He opened his eyes to darkness, and blinked until shapes could be made out. The world around him was flat and dark. Black mists obscured the ground, making it impossible to see any pitfalls or objects to trip over. As he observed his surroundings, he questioned why he was where he was. He wasn't breathing and had a weapon. That alone told him Lyoko, but none of the sectors looked like this. At least, none that he knew.

"CAW-CAW!" This onomatopoeia broke the silence. He looked up to see vulture-like monsters flying above his head. He watched them circle until he heard an eruption explode on his right. Jumping five feet in the air, which is impossible anywhere except Lyoko and sometimes on Lyoko, he turned to face it. Red liquid spewed high into the air. He did what anybody thinking straight would do. He took off like a bullet.

Unable to see the ground he tripped, and went flying. Traveling fast does not help avoid obstacles. He landed facing up, and noticed the sky had no features: no moon, no stars, and no clouds. The vultures were still circling where he began. He shuddered and moved to get to his feet. He vowed to be more careful this time. More like a turtle "Slowly and surely wins the race."

This was when he became aware of vines twisted around his body. He struggled and they tightened, fastening him firmly to the ground. They kept tightening until he could no longer move, and then they started to burn, like the lights on the bottom of an oven that has just been turned on.

That's when the screaming began. High-pitched screams coming from all around, piercing him with a plea for help. He started to fight again, desperate to rescue the one from whom the screams came. Fighting harder and harder as the ropes burned hotter and hotter. Suddenly, he froze. The screams had quieted into whimpers and the atmosphere had gotten even darker.

Above him, a red bull's-eye cut into the featureless sky. It watched him, taking amusement in his petty attempt to escape and rescue the victim. He stared back at it, eyes wide as he recognized it. No. NO! he tried to scream, but his vocal cords were locked and no sound came out. The screams started up again. NO! The eye laughed.

You cannot escape your fate, William! And neither can she.

Author's Note:

Hi people! This is my first multi-chapter fanfic, and the first fan-fic I've posted here on . I hope you enjoyed the prologue. I follow canon pairings, and will try to cater to reviewers' suggestions. I have the first chapter halfway done and will put it up soon if people review. I accept flames and request that flamers use a one pro:one con ratio. Chapters will get longer and probably better, so please stick around.

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko, though I wish I did and hope to own one of the backgrounds in Evolution