I wake up at the sound of my alarm. I always loved to see the sunrise, and since it was my day off I get to fall back asleep.
I sit up and stretch my ams, cracking my back, but freezing when something cold rests on my hand. When I bring my hand down to look at it, my mind spins.
Oh, I wished so much that that was just a dream.
I stare into the snake's red eyes, intrigued that I actually had some sort of power. Of course, I still had to see what kind and if it was actually true. I decided to go along with it for now.
I finger it for a second before rising to my feet, changing from my pajamas into jeans and a tanktop. I travel from my room and into the hallway, moving across the floor and to the elevator. I press the button and wait for it to arrive, the man on the elevator causing me to jump.
"Come with me." Maxim orders as he appears. I reluctantly step on the elevator and hope the sunrise forgives me for not watching it today.
"Where are we going?" I ask as we travel down to the lobby, my sneakers squeaking on the linoleum. He leads me away from the apartment building and out into the streets, already bustling with activity. He weaves us through the crowds and into the lesser part of town, fearlessly walking through groups of shadowy men and dark alleys until we come across a rusted door. He leans on his umbrella as I take in our suroundings, opening the door with a quick turn of the handle. The lock was rusted and broken, which made this easier.
Maxim gestures me in and I hesitantly step into the abandoned building, taking in the dusty metal shelves and the dirty concrete floors. A broken window to the left lets in a small amount of light through it's yellowed panes, flashing off the dust in the air.
I sneeze.
Green light pulls my attention to the right, a large open space with a circle carved into the ground.
"This is the Merlin's circle." Maxim announces, standing in the center. I curiously step closer to it, the fire keeping me away. The snake's eyes flash at me and I look at him, his mouth opening with a hiss.
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Dave and Balthazar check back up on the mall early, to make sure no one found the snake before and thought it would make a good paper weight. The information lady tells them that there wasn't any reports of a golden snake, and they rest on a bench to think.
"What if she does find it, or it finds her." Dave asks.
"Morgana's power won't be with her until after she finds the snake. Only then can she find her successor." Balthazar explains.
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My eyes widen at the sight of the snake and I step away from the circle, the dust seeming to become more frequent and alive.
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"So, we have time?" Dave asks.
"Or we may be out." Balthazar mumbles.
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The dust picks up in a wind and flows towards me, green shimmering with flashing black. It catches me in a web and holds me hostage, my hair whipping around and my breath stolen from my mouth. I close my eyes in fear and tense my body, trying to bare through whatever was happening.
As soon as the attack began, it ends.
I peek open an eye and sneeze, spotting Maxim with a smirk.
"Did you do that?" I ask, loosening up.
"I did not." He defends, still staying in the same spot.
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A chilling wind blows by and Dave tucks his sweatshirt on a little tighter, Balthazar closing his eyes.
