Chapter 1
As far as I could remember, I had never been in a situation like this. Everything was so loud, driving my head crazy. It was like walking into a flurry of animals. As a new student joining the local high school, I was getting increasingly nervous. I didn’t usually associate with people I didn’t know. In fact, I tried to stay away from them as much as possible. But here, I couldn’t avoid it, and as a new student, I stood out. I navigated through the crowds of people, never feeling more alone and afraid. I forgot where I was going, and I bumped into someone, sending me to the floor.
‘Sorry,’ I mumbled, looking anywhere but the person in front of me, heat rising to my cheeks.
‘That’s alright,’ a pleasant voice said. I looked up to see in front of me, a boy, who had light brown hair that fell into his striking amber eyes. I stared in shock at his face - on it were a few long jagged scars that contrasted heavily against his extremely pale complexion. He held out a hand, and I took it hesitantly as he helped me up onto my feet. ’You ‘kay?’
‘I’m fine,’ I muttered, brushing the dirt off my jacket, and picking up my bag. He flashed me a smile, and then carried on his way, and I did the opposite. Well, I thought, that was a great start to my day. Getting knocked over by some random guy.
I found my way into the school, and I was called into a large office at the end of a long hallway. A middle-aged man with square glasses sat there behind the desk, and he raised his head as I walked in.
‘Ah,’ he said, standing up, and pushing his chair behind the desk. ‘You must be the new student. And your name?’
‘Alyssa,’ I said, fidgeting with my jumper sleeve.
‘Lovely,’ he said, clapping his hands together. ‘I’ll show you to your form.’
We walked through the hallway and up the stairs together, and he asked me many questions, like where I had come from. I couldn’t really answer those. You see, I wasn’t your normal sixteen-year-old. I was, in fact, very much different.
We reached a door labelled ‘11’. I was ushered inside to see a few rows full with people. A lady was standing at the front before a whiteboard. She beamed when she spotted me standing at the front of the classroom, and pulled me all the way in.
‘It’s so nice to see you here!’ She said, and then turned to everyone. ‘This is Alyssa. She’s a new student joining us, all the way from France. Say hello, Alyssa.’
I stared at my feet as I felt everyone’s eyes on me.
‘Hi,’ I said awkwardly.
‘Please be friendly,’ the lady said to everyone. ‘You can sit in that seat over there.’
She pointed to an empty desk in the back of the classroom, right next to the window. I walked over, avoiding everyone’s gaze, slung my bag on the back of my desk, and sat down. At least from the back here, no one could stare at me. I brought out my books, and watched as time slipped away, and I had my first lessons. I was hardly listening, instead staring out the window. I could see my wobbly reflection in the glass doors as I walked past - a girl with fiery orange hair and ocean blue eyes, dressed in her best clothes and with a black choker on her neck. The same as always.My mind wandered to the scenes that had played in my head, many, many times.
The tremors started every time they came round. It would start with a small tremble in my fingers and end up with my limbs flailing around madly underneath the straps that held me onto the bed. My clothes were torn and bloodied, grazes on my arms that made it look like I was attacked by a wild animal. Tubes implanted in my skin were draped over the side of the bed, red liquid pulsing gently through. I gritted my teeth in pain as constant electric shocks ran through my body. They stood above me, their white lab coats gleaming in the artificial light. A piece of metal was fitted in my mouth to stop me from screaming as they injected different things into me. It continued like this every day. I wasn’t even sure whether it was days. Most of the time I was trying to get to sleep, being interrupted by pain coursing through my body. As time slipped by, I began to not be able to feel myself anymore, my mind feeling like a murky swamp. I found my body wasn’t able to listen to my commands anymore and I was losing control of it. I felt I didn’t know who I was anymore. The tremors carried on, tears streaming down my face as I was held down roughly. I tried to remember the last glimpses of my family. I was only young. It got too much. All I remembered was a name… I had written it down on a slip of paper, yet I had no idea where it had got to. Then, that time, it happened. After the 6th test that round, they all stood around me whispering something excitedly. One of the men triumphantly approached. I faintly heard him say. ‘I’ve found it. It’s finally going to happen.’ He grabbed hold of my arm and injected a pulsing blue substance. A shudder ran through my body, igniting the spark that lay deep within. A burning rush - pain like a thousand knives stabbing me in the same place. I tried to open my mouth to scream, yet nothing came out. I writhed as the blazing hot white pain pounded into my head until I could no longer feel myself. For a second, a surge of power exploded in me. I caught the last glimpse of my surroundings, slightly blurred by the intense pain and, in the corner of my eye, I noticed a young boy standing by the doorway, his brown hair seemingly flying in some sort of breeze. A smile played on his lips. Then, the darkness closed in and I could see no more.
I found myself curled against a wall, the stone-cold floor of the street against my legs. I struggled weakly to move my limbs. I felt strangely tired, my eyes failing to keep open for more than four seconds. Cold seeped into my body. I glanced down, noticing that I was in nothing but a blanket that was wrapped around me. My skin was pale, yet was completely flawless: not a cut or a bruise. Constant pain stabbed in my body like needles, as I stumbled to my feet, as I heard voices around me.
I couldn’t let them catch me.
I clumsily wobbled a few steps, finding that I wasn’t used to my legs. My body felt stretched and my limbs seemed longer. Thoughts frantically ran through my mind.
What had happened? Where was I? The only thing before the lab I remembered was…
Nothing.
I couldn’t remember anything. My mind went blank as footsteps sounded around the corner of the street.
‘It’s just a girl,’ I heard someone say, and a young woman came into view. Her reddish-orange hair was put messily into a bun at the top of her head. Her pink eyes were friendly and somehow put warmth into me. She reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t piece together who. ‘Are you alright?’ she asked kindly. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. The woman noticed that I was shivering, and instead of leaving, she came by me.
‘You poor thing,’ she said fondly. ‘Let’s get you somewhere warm and give you some proper clothes.’ She reached her hand towards me and laid it gently on the top of my forehead. At once, pain seared up in my body. It all happened in a matter of seconds. A red gash appeared on her cheek, where I had happened to strike and I stood staring at my hands, shocked at the action I had just performed. I felt a heat rising off me, and staring at my arms, I noticed a soft red glow surrounding them.
‘An ability user...,’ the woman whispered. She grabbed my hand and muttered. ‘You’re coming with me.’ I followed her, bewildered. Out from the shadows, a male voice sounded. ‘Why the girl?’
‘She’s an ability user,’ the woman said, looking like she was speaking to no one in particular. ‘An incredible ability too.’
‘Alright then,’ the voice sighed, ‘I’ll see you in the base tomorrow.’
‘What do you mean by an ability user?’ I spoke my first words, my voice sounding hoarse like it hadn’t been used in a long time.
‘You’ll find out later,’ she said gently.
Moments later, I found myself in a warm corridor, smooth carpet on my bare feet. I stared around me in wonder.
‘Right then,’ she said, leading me into the bathroom. ’Get yourself cleaned and I’ll get some food ready. She shut the door behind me and I was left in the soft lights. I sank down until I was sitting on the floor. Everything had happened too quickly, one moment I was on the street - the other I was in the hospitality of a stranger who had called me - what was it? An ability user? I didn’t know what it meant, and I was worried.-
I winced as a quick shot of pain carried over my chest. I put a hand on my forehead, expecting something to happen but nothing did - the air remained the same, still and silent. I sighed. Perhaps I should get going. I stumbled to my feet, almost tripping over in the effort. As I walked towards the sink, intending to wash my face with a glass of water I found on the rim of the bathtub, I caught sight of my face in the mirror. That’s strange, I thought, why do I look so different? I took another look, standing on tiptoes to peer precariously. And gasped.
The glass in my hand dropped, shattering and littering the floor with millions of tiny pieces.
How-how long had it been?
I stared at my reflection, at the eyes that used to be round and lively, that were now narrowed and confused, at my cheekbones that were more defined. My fiery orange hair cascaded down my shoulders and reached around my hips. I rubbed my eyes in desperation, but nothing could change the image in front of me. Why? I thought, ‘Why had so many years been wasted in the lab?’ I let the blanket loose and watched it fall to a heap at my feet. I ran my hands over my body: Breasts, waist, hips. Shaking, I slumped down on the floor, my head in my arms. How old was I now? I looked 18 or 19, but perhaps I was only 15? I was only captured when I was...5. Years had passed that quickly? I climbed into the shower cubicle, and turned it on, feeling the hot droplets pricking at my bare skin. I closed my eyes, feeling the water run down along with the shampoo that frothed in my hands.
Please...Let it all be a dream, I thought. The whole thing. I wish I had the time to...well, I didn’t really know. But isn’t anything better than being in that lab again? It’s now a whole new life for me. It’s just that I’ve got to get used to it.
The red streaks out from the sun like blood. It’s late evening, yet everything is silent. The girl walks through the small, inhabited streets, her eyes hidden under her hair. The first winter breeze flows through the air. She comes to a small door, hidden by a tangle of growing weeds and pushes it open with a brass key. Inside her, the girl feels. She’s found it. It’s the right place. The girl takes her first steps inside, as -
I snapped awake, my heart beating loud and uneven. I squinted as my eyes were met with a bright light. For a moment, I couldn’t remember where I was and panic washed over me as I thought I might have been in the lab. But then I remembered that I had been taken in by a stranger. I rubbed my eyes and yawned while stumbling to my feet.
What was that? A dream? I felt curious. For a second, I wanted to know what was inside that door. I wish I hadn’t awakened. I took fresh clothes from a chair beside me and pulled them on. As I entered the kitchen, the smell of pancakes hit me, and I realised I was really hungry. The lady was already there, an egg frying in the saucepan she was looking over.
‘Sit down,’ she said, without turning around. ‘You can call me Ane-San.’ I did not sit, but remained standing.
‘Who are you?’ I asked. ‘What do you know about me that I don’t know?’
‘Calm down,’ she smiled. ‘Now do sit down. I’m sure you must be hungry.’ I sat precariously on the edge of the chair.
‘Please.’ I said. ‘Tell me who you are.’ Ane-San turned round so that she was facing me.
‘Tell me, Alyssa,’ she said. ‘Do you know what an ability is?’ I shook my head. I didn’t question how she knew my name. ‘It’s a certain power that is unique to its user.’ She continued. ‘Not everyone has one. But you do.’
‘What’s mine?’
Ane-San hesitated.
‘You have the ability... to manipulate gravity.’ To my surprise, the news didn’t come as a shock to me.
‘Right…’ I said. ‘But what do you have to do with it?’ Ane-San paused again.
‘I work as part of a mafia. Only ability users are a part of it. I’m an ability user. My ability is: Golden Demon. Your ability is: For the tainted sorrow.’
That name…. I’ve heard it before.
‘Now that you know about it, I can tell you.’ She continued. ‘Today, I wanted to take you to the Port Mafia. I’d like to introduce you to the members. How old do you think you are??’ I shrugged.
‘P’haps 15?’
Ane-San smiled.
‘Don’t you worry about it now.’ I ate in silence, thinking about what she had just told me. It didn’t surprise me. Mafias, Abilities. I supposed I was a part of this world now.
‘I would also like to send you to school.’
I looked up at her in surprise. ‘What?’
‘I think it’s important for you to get an education. Perhaps I’ll send you in a year or so, so that you’ll come in time for high school.’
‘But…how do I do both?’
‘In the holidays, you’ll be with the Mafia.’
‘But…I’m not normal, am I?’
‘But you’ll have to act normal,’ Ane said gently. ‘Don’t worry about now. You have a year. Get used to the mafia first. That’s your home.’
I finished off the last bit of my pancakes, and stood up, pushing my chair back under the table.
Time slipped by as the day drew closer to noon. I changed into a smart skirt and shirt, and did up my hair into two buns at the top of my head.
‘Are you ready?’ Ane-San called from downstairs. I added the last finishing touches and hurried down.
‘Here,’ she said. ‘I’ve got something for you.’ She passed me a jacket, short and black, with brown sleeve cuffs. I grasped it, as something stirred deep inside my memory. Where had I seen something like this before? As Ane-San turned away, I took a quick sniff of the jacket. Dammit. Where do I remember that smell from? I put it on - it was slightly big, but fitted all the same.
‘Let’s go then,’ she said, fiddling with her keys as we walked out. Inside, I was tingling with nerves. I still didn’t really know what was happening. So, I was an ability user. But what on earth would I do with that? And…how would I survive if I were to go to school?
‘You! At the back! What’s the answer to this equation?’
I snapped out of her thoughts, looking at the teacher who was pointing to a ridiculously complicated equation on the board.
‘x=5.4’ I said immediately.
All heads had turned around to look at me, shock written on their faces. It was obvious that they hadn’t expected me to answer the equation that quickly. That was another thing. As a lab rat, I had developed a very quick brain, and I could answer almost any question on the brink of a second.
‘That’s right,’ the teacher said, writing the answer down on the board. I sighed, and looked back out of the window. I didn’t like this at all. I looked at the choker on my neck that hid the numbers from the lab. I did not want people to know that I was a lab subject. I also did not want people to know that I had no parents, and had no early years of my life. There was also a small mark in the shape of a fox on the back of my neck. I assumed it had been there from birth. I especially didn’t want people to know the fact that there was a possibility that I wasn’t human. But no one needed to know that, did they?
