Pain.
That was the first thing Chloe felt, even before she opened her eyes.
Her head throbbed painfully, and she could feel boiling blood coursing through her veins.
Her eyes adjusted to the light above her head, which was spreading white rays of light everywhere.
Ugh. White. Why did it have to be that color? It was so cold, and so unwelcoming.
The blonde sat up, only to gasp in surprise, as a wave of dizziness rushed through her.
She held a hand to her forehead and winced, but looked at her surroundings all the same.
Everything in the tiny room she was in seemed to be made of bamboo, or had some other chinese element to it, from the sliding doors, to the bamboo-woven mat.
Where was she?
Why did everything hurt so much?
"Pain demands to be felt." A soft voice suddenly spoke.
Chloe's head snapped up, and her icy blue eyes met calm brown ones.
They belonged to an elderly man, who was sitting in a corner of the room, holding a book in one hand, and a cup of tea in the other.
He was wearing a red Hawaiian tee, and sandals, adding to his wise, elderly outlook, and giving him a humorous touch.
He looked familiar.
The man tilted his head. "It's true, isn't it?"
He returned his gaze to the book, and held it up for the blonde to see. "It's a quote in this book. Have you read it? It's called, 'The Fault in Our Stars', by John Green. I wouldn't recommend it. It's extremely depressing. Everybody dies in the end."
He shuddered suddenly, before placing the book onto a bamboo-wood table besides him, where a teapot and a seemingly- empty cup lay waiting.
"Who-"
Chloe's voice came out raspy, and speaking seemed to hurt her throat.
She held a hand to her neck, trying not to wince, and keeping her eyes on the man the whole time.
He nodded sympathetically, and stood up.
"I will answer all your questions later," He said, picking up the teapot, and pouring its contents into the teacup.
Then, placing the cup on a saucer, he walked over to Chloe.
"But first, tea."
He smiled, and handed her the saucer.
Chloe regarded him suspiciously, before hesitantly taking the saucer, and nodding her thanks.
She looked down at the tea, which was an unusual shade of pale pink.
Not stopping to think about whether the drink was poisoned or not, she sipped it, relishing in its sweet and pure taste.
Whatever it was, it was like pure magic, running down her throat, and healing its itchy, scratchy state.
Before she knew it, she had drowned the whole cup, and was looking forlornly into its remains.
The man, who had watched Chloe finish the whole cup, smiled to see her expression, and the corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement.
"Hold on, I'll refill it for you." He said, gently prying the cup from her hands.
Chloe watched him as he walked towards the teapot, and started refilling her cup again.
"Who are you?" She asked, much smoother this time.
The man looked back at her, eyebrows widening in surprise.
"You don't remember me?"
Chloe stared at him. She knew that he was familiar… but how?
Suddenly, something in her head clicked.
"Master Fang!" she exclaimed.
Of course! How could she forget? This was the man who her father had taken her to first, to ask his advice, as he was the only person in Paris who was rumored to have experience with magic.
The chinese man chuckled. "It's master Fu." He said, handing her the refilled teacup. "But close enough."
Chloe thoughtfully, took a sip of her tea.
"Did you bring me here?"
Fu nodded. "When I found you, you were passed out in an alleyway, hidden amongst some boxes. Your dress made it easy to spot you."
Chloe looked down at her clothes, having completely forgotten about them for the time being. She wasn't in her dress anymore, but rather, in a loose chinese-style shirt, with black cotton pyjama pants.
She dreaded knowing who had changed her clothes.
"Do you remember anything from yesterday?"
His voice shook her out of her thoughts.
Chloe nodded. She remembered the previous day's outcomes as if it had happened just then.
She had remembered running out of the hotel, clutching the folds of her dress, in order to not trip.
She didn't know where she was running, exactly. She had panicked when she heard the police sirens behind her.
She ran through streets and alleys to confuse them, and as soon as she was sure she had lost them, she slumped against the nearest wall, just as she fell unconscious.
She didn't regret saying what she said. Marinette had deserved it. What Chloe did regret, however, was losing control.
Trying to change the subject, she nodded towards the cup. "Is that some kind of potion?"
If Master Fu had suspected, Chloe was trying to change the topic, he didn't voice his thoughts. Instead, he smiled, and shook his head at her silly question.
"No, child." He said. "That is Kashmiri Chai, a popular kind of tea in Southern Asia. It has many benefits, so be sure to drink plenty, as you'll be needing all the luck you can get for your journey."
Chloe's eye twitched.
"What journey?"
Master Fu didn't seem fazed at her rude tone. Instead, he calmly replied, "Why, your journey to the spirit world, of course. What else?"
He shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Chloe blanched. "What spirit world? And why would I need to go there?"
Fu smiled, tiredly. "All things in good time, my child." He said, holding up his palms.
"Now, rest. I'll send you on your way tomorrow."
And with that, he left the room, leaving Chloe to ponder on the mess that was her life.
A:N:
I know, this is a pretty sucky chapter, but bear with me. I have waaay too much homework than should be allowed. I will definitely post a better chapter after a few days, and I only posted this one because I forgot I had promised y'all chapters on Saturdays.
Sooo… yeah.
I swear, I will make it up to you all.