CHAPTER 08

Chapter 08

*Leo Qi*

A cold sensation creeps down my back as the world shifts in and out of focus. My vision is dark at the edges, my skin cold against the stones of the floor.

Wait, what?

I sit up and look around. I’m in a cathedral-like place, all gray stones and blinding lights, no doors or windows.

How did I get here?

The last thing I remember is running to the school with Debbie, throwing open the door and plunging inside, only to realize that it hadn’t been Debbie. Instead, it was a tall, dark-skinned boy with short black hair and a wicked smile on his face. He’d raised his hands and pointed his palms at me. I’d felt an invisible sledgehammer hit me, and then... I can’t remember. I must’ve blacked out.

Debbie. My eyes go wide as I realize that she’s nowhere to be seen.

Oh, crap.

Without prelude, something appears right in front of me. I yelp and scramble back. It’s some sort of doorway, covered with a veil of rippling shadows, pulsating with a strange sinister power. However, I’m not given any time to further my theories. The doorway shimmers, and someone steps out.

I back up, pressing my back against the wall, trying to put as much distance between myself and the door as was possible, and for a good reason. The yield of the doorway is the boy from before, the boy who could summon that horrible force, the boy who knocked me out. I stare at him, my fear almost tangible, my heart beating so fast that I thought it might rip itself out of my rib cage.

Wordlessly, the boy grabs me by the arm and drags me over to the doorway. I’m still so stunned that I don’t even struggle.

He throws me through the veil and into the door. The dark interior swallows me whole and before I can say or do anything, I find myself rocketing forward, hurtling through the darkness at the speed of sound. Just when I think I’m about to throw up (which I don’t fancy doing while traveling this fast), I come to a grinding halt. Just in front of me, the darkness ripples -- if that makes any sense whatsoever -- and light appears. It’s almost magnetic, pulling me towards it against my will.

I pass through it and gasp as I find myself in an entirely different place. The darkness has disappeared but for a single patch -- I realize that it’s the doorway -- looming behind me. Instead, I’m in another church-like room with slabs of black rock for walls and a smooth, scarlet floor. The ceiling spirals upwards, so high that I have to squint to see where it ends.

I’m not alone this time. In addition to the boy who brought me here, there’s an Asian girl and another unknown individual dressed in a dark cloak.

The girl opens her mouth, a condescending smile on her face, but before any sound can come out, I beat her to it. “Where’s Debbie? And who are you people?”

The boy frowns in disapproval and starts to speak, probably about to chastise me, but the cloaked person cuts him off. “Why don’t we just tell him? It doesn’t matter anyways. Not anymore.”

Asian Girl shrugs and says, “Have it your way, then,” and beckons to me. Hesitantly, I step forth.

She tilts her head and looks me in the eye. Without moving her gaze from mine, she gestures to the boy. “This is Sid Akalwadi.” He nods, his eyes narrow and suspicious.

Then, she points to the cloaked figure. “Her name is Ruiran Xun.” Ruiran throws her hood back to reveal her face. She’s also Asian, but her eyes don’t hold the same ice as her mistress’. She nods at me once, then turns away quickly, refusing to meet my eyes.

I turn towards the first girl. “But who are you?” I demand.

Her eyes are normal at first, but they start to change. A chill travels up my spine and it takes all my self-control not to waver, not to sprint away as fast as I can. Her eyes contain a strange quality, an insane, manic rage. She’s mad. Utterly, completely off her rocker. I know it.

“My name is Christy Qian, and I am going to kill you.”