- Gabriella -

The tug and pull of darkness feels familiar after I have been floating here at this precipice for what feels like an eternity. Like the first time I've been here, it seems ever-moving, shifting and calming. The soft dripping of water is the only sound I hear in the soothing emptiness.

"You have to wake up, child. It's time. Open your eyes now," Whispers a voice in this empty chasm.

My eyes flew open and I became aware of this very apparent aching soreness. My whole body throbs. Like someone threw me into a punching ring and then dragged me out. My throat is dry and my tongue felt like sandpaper, stuck to the top of my mouth. It tasted like ash. Ugh. What happened? Images of trees, of a pathway, of a strange pair of glowing eyes flashed across my pounding head. What was I doing last night? I remember I was supposed to be attending Prince Damien's welcome party...

Images of me attending a party floods into my brain, the dancing, the drinking and the strange people.

I sat up and instantly regretted it as my body lurched side ways. My muscles protested as I grasped the bed to stop myself from falling off. It retaliated vehemently with stiff soreness and I let out a muffled groaned. This feels worse than an intense workout.

The voices that flitted through the slightly ajar door stopped. I didn't realise that there were other people here. Until the murmurings stopped and silence ensued.

Taking a quick look at my surroundings, I find myself in someone's bedroom. A dressing table, with make-up brushes, cosmetics, and nail polish, all arranged neatly together. The faint smell of exotic perfume, with a tint of vanilla permeates the room. The room looks relatively new and empty, save for two books placed neatly in a stack and a rose in a small vase. A girl's bedroom it seems. I mused silently.

As I wondered where I was, the hushed voices from outside the room continued. They seem to be in a heated conversation.

"I thought I heard something... Damien, are you sure she is one of us? Are you very certain that she is a -"

Before the person could complete his sentence someone else cut in. "Are you doubting me Fenrys? She has the same condition as each of you. How do you explain the fire then?"

"Oh for Suola's sake, that's not a very good one. She could just be a very gifted human or a witch. How could we just take her in?" A girl's voice joined in.

"Stop saying Suola's name. What if the Dark Queen awakes?" One of them exclaimed, in that same hushed tone.

Followed by someone smacking, and a loud "Ow!". "The hell Fenrys! Are you trying to wake everyone in the dorm?"

"Crazy woman! You hit me first!" The male voice growled.

"That's because you said that She will awake. We all know that that's not going to happen." They've given up the pretense of whispering any more.

GRRRRRowlll...

My stomach called and the smell of something cooking drove me mad with hunger. The voices fell silent but I was too hungry to care. Without paying them any heed, I decided to drag my sorry excuse of a body out of the room and towards that heavenly smell.

My eyes spotted the eggs and toast, the source of the heavenly smell, before my feet shuffled towards it. Plopping myself down, I helped myself to the generous helping of food on the dining table. I managed to devour two slices of toast in a row before someone coughed in front of me. I stopped mid-chew as I looked up to see a person sitting in front of me. He looks at me with an expression of curiosity.

A ridiculous thought popped up in my head. I probably looked like a crazy girl with hair sticking up everywhere. Giving the stranger a smile that I hoped passed as decent, I threw a cheery wave before grabbing the cup of orange juice that has been sitting on the table invitingly.

"Wait, that's... mine..." The stranger spoke but it was too late as I took a large gulp. He watched in amusement as I down in all in one go.

"Sorry, I was just too thirsty." I croaked giving him a sheepish shrug.

He chuckled wryly. "With the burnout that you had, it's not a wonder actually. Help yourself then, there's more in the kitchen." He waved his hand towards his share of warm toasts. I needed no compelling as my hand reaches by itself towards the food. I stared at it in surprise which only earned another chuckle from the stranger.

After stuffing my mouth with his share, I leaned back against my chair and patted my stomach, satisfied.

"I'm Jonathan. What's your name?"

I studied Jonathan's profile, he has the most unusual cropped silver hair and blue eyes, reminding me of stormy skies. He looks like he gyms a lot, with nicely-build muscles under his shirt.

Jonathan doesn't seem fazed under my scrutiny, he attacked his toast with fervor. I pondered whether I should break this momentary peace and drop the question of where the hell I am when suddenly someone walked out of the kitchen. Familiar dark eyes were fixed on me as he held a tray with more eggs and toast.

"More toast?" He raised his brows. Even without the classy glasses, I recognized him. A memory of me sitting with him in the Garden of Sins flashed across my mind. "Daniel?" I asked hesitantly. "You were with me at the party, I remember."

Daniel said nothing before placing the tray down on the table and sat down beside me with a sigh.

"Daniel? Who the heck is Daniel?" Another person walked out of the kitchen and with a start I also recognized him. He was the transfer student in my Forensics class. He plopped down on the seat next to Jonathan. A sense of confusion gnaws at me. What's happening? Do the both of them know each other?

"Gabriella, look I'm sorry. I lied." Daniel looked at me, his expression cool and his eyes unreadable. "I'm not Daniel. My real name is Damien Ytger."

I absorbed the information in silence. Carefully, I made sure my face was devoid of any reaction.

"What a great liar. You deceived her? Never knew our squad leader was the type to break girls' hearts." I can hear the sarcasm dripping from the sentence itself. Damien looked at Fenrys, who shoved a toast into his mouth while waggling his brows. With a look, he wordlessly told him to shut up. Fenrys only rolled his eyes.

Distractedly, I noted that Jonathan and Fenrys have peculiar similarities in their features. Like their eyes are both the same stormy blue and their slightly arched noses are the same. Just that Fenrys looks tanned and Jonathan looks less tanned. Are they brothers?

"So you're saying that you are the Minister's son?" Something about what Damien said clicks in my mind. "Your name isn't Daniel but Prince Damien? Wait, no something isn't right. I saw him on the news and he has black hair not brown." I squinted at his hair. Yep even the roots look brown to me.

"I dyed it brown so I could pass off as someone else," Damien explained. "I don't want the paparazzi all over me, or extra attention that will impede my job here."

Fenrys snorted. "Well, you can't blame the fashion consultants for their seamless work." Which earned him a rude gesture this time.

I examined his face closely. This time I noted his finely-chiseled jawline, his slender nose, and unique onyx eyes. Eyes that no one in Soren have. I know he's the real deal. But it takes more than that to trust someone I just met. He could have used contacts or plastic surgery or something. Maybe he's the secret double shadow.

"Okay, so let's say I believe you. Tell me where am I? Why am I here? And who are they?" I stated.

Damien chose his next words carefully. "You are in our dorm room. You blacked-out after what happened, so we brought you back with us. Do you... remember anything?"

"You have yet to answer my other question. Who are they? Your friends?" I jutted my chin towards the two boys in front of me. "And the others in the kitchen too." Where is Claudia when I need her? Where are the rest of my friends?

"You can say they are my acquaintances... or maybe teammates?" Damien spoke lightly, but the slight tension in his tone gave him away. It must have been more than acquaintances. Maybe friends. "Now if you could Gabriella, I need your help to walk us through what you can remember."

"I can't seem to remember anything much after meeting that strange man." I blurted as a hazy image of a boy with inky black hair and eyes swam in my mind. Damien shared a look with the other two boys, who shrugged and raised their brows. They started glaring at each other and gesturing animatedly as if it was a silent debate. I looked between them wondering if they had forgotten that I was still here.

"You've slept for three days. Right after you blackout from using your powers...against that strange man." It was Fenrys who finally broke the silence as he chewed on a toast, earning him two pairs of pointed glares. "What? All I said was the truth! Stop looking at me like you guys can't wait to suck the living daylights from me." His voice muffled with food.

I struggled to process what he said.

"Did you say three days? Three days?? I have been sleeping for three days?!" Panic blooms in my chest. "What about school? What about my friends?" I'm suddenly in fight-or-flight, ready to bolt if something looks even remotely off.

"Hey chill." A melodic husky voice sounded from somewhere to my left. A girl, one of the three people, who were leaning against the kitchen door. The other two are guys. Folding her hands, she stared at me meaningfully. As if she's saying "Hey pipe it down. It's not cool."

"Vesna." Damien's voice contained a note of warning. "I need time to talk to her."

Vesna huffed before unfolding her arms. "I'm sorry for interrupting your little chitchat, but this is pointless." Without waiting for Damien's reply, she looked at me and said it straight to my face."The school has been notified of the events that have happened. After you almost blew a quarter of the forest off. Even the P.D. had to intervene. It's a wonder the whole school doesn't even have an inkling about it. Your clueless friend, the boy, what's his name? Ah right, he calls himself Res. Who has been knocking on the door for god knows how many times, asking about you. You'd better thank the P.D. that your cover isn't blown."

Hearing that, relief washes against me. Res has been looking for me?

"P.D.? And what did you mean that I almost blew a quarter of the forest?" I said shaking my head in disbelief. How do I even blow up a tree, let alone a quarter of a forest? "If you guys are trying to cook up some story, at least try to put in more effort. This is absurd."

"No we're not cooking up a story. Damien and you met a sidhe. He tried to take you away but your powers awoke. Thank Suola for that. We may not know who you are, but one thing is clear, you are in grave danger." Her voice has a familiar lull like one of my favourite pop singers I listen to. But its not possible that she's her right?

"Sidhe? As in faeries?" I burst out laughing. "This is sounding more and more ridiculous. I'm not a child. Faeries don't exist at all."