A/N: I don't own Riddick or any of the characters or plots in any of the series. All I own in this story is the name Arcelia,and the race of Eclusians, the creatures on their planet, and my plot for events that have never happened in any series. Keep in mind that the entirety of the story will be in the perspective of mostly second person after this prologue, but I will intersperse first person thoughts, etc, into the weaving every now and then to give the story more depth. The remaining genres for this story: Action, thriller, horror, angst, adventure. [Cover art made by me.]

Prologue

Two eye-shined eyes glisten from the beam of moonlight shining through a small crack in the cave wall.

This isn't permanent. It's falling apart fast.

He tenses as a small hand grips his leg.

A little girl, recently orphaned. She's under my protection.

She should be afraid of me, but she's not.

Why isn't she afraid of me like the others?

She's seen me kill people.

Interesting.

A rustling sound. Wonder who our visitor is...

A black mass is slowly moving through the electric violet light. It could be an enemy.

Prepare to fight even if it's nothing.

I hear faint footsteps now. The grip tightens.

The girl's eyes meet mine for a brief moment. She's afraid, but still, hopeful. It must be hanging by a thread by now.

There's something else. Something that I wish I never saw. Trust.

She trusts me to keep her safe.

First mistake: Never trust me.

The footsteps are getting louder.

This has to be a quick attack; unseen and unheard. I'll use that heavy back ended knife that I found back on Crematoria. Precision's what I need now, not necessarily speed. A strike to the jugular'll finish the job nice and quiet.

The footsteps are right outside now.

Trust or no trust, I made a promise to keep her safe.

I never break my promises.