Darkness . It surrounded me , embracing my being and swallowing it , sending it in a void , where I couldn't breathe , see , move or hear anything . I thought I was dying ; or , if I wasn't , then I would soon be , because there was no oxygen . My lungs felt like they were on fire : if I wouldn't escape this state I would suffocate . The pain began to increase , and soon it became unbearable : what was happening to me ?! My whole body began to ache , and it felt like it was going to swell and explode . Against my will , I began to panic . I stood there in excruciating pain for what seemed to me an eternity and then a miracle happened : the pain began to subside and I saw a small light in front of me . Just as I was thinking what was it supposed to mean , I lost my consciousness again.
After what seemed to me like ages (really , I could've went from fourteen years old to a century , or even more) , I began to see some lights . Everything was blurry at first , like somebody hit me in the head with a bat , and then I began to see my surroundings too clear for my taste . They weren't what I expected : instead of the pristine , elegant powder room , I was in some sort of an dark , deserted alley and it was a damp , dirty one . I tried to stand up , but my legs wouldn't listen to me . As I was thinking , exasperated , that I would spend the rest of my life just lying on the cold , muddy ground , a bug crawled by me and I was up in a fraction of a second . Bugs weren't exactly my cup of tea . My surroundings became even more clear : I was in what seemed to me like a town of some sorts . It had some specific elements of a village , but there was a palace in front of me and a very big tower on the other side . Just as I was looking at the tower , I realized that it looked very strange : it was like nothing I had ever saw : it was crowned by a golden pyramid and it shone a brilliant silver in the spring ( I couldn't help but wonder if it was still spring ) sunlight, so bright, that it hurt my sensitive eyes, and the purple glass in its hundreds of tiny windows glittered and sparkled with a mysterious darkness that reflected the light. A thin blue haze shimmered around the tower, blurring its boundaries ; like in there were happening things beyond reality. I really wanted to hear what was going on in there: my sensitive ears immediately adjusted and soon I could hear what was happening like miles away: the sounds were soft, like a few buzzing bees, and I listened to what I think it was some human voices; it was a strange sound, like they were reciting incantations. I stopped listening, and the facts literally fell on me : where was I ?
Of course, with my luck, I couldn't stay there and ponder on my questions: a dark, lanky figure ran into me and we both fell on the ground. The collision sent me flying backwards, but, given the fact that I was a ballet dancer and my father, who was a soldier , taught me how to recover from a knockback in a fight, I was quite agile and back on my feet in no time. The figure - who I gathered that it was a boy – scrambled back onto his feet and , while glaring angrily at me, raced off like he was determined not to deter from his journey. My confusion was replaced with anger: he ran into me and then glared at me ?
While thinking of that , I began to walk away from the alley. I wanted to have an idea of the place I " arrived " in . Soon , I realized that this must have been a rush hour . People were packed in the broad avenue like sardines in a tin box . I was pushed from here to there against my will , and from the small alley, I got carried to a completely different place . In front of me there were some buildings built of pale , worn stone . They looked like some kind of shops , and one had its windows stacked so high with papers that it was impossible to see inside . And the persons coming out just then were the strangest duo I had ever seen . There was one tall boy with curly , uncombed , straw - colored hair and brilliant green eyes and a shorter girl with violet eyes and dark , straight hair with a golden circlet keeping it in place . The boy wore some green , dusty robes and the girl had a simple red tunic edged with gold and tied with a gold sash .
" … Sep , you spend far too much time cooped up in that smelly old Tower , if you ask me . Marcia has to give you more days off . " said the girl .
"Jen , you know I can't . I'm behind my work, and I still have to work on my Projections. I'm afraid I can't come to visit aunt Zelda with you this time…. " . Their conversation stopped suddenly when the boy fixed his glance on me.
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Jen and I were just walking out of the Manuscriptorium and we were having a heated conversation .
" Sep , aunt Zelda sent a message to me yesterday . She said she has a pressing matter to discuss with both of us . You have to ask Marcia for a day off and come with me . "Jen pleaded.
" I'm sorry Jen , but I can't . I have a lot of work to do . And if she sent you a message , then it can wait . If it was that urgent , she would have came to tell you personally . And you know how aunt Zelda exaggerates sometimes … "
I was really stressed out with my work lately .I wanted to go with Jen , but Marcia assigned me a truckload of work to do , and , as the ExtraOrdinary Appretince , I couldn't disappoint her .
" But she sounded really worried . Maybe something bad happened and she needs you to help her ! And besides , Sep, you spend far too much time cooped up in that smelly old Tower , if you ask me . Marcia has to give you more days off ."
"Jen , you know I can't. I'm behind my work , and I still have to work on my Projections . I'm afraid I can't come to visit aunt Zelda with you this time…." . Just as I was apologizing , I saw a very strange girl standing right in front of us and staring into my eyes : she had some odd clothes , a pink tight shirt with a frilly skirt that had multiple layers . She had some peculiar shoes that were tied up with ribbons and a fluffy material wrapped around her calfs . She had piercing baby blue eyes and curly , golden blonde hair tied up in a bun at the nape of her neck . But that wasn't the strangest thing at her : she had an unusual aura , like it was Darke and pure at the same time . Against my will , I approached her quickly and asked :
"Who are you?"
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The boy started to approach me with an intrigued look on his face ; I frowned . What did he want from me ?
"Who are you? " he asked me.
I prepared myself to give an answer that would get him to leave me alone and think I was just a person who was passing by , but ,the moment I opened my mouth , the stupidest thing came out :
"I'm….no one ! " . I felt like facepalming myself . I opened my mouth to correct my statement , but of course , my body wasn't going to just listen to me , it acted on his own .
So I ran so fast I could swear I left a dust trail behind me .
