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CHAPTER 1
The wailing of sirens from both the police and ambulance vehicles reverberated across the neighbourhood.
Heavy footsteps from the boots of firefighters and barking of orders added to the deafening sounds the burning house made.
A water hose was angled directly at the house to quench the flames.
"The fire just keeps getting worse. We can't make it stop," a firefighter said in a loud voice.
"Check for survivors! Hurry!" The superior ordered.
As the men moved about in the now burning mansion, trying everything they could to end the fire and save any survivors, a black Rolls Royce pulled over to a screeching halt beside the house.
The car doors flung open as two youngsters, a lady and a man dashed in through the tall black and gold-rimmed gates.
"No, no, no... Noo!!!" The lady vigorously shook her head as she could not believe what she was seeing.
"Miss, please stay back. You can't go further into the premises," a policeman quickly stopped the lady from moving passed the taped area.
"Let go of me. That's my home. My parents are in there," the lady struggled to free herself from the grasp of the policeman in order to get through.
"Miss, you can't go inside. Please understand. It is highly dangerous for you to go in there," he pleaded once more.
"But my parents are inside," she protested still.
No matter what the policeman said, he couldn't get her to stop struggling.
She struggled with all the strength she could muster. Her red hair was scattered all over her face as tears continued to flow down her eyes like an open dam.
"Scarlett," a man approached while voicing out her name in a loud tone.
He proceeded to effortlessly pull her from the taped area and set her down close to their car, blocking her path from moving.
Seeing as her escape route had been blocked, she peered up at him with sadness, worry and anxiety written all over her.
"Kayden, we have to go inside to get mum and dad," the lady, Scarlett cried.
"We can't–"
"We can't find anyone alive. There are no survivors."
Kayden's words were interrupted by one of the men working. The words felt like sharp knives and needles pricking both Scarlett and Kayden's hearts.
"Noo!" Scarlett burst out in a heart-wrenching wail, shocking everyone around.
Taking hold of the distraction she had managed to cause; it was as if her legs instantly had a will of their own and made her dash past the policeman to the almost burnt-down house.
The policeman was shocked but he quickly regained himself to follow after her.
He had to catch up to her as the house was on the verge of collapsing.
Scarlett ran in hopes of saving her parents that may be crying out for help. She ignored the loud shouts from the people telling her to stop.
A few policemen ran toward her before she could cause her own demise.
Before she could get any closer than she already was, Kayden got to her first and pulled her backwards.
Right before their eyes, the building they once knew as their home crumbled down with their parents inside.
"Noo... Let me go... Someone help them, please... Mum... Dad!"
Eyes wide in horror, pain and fear as everyone watched the building fall to its dust with a loud sound.
"NO!!"
No matter how loudly Scarlett cried or called for help, everyone was at a standstill. There was nothing they could do.
The house had already been destroyed.
Besides, they found no survivors as the fire had burnt everything in its path.
Now, only the cries and begging from Scarlett could be heard.
"Please, don't go... Mum... Dad, come out already. Don't die like that... P-Please, don't leave me... Aaahhh!!"
The bystanders heaved sighs of pity as they witnessed the gruesome scene of the house getting burnt down. Some could not even hold back their tears at such a terrible and pitiful sight.
The evening soon came as the bright clouds and sun paved the way for the bare black sky and bright full moon.
The crowd thinned over time as multiple bystanders occasionally approached to give their condolences until only Scarlett, Kayden and a few policemen were left at the scene.
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In a dark building secluded in the faraway mountain, a ritual was being carried out.
Men in black clothing hiding their facial features under hooded robes could be spotted lined up in a circular format.
In their midst was a body also clothed in black that was laid on a symbol on the concrete floor. Around the body and the room were several lit candles.
They were the only source of light in the room that looked like an underground chamber of darkness.
The men standing in black began to chant uniformly in an ancient language.
As the chanting continued, one of the men, who seemed to be the leader moved from one person to another with a golden cup and a sharp knife that had a black red-eyed dragon carved on its handle.
Each man he stood before would accept the knife and cut their palm with the golden cup underneath. It went round till no one was left.
Taking the golden cup and knife to a lifted altar. He spoke in a loud voice in the now silent room.
"Vakria umingo zres~ laeva vrag nastati... Under the fullest moon, at the deepest and darkest grounds and hearts, we summon you, the great dark lord."
The man took the cup to stand above the head of the body on the symbol. He slowly knelt and tilted the golden cup filled with their blood unto the carved symbol.
As the blood flowed through the little paths made by the symbol, the man continued.
"Ancient mighty ruler, arise and lead us once more. Awaken from thy slumber. AWAKEN!"
As soon as those words rolled out of his lips, a dense black smoke appeared from the statues of ancient creatures within the room. They gathered at the centre of the room and possessed the body.
Seconds later, a pair of dark red eyes swept open and the once lifeless body came alive.
"He has awoken."