It came out of nowhere, the monster, the terrible black dragon upon which rode the Knight of Hanoi. There was no time to flee, only enough time to raise her arms around her face in a futile defense, then scream as it rained down fire from above. She felt the agonizing heat against her like a thousand needles covering her body, then in an instant her form was obliterated.

The women woke from her fitful dream, a cold sweat slowly trickling down her face. It had been weeks since the attack by the Knights of Hanoi. She thought she'd be over this by now. And yet…and yet…she couldn't remove that terrifying vision from her head. That vision of being hunted, no, of being destroyed like an afterthought, just one of many to face the dragon's wrath. Even though it had only been her virtual reality form that was destroyed…she couldn't disentangle herself from the memory of that time. Any moment it felt like that dragon might break through the wall of her apartment and burn her to death once again.

Quivering, she came out of her bed and got to her feet. She walked over to her window and pulled up the blinds, though she knew what she'd see. It was still night time. It would be hours before the sun rose. She sighed. It was something she would just have to endure.