Author's Note:

Oh yeah! Finally! It's time for the transition to begin! Dreams can be such wonderful things. They can tell of stories, of the future, the what-ifs, the past and even something completely stranger to the dreamer himself. But, what happens if you start dreaming about someone you never met? Or of an experience you've never seen?

Chapter 39: Burning.

The faint smell of ash and soot filled the air, the shadowy clouds, grey and ominous, covered the skies and clouded the moon's glow. A sharp turn of my eyes and a second later, a giant blaze spread across the scene. The heat, the flames, felt so real, I could feel my skin drying up. A look up revealed two giant rows of buildings rooted at each side, standing tall as they reached for the skies. Freaky as it was, the screams of millions echoed through the town, their voice, the tone never dying down even as minutes passed. Rubble started falling as the blaze got brighter, and the sound of cries clashed with the screams of agony.

"Huff.. Puff...Haa.. Haa..." a stranger's voice rang through my ears, tired, desperate, afraid. It was a girl's voice, and it caught my attention. My eyes looking through hers, I could feel all that she felt, see all that she saw. Her heart beat jumped so hard it felt like her chest would burst. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump.

"Crash!"

"Ahh!" Her voice unfamiliar, she cried out in surprise as a huge piece of debris fall in front of her, her reflex saving her as she jumped a step back. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Staring onto the debris, the thought of what would have happened if she had moved a step faster shook her mind, leaving her paralysed. Whether it was coincidence or not, her reflection on a piece of glass on the huge chunk of debris stared back at her.

I saw a pair of deep, amber eyes in a state of shock, disbelief. Her face was sharp, beautiful, glowing even amidst the bright, burning flames. Neat strands of hair stopped at her neck, a lush, deep, dark color shining and reflecting the light around her. She had a pink, floral pajamas on, which brought a number of questions to my mind. As shocked as she was, her hands reached for the edge of her clothes instinctively, which were black, charred and burned. An inch further from there, a sharp pain jolted my mind, and her body trembled.

Seconds later, beads of sweat started falling from her head, forcing her to snap out of whatever trance she was in. It wasn't long before she continued her steps, running, dodging and snaking her way past the falling debris and blaze of flames all around her.

Through her eyes, I saw everything. I saw people I never knew, burning in the flames, screaming and crying out as they were left trapped in the buildings. Through the glass windows, I watched as the fire ate through their skin and bones. The hellish moans were only made that much harder to ignore because of the heat from the flames around us. Truly, it felt like I was wandering through hell. In my mind, a single thought kept coming up. I never, ever want to see my city burn, not after seeing all this.

"Uh.. Ah..." The voice started crying as she moved, but no tears fell from her eyes, I couldn't feel anything wet. Was it because her body was dehydrated from the heat already? Or was it because she cried till she couldn't cried anymore?

Amongst the flames, the cries and the screams, I saw other images, images of people I never knew. I could see the times this girl spent with them, her smiles, her laughs. I saw a man and a woman, and I realized it was her parents. Even as I saw them, the questions remained. Why was I seeing all this? The flames felt so real, it was torture, and people suffering so painfully sparked off the fear in my heart. It was chaotic and stressful, like a nightmare when you've lost all control, swept by all the horrors you see in the dream.

As I saw her memories, I felt it, the waves of emotions washing over her mind. The fire roared on, burning everything around her. The screams and cries of pain sent shivers down her spine. You would think, in such a situation, how could she still move? Well, there was one other emotion that pushed away all else. Fear. Fear for her own life, the fear of getting burned into a dark, unrecognizable crisp, as well as the fear of what was happening to her parents.

Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Her booming heart-beat loud and clear, her steps brought her to the tallest building in the district. A burning flag was hung by the pole in front of it, depicting a red circle in a sea of white.

"Papa's company..." Her words came out soft, broken, as she forced her voice through her parched throat. Pushing herself, she pushed open the door with trembling hands.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it just did. Through her eyes, I saw the staff of the company lay lifeless on the floor. Some of them had their limbs torn off, the bone broken, as if they were attacked by some wild animal. Others suffered from cuts so sharp and clean, they looked physically impossible. Their blood stained the carpet on the floor, and some lie beneath the clear windows, their blood and body fluids smearing the glass. The girl made no sound, and I can't say I would've fared any better. Whereas I would've been shocked to the point where I couldn't move, the girl surprised me with her will, as she made her way to the elevator.

The silence spent waiting in the elevator was straining, difficult. Screaming, yelling and crying, all of it just stopped. And as if accustomed to the terror, the calm, quiet wait brought forth another form of torture. I could feel the feeling of paranoia increasing by the seconds, each sound, each tick freaking the girl out, leaving her knees shaking as she waited. The insides of the elevator were a blend of traditional wood with a mix of modern chrome and gold. And yet, the beauty of contraption was smeared by the puddles of blood as well as a severed arm rotting in the corner. As horrible as the smell was, the girl stood patient, cautious of what was gonna happen as soon as the door split open.

It was in that silence when I felt completely attuned to the girl. As the doors open, my personality, my thoughts, had all but dissolved with hers. It felt strange, it was like I had no control over what was happening, but everything that happened, every action the girl took, was what I wanted to do.

Suddenly, my vision was ferociously tugged to the sides as a pair of hands grabbed the girl and placed themselves over her mouth. "Huh! Ugh!" She cried out as she struggled. Dragged from her back, I couldn't see who her attackers were, and as terror filled her heart, so did terror fill mine. A round, metallic object was forced into her hands before they pushed her into a closet of some sorts.

That was when I saw it, a glowing stone of sorts in the palm of her hand. In her hand, it pulsed and resonated a warmth unlike anything I've felt before...

"Crash!"

The loud sound stole the girl's attention away from the object, and struck with curiousity, she pushed the door of the closet slightly to see what was happening. Bright, orange light assaulted my eyes, and screams could be heard. A lot of yelling, screaming as well as the sound of impact. The sight through the opening, a peek through the hole, showed me the man and woman who was this girl's parents. There was a multitude of crashes, vases smashed on the floor, the office table smashing through the window.

"Mom.. Dad.." The words came out involuntarily, but what was seen next shut her right up. A man walks into the scene, covered from my sight previously because of the door. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Her heart-beat went even faster when an axe appeared on the mysterious man's hands. Shadows blocked his face, but his weapon shone even in the darkness.

The man and the woman backed away slowly as the assailant pressed forward.

"Where is it! Where's the jewel!" He roared out, anger, annoyance and a hint of excitement in his voice. His mannerisms reminded of an animal, or a hunter, prepping for the hunt. Confusion and fear came to me, and I didn't know what to do, likewise, the girl was frozen in the spot she stood in. In horror, we watched as they were chopped down, their limbs torn off and sliced apart. It was the act of a berserker, hungry for blood, howling as the deed was done.

"Ah!-" The cry was stopped by the girl's hand covering her own mouth. Surprised as I was, it was the smart thing to do. Her survival instincts took over, and she tried to stay as quiet as she could. Still, her tears kept falling as she cried in silence.

"Huff... Hah.." The man puffed out his breath, and took another deep breath as he smelled the edge of his axe. His behavior was sick and frightening, fear inside me growing larger than I've ever felt before. "Ah well.. That was stupid... Fun, but stupid." He mumbled to himself, his words cold and merciless, without a tinge of regret. It was completely inhuman. "Guess I'll be searching for it in the rubble later." He declared, brushing off the deaths he caused like it was some kind of a sick joke. I could feel her fear as the girl as her throat swelled from her emotions.

"Hm?" A questioning tone brought the figure one step closer to the closet. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. The heart jumped faster and stronger at each step. Did he notice something? Impossible! The girl panicked, falling back on the floor, pushing herself further from the door with her legs. Stepping into the light, a horrid, monstrous eye, full of weird, ominous lines stared through the opening. It felt like it could see through the soul.

"Well, time to sink my blade once more..." He exclaimed excitedly as he licked the blood off his axe. As I saw my own death, the jewel glowed even brighter...

"Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" I burst outta bed screaming my lungs out. Looking around, I sat in my bed, in the same, plain room. Through the windows, the moonlight was shining with an eerie glow. "Huff.. Hah.." My breaths sounded off, breaking the silence of the room. Touching my hair, I realized I was drenched in sweat. It was winter, but I felt none of the cold. Just.. what was that? A dream? But I wasn't in it! Questions after questions popped into my mind. Who was the figure so enchanted with the deaths? Who was the girl who met that tragic end?

"And what.. was that jewel?" As I asked myself, I can't help but feel I've seen something like that before...

With the howling of the wind and the crashing of waves, I calmed myself down as I realized I was back in Venice. No one came, to ask me why I yelled, or ask what was wrong. And why would anyone? Kiera's with her family. I guess Johann's still staying here, but I didn't want to worry him.

Strange, as I sat there, staring at the moon through the window, I kept hoping that Kiera would pop in and ask what happened, or just lecture about why I shouldn't be yelling in the middle of the night. Hm, do I miss her this much? Looking at the calendar beside my bed, the date marked the day as the thirty-first of December.

"Tomorrow's New Years, huh?" I asked out loud to myself once more. Forcing myself back under the sheets, I find myself recalling all the key things I saw in my dream. A frightened girl, a berserker without a heart, and a jewel of power that tied the two together...

Looking at the empty ceiling one last time, I got the feeling that the coming year is gonna be a bumpy one, before dodging back to sleep.

A sneak peek at a new plot point! Just who was the girl that appeared in Amato's dream? What about the killer that smiled at the smell of death? What is Amato's connection to that particular jewel? Sit tight, the story is progressing in a way you've never seen! Think you know what it is? Tell it to me in your reviews!