Kyra Crest stood waiting for the train. It was running late- which meant she too would be late. Her foot tapped the ground impatiently, the sound echoing through the empty platform as she scrolled through her work phone, taking in dozens of pictures of the new stock that had arrived that morning. She had some bad luck with picking out the raw metals her company used in the past, and this was her last chance to strike it rich or lose everything. One picture, in particular, caught her eye, a lump of dull earth that looked like it would be passed over by even the least discerning of pickers.
This was her last chance; if she couldn't find suitable metal that her company could use, they'd be out of business. Her big plan of moving to the city and getting rich by using scraps from wholesalers would be a bust.
She sighed and put away her phone, leaning over to look down the tracks for the train that still wasn't there. Suddenly she heard a soft meow coming from below the platform. She looked down to see a small black kitten wandering the tracks, mewing as it wobbled about. In the distance, Kyra heard the whistle of the train.
'Of course, of all the times it would show up.' She thought, panicking.
Without thinking, she jumped from the platform onto the tracks, scooping up the protesting kitten. As she hurriedly moved to get back up, she felt a tug on her leg- her pants were caught on the tracks. Eyes wide, she looked up to see the train getting dangerously close- the horn blaring and brakes screeching as it attempted to stop in time. Kyra threw the kitten onto the platform and reached for her leg, desperately trying to rip the fabric free.
Her panicked eyes met the kitten's, as the bright lights of the train filled her vision.
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'ugh....' Kyra groaned as droplets of water hit her face. She sat up, clutching her throbbing head, and opened her eyes to see nothing but darkness. The air was damp and cool, bringing some relief to her aching body. She blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes, but she still couldn't see anything. The echo of water drops hitting the ground rang out, but no other noises could be heard- no train, no kitten, no people nor cars in the distance.
Kyra struggled to her feet, arms outstretched as she wobbled around, feeling for anything in the darkness. Her fingertips hit a wall, cold and rough. Confusion overtook her, it seemed like she was in some sort of cave, but she had no idea how she had gotten here or how she was alive. Her hands grazed her body and she felt what seemed like rough rags covering her instead of her usual business attire.
'What is going on...' She slid her back against the wall to sit on the ground, feeling dizzy and overwhelmed. She looked around the room for any source of light, and was surprised to make out a tiny glimmer coming from across the room. She quickly stood up and carefully made her way towards it, the shuffling of her feet echoing along the walls.
She knelt down by the source of the glow- A tiny brilliant white nugget of metal that lay between two halves of a plain round rock that looked eerily similar to the one brought into work that morning. The metal was like nothing she'd ever seen- It was faceted like a crystalline gemstone and she could feel a slight warmth radiating from it.
Kyra picked up the metal, feeling its warmth spreading across her palm as she gazed at it, fascinated. It started to heat up in her hand as she felt small tingles of energy throughout her body. She watched in shock as it melted into her palm, sinking into the skin. The glow became a shining beacon that moved up her arm and slowly spread across her whole body. Kyra felt an odd, captivating energy making its way through her. It wasn't uncomfortable, but rather strangely calming, and warm.
Suddenly the room exploded into a million colors- Kyra could see veins of silver, gold, and metals unknown to her, along with hundreds of tiny gemstones throughout the walls and beyond. The energy of them humming, calling out to her. Her vision faded back to black as she fell onto her back. She closed her eyes and drifted off, feeling drained.