Writing Prompt #1 - New Beginnings (9/5 - 9/19/16)

[Custodian]

Hello, everyone, and welcome to The Lower World's very first writing prompt! In keeping with that theme, this week's (and next week's) prompt is... *drumroll*

NEW BEGINNINGS
Write about your character's introduction to the secret world — or any other event which drastically changed their life.​

You can post your reply directly into this thread, into the Storybook, or in both places, if you wish! Please remember to follow the rules when sharing your response(s). Love one of the responses that you've read? Shower the author with compliments here!

Thanks for reading! We look forward to seeing what you all come up with. ​

 

[Kuro-Hebi]

I wrote that a year ago when I first started playing. So don't count that as a participation for a prize or anything, just wanted to share Featuring my first two characters (Fox and Thanos) which I mostly use as NPC now.


What lies beyond the veil
April 16th 2015

It was going to be another one of those night, wasn't it?; When the dreams made no sense and the waking hours sent chills down his spine, as if the shadows were watching. His only comfort was that his lover was apparently in the same boat as him, as they'd both wake up covered in sweat in the middle of the night. There was fear in Thanos gaze, as much as there was in his own. What the heck was happening?!

It all began a week ago or so. Out of nowhere, for no apparent reasons either. This strange feeling, as if there was electricity in the air. Uneasiness, restlessness... and then the strange dreams had started. Two figures talking at the edge of reality, one clad in white, the other in black. It felt too real to dismiss and he'd wake up in the middle of the night, his heart pounding. Trying to find reassurance, his golden gaze had wandered over his lover sleeping form only to find him staring back at him, wide eyed and breathing heavily.

"Did I wake you up? I'm sorry I... had a strange dream..." Fox would trail off.
"You as well? " would come the reply from his silver haired lover, an eyebrow arched in surprise.
"Wait..what?! What kind of coincidence is that? Two figures, one in white, the oth-"
" -the other in black!" Thanos cut in and finished Fox's sentence. He quickly got to a seating position in the bed, staring at Fox with an incredulous look to him. "How is that even possible?" he added, his British accent unintentionally giving emphasis on the last word. All the bronze-skinned man could offer was a shrug and a bewildered look. And as days and nights went by, the puzzled looks became ones of fear and desperation, for the dreams would play again and again, every night, bleeding into the days.

They were both looking worse for wear by the next weekend and it was plain on their faces the dreams were affecting them more deeply than just a few lost hours of sleep. And as they lay their heads on the pillow that night, again expecting to be plagued by the dream, they never could have imagined it was only the beginning.


------------ *** ------------


As he opened his eyes he was greeted by a splitting headache. Clutching his head between his hands, Fox let out a low groan. "That's it, I'm going to die." In answer came the whining of Thanos by his side, his face hugging his pillow. "You and I both, Love. Let me guess... migraine?" Fox replied with a low chuckle, more of irony than anything else. "How did you known? You must be a friggin' mind reader." After a moment of silence he added "So Doctor... what can you prescribe for a headache from Hell and being plagued by weird dreams. Or am I just going insane?" Thanos snorted and pulled his pillow from under his head to slam it into Fox 's face. "Oh shut it... Love?" He had turned his gaze toward the man beside him and there was an edge of worry in his voice. Anxious at his lover's tone, Fox pushed the pillow aside and turned to look at the silver haired man. Thanos was staring at him, or around him, his gray eyes sending back the reflection of dancing blue flames. For Fox was surrounded by those flames, pulsing with energy at every heartbeat and, little did Thanos knew, he was soon engulfed in them as well.

"Shit shit shiiit! This is getting ridiculous! What the hell is happening. Last I checked, I didn't apply to star in a Sci-fi movie!" Fox cried out, visibly panicked. He jumped out of bed, wearing only his boxer brief, and passed a shaking hand in his short hair. He couldn't guess that his sudden distress would only fuel this strange power, making him lose the little control he had over it, if any. As if his human shell couldn't contain it anymore, the blue flames became blindingly bright, turning to a spear of light piercing him from top to bottom. The surreal sight made Thanos get up in a hurry, terror-stricken for his lover. But he ended up meeting the same fate, his usual calm countenance given way to panic as he was engulfed in light.

Finally, the shadows returned to the bedroom and a heavy silence fell, only broken by the heavy breathing of the two men lying on the floor. The pain was gone, replaced by an incessant buzzing. They had the distinct feeling there were words in it, a secret message they couldn't yet understand. Unable to find the strength to get up just yet, Thanos made his way on all four to join Fox, now sitting in the middle of their bedroom. As if they were each other's lifeline, they kept close, shaking arms wrapped around the other. Until their hearts began to beat at the same rhythm, steady and reassuring. And the buzzing faded to become nothing else than a background noise. Yet, they listened, for it was knowledge and it spoke of secrets, of things moving at the edge of reality, just beyond the veil between the waking world and the shadow world...

A night became a day, and a night again and the world turned. The laws of their reality didn't apply anymore. What was Monday but a day like any other, with a different name. Nine to five, repetitions, the daily routine. It wasn't important, because there was a war to fight, hidden from view, but still immensely important for the survival of humankind. You shall be warriors of the Secret World, spoke the voices, like many others, just like you. Do not turn away, you cannot. For we are everywhere, we will always find you, you are part of us now. You belong to us.

And then, there was a knocking at the door...

 

[Fushichou]

((This is from Aka's journal, the Book of Void, a short resume of his life before the Tokyo's incident))

Yume-do

A small child woke up from a nightmare: a bright burning light descending upon him under a vacant night sky; he cried alone in an empty wooden house. Days later, the innocent Aka ran among the ruins of Nakijin Castle chasing a butterfly when he heard the flapping of wings behind him. He turned but there was only the wind…

“Obasan! Do monsters really exist?”

“Aka-kun, monsters do exist but there are Claws and Teeth to keep them at bay; we are the Dragon, no need to be afraid of monsters for it is them who are afraid of us!”
_____

Heavy rain had fallen for three days, the streets of Naha were flooded and people sheltered at home. Inside an old bookshop, the youth Aka watched the rain through the window; pure water washing sins. A burly yakuza rained down punches on the old shopkeeper; another held his wife.

“You need to pay for protection Ojiisan, understood? Now you pay in pain!”

Bone met bone again; there was a crack, screams and spilled blood. Aka snapped out of his reverie and turned facing the scene. He took a book from the shelf; Hagakure.

“This will do to cleanse your debt”
_____

The young man in red kimono sat akimbo, bowing with his palms on the floor, he shouted:

“I am at your service Masato-dono!”

The old man in green kimono took the blade that was the symbol of the leader of his family and placed it in front of him.

“Fifty six years ago, I was sent to the Himalayans to fight a Secret War over an ancient city. Your grandfather was there as well. Aka-san, now it is your time to serve in this war as I need you to recover what I lost there. This weapon is a fake…”
_____

The hulking golem of brass and copper raised its hammer-like fist high in the sky; the armored Dragon barely had time to roll as it crashed on the ground sending icy shards around the point of impact. Standing up quickly, Aka hit the wired knee of the automaton with his tetsubo; as the machine turned to attack again, its leg failed and he stumbled heavily on the ground. There was a loud sound, ice and snow collapsed below the two of them and they fell into a dark pit…

“You need to wake up! There is no time to rest!”
_____

A figure in battered armor slowly descended the snowy mountain back to the mundane world, his clenched fist holding the heirloom of his family. He eventually made it back to Okinawa. Aka’s memories of the events he had experienced in the Himalayans were like a foggy dream. Years later he would recall awaking in an underground city; a samurai in red lacquered armor, his face hidden by a mempo, armed with an ancient daisho was waiting by his side.

“Greetings… who are you?”

“I am Nobody but One among an Endless Stream”

He then recalled the brightness of his youth…
_____

Aka had been meditating for four days now and he barely felt his body anymore. His mind started discarding the layers of reality around him; like a shattered glass his body vanished, then the city of Shambhala, then the Himalayans Mountains and finally Earth itself…
Only Darkness remained. Yet he sensed a tiny light in the distance closing in. Soon he could distinguish a soaring shape bathed in flames.

"I am the Universe!"

Aka had known fear before and he knew how to tame it but when he heard those words coming from his very soul, he was truly terrified…
_____

The radio was just a distant noise…
“There was a bombing in Tokyo’s subway early this morning during the rush hour…”
“It has started. Now is the time we pay our debt to the Dragon, are you ready for this Aka-san?” said the elder man wearing green.
“Casualties are rumored to be high…”
The man wearing red bowed deep.
“The Ministry of Health said it is a biological agent in a gaseous form…”
“Hai Masato-dono! I am always ready!”
“The area around Kaidan station has been place under quarantine…”
“Then leave at once and may the Fortunes be with you!”

 

[Kuro-Hebi]

I wrote a small thing! And it's cute :3


Fireflies. They're something magical, mysterious and beautiful. Like some childhood memories, running along in this forest - an old forest, full of power and whispering kami - chasing after the tiny dancing lights. A little boy was dancing alongside them, trying to catch a few with his tiny hands. At the corner of his eyes he saw a flash of light, flickering blue among the golden fireflies, and he decided to follow it. Follow, follow, deeper into the woods, around trees and stumps, bushes and rocks. The little boy kept following the strange blue light and, little did he knew, he'd walked around in circle and emerged in front of the shrine to Hachiman, of which his parents were the guardians. The ball of light danced in front of the doorway, making the little metallic bell ring and the wooden doors rattle; yet the little boy wasn't afraid and he extended a hand to try and touch it.

"Don't touch it, my love." Came a melodious yet commanding voice, speaking Japanese. A young woman in a kimono made her way to the boy and crouched beside him. "This is an 'hitodama', the soul of someone's who died. Maybe it served the same kami as us, for it to come here. Or is sensed the great power here."

"Why is it making so much noise, Okaasan?" The boy asked, turning his curious gaze toward her.

"You can hear it, Katsuro? Oh, if only you knew how happy that makes me! You may have the gift, my love. A connection to the spirits. Who knows, maybe that's why it came here. And through you, it found the shrine." His mother smiled at him.

"So I did good? Is the spirit happy too? Is there more souls flying in the woods?" Came the flow of questions; quite normal for a boy his age.

His mother let out a sweet little laugh. "Yes you did good. And I think it's happy. Someday you'll be able to sense it yourself. Until then, if you see more hitodama in the woods, you'll know you have to guide them here. But be careful my love. There are many other things in this world, not all of them are good. And some may not be bad but can be lost, or scared, and they might hurt you without realizing."

The little boy, Katsuro, gave his mother a worried look. To which she just ruffled his black hair and smiled at him again. "I'll be there to teach you what you need to know. But tonight we celebrate, for you met your first spirit! I think we may have some sparklers left from the Star Festival."

Hand in hand, the little boy and his mother walked back to the house, leaving the soul to rest.

 

[Vir41]

Never really thought about putting this particular moment in written form, though the idea was already existing... Oh well, guess it's time to actually write more of what I do instead of keeping them in the state of ideas classified in my head. Here comes my contribution for this prompt ! Enjoy

Gr0und-z€r0.mp4

Here I am, just yesterday in the evening, sitting in front of my laptop in my apartment as I do everyday. I am currently on what profanes and Internet noobs call "The Deep Web". Sounds scary, right ? Wrong. Child porn, assassination boxes, cannibalism, etc... Those are nothing but usual worldly things. You might as well end yourself if it shocks you, the world is only headed downwards from there, so you probably will not want to live in it. See my furrowed brow ? This facial emotion is the proof I found something of interest and am working my way in. You guessed it, I am a hacker.

By the looks of it, it is top-security stuff. Government-grade I would say. The URL is nothing like the usual ones used by governments though, slightly strange but not uncommon when you stray from the conventional Web. This ought to be a challenging task, but nothing I cannot achieve ; Finding a website on the uncharted web is often harder than getting in. The website itself is quite good-looking ; The wallpaper looks like stylised pyramids with hexagons inside, each of them separated by thin animated veins changing color the lower they get to the bottom of the page. Simple but good-looking, I like the tech-ish design.
The website is eerily empty, there is nothing except what looks like a chatbox. Too bad even governments cannot escape the laws of coding, I will just delve in there to find all the elements, and... There, a hidden field to authentify yourself ! Might as well click to see what I will need to find in the logs.

The website flashes and the chatbox animates. Did I just connect to an active session inside the campus ? Is there another hacker around I do not know about ? What is going on ? My eyes paces between the sentences, I barely manage to get a glimpse of several words. "Middle East", "Templars", something about Venice... And suddenly the chatbox freezes. The website flashes once again and reveals a single image of a pyramid, in the center of the page. Under the shape, in big blue letters, is written "Eye Saw You".
FUCK ! I cannot even leave the page, everything is frozen ! No time to panick, I need to "wipe my history" !
I unplug everything and run to the kitchen with the laptop, setting it on my table before grabbing an array of tools from a drawer. I smash a screwdriver in an USB port before banging on it with a hammer until the computer splits open, then start to pry the components from the case with pliers. After a couple of minutes, everything is neatly arranged ; What is now useless, and what will need further measures to be destroyed for good. With ample swipes, I make the first category fall inside a plastic bag, then shove the second one in my oven before turning it on. Watching the metal components sparkle, struck by microwaves, has a soothing effect.

___________________________

Back to the present now ! Someone is banging on my door, I know it is them, those guys I hacked yesterday. I have run all the scenarios in my head, most of them end with me dead on the floor or shipped to some blacksite, never to be heard again. I should probably open the door before they break it down. I grab the coffee pot I prepared and set it on the table, next to a bunch of plastic cups, before proceeding to the door. Two men, one is a bulky latino while the other is an average black man, both wearing navy blue suits. The smaller one begins the conversation.

- Sir... Pierce ? Kerian Pierce ?

I nod, he nods in return and continues.

- We have come to talk with you.

I nod again and moves aside to let them enter in my humble abode. I catch slight surprise on their faces before they proceed inside, as if they were expecting resistance. Did they think I would jump through the window and kill myself instead ? The small guy chooses a chair and sits, while the bulky guy places himself behind him. I join them at the table, just in time for the conversation to begin anew.

- Let us cut to the chase. You will work for us.

I raise an eyebrow. Bold move. I reach for my phone, catching a glimpse of the bulky guy tensing up and putting a hand on his hips, launch the text-to-speech app, and type my answer to be delivered in a monotone mechanic voice.

- Sure. How much ?

The small guy smirks and leans over the table in my direction.

- Depends on your ability. But probably nothing at first.

I sigh and type another sentence to continue the charade.

- Not your man. I do not work for free.

The man's grin widens and he shakes his head.

- You misunderstood. It is not an offer, it is a recruitment.

As if it was a signal of some sort, the bulky guy jumps on me, pinning me on my chair. I try to struggle against his grip but suddenly stops when I hear the typical click of a gun, followed by the cold feeling of the cannon on my neck. I expected this but this is definitely more surprising when it happens, my breathing has become heavy and hard to control. The small guy sighs and stands up before getting closer to me.

- Now that we are in the right mood for talking, let me introduce us. We are the ones you hacked yesterday.

He tells this as if I had not guessed earlier.

- As you might guess, we are pretty displeased by your attempt against us. After all we did for you and your family , for this country, for this world, trying to steal from us is worthy of punishment. Did you know we are the one paying for your tuition ? Not like you are that special, the Illuminati do not fear investing in those with potential.

I feel the latino guy's grip tightening as the black man gets closer to my face. Long and deep breaths, keep it together. Did he just say Illuminati ? Like THE Illuminati of the conspiracy theories ? The supposed masters of the world who pull all the strings ? I guess I should have seen the pattern on yesterday's website, with all the pyramids.

- As much as we are displeased, your breach is also a feat we admire. That chat room was used to share sensitive informations about subjects even I do not have clearance for. It has been deleted and replaced now, with our guys working on the breach you made on the former website.

I slightly raise my hand and point towards my phone. The black guy hands it to me and I begin to type my sentence.

- Reinforce the security on the campus then. Or fire your guy working here. I just connected to their active session like it was nothing.

The recruiter looks concerned for an instant, as if lost in his thoughts, before turning his attention back to me.

- I guess I will inform my superiors of this. Your first task will be to work on improving the security so breaches similar to yours have no chance to happen on this campus again. It's unofficial for now but I have no doubt the thinkers will make it official soon enough if they have an agent ready.

As I was about to type another sentence, the black guy stopped me by putting his hand on my shoulder, with a sympathetic smile.

- Don't. There is no use in making this meeting longer, we both know your only choice is accepting. You don't look the kind of guy who will throw his life away when he can get a job using his abilities to the fullest.

With a sign in the direction of his latino colleague, I was now free of the strong grip and I no longer had a gun ready to end my life, or worse, make me tetraplegic. The two Illuminati had already made their way to the door, ready to leave as if nothing ever happened. The black guy shot a last sentence at me.

- We'll be in touch with you through secure servers. You'll probably work from there until the end of your cursus, we take education seriously. Always a pleasure doing business with you.

As soon as the door closed behind them, I made a beeline for my desk where my computer was standing. I exited the stand-by mode and entered my password. And as soon as my desktop finished loading, a small picture flashed in the middle of my screen ; the telltale blue pyramid from yesterday's website was there, only this time the message was different and composed of a single word.

"Welcome"

 

[Cen]

Cen stood knee deep in the cold foamy Maine waters, staring at the expansive mass of gray obscuring Solomon Island. It hadn't been like this the last time she had visited, though that was so long ago she really only remembered a series of craggy mountains, unusual Cousins, and a tall white church in Kingsmouth that overlooked the shore.

Cen sniffed the air, her mouth hanging open, and could taste the fear and anguish exuding from the fog. Something was very wrong on Solomon island, they were right to call an old one such as her to have this matter looked into. No one had heard from the people of the island for months now. Townies further down the coast were noticing migration patterns changing and fish becoming scarce. This evil was spreading through the water, through the air, and might have already infected the land.

Focusing on the feel of the water and sand beneath her feet, Cen envisioned herself on the shore of Kingsmouth. She stepped sideways, willing herself in-between. Yet she didn't move. There was a thick slowness, like gelatin, keeping her from going in-between. Cen found and pulled a hand-rolled cigarette from behind her ear. Sometimes the skin was old and heavy and refused to cooperate.

Cen lit the end of the cigarette with her fingers and began singing softly. She offered the smoke to the four directions and Father Sky, then, taking a drag, she stepped sideways again. Nothing happened. Cen took another heavy draw of tobacco and stepped in-between. Nothing. Pinching the cigarette out, Cen tucked it behind her ear where it disappeared.

Contemplating the predicament she was in, Cen threw her consciousness at the fog in an attempt to find its flaws. There. She could feel a dimple in its structure, like a window she could slip through. Cen willed herself at the dent and stepped sideways. Suddenly she stood among the tattered planks of an old wooden ship; creepy amber light infused the darkness and dozens of bees swarmed the area.

Our wisdom flows so sweet. Taste and see. TRANSMIT - initiate Cosmic Microwave Background signal

Their racket was so loud in her mind that Cen could hardly stand it. Her hands moved in an intricate pattern, beginning the old Bee dance of introduction. Yet these bees continued their broadcast in a barrage against her inner ear. Her fingerdance was falling on blind compound eyes. There was something wrong with these bees. They were not ... Normal.

Cen attempted to bespeak them via the same frequency they used, but as she broadcast her welcome three bees fell from the air. The hum of the bees got louder and their broadcast became disjointed.

RECEIVE - initiate Protean Lurker protocol - DANGER, CONTAINS SMALL PARTS, KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN

Cen grabbed her head and staggered back the way she came, only to find a tall, lozenge-shaped amber mirror where the back of the boat should have been. Only it wasn't a mirror, it was a passage to the dreamscapes. She hadn't been to this part of the Medicine Lands before. Cen held out her hand and walked through the honey stickiness of the barrier. She emerged onto a platform along the branches of a great tree, the bees now silent. Some powerful dreamer must have put this together as it didn't smell like a Cousin or something closer to old ones like her. Cen stepped to the frame of the window and licked the wood. Holy Mother Earth! When did the Mother produce dreamspace? Cen scented the air, her nostrils flared and her mouth opened to breathe deeply. It still didn't smell right or explain those bees. The air faintly smelled of something or someone else as well. Like there were more people everywhere.

It was strange, the amber barrier showed her images of the town and not the bees on the boat. Cen braced herself to re-enter the window, knowing she could always find her way back again to this place now that she'd been here. This seemed the only way to get to that sleepy fishing town now that the fog was keeping visitors out. Stepping through the sticky barrier, Cen found herself again inundated with the message of the bees.

O sweetling, once our voice came to you so faintly. No more. Now we thunder down the varicose, fiber-optic ley lines that fill the World Tree's limbs, stretching here and there and everywhere. Your anima-antenna head quickens. The Goddess Machine pulses.

Cen shook herself and just kept going. She had no idea what those bees were talking about, though she could guess they were referring to Mother Earth as the Goddess. The bees would have to be reached somehow, but that wasn't really her problem or her goal. Cen snapped a couple pictures with her phone and moved out into the open air. The buzzing receded. Finding herself in a sheltered pocket in a cliffside, Cen looked up and saw the skies roiling with dark fog. She shook her head and continued to the end of the rock wall where she came upon a tent and a man camping at the opening.

Purposefully stepping on a twig to alert the man she was there, Cen stepped into his line of sight. The man tipped his head up and smiled, rifle resting on his knees.

“This forest crawls with the dead and its easy to shoot the wrong man, at the wrong time,” the man said in a rolling drawl.
“Sorry, sir!” Cen shifted to a loose-limbed and easygoing stance to keep the stranger comfortable.
“Name’s Boone and you're new,” he noted. “Got your Southern charm here. Mesquite beans?” He held up a tin plate and Cen smiled gratefully.
“I'm Cen, least that's what they call me. I'm good at forgetting things. What am I new to?” Cen sat next to the campfire and Boone handed her a spoon and a tin plate full of beans. She nodded her thanks and listened to his odd story of survivors and brimstone, chewing all the while.
Cen tried chatting with him in a friendly manner but he kept returning to his tirade.
“I know your kind, kid. The secret world isn’t all that secret any longer. And your bosses, they send you out with little information and a lot less experience. This little island has an epidemic, they came with the fog. Damn near wiped the whole town out. The darkness keeps spreading and we’re gonna need all the unity we can get.”

Boone stood and shot a distant, shambling something that screeched horribly as it fell. Cen sniffed the air and caught the putrid smell of decayed flesh. It wasn't the sweet, cloying scent of week old road-kill or the bowl-dumping smell of recent death. That corpse had been empty of its owner for quite a long time. There was something definitely wrong in Kingsmouth.

“Epidemic, you say?” Cen asks, suddenly more worried than before.
“Lots more where that came from.” Boone put up his rifle and gave Cen a stern look. “The people in town need help, the form only your kind can give. They haven't been able to get supplies and haven’t much in the way of help except maybe some military types. And you folks, culling the herd.”
Cen cocked her head to the side and blinked at the man. “I'm not quite sure what you’re saying. My bosses are … Family. And I don’t think you’ve met my kind before.” Cen gave Boone a feral grin.
“We need all the cool heads and steady hands we can get right now. You have your reasons for keeping secrets, same as the rest of us. You’re one of us, else you couldn’t get through the Agartha Gate.” He gestured back to the boat.
“I was sent to investigate... but I like a bit of trouble too. Looks like you have your hands full. I’ll do my best to help clean up a little.” Cen handed the now empty plate and spoon back to the man. “Thank you for the hospitality, sir. I'll be sure to pass on the kindness and take care of some zombies for you.”
“Go on kid, you got places to be.” Boone nodded and returned to watching the forest over his rifle.

Cen strolled out into the woods, intent on figuring out what was going on. Something leapt out from behind a stand of bushes. The smell hit her and Cen ghosted the switchblade out of her sleeve. The grayed flesh and milky eye told Cen this person was no longer living. The thing rushed at her, wailing at the top of its lungs and arms windmilling. Cen stabbed it through its pale eye and watched the rotting corpse fall to the ground. She snapped a few more photos and uploaded them to a databased used by old ones like her ... and Dragon. Dragon always had their noses in her business since their deal. The deal that had her stuck in this slowly aging body.

Malevolence has taken over Solomon Island, shrouding it in almost impenetrable fog. Medicine Lands are unavailable. Kingsmouth has zombies and bees that behave unlike any previously catalogued. I recommend Quarantine until further investigation provides alternatives.

Cen included the pictures of the zombie and the bees. She would send in the photos of the Medicine Lands when she had time. This island needed to go off-limits ASAP if others like her and the Cousins were to be kept safe. No one knew what had happened to the Cousins and the People that already inhabited the island, but she was on the wrong side of the island to check on the Wabanaki. First things first, Kingsmouth needed investigating and Boone needed breathing space. Time to work.

 

[Molly Dufrene]

Bloody Beginnings

She wasn't sure where she was. The room was how she probably would have imagined an interrogation room, featureless, empty walls, save for the pane of tinted glass on one side, with a door to the side of it. However, the girl's thoughts were of a time and place far removed from here.
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She had awoken to the taste of copper, and the pain of rope biting into her arms. Focusing her vision, she could see the woods around her, the darkness pushed back by a bonfire of eerie green flames. Around the fire, the things that had come for them in the cabin. Cloathed in human skin, but the eyes betrayed their otherwordliness, soulless pits of inky blackness. Next to her was Amber, bound as well, and seeing the state they were in, tears began to blur her sight, but she could hear Amber's voice.
"It's going to be all right."
Movement caught the edge of her perception, a movement she knew only too well. It had been stalking them for days now, since they had summoned it. The cabin was supposed to ward it away, until they could figure out how to get rid of it, but they had not counted on the human skinned things. She could never get a focus on that elusive phantom, but she could feel it behind her. It's dark whispers in a tongue man had never uttered grew close, and then she felt it's talons on her neck. Then there was pain, and she was laying in blood and dirt, unable to breathe.
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She numbly looked down, her sweater still caked in blood. No, not just blood, her own blood. Touching her neck, it was completely unharmed. It was all so overwhelming, the memories, this room, the blood, it just made her want to scream. No, more than that, she could feel a surge, like it must feel like to be struck by lightning, or maybe to be lightning. Her vision became bright, hot white and she felt the sensation of floating for just a moment. Then her vision returned to the featureless room, now scorched around her. Her hands glowed with a blue light and she recoiled instictively, the energy disappearing as she did.
"How?" she croaked and she knew that it was because of that bug, somehow.
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She remembered, as her vision faded, the phantom's presence had moved to Amber. She saw as Amber's heart was taken from her chest and blood ran down her body. She remembered feeling something crawling on her face, into her dry, voiceless mouth. She remembered with the last of her strength reaching out, and then the blue fire consuming the phantom, the clearing, everything. Then there was nothing but darkness.
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The door opened, and an impeccably dressed gentleman entered. He glanced at the corner she was in, noting the scorch marks, but he seemed completely unphased by then.
"Miss Dufrene, my name is Richard Sonnac. I think we should talk."
"All my friends are dead, aren't they?" She sobbed slightly as she looked up towards the man
"I am afraid so. You and your friends played with magic beyond your abilities. You would be dead too if Gaia had not chosen you."
"I don't understand."
"You've gone through a remarkable change, and we here can help you through it, and with us you can truly make a difference in these dark days ahead. You can of course choose to leave, and you'll never see me or my associates again. But know that your emerging powers will attract plenty of attention, and not everyone will be as, hm, accomdating as we are. Truthfully, I suspect you would last less than a week on your own. The choice, is of course, entirely up to you. I trust you will make the right decision."