I feel as though my time has come,

To focus on my future life

instead of the past and where I'm from.

The things I've seen are beyond struggle and beyond strife.

I ask you what you would do

If you knew your life would end tonight?

I know there has to be something which I am to do,

but as far as what my purpose is,

I have no clue.

So I wander through the streets

With my shadow on my side

and my turmoil in my mind.

I feel as though I need a change of direction,

I feel it is my time.

CHAPTER 1

"There is this dream. A dream that started when I became alone. It begins when I find myself in a dark empty room that seems to go on forever. As I walk further into the darkness of the void, I see a beautiful light in the distance. It's a green gear floating above me and as I reach for it, it shatters before my eyes. Then this dream becomes a nightmare."

I'm hauled back into the darkness by two sets of dark hands and was shoved onto a staggered throne. Before I could try to get out, chains grew out of the throne and tied my hands and legs down. A cold breeze drifted over me and a feeling, I would not be able to describe, shot though me. It was filled with hatred and pleasure. I then notice my shadow layed before me. It didn't reflect my form because it was standing, not sitting, and it's hands seemed to be long sharp claws. It grows a see through smirk and opens two bright gold eyes before me. The shadow began to grow into a 3D figure and it then reached it's claw out for me.

"Luckily...like everything else in the world, it ends..."

I bounce up, holding my heart and looked around frantically. It was the middle of the night in the orphanage located in England and everyone appeared to be fast asleep. I sighed and leaned back on my bed that was aligned with many others around me, "It...was just a nightmare." I say quietly to myself.

"That's your third one this week, Alya." A voice sounded.

I looked to the side to my friend, Aron, sitting on the edge of his bed, looking at me with tired eyes.

He had spiky red hair with an old, black headband holding it back and his eyes were a dark green He never told me his age, but he appeared to be about 13, just like me. My hair was very long, almost reaching down to my legs, and was white as its natural color. My eyes were a dark red and my skin was pale as if I had never seen the sun.

"I'm sorry, Aron, did I wake you?" I asked sadly.

"No, I was already awake." he says smiling slightly.

I knew he was lying, "Then you should get some sleep, the orphanage will still wake us up at six in the morning for chores."

"Yeah, I guess your right..." he said laying back down on his bed. "Is it the same dream?"

I nodded, "Yeah, it's the Green Gear again."

"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll stop."

I smiled, "I hope they will..."

"Goodnight." he said closing his eyes.

I yawned, "Goodnight, Aron."

'Why have these nightmares keep occurring to me and why do they feel so real...'

I gently shut my eyes and fall fast asleep.

-6 am-

I awoke from my sleep to the sound of an alarm clock ringing in my ear and an old lady in a black robe glaring down at me, "Hear that, Alya!? It's time to get up!" She shouted. It was Mrs. Koller. She was the leader of the orphanage and was also the meanest out of all the other adults.

I stumbled forward off my bed and fell on my face. I scrambled forward and headed toward a line of orphans across the room, I ran over to Aron, breathing heavily. The line went in alphabetical order so I was second in line and Aron third. Every day Mrs. Koller would take the first person in line and take him/her away while everyone else does chores. By the end of the day, the kid returns ill or loses something. Abby went yesterday and she returned with a broken arm and had lost her voice. Most kids didn't even return and that's what really got me scared. I was next tomorrow, I really wish my name wasn't Alya...

I watched as Mrs. Koller took Addison, the kid first in line, by the arm and dragged him away. His long, black hair covered his eyes, but I knew he was crying. I glanced at everyone else and saw that they were watching him as well, "Poor guy..." I whisper.

After she left the room with him and we heard the sound of a door slam closed, the other kids were assigned their jobs and they all set to work.

-0-

I fell on my bed, exhausted, and looked up at Aron who sat himself down, "You do know your next, right?" he asked me not looking into my eyes.

"I know, but don't worry, I'm sure it wont be that bad..."

Aron came over and pulled me close, "Promise me..." he began as he pulled away, "Promise me that you'll come back." He said tears rolling down his cheeks.

I hugged him, "I promise. No matter what happens, I'll return."

I sent him back to his bed and sat on the edge of my bed, clenching my bed sheets. I felt tears begin to roll down my face.

-The next morning-

I awoke to Aron nudging me awake, "Everyone's lining up, come on." he said.

I nodded and followed him in line, glancing at the other kids I walked past. I came to the beginning of the line and noticed that Addison had not returned from last night. I paused as the alarm clock rang and Mrs. Koller entered the room with that nasty look on her face as she pulled out her clipboard and took attendance, starting from the back of the line and built up to the top. When she got to my name she paused, "Alya, it's your turn."

I nodded and followed her down the hall, not wanting to see Aron's face, I did not turn around.

We walked down the halls, my black orphan shoes clicking along the white, dirty tiles. We came to a steel door that looked rusty and old. As Mrs. Koller opened it, it began to squeak and make an eerie noise. We stepped inside and two men took me by the arms as Mrs. Koller strode away and left the room. I could hear the click of a lock as she left and I knew there was no way I could run away. Two lights flicked on and a steel chair that you would see when you go to the dentist appeared. The two men yanked me into the chair and tied my hands and legs down with rough, tight ropes. I struggled and pulled, wanting to get out and run away from this place and to never look back, but I was defenseless. Shortly after I gave up and stared into the darkness in front of me.

"Are you scared?" A man asked stepping forward into the light. He wore a long white coat with letters stitched on. It read 'BLACK ORDER'. I was tempted to ask him what the Black Order was, but I decided there were more important things to worry about.

I glared up at him, "Of the dark? No, I grew up in it."

He smiled kindly, ignoring the comment and asked another question, "Do you know why your here?"

I didn't answer.

"You shouldn't worry." he said snapping his fingers, "Were just researchers." A different man with muscular arms and a black coat on came into the light hovering above me and handed a tray over to him. I inched up in my seat to try and see what was resting on the tray, but I only saw a black towel placed over it, hiding whatever was beneath.

"What's your name?" I asked as he set the tray down on a desk next to me.

"My name is Doctor Makrides." he said removing the black sheet.

My eyes widened slightly at the tray. It was covered with bright green lights that all seemed familiar. 'My dream!'

"The Green Gear!" I shouted aloud on accident.

"Pardon?" Makrides asked, "Have you seen these before."

I paused for a moment 'I guess it won't do any harm if I tell him' "Um, yeah, in my dreams at night. I've only seen one though, I never knew they actually existed and I didn't know there were so many." I stated.

Makrides looked at me curiously and picked one up from the tray, "This is Innocence, also known as an Anti-Akuma weapon." He said, "Innocence is a substance of unknown composition known by the ancient civilization that first cultivated it as the "Crystal of God". It can bond with certain humans, known as Accommodators to form an "Anti-Akuma Weapon", the only kind of weapon on earth that can purify Akuma, saving the souls that are bound to them from being destroyed by the Dark Matter that gives them their power." he informed.

I looked at him, somewhat confused, "That's a lot of info..."

"Don't worry." he said pulling on gloves, "If you become an Exorcist, everything will become clear."

'Exorcist?' "Um, what if I don't become an Exorcist?"

"Then you'll be left here."

A sudden thought came to me, 'All those other kids not returning, they must have become Exorcist.'

"So everyone else that didn't return became Exorcist?" I asked gladly.

He shook his head, "Actually none of them made it."

I looked at him shocked, "B-but what happened to them then!?"

"They couldn't handle the power of the Innocence." he said simply, "But enough with the chit-chat, I have work to do."

'They're..all dead! All those innocent kids.' I glared at him feeling anger rush over me, "You murderer! You should die for all you've done, you don't even deserve to live! They were just kids!"

The man looked over at two men and motioned them to come over. I kept jerking in my chair, trying to break through, "You'll all pay!" I screamed.

"Restrain her." Makrides commanded, pointing at me.

The two men came over me and covered my mouth with a towel so I would stop screaming and added more ropes to keep me down. I wanted to kill all of them, I wanted to see their blood drop to the floor.

"There, there." he said, "No need to get so angry." A small girl came up from behind him, holding a piece of Innocence in her hand. She had short light blue hair and a black jacket with silver buttons on, "Meet Rina. She has a special gift to change the form of Innocence."

She stepped forward smiling slightly, removing the towel. "Innocence Activate" she said as she crushed a piece of Innocence in her hand and she held it out to my mouth as a liquid, "Drink up." she said taking the rag out of my mouth and poured the liquid down my throat, shutting my mouth afterwards.

I shut my eyes, feeling the liquid rush down my throat. I heard Makrides begin to talk, "Hmm...now that should be 'The Syncro Weapons' Parasitic type Innocence."

I began to feel pain rush over my entire body. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't even speak. I felt my body pull apart all at ounce and I winced. 'So many kids died in this very way...I'm sorry Aron, I might not be able to return...'

I slowly looked off to the side on the floor, my shadow lay there, looking at me. I shot up against the ropes and fell back, banging my head. 'It-it's looking at me!'

I looked again and saw two bright golden eyes, 'Help me!' I wanted to yell. 'Before I die!'

Another jolt of pain shot through my body and I shut my eyes close, clenching my tied up fists. The last thing I heard was a cry for help and glass shattering before I fainted.

-0-

I opened my eyes to a wrecked room, "What happened..." I whispered.

I sat up slowly, wincing at every movement and looked down at my body. The ropes were cut off and thrown to the side. Both my arms were in the shape of long thrust-oriented blades. (An Estoc sword blade) I looked shockingly down, amazed, 'I survived the power of Innocence!' After awhile, I tried to control it so that I could get my hands back, but they stayed the same, "Come on, show me five!" I shouted.

In an Instant, my two blades separated into ten long ones, five per hand. I looked at each one, moving my blades up and down as fingers, "That's not what I was going for..." I whined, "Now I look like Edward Scizzorhands."

I slowly got up and stepped forward, stumbling over something, and falling to the ground. I looked back and saw a white coat with a lump underneath. I then saw the words 'Black Order' stitched on and I knew what was under the coat and I was afraid to look, but I slowly pulled it off and looked at the corpse of Makrides. His arms and legs were sliced off- no, it seemed as if they were ripped off by force. Deep long cuts went over his stomach and past his black shirt and his skin was a light blue.

My eyes narrowed on him and I smirked, pointing at him with one blade, "You deserve this...I just wish I could have seen it happen."

I then walked over to the desk where Makrides placed the Innocence on the tray. The desk was split in two and as for the tray, it was dented and lay on the floor. I saw pieces of Innocence scattered across the floor, near where the tray had been dumped, and I slowly gathered all of them. I held six of them that I had found and glared down at them, "Innocence should be destroyed. All my friends here at the orphanage, I promise you that every last one will be destroyed. I slowly made a fist and tried to crush them all at ounce, but as I looked to see, they were still there! I growled slightly, looking around. 'There has to be a rock or some kind of hammer around-'

I was cut off from my thoughts when my hand of blades was replaced with a long, broad hammer, "Well, I guess this isn't so bad after all..."

I swung my arm up, over the shards of Innocence, and swung down with all my might. At first it seemed normal, but right as I touched Innocence, I was knocked back with such force, I was thrown against the wall. I yelped slightly as I opened my eyes, "Why...Why cant I destroy it!?"

I screamed loudly and got back up and ran over to the Innocence, swinging down with all my might again, but right as I hit the innocence, I flew back again, "No...I cant let Innocence hurt people!"

I felt blood drip from my forehead as I glared at the glowing light. I sat there silently until a small cry was heard from the far side of the room. I shot up and looked around quickly, waiting to hear more of the sound. Another cry was heard and I followed the source, walking past the corpse of Makrides. My eyes narrowed as I saw Rina laying on the floor with her leg cut off and her body covered with long deep cuts. She looked up at me, terrified, "Please! Dont hurt me! No more, Noah!"

I looked down at her with a blank expression and I paused, 'Why hasn't it occurred to me...Who killed Makrides!? Who destroyed the lab!?' Visions of the last thing I saw shot through me. 'Bright gold eyes...long claws.' Makrides cut up body appeared in my mind. I stepped back, away from Rina, startled. "It...It was me."

I held my head and kneeled down, seeing visions of blood. Screams and flesh ripping apart echoed in my mind. I then felt my self smirk, 'Why...why do I feel pleasure in this...what have I become..?'

Rina continued to scream at me, "You monster! Stay away!"

My eyes flashed, blinding me for awhile; then in a deep voice, I stood up and laughed, "Die Exorcist!" I raised my hand, in the form of a hammer and swung down, smashing her skull. Blood spat onto my face and I twirled around, laughing insanely, "This is what you get Black Order! I will find every last Exorcist and kill them all!" I didn't notice the tears running down my cheek.

What's in a tear...

Sorrow, hurt and fear...

That's in the rain...

pity and pain

the two so alike

you can't tell them apart...

But one is yours

the others God's...

Both are from the heart