Chapter 1
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‘Fire, there were ashes falling from the sky, screaming, death. A hell demon thirsty for the blood of the innocent and an angel, pure and good.’
Nora woke unfazed by her dream. It was normal for her to see things before they happened. This one was different; this one keeps on repeating and she is still yet to figure out its meaning. She went downstairs to the library, the one place she could go to think. Trying to recall if there was anything different from the last times, but there was nothing. Nothing but destruction over and over again.
“It happened again?” It wasn’t surprising that Axel was awake before the sun rose from the seas. “Yeah” She whispered underneath her breath, “Same as last 50 times”.
She was never good at drawing but the vision inspired her to use what she had to put it on paper. The scent of old and new books flooding her body with endorphins. The warmth of the open fireplace settling the goosebumps on her skin. Her father’s presence sourcing the provision of comfort.
Taking a hot shower, Nora dressed in a pencil skirt and a tucked in white blouse. Allowing her long red hair to flow down the lengths of her back, she was ready to leave. There was a car waiting for downstairs preparing to take her to the office, “Miss Steele”. She nodded at the driver and got into the back seat with her father and his second, Raina Jackson. Usually, she preferred driving. The thrill of speeding past lanes of traffic, breaking every law with the wind crashing in her face. But this was a work ride.
The car pulled up at the main entrance of ‘Steele Industries’. Nora hadn’t been back here for a while. She had been in her homeland, trying to find some truth to her past.
She used to love coming here when she was a child. There always plenty good places to hide. So many types of equipment she could play with while her father, held up on the phone or in meetings for hours on end. She loved it. This was until they introduced her to the science division of Steele Industries. Test after test, there were many needles and endless exploratory surgeries. The world’s greatest minds working together to comprehend her unique biological structure. A little while after that Steele Industries began to feel more like a prison. She was a lab rat, having every aspect of her life monitored.
Now having a major role in her father’s company, Nora had to come back to the offices and that includes the science division. Taking part in meetings was something that she could not miss. Taking a seat next to Raina she pretended to listen to proposals supposed to change the future of the company. Before a conclusion to their meeting, Axel began to make an announcement, the board members turned their heads to listen to their CEO.
“I would like to thank you all for being here.I would like to inform you all that I will be taking a leave for a few months, during this time I will be appointing my daughter, Nora to fill my position of acting CEO until I return.” The two had spoken about this, Nora being unaware that the time would come so soon.
“May I ask where you’re going?” She asked the moment they were behind closed doors, fear clear in her voice.
“Sleep” was all that he said.
Her heart raced. “No, not yet. It’s too soon, you have at least another year”. Raina excused herself to allow them to talk. Axel tried to calm his daughter, but it was too late, her heart stopped, eyes rolled back all the way that they turned white while her body forced itself into a trance of unconsciousness.
Fear was evident in her father's face as he called Raina back into the room to assist. They lowered her body onto the ground and injected a dose of epinephrine straight into her heart. Still unconscious but with her heart rate back up and blood pressure lowered, the pupils of her eyes now visible she would soon wake and be able to tell them what she saw.