The Fallen

Prologue

The darkness was consuming her. It wasn't that Kenzie could only see it happening right in front of her, rendering her helpless, but she could feel it too. Every ounce...every shred of light that was once part of her essence was leaving her body. And she couldn't even do anything about it. All she could do was watch. Kenzie watched as everything she ever knew...everything she ever was...began vanishing right before her eyes. Everything she believed in...everything she fought for...everything that made Kenzie Kenzie...it was all gone...never to be seen again...and being replaced by the darkness which was swallowing her bit by bit. There was no more hope...no more faith...nothing left to believe in...nothing left to live for.... She wanted to scream. She wanted to yell for help. But whenever she tried, there was no sound. She stood there in the deathly silence, waiting for something...anything...to happen. Then, there it was. It was exactly what she had been waiting for: a way out. It was a small opening but it was still there. It had to be a way out...a portal maybe? Anything was better than being here so Kenzie tried to force her legs to move. They were stiff and unwilling but she only had two options: to fight or to get swallowed by the darkness. She had to get back. But no matter how much force she put into her movement, or how much closer she was getting to this "portal", it just kept moving away from her. The faster she moved the farther it moved away and the smaller it got. Kenzie felt anxiety...confusion...but more than anything she felt scared. It couldn't close...she had to make it...if it closes...she may just be lost forever....

"Kenzie! Hey, get your head in the game!" Ash hissed as he appeared at Kenzie's side and they were both crouching down behind a bush. 

It was Simulation Day and all the students in Solaris Academy have been studying and working hard for this very day which could almost definitely make or break your reputation around the city, and most importantly, around school. And well...almost everyone studied....

"My head is in the game" Kenzie hissed back at her Partner of three years. 

"Could've fooled me" he teased her but Kenzie just rolled her eyes. 

"Are you the one who stayed up until two AM reading every single text book on how to out-do your enemy? No, I didn't think so" she snapped at him but he ignored her.

"Shhh I think it's coming" he then hushed her and Kenzie shot him a look. 

"But I'm not the one..." 

Before she could finish he covered her mouth with her hand to shut her up as he took a peek from out behind the bush to see their target approaching. Not catching onto Ash's reasoning behind shutting her up Kenzie furrowed her eyebrows and then bit Ash's hand so he shot away from her. 

"What the hell? What are you, five?" 

He made a face, incredulous, as he wiped her spit off onto his shirt. 

"Well, I wouldn't have done it if you..." 

But she quickly stopped herself when she saw a bright glow emitting from the other side of the bushes. "It's here" 

 And just like that they were serious again. Ash wanted to yell back about how he already tried telling her that their target was approaching and about how she never listens to anything he says but he knew better than to bring it up. This assignment was going to be more than just a pass or fail. 

"On three?" he asked, keeping his narrowed eyes on the floating orb. 

They never even exchanged eye contact, never taking their eyes off the objective. "No...it's too easy...remember number 14" she reminded him.