World of Ash and Magic

Prologue 

I looked at my computer screen, having just finished the website I had been tasked with completing. I leaned back in my office chair and sighed in relief.

"Thank god it's finally finished," I muttered.

Then, something cold was pressed against the left side of my head. With a simple tilt of my head, shifting my dreaded hair out of the way, I saw one of my work colleagues–Sara– pressing a cold beer against me.

"Yo Victor, you look like shit. Thought you would need this." Sara said

"Yeah, thanks," I said as I took the beer from her.

Sitting up, I opened the beer, took a drink, and took a not-so-subtle look at her. Sara was one of the many beauties who worked here. Her shoulder-length brown hair was tousled effortlessly stylishly, framing her angular face. Her bright hazel eyes seemed to gleam with mischief and determination as if she was always in on some joke. Today, she wore a casual yet flattering outfit—a fitted white blouse tucked into dark jeans emphasizing her slim, athletic figure.

She had a natural confidence, which made her stand out in any room. Still, she was also down-to-earth and hand you a beer after a rough day without a second thought. Her lips, painted with a subtle shade of rose, curled into a playful smirk as she noticed me glancing at her.

"Take a picture, dear; it lasts longer," she said.

I chuckled slightly. "Trust me, I know," I said as I sipped my beer.

Looking down at my watch, I noticed that the time was 10:00 pm.

"Damn, I didn't realize that it was this late," I said, getting up.

"What's up?" Sara asked confused

"I should head home to pack. I have a plane to catch tomorrow," I said.

"Oh, that's right, you start your paid vacation tomorrow," she said

"Yeah," I said as I picked up my jacket and slipped it on.

"So, where are you going?" she asked curiously.

"I'm gonna visit my family In Jamaica for my mother's birthday."

"Oh, that's nice."

I hummed in agreement as I finished packing away my things.

"See you in a week then," she said

"What gonna miss me?" I asked as I used my hair tie and tied my hair into a ponytail.

Sara snikered at my remark. "Miss you as if."

I placed my hand over my chest, feining hurt. "Oh, what will I do?" I said in a faux-hurt voice.

"Yeah, yeah, don't you have clothes to pack?" she said.

I snickered as I picked up my bag. See ya." 

"Yeah, see ya."

I walked away from Sara, headed towards the company elevator, and said goodbye to anyone I walked past. Stepping into the elevator, I pressed the button that brought the elevator to the ground floor. As the elevator doors opened, I stepped out and into the main lobby of the building, bidding goodbye to the security guards as I left the building. Stepping outside, I took a breath, breathing in the nighttime air as I stretched.

"Who knew that being coped up in an office for hours would be bad for your back," I said as multiple pops were heard. 

I finished my stretch and continued on my way. I walked through the city with a slight smile on my face. It had been a while since I'd seen my parents, so I hoped everyone was doing alright. As I was walking, I took a left into an alleyway closest to my house.

"I'm not going to lie; this week was rough. Dealing with 12 projects in a week, I'm beat," I sighed.

As I was walking, I felt something pressed against my back. Looking back, I saw someone wearing a black hood standing behind me, pressing a gun against my back.

I slowly raised my hands into the air and spoke. "Look, I want no trouble."

"Give me everything you got." the hooded robber said

"Alright, Alright," I said, reaching into my jacket for my wallet.

As I reached for my wallet, something strange struck me. The voice of the hooded robber sounded like a kid—16, to be specific—but that wasn't the odd part. The voice sounded familiar, very familiar. I must have stopped moving because the hooded teen said.

"Oi, what are you waiting for? Hurry up."

Hearing the voice again, I was sure, so I decided to test my theory.

"Adrian, what are you doing here?" I asked

I felt him flinch when he heard the name.

"Wha-what are you talking about?" he said

Yeah, it's definitely him.

"Adrian, I know it's you. What are you doing out here so late? Let alone trying to rob me? I know your parents are decently well off," I said

I felt him flinch again before slowly pulling the gun from my back. Once he did, I slowly turned to face him. Adrain pulled off his hoodie to reveal a face of fear and guilt. Adrian was a tall, lanky teenager with slightly messy dark brown hair that hung just above his striking blue eyes. His skin was pale, and under the dim streetlight, the shadows on his face exaggerated his youth, making him look even younger than his sixteen years.

There were faint bags under his eyes as if he hadn't been sleeping well, and his lips trembled slightly as he tried to maintain a tough demeanor, but it was clear he wasn't cut out for this. His lean build, the frame that hadn't entirely filled out yet, made him seem fragile despite the situation he had tried to create.

"Adrian…" I sighed, my voice softening as I saw the conflicted expression on his face. "What's going on, man? This isn't you."

He clenched his jaw and looked away, his hand gripping the gun tightly though it was now pointed at the ground.

"I… I don't know," he muttered, avoiding eye contact. His voice was shaky, and the bravado he'd tried to muster was crumbling. "I didn't know it was you. I swear I didn't."

"Forget that," I said, lowering my hands. "Why are you doing this? You've got a good family. What's really going on?"

"Told you he wouldn't do it." A male voice said from behind me.

Turning around to face the speaker. Walking towards us were three teens similarly dressed to Adrian. Wearing a black hoodie and jeans. The three teens approached with casual, almost mocking strides, their faces obscured by their hoods, though I could make out a smug expression on the one who had spoken. He was taller than Adrian, more muscular, and had a swagger that suggested he was used to getting his way. The other two flanked him, their posture tense but not aggressive, like they were just here to watch the show.

I looked between Adrian and the three teens, and it didn't take me long to figure out what was happening. He was trying to fit in with these three, and they set him up to do this. Wannabe gangsters were always the worst types.

"Look, leave the kid alone," I said, walking towards the teens.

The leader of the three pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. "Give what you got."

I stopped in my tracks as he pointed the gun at me. I sighed as I reached for my wallet. I pulled out my wallet and held it out. 

"Everything." the teen said

"Mark, what are you doing?" Adrian asked in surprise

"Showing you how it's done."

I frowned at his statement before reaching into my pocket and pulling out my phone. 

It didn't matter if I took these; I have a backup phone and credit card at home anyway.

Mark walked up to me, smirking, and snatched the wallet and phone from my hands. His gun stayed trained on me as he handed the items to one of the guys behind.

"See Adrian?" Mark said in a condescending tone. "That's how you get it done. No hesitation, no second-guessing."

"What makes you think you will get away with this?" I asked

"What do you mean by that?" he asked. 

 Yeah, he's new to this too.

"I mean, I know your voice, I know your name and which school you attend, so it wouldn't be long before the police and I find you and your friends," I said calmly.

It was a bluff. I knew that even with that much information, it would take too long to find him.

Mark stared at me for a few minutes, his friends quite too in deep thought. I turned and looked at Adrian to say something.

"Well, we can't have that, can we." I heard Mark say as I heard the sound of a gun getting cocked.

I turned around to see what was happening when three gunshots rang out. A burning sensation was felt throughout my chest. I stumbled back as I placed my hand on my chest, feeling something wet. Pulling my hand back, I saw blood, my blood. Feeling liquid filling my lungs, I coughed violently, blood splattering onto the pavement as my vision blurred. My legs buckled beneath me, and I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. The pain was overwhelming, but the shock of the situation hit harder.

I could barely make out the shapes of the teens now—Mark was frozen, the cocky smirk wiped off his face, replaced by wide-eyed panic. Standing off to the side, one of the other boys muttered something under his breath, but I couldn't hear it over the ringing in my ears and the sound of my ragged breathing.

Adrian stood a few steps away, his face pale, his eyes wide with horror as he looked at me. "Oh my god… what did you do, Mark?" he whispered, his voice trembling.

Mark's hand shook, the gun still gripped tightly in his fist. "Shit... I didn't mean—he pushed me!" Mark stammered, looking back and forth between his friends and Adrian, the weight of the situation finally sinking in. His bravado was gone now, replaced with fear.

I tried to say something, to tell Adrian to get away from them, but all that came out was a wet, rasping cough. The pain in my chest was unbearable, every breath sending another wave of agony through my body.

The world around me felt distant, the sounds muffled as if I were underwater. I could see Adrian stepping closer, his hands shaking, his face contorted in confusion and terror. "We... we need to call an ambulance!" he cried, turning to the others.

"Shut up!" Mark hissed, his voice cracking as he looked at his gun like it had betrayed him. "We need to get out of here!"

The other two teens, silent until now, were shifting nervously, their confidence shattered. One of them tugged on Mark's sleeve. "Let's go, man, we're in deep shit already."

"No... wait!" Adrian yelled, stepping between them and me, his body trembling. He looked down at me, desperation in his eyes. "We can't just leave him here!"

Mark cursed under his breath, but the fear in his eyes showed he was lost. He shoved the gun into his waistband and started backing away, pulling the others with him. "I'm not going to jail for this! We're out of here!"

With that, they turned and ran, disappearing into the night, their footsteps echoing down the empty street.

Adrian stayed frozen, his hands still trembling as he stared down at me. Tears began to well in his eyes as he knelt beside me. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean for this to happen," he whispered, his voice shaking. "Please… just hold on. I'll get help."

But as I lay there, my vision faded, and the cold creeps in. 

I wasn't sure if there was enough time left for that. Is this it? I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye to my parents.

I blacked out, and I felt myself floating as if I were in water but wasn't at the same time. My body was light as it floated. I tried to open my eyes to see what was happening. Was I getting carried to the hospital? I couldn't tell when I could finally open my eyes; a flash of light blinded me.

Prologue: End