Chapter one

It began in the dark, a vast space of never ending shadows. I couldn't see. I couldn't hear and I couldn't feel my body. A door opened before me, a white light seeping through the open space. My feet took on a mind of their own, carrying me forward; away from the empty void that surrounded me.

My eyes flew open, only to snap shut again as I was almost blinded by a bright light above me. I took a deep breath, calming myself as I assessed my situation. I was strapped to a wide metal table with dozens of tubes and wires connected to almost every inch of my body. I opened my eyes slowly to take in my surroundings. People in white cloaks were huddled in a far corner whispering harshly to one another. There was a bunch of machines grouped around me beeping and flashing constantly and I had no idea what they were for.

The room itself was a dull grey colour, the walls cracked in several places. There was only one window, it was small and covered by thick metal bars. The door was made of a rich dark wood and stood directly in front of the table I lay on. The table was in the very centre of the room, making me feel exposed, like I was on display; I didn't like it.

I was pulled from my observations by a machine beeping loudly near my head. It drew the attention of the group in the corner. I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing as they approached. Questions raced through my mind, the main ones being: why am I here? And what do they want from me? I also wanted to know where exactly I was. I felt the weight of eyes on me but did my best to stay completely still. My breath caught when one of the tubes was removed from my neck, the stinging sensation it left behind made me flinch slightly. Another was pulled from my arm, then my leg. Did they know I was awake? Why were they removing the tubes? Why were they there in the first place? All of these questions and more came to mind and I was determined to find the answers, no matter what.

As more of the wires were removed the feeling returned and I was able to move again. The straps securing me to the table however were left alone. With one final tug the last wire was gone and my body jerked at the feeling of blood rushing into my limbs. My eyes were still closed but the need to know what was going on urged me to open them. Reluctantly I did and the first thing I saw was a pair of soft brown eyes looking back at me. The man they belonged to was young with pale skin and thick black curls styled messily on his head. He had a light dusting of freckles all over his face and he was smiling warmly at me. "Hello Peyton, it's an honour to finally meet you." He said, his voice deep and smooth, almost soothing. "Who are you and how do you know my name?" I asked my voice cracking from disuse. He turned and accepted a glass of water from someone wearing the hood of their cloak pulled low over their face. He gave me another smile as he placed the glass to my lips, allowing me to take small sips. "My name is Alex, I've heard stories of your adventures since I was a child, you are what we have been waiting for." He replied as I drained the glass. I frowned, his answer only confusing me more. Stories of my adventures. What adventures? The only thing I did was my job and that was not an adventure. I opened my mouth to ask what he meant but he held up a hand, silencing me. "Everything will be explained in time, for now we need to get you settled in." With that he began to untie the bindings on my arms and legs.

Finally free, I sat up and rubbed at my bruised wrists. I gave Alex a pointed look and he smiled sheepishly, it was annoying, was that really all he could do? "You struggled a lot when we first brought you here, it got violent a few times. We had to restrain and sedate you in the end, sorry if it's uncomfortable." He said looking a little guilty. I rolled my eyes at him. "A bit late to apologise don't you think." I snapped, smirking with satisfaction when he seemed to curl in on himself. I didn't care how nice he was being, he had admitted to keeping me against my will and I still didn't have a clue what was going on. "I'll take you up to your room so that you can rest before meeting the General." He murmured offering me a hand. I ignored it and jumped down from the table. My legs almost gave out under me, not yet ready to support my weight. He moved towards me, arms outstretched to catch me. A sharp look stopped him in his tracks as I gripped the edge of the table and regained my balance. "Who's the General?" I asked taking a few cautious steps forward. When I didn't fall flat on my face I walked more confidently to the door, Alex falling into step beside me. "He's the one in charge around here, you'll meet him soon; but first there's a lot you need to catch up on." Alex said his eyes flicking up to meet mine. I frowned, what on Earth did that mean? I was starting to get a headache from the riddles Alex seemed to speak in. I just wanted one straight answer was that too much to ask?

On the other side of the door was a corridor with closed doors all the way along it. It seemed to stretch on forever. He led me through another door, up a spiral staircase and down another corridor, this one brighter and warmer than the last. We continued through a maze of corridors and staircases until finally we came to a stop outside of an ornate wooden door. He turned to me with a small smile before he opened it, revealing a richly decorated room. There was a king sized four poster bed in the middle with a large window to the side letting in a fair amount of early afternoon light. A giant marble fireplace stood opposite the door and a small fire was already crackling in the grate. A tall bookcase stood next to it and it was stuffed with books of all shapes and sizes. The rug was thick, plush and deep red in colour. My bare feet welcomed the warmth coming from it, my toes sinking into its softness. "This is all for me?" I asked looking around the room in awe. I was used to cheap motels with dirty floors and thin sheets. "Yes it's yours, we want you to be comfortable here." Alex replied with a wide smile. I shook my head, why were they going to so much trouble for me? "I'll let you rest, someone will be up with some food and fresh clothes for you soon. The bathroom is through that door if you want to freshen up." He said pointing to a door next to the window. I nodded and he closed the door behind him as he left. I heard it lock with a soft click. So much for wanting me to be comfortable I thought with a scoff.

With nothing else to do I decided to take a look around my new room. I checked out the bathroom first and was thrilled to find a large claw foot tub instead of a shower. I smiled and promised myself a long soak later. Finished there I wondered over to the window to see if I could figure out a way to escape. The window was locked of course, I still had to try though. Outside of it was not what I was expecting. Beyond the lush gardens was a wasteland. The earth was black and pockmarked and the buildings were mostly reduced to rubble and framework. What had happened here? I shook my head and turned away, something was very wrong. I could feel that it was bigger than just what was outside my window but I wasn't sure I wanted to know how bad it actually was. With a sigh I crossed the room and climbed onto the bed. I sank into the mattress and curled into a tight ball. I had the feeling that I had just been pulled into something huge and I wasn't sure I was ready for it. With that in mind I closed my eyes and drifted into an uneasy sleep.