My eyes fluttered open and I found myself lying in snow. I sat up and rubbed my head. My clothes had been removed and replaced with bandaged to cover my chest and other private areas. It was then that the cold hit me and I started to shiver. It appeared like I was just left here to suffer. I stood up and tried to walk but it seemed hard to. I felt weight coming from behind me and grabbed whatever was behind me by twisting my arm back. "Hair…?" My hair was a lot longer now, ending around my knees. Whatever was going on, I had to find out. What happened to that horrid city I hated so much? What happened to school? Andrew? What about Black?

Soon I heard someone shout, "Nyx! Where do you think you're going?!" I spun around and saw a boy around my age running towards me at a ridiculous speed. I braced myself as he crashed into me, pinning my hands above my head.

"What are you doing?!" I shouted at him.

He started examining my body and ignored me. "How long ago did you wake up?" His voice wasn't gentle or worried, it was demanding and cold.

"Let go of me! Who do you think you are putting your hands on me like this?!" Once again, he ignored me and continued searching my body.

He parted the bandages at my side and that's when I noticed it. I had a huge gash going diagonally across my stomach to the middle of my side. What was going on? That wasn't there before! Just when I felt like I couldn't take it anymore, another person called out.

"Is that really any way to treat a young lady?" It was an older man. He looked aged but remained hit and healthy.

The boy turned, releasing my hands but still remaining above me, "We need to check her body. There's no way we can take her to him if she has even the slightest cut, which she does and it's not pretty."

The man nodded as he proceeded towards me. After helping me up, he looked over at the boy, "While I agree that it is essential to examine her for injuries, I don't think he would approve of attacking her that like." He took a deep breath and turned towards me, "Neither would the Queen. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. The Prince was supposed to be the one to guard you along with his troops but this was all unplanned. My name is Hiroshi and this rude boy is Lon."

Lon glared at him. "I'm only doing my job! The Prince couldn't get any of his troops out on time but me! So excuse me if I want to get things done right!"

Hiroshi just smiled. "I know you were awakened earlier than expected. Are you alright now?" He was looking at me.

"Awaken?" I must have looked terribly lost to him because he frowned and took another deep breath. "You haven't the slightest clue to who you are. Do you?"

I opened my mouth to speak, still puzzled but Lon started freaking out. "Queen Celeste! We're dead now!" He continued rambling for a good five minutes while Hiroshi tried to explain to me.

"Millions of years ago, there was a Goddess who watched over a small nation. They would seek her out for guidance but when they started to argue among each other, they split up. It was then that six different countries formed, all ruled by different beliefs: One which the wealthy ruled, another by the military, the religious and spiritual one who followed a Queen, leaders selected on individual ability, a dominant clan, and the corrupted one ruled by threat of punishment and violence. Do you understand so far?"

I nodded, "Is it safe to guess you are from the religious one? Since you spoke of a Prince and Queen…"

He nodded back. "It isn't as you'd think though. We've always had the same Queen and never once has she abused her powers."

I looked at him like he was crazy. "Then wouldn't she be over a million years old?" Nothing these two were saying made any sense. What happened to MY world?

"She is indeed. Let me explain, about the war. The Goddess was called Celeste. She could do nothing but watch as her people killed each other brutally. The religious and spiritual people refused to leave her side. They made her their Queen and did as she told. She forbid to send them to war until they were attacked, killing nearly the whole country. It was then that she decided to isolate them from the others, fearing the last of her followers would get caught up in the war once again. She sealed off the entire country and surrounded it by what you see now. Further up ahead, near the village is nothing but a snow storm to keep out unwanted guests." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He wasn't joking!

"The ruler of the corrupted threatened to take over every country. His name was Ravana, a hideous giant with ten heads and black demonic skin. His hate would pass down to his people and because of that, the Queen decided to plan ahead in case she wasn't around. She chose four families to help protect the village. The fourth and third family brought up their children to protect the other two. The second would go to the Queen's temple every ten years and send forward every young boy to test who was worthy to defend the country if Ravana's hate should surface again. The first did the same as the second but sent forward their young girls instead."

Lon finally sat down and started to empty his bag which held food and small weapons. "The Prince's troops are from both the fourth and third. Lon is from the third." Now that I've calmed down a little, I noticed Lon looks like Andrew. He has the same short brown hair and yellow eyes. I looked back at Hiroshi when I heard him continue.

"The Prince is from the second. He was chosen by the Queen to protect this land. Once he grows old and is incapable of protecting it, the second family will once again start sending forward more boys to take his place." I nodded. It was a lot to take in. "So then… What happened after Ravana threaten to take over?" I don't know why I actually believed this garbage but it was interesting. "The Queen set out to the battle field with the third and fourth families along with the chosen boy and girl. Ravana saw this as his chance to conquer the land. He injured the Queen terribly but in the end, she was able to end his life. The Queen's injuries forced her to give up her physical body. She's a spirit now who remains in the temple."

I looked down trying to process everything. He never told me who he believed I was but when I lifted my head again, he sat there smiling at me. "You're about to ask me who you are, aren't you? You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Both of them stood up and Lon spoke up this time, "We'll tell you while we walk. We've been here too long and it's no longer safe…" He wasn't making eye contact with me. What did I ever do to him? During our walk towards what I believed was the village, Lon started to explain who I supposedly was.

"The Princess who was chosen by Queen Celeste ten years ago was just seven years old when war broke out once again. The previous Prince and Princess tried to gain control of the war and protect the village but were unable to. During the attack on the village, the young Princess was kidnapped. The people tried to hide the young Prince so he wouldn't fall into the hands of Ravana's hate as well. A young boy who had grown up with the Princess snuck away to tell the young Prince of what happened. They both set out and entered the enemy's village. They were able to free the Princess but they also found out that during Ravana's time, he made a similar ritual to find the next worthy of carrying his hate and fuel the never ending war."

Hiroshi looked at him sympathetically as he continued, "The young Princess had been injured badly and because she was so young, it was already decided that she would not make it. The young Prince threw a fit and Queen Celeste offered an alternative solution. If the villagers would risk going without a Princess for a few years, Queen Celeste would put her in the temple and seal her off from the world, freezing her in time as her body healed."

That's when he finally looked at me, "She would wake up when she was fully recovered… but as always, something went wrong. Ten years later, after she had been put to sleep, the village was attacked once again. A few were killed but only because the enemy was looking for the Princess once again. They stole the onyx crystal she was sealed in and broke it open once they were in their territory."

Now Lon had fully stopped walking and stood staring at me, "The Prince, now grown, was unprepared and could not assemble his troops in time. He sent me out to retrieve her once again."

I stared at him, "Once again? Were you the boy that grew up with her?"

He watched me for a moment, "I was. The only difference this time is that the Prince cannot just leave the village since he is the one protecting it. That is why I was sent out. That is what I am doing at this moment. That is why I will not leave your side, Princess."