Lexy stormed to the security gate. Her steps were heavy with sadness. It was a long procedure but she managed to get to her flight gate and get on her flight from Texas to Kansas.

Once the plane landed she exited through one of the gates and made sure she had everything. Lexy walked out to the front of the airport and got a cab.

She sat in the backseat with her suitcase and she looked at the driver after taking a brief look at the address her mom wrote on the letter.

“1214North Sungrove Road please?”

The driver gave her one raised brow but seemed to shake off what he was going to ask and began to drive.

Lexy stared in silence as the scenery changed from city buildings when the cab left the city and began to drive past country farms. He took a few turns through the streets and country roads to drive down a single road.

The road looked nicer compared to chipped roads that they were on previously. There were giant oak trees that created an overlay that let dusted sunlight come through the few openings of the treetops.

Finally, at the end of the road was a huge Victorian mansion. Lexy was flabbergasted at the sight of the lavish house with symmetrical brushing and intricate designs.

She noted, however, that of the many empty pedestals around the house, only one on the right side of the house had a gargoyle. . The cab parked and Lexy handed the driver his payment, grabbed her suitcase, and got out. Lexy watched the taxi leave and looked back to the mansion that towered over her.

“Well then, no turning back now.”

Lexy walked up to the house’s grand doors and knocked, no response. She was going to knock again when someone opened the door, it was a butler. The man looked at her and sighed as if he had seen her before.

“We don't take girl scout cookies anymore and before you offer those cursedly addictive brownies the answer is also no.”

Lexy was confused by the man’s words and then she realized why she was being confused for a girl scout, her height. Lexy shook her head and took out the letter.

“Me? A girl scout? That prissy troop of goblins. No. I was told to come here by my mom. I even have a letter from her. I'm Lexy.”

The butler gave her a skeptical look with a raised brow and took one look at the letter. His eyes widened,

“oh, she sent you. I see, very well.”

The butler looked back inside, “Sir Thokath! A Lexy is here to see you. She was sent by her!”

The butler had let Lexy inside the mansion. Lexy was astounded by the marvelous interior that looked to be ripped out a book of myth and imperial castles. Her attention was then brought to a man with crisp white hair and ruby red eyes. He walked down the steps and raised his brow, “I am Thokath, and what business do you have with me?”

Lexy handed the letter from her mother to Thokath. She watched as Thokath opened the crisp white envelope and read the message written on the folded paper inside. Thokath’s face scrunched into annoyance, then for a moment, he had a harsh shock on his face before he folded the paper and put it in his pocket.

Thokath looked to Lexy and sighed, “well then, I guess you will be here for a while. Come, I will take you to the guest bedroom.”

It was when Lexy walked with Thokath, that she couldn't help but stare at the man's hair. Never in her life had she seen hair so white. She looked to Thokath, “um, I don't mean to be rude, but, is your hair dyed?”

Thokath stopped, “Oh, no, this is my natural hair and eye color. By the way, I don't think we were properly introduced, I'm Thokath and you are?”

Lexy smiled, “My name is Lexy.”

Thokath nodded and resumed walking, “well it is very nice to meet you, Lexy. I hope you enjoy your stay here for the summer.” He resumed directing the small blond to the spare bedroom.

They walked up the staircases that started from the main room Lexy was in and up to the entrance of a set of hallways. Thokath led her down the closest one and eventually stopped at a door.

He opened the door and Lexy’s jaw dropped,

“This is the guest bedroom? It’s beautiful.”

She stated in awe while she looked at the red velvet silk sheets on the queen-sized bed and hand-carved walls and dresser.

Thokath raised a brow, “I thought she would have, ah I see.”

Lexy shook her head softly while she spoke, “no.”

Thokath’s brows knitted further in confusion “Get settled I need to go make some arrangements.”

Lexy nodded and looked around the room as she shut the bedroom door behind her. with her suitcase in hand she set it on the bed and opened it.

The blond first placed her clothes and other items away. That then left the trophies and medals she packed. She set the items up on top of the dresser.

Lexy smiled at her finished work, the dresser had two trophies with three medallions all from self-defense and gun competitions.

She turned back to her suitcase expecting to see it empty. Only to see her father’s knife. The knife was left locked up in a case at home. The knife that she never put in the case. With wide eyes, she picked the blade up,

“How in the wide world did this get through security?”

Lexy picked up the knife and walked over to the dresser. Opening the bottom drawer she neatly placed the knife under some folded clothes. closed the drawer and pleased with how things were organized, she wanted to try and find Thokath.

Lexy stepped out into the hall while she closed the door behind her and she tried to remember the way back to the main area. She looked down the hall to her right and huffed.

“What is this place a mix of Buckingham palace and the Baltimore hotel?”

Lexy looked to the left and noticed a girl in her early twenties or late teens. She had long blond wavy hair with a Bunny hair clip at the top. While the girl's attire consisted of a blue turtleneck and a white lab coat, the girl was a good three and a half feet taller than her or more.

The stranger quickly noticed Lexy and approached Lexy with a smile and had practically glowed with energy,

“Hi, you must be Lexy in Carin.” She talked with joy in her voice.

Lexy smiled “Yeah that be me. By the way, are you a scientist?” She said, eyeing Carin’s lab coat.

Carin’s expression shifted from enthusiastic to nervous, “I guess you could say that, I’ll have to leave now. See you later.”

The girl walked swiftly down the hall and was gone as soon as she was there. Lexy groaned,

“No, I was going to ask how to get around here.”

Lexy sighed and decided to map out the palace to the best of her ability. She went back into her room and found some paper and a notebook. Lexy left her room and wandered through all the long halls,

“Why do all the halls all look the same?” she said when she entered another hall that was the same as the previous.

Lexy took a deep breath and a delicious aroma filled her nose and she was immediately drawn to it.

She just followed the smell and eventually, her nose led her to a giant dining room with a long table that had different foods along with a long table. Lexy also noticed the rush of people dressed as butlers and maids to her; it looked like a historical roleplay.

Lexy walked up to one of the butlers, “Excuse me, is there any way I can help set the table?”

The butler stared at her for a moment and looked at her like she had lost her sanity ”young mistress do not bother yourself with a trivial task, Mabie go wash up instead.”

Lexy gave a soft smile,

”alright but if you need any help make sure and ask ok”.

The butler nodded in response and she decided to take the man's advice to go wash up.

The hard thing was finding the restrooms. Lexy ended up asking one of the maids to find it. After washing up Lexy realized she forgot to map the way to the dining hall from the bathroom. So she wandered but made sure to map the way this time.

The blond found her way back to the dining hall and noticed Thokath was giving some orders to the butlers and maids. Lexy came up to the white-haired man,

“Hi Thokath, is there any way I can help?”

Thokath looked at her the same way the butler did. “no but if you want you can sit down”

Lexy smiled in return, “Ok.” She sat down in a middle chair and waited politely.

Lexy recognized Carin when she walked through the door but not the six people that came in after.

Carin took a seat to Lexy’s left. Lexy was sitting at the end of the table and watched as the others sat down.

The group of other people consisted of three women and three men. Two of the women looked the same. With their sandy blond hair in short braids and their hazel eyes.

This was when Lexy noted that all these people have at least some shade of blond hair. Whether it be sand or towhead.

Lexy was not sure if she should bring up a conversation or not so she focused on eating the fancy soup that was served and just listened to the conversation.

When Thokath noticed her silence he turned to her “oh Lexy I'm sorry, here I will introduce you to everyone, to you’re right is-“

He was quickly interrupted by Carin, “we've already met.”

Thokath raised a brow but shrugged it off, “Next to Carin is Axle he is ….well he is our local couch potato.”

Axle ”hey! I am not a couch potato, I am a connoisseur in the art of video games and TV. For your information!“ he said while he glared at Thokath. He has dark sandy blond hair.

Thokath ignored Axle’s outburst and continued, “anyhow next is Misa and Mina, do beware about these two there are quite the pranksters.” He said when he gestured to two girls that looked exactly alike. Both smiled and waved to Lexy.

Thokath continued “Next, we have Leslie. She is an excellent businesswoman and bargains like I never could. Next is Varan he is, to put it simply a book worm and finally last but not least is Varic he is kind of a mix of a lot of us and honestly is a very good person to talk to. Anyhow, I think that is everyone.”

After the conversation, Lexy enjoyed the silence afterward when everyone finished up eating. But there was a question she wanted to be answered.

Lexy looked to Thokath, “excuse me Thokath I noticed that there is an extensive amount of forest around us and I was wondering if I could go exploring tomorrow morning?”

Thokath paused before he responded, “yes you may”

After dinner, Lexy pulled out the map and navigated her way back to her bedroom, and went to bed.

****

Lexy opened her storm blue eyes to the soft morning light filtering through her bedroom window. She groaned when she looked at the room she was in. The realization that Lexy wasn't in her room back at home. That her mom truly did send her away to be someone else's problem. Her mom probably won't even come for her either. Not after paying for a one-way trip.

Lexy pushed away from the feelings of sadness and betrayal. She looked back to the window and smiled at the bright beautiful day that awaited her outside.

Lexy got out of bed and smiled, “hopefully today will be better than yesterday. After all, good things happen on sunny days.”

Lexy walked over to the dresser and put on a grey t-shirt with a set of black jeans. She grabbed her light blue hoodie, put it on, and zipped it up. She then grabbed her red goggles and put them on.

Lexy took out the map she made of the house to find her way to the entrance lobby. She exited her bedroom, peered down at her map, and realized she needed to go right.

This led Lexy to a grand staircase leading to the entrance lobby. The blonde felt out of her element surrounded by such elegance and grandeur. Suspended from the vaulted ceiling was an enormous crystal chandelier. The stair railing seemed to be coated in gold. Intricate tapestries adorned the walls.

Lexy thought it strange, however, that there seemed to be bare spots on the walls, where pictures once were. She shook her head and pulled herself from her thoughts.

When Lexy descended the stairs and was greeted by Thokath, “good morning Lexy, I do hope you had a good night's sleep? Would you like to join me for breakfast with the others?”

Lexy gave a soft smile “yes I did have a good night's sleep but if you do not mind I would like to go exploring in the woods. I have always loved nature.”

Thokath thought momentarily and closed his eyes, then opened them, “very well, if you're heading out there I must warn you, we also have many creatures that live on our land and I do not know the land like I used to” He handed her a piece of white chalk. Lexy held it in her right hand and gave a puzzled look.

Thokath lightly chuckled “ you can use this to mark the path you take so you can find your way back, you know if there's anything I remember about that forest is you never know what you're going to find out there so.” he paused when he tried to find the correct words to use, “ be careful ok?”

Lexy smiled softly. Everyone seemed to be telling her to be careful lately. She was starting to get annoyed by it, “ok I will” The blond put the chalk in her pocket and walked out the front doors.

Lexy looked around for the direction she should enter the forest. There seemed to be two ways. She stared for a moment at the deep lush greenery, a warm wind whistled gently through the oaks and birch trees as if it beckoned her to enter the forest.

Lexy took a deep breath, she headed toward the forest. Once Lexy entered the dense undergrowth, she marked trees and mapped out the path took as she went.

The blonde occasionally stopped to just smell the air that is untampered by the ways of mankind and it was at one of those points when she heard something. Twenty feet away was a herd of white-tailed deer.

Lexy smiled and before she continued she took her hoodie off and tied it around her waist.

Lexy eventually got so far, she could no longer see the house and decided to head back. The blonde turned away from going into the forest and changed her direction for the mansion.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a young man appeared. His silver hair is wild and heavily disheveled. His clothes were tattered and torn. Stained crimson and barely hanging to his limbs.

”Who are…” she was cut off by her gasp.

Blood gushed from a massive hole in the man's abdomen, “oh my gosh you’re hurt” Lexy cared not that he was a stranger. Leaving him to die was not an option.

The young man was startled by Lexy's presence “oh I’m sorry no I will be fine sorry I-“ he was cut off by the sound of strange barking and growling. The young man gave a soft curse. “Those do not sound like dogs” Lexy exclaimed.

“That would be because those are not dogs” The peculiar stranger shouted back.

Without warning, a swarm of dragon-looking creatures materialized behind the injured boy. long razor-sharp whips extended from their tail bones. large claws that appeared to be made of steel.

The creatures lurched in the attack. Lexy instinctively shielded her face with her exposed arms. Just in time, the stranger shoved Lexy to the ground by pushing her and punched one of the creatures in the face. “RUN!” He shouted.

Lexy decided to take his advice and ran until she found one of her chalk marks on a tree.

Lexy was fraught with worry about the boy fighting those dragons like monsters. She wanted to help defend the injured boy but she lacked any manner of attack weapons. With no knowledge of the beasts or their weaknesses. The blond knew that she would have only been in the way.

A heart heavy with worry and sadness she decided it was best to head back to the mansion to seek help from someone else.

Lexy followed her chalk path until the mansion was in view. From there she walked straight for the house and entered the home to find it was deathly quiet and turned to one of the butlers “where are Thokath and the others?”

The butler paused before answering “Mr. Thokath and his siblings are on an important business trip and might not be back before dinner, but lunch is already prepared for you.”

Lexy shook her head “No, that’s not what I was meaning. There is a boy out there who came out of nowhere and is bleeding out. We need to help him!”

The butler's eyes widened “Lead the way.”

Lexy nodded and hastily led the way back to where she found the boy. Only to see no boy and no monsters. However, there were claw marks embedded into the surrounding trees, blood on the grass, and footprints in the dirt.

She stared with wide eyes “He was here! I swear! I mean look at the claw marks in the trees.”

The butler raised a brow “What do you mean? There are no claw marks.”

Lexy looked to the butler with eyes filled with shock and looked back to the trees to see the claw marks that were very much still there.

Lexy frowned, “but I swear they were here!”

The butler shook his head, “young one I will warn you now. Do not be the boy who cried wolf.”

Lexy sighed and followed the man back. Questioning whether she saw the boy at all.

They walked back to the mansion and the butler looked at her “Now how about you go eat and forget about this boy from the woods.”

Lexy nodded, silently she pulled out her map of the house to find her way to the dining room. She entered the vacant dining room and sat down. Lexy was quiet when one of the butlers brought her a plate of food.

When she ate her meal she thought of the strange monsters and the injured boy. Lexy was worried about the boy but the more she thought about it. The more she was convinced it was some weird daydream.

Lexy finished lunch, she thanked the cook and decided to explore the house and add more to the map. Her curiosity led her to explore the hallways without feeling comfortable enough to enter any of the rooms. Lexy found her way back to the ballroom or that’s what Lexy thought it was.

With that, she went to bed.

****

The next morning Lexy got out of bed, went to look out the window to see the sky was red and purple. She rubbed her eyes, the sky went back to normal and right when she thought all was right with the world. The sky glitched like a computer and changed back to purple and red. This process continued, abnormally, to the normal sky.

Lexy tried to ignore this and started to get ready for the day and walked over to her dresser. She pulled out grey cargo pants, a black shirt, and a fresh blue hoodie. She began getting dressed by putting on the black shirt. Lexy then wriggled her way into the grey cargo pants and put on her light blue hoodie. She grabbed her goggles and put them on her head.

Lexy grabbed her map and walked out of her bedroom into the hallway. In an instant, everything glitched and she swore she was floating above a dusty storage area.

But as soon as it was there it was gone “the hell is going on! Ok, the world is glitzy and you’re seeing things. I am just fine.”

She paused for a moment and the world flickered again. “Uh, no this is not fine in any way and this doesn’t sound like some normal hallucinations. So, if I am seeing weird things this all started with that boy in the forest! It must be something to do with him!” With that in mind she took out her map of the mansion and walked downstairs to the dining room for breakfast.

Unlike dinner and lunch, Thokath and his siblings all attend breakfast. Lexy, like yesterday, decided to sit by Carin and at the end of the table. Thokath sat at the head of the table to Lexy’s left. Leslie sat across Lexy on the other side of the table. The twins and Varan sat next to Leslie on the right. While Varic and Axle sat near Carin to the right.

She sat down, her face scrunched with annoyance. This glitch was starting to get on her nerves. When breakfast was served, Lexy went to pick up her fork, and the world glitched yet again.

This caused her fork to fall through her hand and onto the floor. She waited for the glitching to stop and she picked up her fork. Lexy glanced at Carin “did you see that?”

Carin turned to her “see what?”

Lexy’s jaw dropped and huffed; she was not repeating what happened with the butler. Lexy scooted back to her chair and standed up. She hadn't noticed that her airline ticket fell out of her pocket,“please excuse me I need to go do something”

With that, she walked out not wanting to hear what anyone else had to say. Lexy walked to her room and sat down on her bed. Until the whole world glitched and changed before Lexy's eyes.

The bed she was once sitting on disappeared that caused her to fall on her rear, “ouch, what the heck”

Lexy looked at her new surroundings and was truly shocked by what she had seen. The once lush forest surroundings were gone and replaced by abandoned storage units that were accompanied by stale air

The blond beyond confused decided to mark her spot with chalk on a storage unit and make a new map only to find her chalk is gone, “dam it, hello?” Lexy said, perplexed by her sudden change of surroundings.

No response, Lexy gives a shaky sigh “ok this is weird, and impossible you know what I bet it’s a dream this is... oh, who am I kidding! If this was a dream, I wouldn’t be able to see my shadow or other details ever since I have gotten here. It's been weird! Thanks, mom for sending me away to a bunch of weirdos. Thanks mom for abandoning me.” She said with a snarl of anger.

Lexy sighed and began to wander around. Desperate to find a way out of this maze-like area. Beside the sound of her footsteps against dirt, sand and breathing she heard no bugs or animals, nothing but herself.

Until she heard footsteps head towards the corner she was at. Excited to see another person she turned the corner and was not greeted by something human.

But was greeted by a creature that has the bone structure of a human just has blue scales, horns, draconic eyes and elf-like ears. Lexy in response to seeing the thing screamed “what the hell!”

The thing surprised by the blonde’s reaction quickly knocked the poor girl out and looked around cautiously “I need to bring this to Alcore, this is a problem.”