Darkness.
There was nothing to see, nothing to hear. A void of absolute nothingness.
Alex's breath came in ragged gasps, her body drenched in sweat. Her chest felt tight, an overwhelming sense of fear creeping into her bones. Then, faintly, she heard it a voice. Distant. Hollow.
And in the blink of an eye, the world around her shifted.
Gone was the endless void, replaced by a lavish room that seemed to belong to a Victorian-era mansion. Golden chandeliers, intricately carved furniture, velvet curtains it was breathtaking, yet something about it felt unbearably empty. A deep loneliness clung to the air, suffocating and inescapable.
Then, there it was again the voice.
A soft hum, carrying a sorrowful tune, as if longing to escape.
On the grand bed sat a fragile figure. Long, silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing a pale face with deep purple eyes. Eyes that held the weight of a lifetime of suffering. Her skin was ghostly, lips cracked, her frail body barely clinging to life.
Alex felt something tighten in her chest. Sadness.
She wanted to reach out, to comfort the girl, but her body wouldn't move. She was forced to watch, helpless, as the girl exhaled a weak chuckle.
"I want to be free..."
And then, her body crumbled turning to dust before Alex's eyes.
The walls of the room fractured, reality shattering like delicate glass, dissolving into nothingness.
And just like that, she was gone.
Alex jolted awake.
Her breath was uneven, her heart pounding violently against her ribs. Sweat clung to her skin, soaking her clothes. She sat up, gasping for air, her hands trembling.
What the hell was that…?
Still shaken, she reached for the glass of water on her nightstand, but her unsteady grip failed her. It slipped from her fingers, shattering on the floor—just like the girl in her dream.
The sound echoed in the silence of the room.
Alex clenched her fists, a lump forming in her throat.
Why did that dream feel so real? So painfully real?
Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face.
"Why…" she whispered.
The question lingered in her mind, unanswered.
She forced herself to lie back down, willing herself to push away the unease clawing at her chest. It was just a dream. Nothing more.
Or so she told herself.
The Next Morning
Alex stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy from crying the night before, a stark reminder of the unsettling dream that refused to leave her mind.
"Shit… If anyone sees me like this, they'll think I just got dumped," she muttered to herself, forcing a dry chuckle.
She shook her head, quickly getting dressed for work. It was just a dream. Nothing to worry about.
Yet, as she walked down the street, the weight in her chest remained.
Then—
Silence.
Everything around her stopped.
The chatter of the morning crowd vanished. The rustling leaves, the distant hum of traffic gone.
It was as if the world had frozen, yet Alex could still move. A chill ran down her spine as she turned her head.
And then, she saw it a blinding light.
Before she could react, the light pulled her in.
Her surroundings twisted, shifting into a space of pure white, so bright it was almost blinding.
And there, standing before her, was a figure cloaked in radiance. Their face was obscured, their presence overwhelming, as if they were never meant to be perceived by mortal eyes.
Then, they spoke.
"You have finally come, Alex."
Alex's breath hitched.
"Who… Who are you?" she stammered.
"I am the one called God."
A heavy silence followed.
She let out a dry laugh. This had to be a joke.
To confirm, she pinched her cheek pain. She was awake and alive. This was real.
Then came the words that made her blood run cold.
"You have died."
Her heart stopped.
"What?! I— No, that's impossible!"
The figure remained unmoving. Absolute. Undeniable.
"I have a mission for you, Alex. And only you are capable of fulfilling it."
Alex's mind was still reeling. Died? Mission? What the hell was happening?
"You must kill all the demigods and restore balance to the world."
Her breath caught in her throat.
She stared at the figure, disbelief flooding every part of her being.
"Kill… Demigods?"
That word alone sent shivers down her spine. Demigods— the beings of myths and legends, their power far beyond human comprehension.
How the hell was she supposed to kill them?
"Why me?" she demanded. "How am I supposed to fight them? I'm just a normal human!"
The figure remained silent for a moment before answering.
"You were chosen. And you… are more than you believe yourself to be."
A strange glow emanated from Alex's chest.
She gasped as light coursed through her veins a warmth that was both blinding and comforting. It was hot like fire yet did not burn, cold like ice yet did not freeze. It was power something ancient, overwhelming, and terrifyingly familiar.
"What is this…?" she whispered, eyes wide as the energy surged through her body.
"A fragment of my power," the figure stated. "Only five percent. It has been inside you for a long time. Use it well on your journey."
The moment those words left their lips, the figure began to dissolve into light.
Panic surged in Alex's chest.
"Wait! What do you mean?!"
But before she could demand answers
The world around her shifted again.
The brightness faded, her vision darkening, her body falling
And then
She woke up.
Pain shot through her body like a thousand needles piercing her skin.
Everything ached.
Before she could process anything, a sudden gasp filled the room.
"M-My Lady?!"
Alex turned to see a woman dressed in a maid's uniform, a tray slipping from her hands.
The sound of porcelain shattering filled the air.
The maid's face was pale, eyes wide in pure shock.
Alex's head throbbed as her mind struggled to comprehend what was happening.
And then it hit her.
This wasn't her room.
And the person the maid had just addressed
Was not Alex.