Hellbound

Chapter 1 - In which a change happens

There was a tremor in the earth separate from the quakes of continents. Only a few noticed; fewer still understood its meaning. A herald of change long foretold, forgotten, and discovered once more. A fable that had long lost its meaning to all but those of the ancient world.

Anya was not of the ancient world and was therefore none the wiser of what was coming. Yet her life had just taken a turn that could make her think she did.

Barely four hours ago, she was just a regular photographer with too many digital income streams to keep track of. And now...Now she knew that the monsters of fairy tales were real and that her friend had known about it for years.

That particular revelation had left her mind spinning, and not because of the pleasurable reasons she usually sought at the Scratch. The club had become her sanctuary over the past few years, a place she found herself drawn to whenever she needed to decompress, think, or simply escape for a while.

Unlike other times, however, she didn't feel inclined to venture into the various rooms occupied by other patrons who would welcome her with open arms. Instead, she found a seat at the crescent-moon-shaped bar and nursed an electric yellow drink topped with a matching umbrella.

'What's on your mind?' the bartender, Yassine, asked as she wiped down the bar. 'You're not your usual perky self.'

'Perky?' Anya snorted.

'Close enough. So, what's up?'

She sighed into her glass and stirred the ice. Sharing the knowledge about hellians' existence is strictly prohibited and may carry legal consequences should you be found to have spread this information. 'I got some big news that I'm struggling with.'

'Yeah? About what?'

'Sorry, Yas, not really my information to share.'

The stones in her dress sparkled as she waved aimlessly. 'No worries. I'm used to it, being a bartender and working here. If you want to just talk in broad terms, I'm all ears though.'

Anya took a long sip of her drink as she considered the offer. No one would be able to trace it back to her if Yassine managed to put two and two together; and would anyone even believe it either way?

'It'll be confusing.'

'But it won't be to you, and that's what this is for, isn't it?'

'You should really pursue that psychology degree,' Anya said with a huff. She laughed when Yassine stuck out her tongue at her. 'I met up with an old friend today and they told me some pretty big things that I didn't know. I'm not sure how to feel about them.'

Supernatural creatures, also known as hellians, are real and have been part of human society for thousands of years. Elisa, her childhood friend, had known about this fact since they were kids due to her family being part of the secret organisation dedicated to the management of hellians for generations but had not spoken a word about it.

The organisation was under the direct control of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. They worked with authorities around the world when they encountered hellians, when they needed support dealing with them, or when hellians required help. Keeping their existence was a big part of their job too.

'And I was offered a job.'

Guaranteed work for three years, working with a partner to document hellians around the globe for the organisation. One of four teams dedicated to this work; good pay and all expenses paid while on the clock too.

'Is it a job you want?' Yassine asked as she poured another patron a drink.

Anya considered the question. 'Yeah. I'd get to do photography on a steady paycheck for once.'