Fate into Shadows

Chapter 1

Foretold

"It was foretold that a saviour would rise to the world of man, reborn to protect the world from the new rise of legend since made myth. The world had changed with new eras of man, and with that the magic slowly faded away into the shadows.

"The monsters of the world hide themselves from the growing plague they saw the humans to be. Humanity spread out through the world and massed in numbers far superior to the world of myth. Magic and might came to a passé where their paths split, and the mystical was shield away from the mortal world, hidden, lost from the Earth.

"Mighty empires that flourished because of mighty power of the spirit and mysticism fell as the humans took the world for themselves, once slaves to the myths, they were freed by fair men and women when The Saviour rose up and said 'enough', and led an army beyond to freedom.

"Atlantis was the first to fall followed by Babylon, Shangri-La, Hekate, Helheim, Olympus, and Alfheim to say the least, as those who ruled realised that without humans, they were useless. They had grown complacent and ignorant, arrogant in their power over humanity. They didn't know how to take care of themselves, and they tried to fight the mortals, the humans, but the Saviour had gained the loyalty, love and respect of others like her who had grown to pity the humans, some immortals even felt envious of their mortality, and wanted to see what humanity would make of the Earth, by giving them a chance. Some would no doubt follow the path of their once masters, and others would do better.

"Therefore, the humans were defended from the mysticism by mysticism, and they fought a tiresome battle, and barely won, pushing the monsters back into the shadows, and The Saviour and her generals disappeared into rumour and legend while the world forgot they existed, and the magic was lost to myth and fairy tales.

"The world moved on and everything that was once marvellous and magical in the world faded away, hiding from the humans, waiting, waiting for a time where they could rule anew. But the world had started changing faster than they would have ever thought. The mortals built and grew, creating things of science that could rival magic's might, but that was a two way street as they could use those inventions too, but still the humans were far greater in numbers, so they stalked the night, and made it their own.

"However, it was foretold that the old world would rise again to fell the new and bring it to its knees, and the Saviour would be reborn, to wake anew with a new life and new heart. The Saviour would rise to the defence of the mortal world and the light of day. The Saviour would fight in the dark, as a killer once more, to protect the humans and defend their freedom from the realms of shadows.

"It was foretold.

"The world of man could fall, unless a new Saving Hope stands to fight, as once more a saviour is born as a guardian, The Saviour of human kind. In this world the darkness waits, hunting in the darkest night, waiting for this time to fight. Darkness will spill unto the light of day. The Saviour will stand in their way... a beacon of hope in this world today."

I woke with a start, sweat drenching my hair and face. I sat up fast, feeling sick as I had those dreams again. I hadn't long turned thirteen, and stupid dreams were not supposed to be so – odd. I had figured that they would stop. I never enjoyed horror movies, so I never watched them, so I couldn't understand where all of these images came from.

In the dream we were one and the same, and always at the end I heard that voice. It was soft and young, so full of loneliness, but tinted with hope. It was her voice. Her name was Saya, and she was in my dream. I was her in my dream. When I was her I did things that made me feel sick at first, but after that I couldn't feel bad. I didn't understand. The first few days had made me vomit, but then, nothing. It was like I just didn't care anymore, and that was rather worrying, but being less squeamish was probably a good thing, so, silver linings and all that optimistic crap.

It had started about four weeks back. I started having the dreams. They were indistinct and distant at first, but I could still see the blood. In my dreams I killed humans and monsters – or things that looked human, but weren't, and most of those that were human seemed to have some freaky powers like from a book or TV show or something. I was powerful, and fast in my dreams. I could fight, and I could feel it. I hid my emotions. I fought and killed because I had to, to protect people. The people looked up to me for protection.

I was their saviour, but yet I didn't fully understand why. I didn't want to be a killer, even in my dreams. I was better than that. I felt like I was going crazy – especially remembering the heartache of loss, and the love I felt towards humanities potential. I had never spoken another language in my life – well I took Spanish at school, but other than that, nothing. Though, I had heard people speaking other languages, and though dialects and words were slightly different I understood them.

It was scary, as I had tested this, and though I didn't know many languages, I was suddenly fluent in a very old dialect of Spanish. I knew Latin and an Ancient form of Egyptian, Russian, Canonise, Mandarin, Korean, and Japanese. I couldn't be certain because it was freaking me out and I gave up my research there, but maybe I knew more.

My life had turned upside down when I was in Spanish class. I was trying to pretend that I couldn't understand the teacher as none of the other students could, as she tried to get us to converse with her. She started calling my name as I had zoned out, and I answered in Spanish. She then went and reprimanded me in Spanish, and I answered back in the language. It took me a while to realise that the other students were staring at me strangely, and the teacher was beaming with pride because I wasn't speaking English, which was how I discovered my dialect was wrong, but close enough.

I never had any friends at school. My mother said I had an old soul, and the other kids couldn't relate to that. I wasn't picked on or anything like that, so I wasn't too sad. Though, it would have been nice to have some boys or even girls trying to get me out on a date or something, but I could deal with the loneliness. I figured that once I was older I could make friends.

Anyway, my Spanish teacher thought I was a language prodigy, but I guess she was nice, pretty too, so I couldn't mind the extra time she asked from me, especially when I started ranting in Latin once when I was talking with her after I had stood up for a Gothic loner boy as he was being bullied and he and the other boys turned on me for 'interfering', but I was only trying to be nice.

My teacher knew some Latin from her time at University in England, and couldn't believe one of her students could actually rant in it, as if it was her first language. It was embarrassing as my Spanish teacher squished my face into her large bust as she hugged me in happiness.

Then other than the linguistic talent I've started improving in gym class. I used to be a complete klutz. Now, the dodgeball was thrown to me while I'm not paying attention, too busy fretting over getting hit, and I catch it without looking and break a boys nose with the ball when I automatically throw it. I still feel a little guilty about that, but he tried hurting me first, but it was lucky I never got into trouble.

He likely deserved it anyway. He was one of those jocks who seemed to get away with everything because he was good at football. I still don't get why they called a game where you mostly carried the ball, football, when it kind of looked like that game called rugby I saw in a hilarious British comedy a while back, only with pads and helmets, and the British called soccer, football, which made more sense, but funnily the word soccer that the US used was actually invented by the Brits. Though, why sports were such a big deal, I had no idea, as it never made sense. I would have thought schools would praise music over sports, as I'm certain musicians could become much more famous than sportsmen, and it was always football or baseball, which weren't even the most popular sports on the planet, but I could be biased, as I wasn't much of a sports person, but I loved music. I could listen to songs like Partners in Crime, Obstacles, or Polaris over and over.

I sighed as I shook my head clear, and tried not to think about it. I pulled my covers back on my bed and grimaced as the cold sweat of the night's dream made me shiver as my PJ's were soaked through. I would have to change my sheets again as they stank, and I felt tired of my dreams, and what was worst was I was starting to believe in monsters, and that was making me slightly paranoid.

In my dreams I could do incredible things, and there were monsters, so when I realised that I was showing signs of Saya's talents it made me wonder. I tried to shake off the feeling of dread, but I never could. I only really understood that Saya was some kind of saviour for the humans, or normal people to be free from oppression and servitude to and from magical people.

It was faint and not completely clear, but I could hear the prophecy mulling around inside my head and it made me shiver with fear and feel increasing nausea. If that fortune was real, then that would mean terrible things would happen in the future. But worse than that it would mean I would be fighting the terrible things as I did in the past.

I paused there, shivering as I referred to Saya as me, but we were completely different people, in personality and nationality. She was an ancient Japanese ninja, and I was just an ordinary white American high school girl.

So, okay, I kind of think I might have some hidden talent, but I didn't have the strength she had to punch a hole through rock. But then she had practiced and trained for years to do the things she did, and died too young. I didn't want to die young like that. I wanted to experience life first. I wanted to fall in love, and maybe have a family of some kind too.

I shook my head a few times and sighed before standing up. I groaned as that annoying bird from the tree outside my window was chirping again, and it went straight through my head. I had to keep the window open as living in Phoenix, Arizona, it was so hot, even with the fan on my desk trying to keep me cool since there was only one air conditioning unit in the lounge, as me and mum didn't have a fortune, though we had some more income now mom had Phil.

Phil was an okay guy, and he made mum happy so I was okay with him living with us, but he was just a 'little' league baseball player. I never did get that sport either. It was just as time-consuming and boring as cricket and golf. I suppose they were likely more fun to play than watch, or it could have been just my tastes, which since my dreams had gotten violent.

I never used to like violent action movies, or kung fu movies, but I found them ideal stress relievers after a hard day at school. I liked school, because I was good at it, but it could be stressful when you realised something freakish was happening, and though it may have had something to do with puberty, this was far more than that simple.

Looking into the mirror on my wall, I looked pale. Though, I always looked pale, that morning I was clammy too, but I looked better than the day before. I had long brunette hair crinkling naturally at the ends, and deep brown eyes. I supposed I was pretty in that unusual way that was slightly different from the stereotypical good looks of superstars and whoever.

I wasn't too tall, and I wasn't very large in the chest, as I hadn't long since started growing in that area, but I was fine with my body. It had a light definition of muscle from where I had been working out because of my growing paranoia about monsters. I had figured I should at least try to see what I could possibly do, and it was always better to be safe than sorry.

Therefore, I became a regular at the gym, and I still couldn't believe how fast I was improving, getting faster, and faster, and much stronger. I had started some martial arts classes, and though not always the strongest it was instinct. I knew techniques that wowed my teachers as they had never seen such moves outside of Chinese circuses, and never used in a fight.

I didn't know whether that was a good thing or not, but it was amazing to me, let alone anyone else. So I started studying to fight alone. It was less restraint and I didn't have to worry about kicking some innocent boys' teeth down his throat accidently.

I'll admit that I'm impressed with myself. I moved naturally as if I was born to move with grace. And I only improved, getting better as I trained my body to remember the movements.

The dreams carried on, showing me a past that was lost to fairy tales. They weren't as detailed as they could have been, but I knew who I used to be, but yet I'm new, I'm me. Then I was fifteen when the dreams stopped, and I surprisingly missed them.

I had trained so hard that I was practically a ghost; even cameras couldn't keep up with me. I had to learn to adapt myself to a new world separate from the past. I had filled out nicely in some areas as I wore my blue hipsters to school that morning with white tee shirt pulled tight to my body and white running shoes. I never did like dressing up much, even as Saya.

My hair was tied back with a white band with my hair clipped out of my eyes as I stood up at the end of Spanish class. It was lunch time, but I always packed a lunch, and so did Miss. Kerrey. So I sometimes ate with her in her class. She was Hispanic with beautiful tan skin and a large firm chest. She liked to wear flowing summer dresses and sandals. Her dress that day was a light blue, and she patted the seat next to her with a smile as she was at her desk.

I sat with her as we pulled out our lunch boxes and began our meals. "Isabella Swan!" the woman said to me with a proud smile. "It has been a great honour to be your teacher," she said with a smile that surprisingly looked distant as her dark eyes flicked to the door before she brushed her fingers back through her dark hair and placed down her half eaten sandwich, which surprised me as she normally had a healthy appetite, which I always marvelled at as yes, she had nice curves, but her figure was still slender.

"I do not have much time, my friend," she said, her accent was thicker than normal and I caught the hitch in her throat. I placed down my own sandwich concerned for her. "They're coming, and I knew they would. You are no longer safe My Saviour!" she said shocking me and I'm sure I paled as she reached over and took my hands to hold me. "My ancestors came from... the Aztec people and joined with the Saviour many years ago, and like many knew that it was foretold that she would be reborn anew. My ancestor was a man who despised the way his people would sacrifice humans and then display their bones as trophies.

"He heard of the Saviour; the one who stood up for the mortals, and led them in rebellion. He joined her noble quest, and led his own revolt that joined with hers. He swore a blood oaf to the Saviour, and I honour that oaf as my ancestors have to this very day. I had sought you out, but I never could find the child of legacy, but then when you started improving, and suddenly knew languages, some in ancient dialects, then I knew it was you.

"So I made friends with you. I saw you were lonely and I fell in love with you. You are great company, and I couldn't ask for a kinder friend, and I will protect you no matter that I doubt I can win. I have doubted the prophecy for so long I had lacked in my training, please forgive this humble servant, Master!"

I honestly didn't know what to say to that before I let my instinct take over as I stood and flung myself into her arms, hugging her tight, she didn't hesitate to close her loving arms around me. It was nice, like a big sister if I ever had one. I knew I had loved her. She was such a nice person. I couldn't keep from loving her, and I feared the feeling of lose if she was gone.

"B-but... I won't let anyone hurt you!" I declared, shivering in her arms when she suddenly let go and pushed me back. I fell to the ground as the table shattered.

I looked up, as Miss. Kerrey was out of her seat dodging swipes of a ninjato sword. I was routed to the spot as the masked man all in black tried to kill her. It was amazing how fast they moved, and I couldn't move. I just knew that he wasn't one of the monsters, not in the boogie man sense anyway, but he was an enemy of humanity, and that made him my enemy, but I couldn't move. I was terrified as I watched the battle, windows shattering, desks sliced in two.

My eyes were leaking tears as I saw that she was too slow and then, swish. Her head came free from her body with a blank look of acceptance. Her head rolled with blood as her body crashed to the ground. Her head landed in front of me, looking at me, and for a moment before everything was gone from her I saw love, devotion, and pride, then her body faded away with her head, into nothingness.

"Just a filthy Fade," the man said in amusement. "A pathetic half-breed… well, quarter Fade at least… demi-demon filth! I did all Fade a favour getting rid of that thing," he said, rather pleased with himself. "Now for our dear Saviour!" he added, turning to me, as he swung his sword to take my head, and stopped, not through lack of trying as my body moved, catching his hand in my left as I slid under his swing, stopping it as my right fist shattered his wrist.

He screamed as his sword dropped to the floor with a clutter. I could feel my own strength, like an ocean of horrors waiting to be unleashed. I could see the man's dark eyes through his mask. He was terrified of me in that moment, as I let the damn burst. I was a blank slate of nothing but content, and my right palm twisted upside down and struck his chest. He spat up blood, eyes widening as the hit struck like thunder with a boom, and he shattered through the wall into the hall beyond. You could potentially live forever, but even an immortal could die, and yet, this one was no immortal; he was nothing but a pretender, filthy fodder tricked into believing he was something special, probably born into a house of pretenders.

The man was a crumpled mess of blood, unable to move as I stepped out through the large dusty hole and looked down at him. I crouched down and grabbed him by his throat, pulling him up to face me. His mask fell from his face. He was just a pimple faced teenage boy. However, I couldn't feel pity as he looked to me in fear. He had come to my school and murdered my favourite teacher and only friend – he murdered someone I loved with all my heart; he deserved no pity or compassion from me.

"Who sent you!?" I demanded in a frosty voice and slammed him against a wall. He coughed up blood and whimpered more.

"T-the p-police... m-my f-father is-is the Captain!" he said trying to sneer. "There... are more, and dad works f-for, the Mayor!" he said snidely. I snapped his neck and let him fall to the floor, dead, before going back into the classroom.

I stopped looking down at where I imagined the head of my teacher had landed, holding in the bile and allowing hate to bubble as I knew who to kill. "Don't worry any longer, I'll get them!" I said before turning to the broken desk, grabbing my lunchbox and food, clearing it away, I disappeared through a window as I heard people. It wasn't long before the screaming as they found the dead boy.

It had been effortless to sneak back into the school and into the cafeteria to dump my lunch and buy something. The police captain himself was going to lead the investigation. He was a stern man with greying hair and grey eyes. He looked to me in hate when he addressed the school, trying to play off his son as a brave hero trying from a nut case, but he had no evidence, but people had seen the boy came to school with weapons.

I moved, watching the captain as he left the school after we had all been interrogated, but he wasn't allowed to be alone with any student so I spent most of my time giving him threats with my eyes. Then we had been sent home, but I waited in the shadows and he paused on his way to his car.

"So, Miss. Swan, you got lucky, but next time, I'll deal with you personally!" he sneered as he looked at me, even though I knew he couldn't see me, he sensed me.

"I've adapted!" I replied coldly.

The man sneered as he left and I knew he wouldn't attack while there was a possibility of being seen. I could only smirk as he should have seen me last. I wouldn't have had any time. He started his car and the moment the ignition turned, the car exploded in a firestorm of death. The explosion set of car alarms and shook the ground, and I was surprised to see something streak out from the flames, but I could only frown as too many people were around to see me if I chased him.

I would have to see him in his territory, the night, and I would rip him apart and anyone who stood in the way of avenging my friend and ally; someone who was so important to me, and I wouldn't let fear and weakness hold me back ever again, as I refused to lose any more.

To Be Continued...