The Creed's Emergence

Chapter One: White Lilies

The sweet aroma of tea filled the air. Everything was calm and peaceful. The city stood in all its glory, shining brightly in the twilight. People roamed the streets, carrying bags from luxury stores. Shiny fancy cars rolled by, with equally fancy men and women driving inside. Pigeons flew through the lush green trees and over people's heads. As the sun sank, the stars slowly faded into the night sky. They were dim at first but while the darkness overcame the city, they shined brighter than ever. Music played in the restaurants, bars, and concert halls. People went about their evening, getting ready to begin their nightlives or going home to sleep.
Anika sat in her room, drinking a fresh cup of peach and honey tea. A waft of steam rose from the white china cup. The soft sound of classical music played from her record player which she kept in a corner of her room. Being alone at home meant that she could freely do whatever she'd please. Yet, she still chose not to be a rebel and go party like other girls. She heard the other girls her age walk by her house, giggling and gossiping as they made their way towards the local nightclub. Anika paid no mind to them. They would be ruining their lives by drinking so much alcohol. She was invited to many parties, and to bars to drink, but she always declined the offers. Alcohol wasn't her thing, neither would it ever be.
Anika looked towards her wall where a poster was hung. There were seven shadowy figures, all of them with horns that crossed at the tips. One of them was missing their left horn. That wasn't there before. Anika put down her tea. She recalled seeing a poster of a boy band on there, not shadows. It soon came to her that she was dreaming. It wasn't real.

As if that realization caused a reaction in the odd world, the music suddenly changed. It became strange and out of tune. Things began to ignite, she could see the flames in the reflection of her mirror. She bolted towards her window, throwing the curtains open. The girls that once walked down her street were on fire. But they continued to walk, laughing strangely now. Looking towards the sky, she could see a single super fortress. The plane soared in the air as an air raid siren went off. Then, another plane came from the sky. Another, and another, until hundreds blocked out the starry sky. Something was wrong. The dream world was beginning to collapse, or did it know that she was aware of the dream? Anika looked back, seeing that her tea had fallen over, and rather than the tea being clear, it was pitch black. It flowed like a waterfall, rushing towards her. She ran out of the room as it burst into flames. She screamed for help, but there was no answer. The roar of the planes above drowned out her cries for help. Various explosions rang out in the twilight. Bombs were being dropped everywhere, thousands per second. Skyscrapers crumbled like sandcastles, houses fell apart like stacked cards. As she opened her door to escape, she was met with a bomb that dropped just a few yards from her lawn. It exploded, causing a cloud of smoke to obscure her vision. She ran regardless, trying to find a way out of the mess. Flames rose higher than the skyscrapers, with towers of smoke billowing. Everyone around her was still on fire. But, they were smiling. Something crashed down nearby. It was the frame of one of the planes, on fire. Many of them were burning up in the sky, crashing down onto the city below.
Anika watched, too afraid to keep moving. She held her fist to her heart, sweat running down her forehead. Her eyes widened, the flames dancing in them. She could see a large bomb fall from the bomb bay of one of the planes. It fell slowly, almost not moving at all. Another one fell from the bomb bay. Then another. She shook her head and kept running, hoping to find a way out of the ruins. She ran past the music hall, which was on fire as everything else. Music kept playing, and ballerinas kept dancing on the stage. They were on fire, smiling like every other person in the city. It was a nightmare ballet, where everyone would burn in a fire. One of them resembled her in such detail that it was chilling to the spine. She had brown hair, which slowly began to turn black from the fire that consumed her. The hall collapsed and the music halted. Anika screamed, dodging falling planes, buildings, and bombs that exploded. Tears pooled in her eyes. It was all a nightmare, where she had to relive that day. No one could get her out of it. Nightmares like these were eternal. She broke down into sobs, stumbling along the way as a building fell in front of her, blocking her way. There was no way out of the burning maze. The planes shifted in the sky, making their way towards her. They burned and crashed down, progressively getting closer and closer. Then she saw a person standing in the distance. They had no smile. But she couldn't see them. They walked towards her, holding a hand out to her. Anika wept, reaching out to the person. The nightmare would end here, right? Of course not. Before she knew it, more people emerged from burning ruins, smiles on their faces. They reached towards her, hoping to grab her and end her life right then and there. Anika took a step back, then another. She placed her hands onto the hot concrete of the building behind her. It was inclined enough for her to climb up. Turning around and jumping onto the ruins, she began climbing up until she could see a way down. The burning people still followed at a turtle's pace. She could faintly hear their agonizing moans and whispers. What did they want from her, exactly? It was a question she didn't know how to answer. It was a nightmare after all, and nothing was supposed to make sense. She slid down the other side of the building, back onto the street. She caught a glimpse of something running away. It looked like a person dressed in all white. Yet they were running in a way that made Anika realize that they were making a path for her to run through without being harmed.