Flower Of Nightfall [PREVIEW]

Chapter 1The Bitter Taste of Freedom

Note: Illustration from the book. By Agarwen Art.

Ayoung, 19-year-old girl of average height, with a slightly sicklyappearance and dark circles under her eyes, glanced back at theinstitution where she had just spent the past decade of her life. Shehated the white building surrounded by gardens, but what she hatedmost of all was the sign hanging at the entranceway: CornwallPsychiatric Institution.She half smiled, swearing to herself that she would never let themlock her up again. She would rather die. But the real challenge beganthat day. She had been planning this for years and knew what she hadto do. First, she needed to get more information, and she knewexactly where to start.

Shehad been secretly talking to a boy that had been admitted two yearsago. The poor guy was no more than sixteen years old and had arrivedscreaming and deranged. He would hurt himself as a way of dealingwith his fear. Mina had discovered during her long chats with him,while he was all drugged up on meds, that he had been at anunderground party in Central Metropolis, It was supposed to have beenan innocent little rave that had turned ugly and ended up as asadistic bloodbath. He described the horrible beings, the pints ofblood that bathed the floors, and how he had managed to survive byhiding in the air conditioning duct. He couldn't remember much morethan that, except for what was printed on the invitation that abeautiful, blonde woman had given to him: Noctis.Mina had to look for any clues that she could find that would leadher to accomplish her life goal: finding the silver-haired demon thathad murdered her family, including her baby sister, Scarlett, who hadbeen only five years old. He was the source of the nightmare that herlife had become.

Shesighed, looking back at the building one last time and brushing herhand through her disheveled, short, chestnut hair, she began to walkaway.

Theidea of going back home troubled her. The memories of that horridnight could revive the trauma lying dormant in her mind... Aftercontemplating it for a few minutes, the fortune she had inheritedfrom her parents inspired her to get moving. That night she needed togather her strength in peace in order to be able to face the terriblereality of the past that still lay deep in her soul. Finally, withthe hope of spending a peaceful and restful night far from her demon,she headed off in search of the nearest hostel.

Itseemed strange to be outside. In the past twelve years, she hadn'tleft the psychiatric hospital more than five times. The small city inwhich she found herself had changed just as much as she had, to thepoint where it was almost unrecognizable.

Asshe looked at everything around her, she suddenly changed thedirection she was walking in and decided to head home. She had toface her past. It was all connected to the present and the future.She knew that nobody had been there in months since Mrs. Figgins hadcome by to check and make sure that everything was in order. Mrs.Figgins was the old lady from next door who loved Mina's motherdearly. She had also been the one, along with her poker group, whokept the looters and thieves away from the house by chasing them awaywith her broom.

Thestreetlights lit up the street of the gated community with a clear,yellowish haze. Not a soul was in sight; the houses were dark.Everyone was sleeping peacefully while Mina stared long and hard atwhat used to be her home. She felt her heartbeat race while imagesfrom that night twelve years ago flashed like lightening in her mind.Her head started to ache and she felt sick to her stomach. Most ofher memories of that night were hazy. In fact, everything was exceptfor the image of him. She remembered him clearly, maybe too clearly,but she felt strangely connected to him. Sometimes, possibly from theeffects of the tranquilizers and other meds, she would rememberlooking into his taunting eyes and seeing hidden feelings ofcomplicity, sorrow, and innocence. But she always reminded herselfthat he was the destroyer of her entire world.