Chapter 1: Prologue
Blood had started to fall from her mouth. Her body was badly injured as well and one of her wings was cut. Instead of despair, anger filled her. She wanted to kill them, even if it was the last thing she could do but she couldn't. As the sword arched downward, She had one thought: it wasn't supposed to end like this.
Then everything goes black. She doesn't know what happen next. Everything seems to be going in slow motion as she falls into darkness. The fall was nothing new though her bones seemed to be getting more fractured with every passing minute.
She can't remember anything anymore in this void, even her name. She feels like she might have been screaming before she fell.
"Are you okay?" comes the voice, but no one is around her, there isn't anyone but the person who asked her that question.
A strange woman who looks like she was carved out of obsidian. Her skin is white like parchment with veins of gold running through her limbs. Even her eyes are black like obsidian. Her hair is jet black with red tints in the shape of wings.
There is so much more to the woman that her appearance doesn't reflect at all. Instead, it is an elegant woman dressed entirely in black.
And yet, she can see something more about the woman that's not apparent in her clothing.
There is some sort of symbol on her chest that she cannot quite make out from here. Her clothes are blacker than even the night sky, and almost as dark as the pitch-black void around them.
The woman seems to sense her confusion as she reaches out towards the girl and helps her to stand up. Her hands aren't warm like fire, they're like ice. Cold to the touch. She can feel herself shiver at the sudden chill that rushes through her body.
When the woman speaks, her voice matches the coldness surrounding them. But the words themselves hold something warm underneath it that fills her with warmth.
"You've done well." She says, "You were close, but not quite."
Close? This woman... is she a demon? The woman smiles at her reassuringly as if she could read her mind.
"Yes, I am. You may call me Alforia." She tells the girl.
"Your life was saved today, though it was only by a thread. It will take time for your strength to return. I hope you understand that it doesn't come back easily." She says.
What is she talking about? And why does she talk like she can read minds? The girl knows what happens next. It happens in slow motion as the woman moves forward, lifting one hand towards her head. Something appears in her palm.
A small, black and dark ring with two rubies set inside it, and it's emitting an eerie aura. She watches as the ring floats towards her. As if pulled towards it. Like it wants to go into her forehead. But instead, it goes into her mouth. A strange feeling spreads across her mouth.
Then her vision fades. It fades away to nothingness. All she knows is that the weird feeling is now spread throughout her entire body. Slowly but soon turn into a soaring pain, and then she passes out.