Chapter 1
“Time's up”, she said, and the world shattered beneath my feet. Cracks spread like the grasping hands of wildfire across the ground, the hellish lightning shining brilliantly against a dusty canvas as its rust red branches tore through the earth I stood on. The gales bayed in glee as they nipped at the heels of the fleeing flames, which flew in every direction, leaving nothing but the shriveled cinders of the past in their wake. Thick smoke choked the air, smothered the sky, and then reached its shadowy tendrils towards me and stole the breath from my lungs. Still, I screamed as carnage painted a picture of death around me, its crimson brush marking me with blistering skin and cuts deep enough to scar. A skilled stroke of destruction across the landscape silenced my voice, the thick paint of exhaustion coating my throat and mind. I collapsed to my knees, burnt out.
A gust of wind enveloped me, smelling faintly of vanilla and cinnamon. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, smiling.
The breeze caressed my tortured form, soothing the sting of my wounds, and cooling the heat that lingered within. My body crumbled into ash, dispersing slowly into the wind.
“Will you wait for me?” I wondered, eyes turned to the heavens. There was no answer.
“I hope you will.” I said. For a split second, I saw someone gazing down at me, and my heart soared.
Then, I was gone.
