Copyright © 2016 by Ali Shaheen

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Chapter 1: Chance Encounter

Standing at the bus stop, I eagerly awaited to go home, tired from a full day of university classes. It was Friday January 31st, the end of an uneventful month. The weather was a bit chilly, about 40 degrees in Boston, with a prediction of snow. Glancing up, I saw dense gray clouds, warning of the impending snow. Winter is my favorite month since it has snow, which blankets and eventually hides everything underneath the angelic white snow. I shivered slightly as a cold breeze passed by. I wasn't adequately prepared for the weather and had neglected to check the weather before coming to campus.

I was wearing a casual outfit which consisted of black jeans, worn out tennis shoes, and a t-shirt which was covered by a smoky gray sweater. There's also an old watch, an accessory piece more than anything else, fastened to my left wrist. The rather plain looking gold watch had brown leather straps, which made for a nice contrast. There was a rather curious symbol engraved into the back of the watch, one which makes no sense to me or anyone else I know. This is the one and only memento left to me from my parents, and my only ties to them. The watch itself did not work and seemed to be stuck on 2:21 for some odd reason.

Hearing a screech, I glanced to my left, seeing my usual bus pulling up to the stop sign exactly at 8 pm. The blue and white bus, clearly a bit worn out from braving harsh weather for years, let out one final screech as it came to a stop in front of me. Shivering a bit more, I waited for the door to open and then slowly climbed up the steps. I was greeted with warmth as I gave a courteous nod to Mason. Mason was the friendly older gentleman who had operated the bus for as long as I can remember, and everyone loved him as they would love their own family. He had a full head of gray hair, and always wore a full suit. Today, he was sporting a black suit.
"Good evening, Mason," I said as I reached forward and put coins into the machine which collected the bus fare.

"Good evening to you too. You really should get a new jacket for cold nights like today," Mason said to me, giving a slightly disapproving look at my choice of outfit.

I let out a slight groan, merely nodding since Mason was correct. I scanned the bus, spotting a free seat towards the end. I slowly made my way towards the back of the bus and sat down, setting my backpack next to me. The bus's metal door clanked shut, and we began to move. I sat with my right shoulder pressed up against the window, glancing outside. Moments later, I fell asleep, exhausted from the long day.

I woke up to a loud sound, which seemed like a bang. The bus was braking hard, causing my head to hit the seat in front of me.

"Son of a..," I mumbled, catching myself. I used to curse a lot, but had slowly began to outgrow it. Well, at least for a while.

Thankfully, the seats were composed of soft cloth material, which cushioned my head. I blinked a few times, still a bit drowsy. Mason had turned the bus off, which cut off the heat. I looked out of the window, and saw the silhouette of a woman. I didn't get a good look and the sounds in the bus distracted me, returning my focus to where I was. Around me, I heard the other passengers using colorful language. I edged towards the center aisle, getting a better view of those who were talking.

"What the hell, man?!" yelled an irate middle aged man, dressed in a navy-blue business suit. The suit's coat had a fresh large coffee stain, no doubt caused when the bus had to brake hard.

"Calm down, everything is fine," said Mason in a hard tone.

Other passengers were mumbling and muttering amongst themselves, of which I could hear bits.
"Can't believe it, yet another one," said an elderly woman who was shaking her head.

"What was that, the fifth one this week?" asked a young woman near me who was wearing pink nursing gear.

"Who cares, good riddance to that damn trash," replied the business man who was still visibly pissed off over his ruined suit.

"What's going on?" I asked the nurse.

"It's another accident in front of us, driver drove their car head on into a truck coming from the opposite way," she replied, pointing out of her window.

I looked out through her window, seeing what remained of a car. The car was completely smashed in from the front to the back, looking as if something had propelled the car towards the truck with immense force.

"That's what he gets for driving like a moron," snickered the business man.

I was unsure of the business man's name, but in my mind his name was Douchebag since he delighted in another's misery.

"I think I'm going to be sick from seeing blood" said a woman sitting near the front.

Curious, I looked closer at the car, noticing that the cracked windows of the car contained red specks of blood. I shifted back to my seat, feeling a bit queasy myself. I leaned back against my seat and remembered that the news mentioned that there has been an increase in "freak incidents" lately. These incidents, which had increased a lot in the past few weeks, were not limited to just car crashes. There were numerous missing individuals, each who had gone missing during night time. To make matters even worse, dead bodies had also gone missing from morgues. I hoped that this was truly a random accident, and not something more sinister going on.

"Alright, please be seated," said Mason as he cranked up the bus.

"We will be moving now."

The bus began moving past the awful accident site, which was now surrounded by multiple cop cars and an ambulance. The bus made frequent stops, and my stop was the very last one. I stood up as the bus came to a halt in front of the apartment complex I resided in, slinging my backpack onto my right shoulder. I walked up the center aisle, pausing by Mason's driver's seat.

"Have a good one, Mason," I said.

"Don't party too hard, Al," said Mason with light smile.

Al, the one and only nickname I had. This nickname was given to me by Mason about 3 years ago, when I first entered university and began taking this bus. The nickname formed a personal connection between us and I looked up to Mason as if he was my own father.

"You know I am not into partying like that Mason," I said with a chuckle.

"Oh? But isn't your birthday tomorrow?" asked Mason.

Ah, February 1st, my birthday. For as long as I could remember, I hadn't really cared much for my birthday. This is probably because I never had a chance to experience what a true birthday celebration with parents felt like. Since my parents had passed away when I was 6 years old, I had grown up in a shelter for children. I also have a sister, Serein Liston, who is 2 years younger than me, but I haven't seen her since I was 18.

"Yes, it is tomorrow Mason," I replied, nodding.

"I've a little present for you," said Mason as he reached into his tailored suit coat pocket and pulled out a small pouch. He loosened the drawstrings and reached inside with his hand. He pulled out a thin chain, which had a ring hanging from it.

"Take it," said Mason as I looked at him stupidly.

"I can't possibly accept this, Mason. It looks expensive and it seems to be important to you," I say, shaking my head. To me, it seemed to be something like a family heirloom, one that must have been passed down several generations. I couldn't possibly accept such a thing.

"I insist, think of it as a protection charm and wear it," Mason instructed with an assertive tone as he placed the chain into my right palm. Nodding, I simply pulled the chain up to head and placed it around my neck, the silver ring dangling in the center. Surprisingly enough, the chain did not feel cold once it was set again my skin.

"Thank you, Mason. You've always treated me as your own child and you're like a father to me," I confessed, a bit embarrassed.

"Are you trying to call me old, son?" Mason asked in a joking manner as he laughed loudly.

I shook my head, patting his right shoulder. Mason winced slightly, his brows furrowed. I immediately pulled my hand back.

"Sorry, Mason. I didn't realize your shoulder was injured," I apologized.

"Don't worry about it, Al. It's just an old scar from a while back," replied Mason.

"A scar?" I asked, since this was the first I had heard of it.

"Yes, but it was from years ago, and it's not something I'm fond of speaking about," he replied.

"Alright, sorry for asking. Thank you for the gift, Mason," I said as I turned to face the bus door, walking down the steps.

"Hey, Al? Try to be careful and don't wonder around at night, with all that's been going on around here recently," said Mason, with concern on his face.

I turned and nodded at him before disembarking from the bus. As my feet touched the torn sidewalk, I heard the bus door clang shut before the bus drove away into the night. I looked up at the gloomy, old apartment building which stood before me. My apartment was located on the top floor of the 10-story building. There was an elevator, but it rarely worked and seemed like it could break any day now. I went straight for the stairs, not wanting to try the elevator. I've always prided myself on my stamina, built up from years of running. The gray steps on the stairs had some cracks, which were filled with cheap plaster. I took two steps at a time, and opened the door to the 10th floor. The poorly lit hallway contained only a handful of apartment units, with my apartment being at the far end of the hall. I pulled out my keys and unlocked the door, pushing it open. It creaked slightly as I stepped in and shut the door behind me and locked it. I placed my keys on the key holder on the wall.

The apartment consisted of a room that served as both a bedroom and living room, and another small space which was the kitchen. The kitchen was fairly empty, with mostly disposable plates and cups instead of real silverware. There was no need for silverware since I lived alone. I tossed my backpack and phone onto my bed before walking to the kitchen. I was feeling hungry and my stomach rumbled a bit as I thought about food. I opened the small cabinet where I stored my instant ramen, disappointed to find it completely empty now.
"Just my luck, I still haven't had a chance to buy groceries this week," I muttered as I checked the fridge as well, only finding half a loaf of bread and some butter. I closed the fridge and checked my wallet, which contained only had a $5 bill. Not quite enough for ordering a pizza.

I checked the time, it was only 9:30 pm, not too late. I walked towards the door, picking up my keys along the way. Money was tight for me, and the only solution was to walk a couple of blocks away to the convenience store. I shut the door behind me, locking it before proceeding to go back downstairs and onto the sidewalk. Glancing up, I saw some snowflakes beginning to fall.

"Crap, I better hurry before this becomes a storm" I thought to myself as I walked quickly towards the store. Within 10 minutes I entered the small neighborhood convenience store and waved to old man Lyrad, the owner and sole operator of the store. I headed towards the center aisle in the store, which contained the ramen noodles I always bought. I grabbed a handful of the small ramen bowls, and went to the counter, placing them near the register. I rang the tiny bell at the register and waited. Within moments, Lyrad came out from the back.

"How are ya, Albac?" asked Lyrad.

"Hungry," I replied, as my stomach rumbled lightly.

"Bet ya are," chuckled Lyrad as he scanned the items.
"Total will be $3.50."

I handed him the $5-dollar bill and collected my change. He put the small bowls into a bag and threw in a chocolate bar as well.

"It's on the house since you always stop by," said Lyrad before I could protest. I thanked him and left the store. Once outside, I saw that the weather had gotten a bit worse, which snow falling relatively heavily now. I opened the chocolate bar and ate it, savoring the creamy texture. I tossed the wrapper into a nearby trash bin, my stomach no longer rumbling as I headed home.

There was an eerie silence as I walked, and I hadn't seen any car or person for a while. The street lights were dim and spaced far apart since the city was too cheap to replace them and add more. Up ahead of me, I saw what looked like a person who was standing near a street light. As I got closer, I saw that this individual was fully covered with a black cloak. I slowed down and stopped underneath the street light, a bit wary. I saw that this person, or thing, had now turned their gaze upon me. They reminded me of mannequins with how stiff they seemed. It dawned on me that this person could be related to the recent occurrences of people going missing.

By now, my sweater and jeans were wet from the snow. I was cold and stood there unsure of what to do. The person, who I now identified as a man, used his left hand to pull apart his cloak, revealing a wobbly looking bronze handle. With his right hand, he grasped the handle, pulling out a sword from the scabbard on his left side. The sword had a dull glow from the light, rust covering parts of it. There was a thick chain fastened onto the bottom of the sword's handle, dangling onto the floor. I took a step back, confused and alarmed. He raised his sword, pointing it to the sky. It seemed as if this guy was delusional, heavy into cosplay, or maybe both.

"Symphora Meiote," said the man, words which made no sense to me. From his sword, there emitted a purple aura, which quickly expanded to engulf the area surrounding him and I.

"Are you Albac Liston?" asked the man as he began to move towards me.

My hand slid into my pocket, reaching for my phone.

"Shit."

I had left my phone back at my apartment since I was in a hurry.

He dragged his sword on the sidewalk, leaving a trail of marks. He swung his sword through the middle of a street light, cutting it cleanly in half, the light collapsing onto the ground. Rust or not, the sword was real. By now, adrenaline had started pumping through my system. I turned the other way and began to run away, hearing feet pounding on the sidewalk behind me as the guy also ran behind me. I looked back, and saw that both of his hands were now holding the sword which now faced me. I turned left at the corner, the gap between us closing quickly. I bolted down the sidewalk before I darted into a small alleyway. I stopped as I reached a brick wall which was about 10 meters high. A dead end.

I turned to look at the entrance of the alleyway, hoping that the raging lunatic didn't see that I had ducked into the alleyway. The sound of footsteps got louder until the guy reached the alleyway. To my horror, he peered in and noticed me, heading my way. The chain clanged against the uneven ground, as the guy made his way towards me. Looking around, I couldn't see any way to escape. The guy showed no signs of heavy breathing and on closer look he had two redlines running down the sides of his head.

"What do you want?" I asked him. He had a blank look on his face, probably high or drunk I thought.

He responded with a slash towards me as I ducked underneath his arms, racing towards the entrance of the alleyway. The sword had made contact with my left shoulder, tearing into the sweater and flesh, leaving a gash. Warm blood began to flow down my arm. I kept running, ignoring the pain, close to exiting the alleyway now. Suddenly, I felt something quickly wrapping around my right ankle, causing me to fall onto the hard ground. Laying on the ground, I looked down and saw the chain which extended from his sword. The chain seemed to be moving on its own. It was wrapped around my leg and wouldn't budge.

"Accept your fate and die for my master, the necromancer," said the guy as he walked towards me.

"Necromancer? I don't know anybody like that you psycho," I said, thoroughly confused and angry.

"A person who is about to die doesn't need to know," he replied.

As far as I could tell, I had never given anyone a reason to hate me, let alone kill me. I felt a warm sensation against my chest, which became increasingly hot. The ring I'd received from Mason became illuminated and released a blinding light, which was accompanied by a strange ringing in my ears. The guy froze in his tracks and the chain around my ankle become loose and fell off.

Time seemed to stand still, and I had a better look at the guy. His face showed some signs of decay, and he had small bleak red eyes. He looked anything but human. I took this chance to scramble onto my feet and ran out of the alleyway. By now, the snow had completely stopped. The ring no longer released any light, but was burning hot against my clothing neck. Unfortunately, I didn't have long to rest as the guy was no longer subdued. Exhausted from running and the blood loss, I glanced at the alleyway from a distance, seeing him emerge from it.
"Stand back if you don't want the puppet to kill you," commanded the voice of a woman who I couldn't see.

"Another small fry. You there," said the woman, walking into the streetlight as she pointed at me.

"Don't come close unless you want to die," She warned.

I looked at the source of the voice, a strikingly beautiful young woman. She had a slender, rather delicate looking frame. Her milky white skin complimented her flowing silver hair, which ran slightly past her shoulders. Her light blue eyes, filled with confidence, mesmerized me, leaving me momentarily lost in her eyes. She had a well-crafted oval face, perfected by angels. My eyes slowly trailed down her form, noticing that she was wearing a small, light blue dress which matched her pretty eyes. She had an ample bosom and narrow waist, with slight curves in the perfect areas. She was simply perfect, a person who couldn't be real.

The sound of the chain brought be back to reality as the guy walked towards me.

"Not so fast," said the woman as she stepped in front of me. Standing this close, I could see that she was slightly shorter than me and had a sweet fragrance coming from her, drawing me in. In her hands, she held a polished sword which had a silver handle.

By this point I refused to believe my current situation. Surely, I'm imagining all this! I pinched myself hard, hoping to wake up from this nightmare. Instead I felt the pain from the pinch, assuring me that I was awake.

"Wyntiera dichmond," said the woman, more words which made no sense to me. As she said those words, the air suddenly became frigid and her sword slowly became covered with a layer of ice. It became harder for me to breath and move and I stood still.

"Weak. Maybe you do deserve to die," said the woman as she smirked at me.

Die? I was too young to die, and I hadn't even accomplished anything yet.

"I have nothing to do with you damned freaks," I said.

"Freaks?" her tone became icy cold as she turned to face me, kneeing me in the stomach. I buckled from the pain, astonished at her strength as I staggered backwards.

"You're lucky that my goal is to make sure you're safe" she said with a sigh, pointing her sword at the guy.

"Wyntiera taijaod" she said, icicles now forming near her sword which floated in the air.

She pointed her sword towards the guy, after which the icicles shot towards him and pierced through his body as he fell back, an icicle impaling him into the wall. She walked towards him, piercing his heard with her sword. The guy yelled in agony, his body breaking down and turning into dust.

"Your time will come, and you will be a part of his collection as well," he said to the woman with a sneer before completely disappearing, his surrounding purple aura vanishing as well.

"We will see about that," she said, her sword disappearing as the air returned to normal.

By now, I had lost a significant amount of blood and could no longer keep my eyes opened. I collapsed as I faced the backlash of the adrenaline rush, falling into a deep slumber.