ECLIPSED

CHAPTER 1

Lea pulled her coat tighter around her as she hurried down the slick sidewalk. The rain was relentless, hammering the streets of New York City with a steady downpour. Water dripped from her umbrella, splashing onto her already soaked boots. The usual city buzz was muffled by the rain, giving the night an eerie stillness.

She glanced at her watch and sighed. Another late night at work. The streets were nearly empty, the faint glow of streetlights reflected on the wet pavement. The only sound was the steady tap of her footsteps and the rain splattering around her. She was exhausted, her legs aching from the long day. All she wanted was to get home, crawl into bed, and forget the world.

As she crossed near the park, something strange caught her eye. A flickering light, faint but persistent, glimmered through the curtain of rain. It was just beyond the trees, deeper into the park. At first, she dismissed it as a reflection or maybe a faulty streetlamp. But the light pulsed, brighter for a moment, as if calling to her.

Lea stopped, her curiosity piqued.

What is that? she thought, peering into the shadows of the park.

It was late, too late for anyone to be hanging around here. Yet the light kept flickering, drawing her in. She hesitated for a moment, her instincts warning her to keep walking. But something about the light seemed...different. Unnatural, almost. She found herself stepping off the sidewalk, moving toward it.

The rain beat harder against her, but she kept going. The closer she got, the stranger she felt. Her heart raced, a sense of urgency rising in her chest. She crossed into the park, the trees above offering some shelter from the storm, but the air around her felt heavy, thick.

The light led her down a winding path that veered away from the city, away from the noise. As she approached a small lake, she saw the light more clearly. It hovered just above the water, a soft, pulsating glow. It wasn't like any lamp or lantern she'd ever seen.

Lea's breath caught in her throat as she moved closer. The light seemed to hum with energy, vibrating faintly in the air. Her vision blurred, and she suddenly felt dizzy.

She stumbled, catching herself on a nearby tree.

What's happening? she wondered, blinking hard, trying to focus. But the dizziness grew worse. The world around her seemed to twist, the light bending and warping as it shimmered above the water.

Lea took another step, but her legs gave out beneath her. She fell to the wet ground, the rain seeping into her clothes, but she barely felt it. Everything spun, faster and faster, until the light was all she could see.

And then, everything went black.