𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐀 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟏- 𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇

CHAPTER 18

"ALLIE!"

That was the last thing Alessandra heard before everything went dark. When she finally opened her eyes again, she found herself in an unfamiliar alley, surrounded by dilapidated wooden houses. The place was eerily quiet, as if time had forgotten it.

This wasn't the world she knew.

A heavy darkness began to surround her, the air thick with swirling black smoke. It seemed to move with purpose, as though it had a mind of its own. The smoke gathered—one, two, three—until it nearly engulfed her. Yet, strangely, it didn't touch her.

Then, shapes began to emerge from the smoke—tiny, hand-like forms, crafted from the very darkness surrounding her. She could feel their cold, oppressive presence.

"What are you?" Alessandra demanded, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

She reached out to touch the small hands, and suddenly, a horrifying image flashed through her mind.

Babies. Babies turned into nothing more than chunks of meat, their once-innocent forms twisted and destroyed. The sight made her stomach churn, and she stumbled back, fighting the bile rising in her throat. But just as quickly as it came, the image vanished, leaving her shaken and confused.

She couldn't believe what she had seen.

A figure appeared from the shadows, a woman dressed in a long, flowing black gown. Her eyes were cold, calculating, as she approached Alessandra with a steady, purposeful stride.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

Alessandra wiped her mouth, trying to steady herself.

"I’m Alessandra," she replied, her voice still unsteady.

The woman’s eyes widened with surprise, and she seemed to study Alessandra more closely, her gaze lingering on her.

"Why weren't you affected by the dark magic?" she asked, her tone both curious and suspicious. "The smoke should have had an effect on you."

"I don’t know," Alessandra admitted, shaking her head. "But what I saw..." She shuddered, trying to shake off the grotesque image in her mind. "What is this place?"

The woman eyed her for a moment before speaking again.

"You’re not from here," she observed. "And your hair... it's golden. Who are you? From which kingdom do you come?"

"Kingdom of Lourz," Alessandra answered.

The woman’s face shifted slightly, as though she were trying to place the name.

"How did you end up here?" she asked.

"What is this place?" Alessandra repeated.

"Kingdom of Maru," the woman said flatly.

"Maru Kingdom?" Alessandra’s eyes widened in disbelief. "How far is it from Lourz Kingdom?"

"One day’s journey," the woman replied.

Alessandra’s mind raced. She had been thinking about the dark smoke just moments ago, and now here she was, transported to a strange new land. She couldn’t make sense of it. This was her first time here, yet she felt as if she had been brought here for a reason.

"I never expected it would bring me to this place," she said quietly. "How did I even end up in this kingdom?"

The woman narrowed her eyes, studying her carefully.

"You have magic in you," she said, her voice heavy with meaning. "The dark smoke brought you here. But why? What do you possess?"

Alessandra blinked, trying to process what the woman had said. "I don’t understand. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen."