In darkness light shine.

A young woman wakes up in the middle of a ritual from a mysterious Cult, what will she do?

Prologue : The dawn of the end.

Everything was spinning, the dark stony rock wall of a cave seemed to be dancing to the movement of some cruel somber flames of candles lighting up the place. The pounding of the drum applying pressure to the skull with a rhythmique never ending thump only increased the headache sending a wave of sharp pain to the brain of the poor victim. The still living body of a young adult girl was laying on a cold stone altar. Her body was covered with only the minimum of clothing to hide the signs of her femininity. Paint of an unknown source draws runes and glyphes on her pale skin. The pungent smell of Sulfur was in the air, a promise of doom and the dread that would follow. The air that was slowly burning away and being made less and less abundant, was cold and damp.

Amelia, because this was the name of the poor maiden, wished she could be freed from her invisible bounds. She didn't remember how she got there, perhaps it was during her last evening stroll ? she could remember walking, the fresh air and also a silhouette further away. How much she wished she could recall more, but just as her body was numbed by the drugs, her mind was clouded by them as well.

Where am I ? What is going on ?

The first clear thoughts she could remember having ever since her agitated electric Blue eyes had opened. As the sand of time passed the promise of freedom grew. Tingling slowly crawled over her body as the room slowed down its dance around her. The surrounding shrouded in confusion became more clear. It wasn't the walls that were dancing, it was the light of the candles surrounding her frail body.

The grotto was almost as naked as she was, decorated with a tapisserie of crimsome red color bearing an unknown crest. In front of the altar was a forge metallic arch painted in black and red. A single silver dagger was laying near her body. So close yet impossible to grab, her body still unresponsive to her command.

Some sort of Ritual cavern ? The poor young woman thought. Try to take a deep breath.you are in danger and need to get out of here… What are my options?

The options As she was calling them were but specks of hope she was still holding on too. An illusion and a lie someone can tell themselves when their time is drawing near. Her breathing as deep as she was trying to Perform was but shallow with poor oxygen.

« Are we sure the Goddess will favor us if we bring her here with that kind of sacrifice? » a female voice echoing on the walls of the caverne. A warning, that the danger was getting closer and that the maiden wasn't alone.

That voice ? The sound of danger uncling the wheel of memories she couldn't access, giving her hints of her own situation. I know that voice…

« Who cares if she favors us or not ? She will clean this world of its corruption. We are but instruments in her designs . » a cold voice depraved of any shred of humanity. Sharp, cruel and filled with a disdain for all that breath. A male voice Amelia wasn't going to forget.

The Maiden could remember more of her predicament. She was walking back to her home. A friend had a party and she left just a tad too late. That silhouette she remembered was in fact a woman. a woman that asked for directions. Amelia turned her attention from the stranger to point in the right direction and all became dark In her mind.

I probably got kidnapped by some freaks. Oh god, am I going to die !?

despair, a powerful emotion. One dread by all and that pushes us to our doom or to this breath of fresh air we just needed. A finger moved. Sensation returning to her body, her freedom was near but what would come first ? Her death or her fighting chance ?

« Carnal is right, this is no time for second doubts. Surely the goddess will understand when she sees the state of the world. Now comes Eternal and Carnal…it is time for the ritual to begin. »

The stepping sounds of the stride of three Zealots were as constant and strong as the ticking of the clock of her life. She closed her eyes trying to fool them that she was still unaware of them or of her situation. Her breathing however, wasn't as deep as she hoped. If one of them were to pay attention she could be discovered.

Even if I set fire to all those tapisserie, I still don't know which direction is the exit. I might as well set myself on fire. No I can't do that, not a good option…I need to move and somehow escape.

The sound of the silver dagger being grabbed was grim and followed by Dark chants. The maiden didn't understand the language they were coming from but she understood enough of their intentions to know her escape had to be now or never.As confirmation her escape chances were sliming she felt a thick liquid of iron smell poured on her body.

she Opened her eyes, her body finally listening to her command grab one of the candles and she threw it at one of the three cloaked insane ruffians, before rolling on the other side of the stone altar. The Flame hit the black robe, but it wasn't strong enough for it to take in fire, the wax extinguished the flame. But it was not all in vain as the female of the group backed away from the ritual table, Screaming in Surprise.

« she is awake !!! » growled Carnal, who was already jumping on the other side of the ritual table to block Amelia's way.

The leader of the little group kept chanting as if trap into a trans were he wasn't aware of his surroundings anymore. Perhaps, it was just blind trust that Carnal and Eternal would capture Amelia or perhaps, it was another force at hand that wished to take him out of the equation.

Amelia was quicker than Eternal, even if Carnal had blocked one access, the other side was still wide open. She knew she couldn't overpower this killer and so she ran. The ground rumbled, a terrible sound of an earthquake as if the earth roared in rage, and began to crumble the cave to which they were chasing each other.

Amelia didn't know the direction to the exit but for now she would run where the cultists were not. her frail body that just woke up from drugs didn't allow her to out speed the two others. The woman, Eternal, manages to cut Amelia off and throw her on the ground. Her skin scraped on the cold stone sent a rush of pain and her blood wet her skin.

« Please !! Let me go! » pleading was the only option that seemed Available to Amelia. She knew it wouldn't work but it was all she got. She didn't had super powers, she didn't had some prince that would come to save her. She barely Had clothes on her body, she had, nothing. Nothing but pleading and hoping some miracle would save her.

A miracle, or the play of some dark force Was exactly what happened. In the rage of the earth,knocking the stalactites of the cave down making them crash on the ground…or anyone under them. Paths and tunnels crumble on themselves, now everyone in this cave is doomed. The Maiden still fighting on the ground the other female felt a gust of powerful wind whooshing towards the metal arch that was still standing.

« Holy shit! Guys are you seeing that !? » The male that was pursuing Amelia had stopped his run and was looking toward the doorways. He knew he was doomed but he hoped that he could see the end of all before his own end.

The winds swirling all around the arch as if trapped there took a different color, purple and blue. The sky and the stars, the proof that they were in fact not insane and that soon the world would be a better place, or so they thought.

A sickening Crack coming from the skull of Eternal snapped everyone back to reality. A hard rock falling from their ceiling had landed on her head and now her body fell flat And lifeless beside Amelia. There was no way out…but the doorway that was opening. It was to unknown planes but it was better than certain death.

The maiden, still in shock seeing the glass gazed in the eyes of Eternal graved in her mind forever, she got up and rushed towards the portal. She passed Carnal, who seemed to have given up the fight and she almost reached her escape before she stopped herself in her run.

They are all going to die…bad or good…Death is death isn't it ?

She quickly looked towards the altar where their boss had stopped the chanting and was now screaming in glee that it was their end. She looked at Carnal who was waiting for his end. She rushed back towards him and grab his hand pulling him towards her.

« snap out of it !!! You'll all die here ! Follow me ! »

For a moment, nor her or him moved, she didn't possess the strength to pull him anywhere and he wasn't going to move. He needed but a few seconds of reflection. He understood that her destination was whatever realm their portal had opened too. If this cave crumbling was in fact a sign of failure and not success, someone needed to stay alive to carry on the torch.

He moved and so did Amelia, they both ran towards the portal at the cave that crumbled and killed the leader of the cult. It was but a matter of seconds that they both passed the portal before the cave gave in and crushed the doorway, closing it behind Them.

Cold snap and silence was the first thing that met them. The bright light of the sun reflecting in the snow blinded them for a short moment. The maiden wrap her own arms around her body trying to find the little heat she could. while her eyes got accustomed to the new light and she was looking around she felt Carnal coming closer to her. She turn nervous only to see him tower over her.

« here, let me put this on. » he said removing his dark robe. He was dress under, something normal and dark but the important part was that he passed the dark robe over her, covering her body. His tone in his voice was still cold and sharp But the disdain and hatred she first heard wasn't there.

« what now ? » Amelia asked, lost to the same situations, they were clearly in some kind of park inside a city. It was a miracle nobody seemed to be around. She was still cold, her feet were bare and even if she had something it wasn't much. She knew she couldn't trust this man but he was all she had right now.

« we find out where we are and survive. » he picked up his phone from his poquet, there was no signal. He was cut off which was a sign that this place might not be home. He placed back his phone in his pocket and looked forward. He himself didn't know exactly what to do but he had a mission. Turning towards the maiden he bend his knees to lower himself and grab her like a princess.

« wah ! What are you !? » she began to protest but stopped when he cut her sentence short.

« you don't have boots or shoes. We need to move and find heat first. Then we will see the rest. » his voice had determination and purpose. Even if not to long ago he was probably going to kill her, Amelia looked at him and as if the answered was whisped into her ears, she knew he wanted to protect her and she knew the direction to which she needed to go and where help might be.

« let's go see into that building. I am sure we can find help. » she didn't know what the future holds, but she was going to have to face it, strong and brave.

[ first draft of the prologue of the story. Any reviews or feedbacks are welcome. Stay polite and constructive please ]