar but she couldn't quite figure out why. Her body stopped moving and her eyes focused on a young girl.

She couldn't of been much older than thirteen but she was fighting for her life against a strange creature. The creature was pitching black and had terrible looking yellow fangs protruding from it's mouth. Said mouth was twisted into a disgusting smile and it's eyes were small red and beady. "You can help her, Emilia." A cheery voice announced.

She glanced down, startled, and found another strange creature. However this one had a much more normal shape to it. It looked like a puffin or some bird like that and it had a bowtie tied around it's neck. How curious. She thought. "How?"

"Make a contract with me!" The puffin exclaimed cheerfully and she noted how deep it's voice was. It sounded rather… manly. Her attention was torn from the bird at the sound of the girl, who she noted had to most beautiful green eyes, shouting. She couldn't make out what was being said but she looked like she was… pleading with her.

But what could she possibly be pleading for? Emilia wondered. But before she could muse any further, a loud shrill noise yanked her from her thoughts and from her world of dreams.

"Emilia turn that off!" Her dear older sister shouted, slamming on her door. Emilia shot up, now fully awake and switched her alarm clock off. She sighed and got up from her bed, deciding to get ready for school.

She gathered up her school uniform, balling up most of it and made her way to the bathroom, determined to get there before her sisters and take a shower and do her hair. It seemed today, however, fate was against her. She groaned loudly and rolled her eyes. "Tough luck kid." Her oldest sister, Freya, said, ruffling her hair with a huge grin on her face.

Emilia rolled her eyes and stormed back into her bedroom and changed into her school uniform there. She observed herself in the mirror and decided that her skirt was much too short and sighed loudly. Today was not her day. Whatever. Nothing I can do about it.

She focused on her hair, brushing tangles out of the thick, white locks. After that was done she settled for tying her hair up in a simple bun to make things easier. After said task was done she double check her schoolbag, making sure all the right book and last night's homework was still there. Finding everything to be there, she grabbed her bag, did one last hair check, and headed out for school.

Along the way she met up with her long time friend, Natalya. Natalya and her had met in elementary school when Emilia had just moved from Denmark. Natalya was from Russia, and much like her at the time, Natalya had spoke little English and the two bonded over strange notes they exchanged to communicate. Eventually over time, the two learned English and they became much closer, bonding then over common interests and annoying siblings.

"Good morning." Natalya greeted, her heavy accent coming out. Emilia nodded in response, forcing a smile. Natalya saw right through it, of course. "What's the matter?"

"Bad morning." Emilia sighed. Natalya hummed in response, after all Natalya had had her fair share of them as well.

"Your sister?"

"Who else?" Emilia snorted. Natalya laughed a little and the two went their separate ways.

When Emilia arrived to class she took her seat and mentally prepared herself for Amelia, who had yet to realize that Emilia didn't want anything to do with her. "Mornin' Em!" Amelia greeted loudly, as she always did, with a huge grin on her face.

"Good morning." She greeted flatly, taking her seat next to Amelia's quieter sister Michelle.

Michelle was beautiful to say at the least. She had dark skin, long brown hair, and sparkling brown eyes. Had Emilia been interested in dating, she would probably consider dating Michelle. "I'm sorry about her."

"Don't be, she means no harm." Michelle wanted to say more but the teacher walked in with a new girl. They hadn't been warned about any new students, so her arrival caused a general quiet, if you ignored the whispering from the back of the room (likely from Feliks and Toris).

"Good morning class," Ms. Braginskaya greeted warmly. "I'd like to introduce you to Chiara, your new classmate." Emilia's heart skipped a beat when she saw the girl, Chiara as she had so been introduced. She was the same girl from her dream, though she wasn't entirely sure how that was possible as she'd never seen this girl before in her life. "There's an empty seat next to Emilia, please sit there Chiara." Ms. Braginskaya motioned to the only empty seat in the classroom.

Emilia had never felt so uncomfortable before. Not only was the entire class staring in her general question, but she had no idea how to even address this girl and common knowledge around the school was: if a new student sits next to you, they're your burden. Chiara sat down next to her and the scent of lavender overwhelmed Emilia's senses. "Uh, ciao, I'm Chiara…" Emilia could of sworn Chiara mumbled something along the lines of 'but you already knew that.'

"Emilia." It came out more flat and cold than she intended. Ms. Braginskaya began teaching and her attention turned from the girl next to her, to the lesson.

At lunchtime Emilia was showing Chiara around the school when Chiara stopped and looked her dead in the eye and asked calmly, "Emilia, do you have a wish?"

She was taken aback of course. She hadn't been expecting it and it didn't quite make sense. "I-I suppose." Chiara was observing her face and it was making her extremely uncomfortable.

"Would you trade your friends and family for it?"

Oh that made her mad. "Of course not!" She snapped, clenching her fists.

Chiara smiled and turned on her heel. "Good."

After school her, Natalya, and Michelle went to Natalya's house and Emilia decided to talk to them about it.

"That's… interesting." Natalya said simply. Michelle looked unsure as to how to respond. "And what did you mean by you recognised her?"

Emilia bit her lip and sighed. "Don't call me crazy, but I saw her in my dream last night."

Natalya snorted.

"I'm being serious." Both Michelle and Natalya glanced at each other, both deciding that Emilia was being serious about it. "I'm a little freaked out about it."

"I-" Natalya was cut off by her sister.

"Natasha, can you bring this up to your brother?" Anya, Natalya's sister and Emilia's homeroom teacher, came out carrying a plate of food. Natalya nodded and disappeared upstairs to give the food to her brother.

"How's Ivan doing?" Michelle asked Anya.

"Hmm.. oh he's doing a lot better now." Anya forced a smile but it was quite clear to both of them that she lying through her teeth. It was common knowledge to the two of them that Ivan was dying and there wasn't really anything that could be done about it.

Natalya came back downstairs and a silence fell upon the three, neither of them sure what to say. Michelle and Emilia didn't stay for much longer.

Later that night, Natalya called her and told her she needed out of the house and asked if they could go out for a walk together. Emilia agreed and they decided to meet up at the halfway point between their houses. Emilia told her mother where she was headed and headed out.

When she met up with Natalya, it was clear she'd been crying. Emilia opted to ignore it, knowing it would only further agitate the other girl. They walked in silence and paid no mind to their surroundings, until Emilia realized that something wasn't quite right.

Their surrounding had warped into something similar to her dream. It was terrifying to say at the least. Natalya stopped walking and looked around in confusion. "Emilia, where are we?"

"I-I don't know." They heard a sickening laughter and Emilia's blood ran cold.

Strange creatures, with heads of cotton, were dancing around giggling madly at the two girls. They began to grow closer and closer, until suddenly a bright flash of yellow light encased them and a third girl appeared.

Emilia began to feel faint and her knees gave out. Natalya called out something at her but it all sounded so distant and just as their surroundings grew normal again, Emilia blacked out.