"I am the way into the city of woe, I am the way to a forsaken people, I am the way into eternal sorrow, Sacred justice moved my architect, I was raised here by Divine omnipotence, primordial love and ultimate intellect, only these elements time cannot wear, and beyond time I stand, Abandon all hope ye who enter here."

P.E.N.T.A.G.R.A.M.

Chapter 1

Dive Into The Heart :

He was falling through cold blackness, spinning furiously as he went, and then-

He was standing in the middle on firm ground and blinding darkness surrounded him. Alarmed and careful he took a quivering pace forward, as his foot made contact with the ground the place became illuminated. He was standing on a illuminated platform, nothing but the platform he was standing on was visible. This time more confidently he walked to the edge of the only to see that it was actually a pillar that rising from unseen depths. Startled by the shocking discovery he fell back in disbelief. His breathing was heavy and erratic as his eyes stared forth into the darkness that surrounded him. An unseen voice was the first thing to break the silence.

"So much to do,.... So little time.... Oliver.... Don't be afraid.... Your eyes are still shut.... Step forward and walk into the dark...."

Oliver knew there was no other option but to follow the voice. Just as the voice had guided him, he stood up and walked forward to the edge of the abyss. Closing his eyes he took the last step that would plunge him into the empty void bellow. Yet nothing happened. Oliver opened his eyes to see that his foot was now on a much step. He took another step and then another, and still more rose from the nothingness bellow each time the step was higher then the last. Oliver quickly climbed up them to find that another large pillar laid before him.

"Power dwells deep inside you.... If you give it a form.... It will strengthen you.... Climb and climb ever higher...."

Just as the voice spoke, he did as he was told. This time running across to the edge he watched as more and more steps rose. Looking back he saw the two large pillars and what was drawn on them. The first was three white-blue circleseach one having a white star that centered them. The circles were also connected in a strange triangular patter. The second large pillar had a black colored flamed drawn again in the center of the pillar. As he reached another large pillar the voice spoke again.

"There will be times when you must fight.... Keep your light burning strong....The day you see the truth is both near and far..."

Oliver stared at the ground to see what would be inscribed on its surface. This time the pillar was a clear and reflective. Kneeling to the ground he saw his own mirror image. In it he could see the sickly amber color his skin had been turning, the dull gray that was still left in his eyes, his long messy raven colored hair, and his frail slender body. Oliver was only seventeen years old and the illness he contracted two years ago had almost robbed him of all his vitality.

"The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes.... don't forget.... Pride ruined the Angels"

"Not much longer now. How long do you think its been?"

"About an hour and forty nine minutes."

"Huh, whats the longest recorded time we have for someone before they finally wake up?"

"The longest Dive Into The Heart we have is about one hour and fifty eight minutes belonging to Hunter."

Oliver could hear the voices around him but he felt like he was in a dream like first voice he heard was definitely feminine and the voice that was responding to hers was masculine. As the conversation continued it seemed to be the same two voices that were talking but he was sure he had never heard them before. Those were two voices completely different from the voices he heard from the doctors and nurses he was use to hearing they seemed to be much younger.

"What time is it now?"

"How impatient are you? It's now one hour and fifty minutes. If his time passes two hours its obvious he won't be waking up ever again."

"Yeah, but it wouldn't surprise me after all he looked kind of dead when we picked him up from the hospital. "

This time Oliver was sure they were talking about him. The voices weren't familiar but if they were talking about him then he wouldn't have much longer like they said. He felt his body warm... he imagined himself moving but nothing was responding. All the while he could hear the two vices talking. This time the feminine voice was counting.

"One hour fifty nine minutes and twenty one seconds."

Oliver tried to move but nothing happened....

"One hour fifty nine minutes and forty five seconds."

…. he was awake....

"One hour fifty minutes and fifty nine second- Oh never mind hes awake, now."

Sitting beside him were two teenagers Oliver had never seen before, a boy and girl who looked like they were related. They looked as if they were both from the Far East, with delicate, almond-shaped eyes, glossy dark hair, both very striking people. The girl had her hair pulled back into a bun, while the boy had his hair flow to his shoulders.

The girl spoke first. "So how do you feel?" She looked Oliver up and down as if she were taking his measurements. "You know he doesn't look to healthy – if anything he looks like hes about to roll over and die any minute" She cocked her head to the side. "I don't approve him, he can't be in our team, he's not cute enough. "

Oliver shot her a confused look, compared to the both of them he were dressed in such fine clothes he was in rags. He was an orphan boy, no family, no friends, no home. He had nothing and now they were talking about some kind of nonsense that really should have nothing to do with him.

"You'll have to forgive her; she may look lovely but trust me she has no manners whatsoever." said the boy with a serious face. "We'll leave you here to change. A pair of clothes are on that spare chair over there. My name is Sora Raikou. And this is my cousin Shirley Sūn." As Sora turned to leave Shirley continued to stare at Oliver. By the time Sora noticed that Shirley wasn't following him he turned to open the door and called for her, irritated "Shirley -"

"I'm going already." Following after him in a hurry. The room was strikingly similar to a hospital, from the furniture in the room to the white walls. Oliver took the clothes laid out for him and changed quickly, he even found shoes that were left for him in his size. Right before leaving the room he caught his reflection in a full body mirror. Blinking several times he couldn't believe that the reflection staring back was actually him. As if the crippling illness he had wasn't destroying his body Oliver looked to be in perfect health; he was slender and lean, with a sienna, elegant face, all cheekbones, slate gray eyes and long raven black hair that was tied up in the back with a band.

Once he stepped through the door he saw Sora and Shirley waiting for him. The three of them, now, were dressed in a similar style. All of them wearing a formal, neat black suit.

"Actually, I take it back he is cute enough." Said Shirley, her expression now changed into a devious smile. Luckily, it seemed like Sora was just as tired and uncomfortable with all the strange flirting Shirley was having and cleared his throat to speak.

"Enough!" Sora was clearly angry, although his voice hadn't risen at all it was the look in his dark eyes that conveyed his anger. "Shirley, we have orders to bring Oliver directly to the Second Sphere." Oliver was confused by the entire ordeal. He wanted some answers but with the tension that followed Sora's words, Oliver understood that this was serious business. There were questions he wanted to ask them, mostly having to do with who they were? What was happening? And why they took the trouble to notice his existence? After all he was just a regular orphaned child from the streets of Absalom. Out of all the possible people they could have taken notice of. They chose to notice him . . . and maybe that's the reason he didn't resist when they picked him up from the street after the bright explosion of light began to engulf everything around him.