Archidiam: a broken kingdom

Chapter 1: I am officially confused right now

One week. It had been 7 days since Stella had run away, yet for her, it felt like a month. Living in the streets wasn't exactly easy; Stella found herself sleeping under bridges and having to run away from creeps on the streets daily, but anything was better than going back to that place. Stella's life was never pretty, I have to admit that. Sure, it wasn't as bad as it could've been, but if sleeping under a bridge and running away from creeps was an improvement, that tells you a lot. 'No matter,' she thought 'I'm never going back so there is no point in looking back. Right?'

Stella's stomach rumbled. She hadn't eaten since breakfast yesterday and what she ate could hardly be considered a meal. Finding food wasn't that hard, most stores and restaurants in this area of the city throw out good food everyday, but making sure people don't find you snooping in their trash cans is a different story, especially if you live in a busy city like Stella does.

So off she went. Stella walked by the main street, a long street that stretched for miles and held stores and small businesses on its sides. Main street was usually crowded with people, which was both a boon and a bane. It was good because she could sneak around undetected, but bad because if someone recognized her, she would be taken back to that place.

Making sure she wasn't seen by anyone, Stella made her way towards an alleyway that she knew had food. Since it was next to a supermarket, the food they threw out was usually safe. Of course every once in awhile she would find something rotten which was not pleasant, Stella can tell you from experience.

Stella was surprised to find the alleyway empty, aside from a few raccoons. usually other runaways gather there; Stella found this place thanks to them.

Stella made her way to the trash cans, but before she could open them to get food, she heard chatter coming from around the corner on the other side. The noise seemed to be coming at her, so she hid behind a few trash cans as to not be found snooping around.

"I'm telling you, I am sure that it really is her!"

"How can you be so sure?!"

"He can't"

"Yes i can!"

"How?!!!!"

"When I first met her in Archidiam I felt a pull, I-I can't explain it but it was as if Muna had told us we were meant to meet, then a few weeks ago when I first helped her escape that cop, i felt the same pull, and a few nights later Muna showed up in my dreams"

'Was he talking about me? I ran away from a cop but... I don't know who is talking'

"That doesn't tells us anything"

"If you don't believe me, there is only one way to make sure, let's take her back"

'Take who where?'

"And what if it isn't her, huh? What will we do then? We have wasted enough power coming here, if we are wrong, we may never find her again"

'What are they talking about?'

"I'll take that chance"

'What is going on?'

'Shit'

While lost in her thoughts, a raccoon got uncomfortably close to Stella, and trying to inch away from it without making noise, she tripped on trash and twisted her left ankle. Not only did Stella trip, but she also fell on the raccoon, thankfully not hurting it, but causing it to screech. The screech the animal made was the unholiest sound Stella had ever heard in her life. If she could compare it to anything, she would say it sounded like the sound you would get when running your nails down a chalkboard while pulling a cat's tail at the same time.

"What was that?"

'Fuck' Stella thought

The other runaways came to her hiding spot and saw her. on the ground. with a raccoon running away from her screeching. clutching her ankle and tearing up from the pain.

"God dammit." she mumbled.

"Shit she heard us" said Mack to the rest as if Stella wasn't even there.

"Well I guess you got what you wanted, there is no way to leave her now" said Ina

"God dammit Stella you had to do this" tom looked at Stella disappointed. It kinda hurt.

"Can somebody tell me what the hell you people are talking about?!" Stella had enough, she was in pain, confused, and she didn't like how they were basically saying they want to kidnap her.

"Well there is no point hiding it now" said Mack but before he could elaborate Ina interrupted.

"Mare....." it sounded like a warning, but why was she calling Mack Mare?

"Hey, she already knows that there is something going on, we can't hide it from her anymore" Ina looked mad, but she kept her mouth shut

"Hide what from me?!" Stella had enough, she stood up with the help of the trash can.

"Well here goes" Mack said getting ready for what seemed to be a long story.

"So basically you are a princess from the kingdom called Archidiam and you got lost but now we found you, yay!" turns out he was just exaggerating

'how high is this kid?'

"Way to get right to the point Mare"

"What the hell? How high are you?! And why do you keep calling him mare?" Stella was starting to get scared. her friends were acting so weird and whatever they had been on had certainly gotten to them.

"I'm not high!" whined Mack

"That's it, I'm out" Stella said starting to get away with a probably sprained ankle.

"Not so fast" said Tom trying to reach for her.

Stella's pulse got faster and her adrenaline spiked. She ducked and managed to get away from tom. She started running but before she could leave the alleyway, something grabbed her. Stella was tangled up in what seemed to be black, gooey shadows. She tried to get free but Stella barely had enough room to move. She looked behind her and saw tom. his grey eyes were completely black and he had dark shadows dancing around him.

Stella was shocked. She didn't know what to do nor what was happening. So she went limp. The shadows loosened around her, but they were still tight enough that Stella couldn't escape.

"Hurry and open the damn portal mare" said tom struggling to speak.

Mack or mare, she guessed, pulled out a weird looking orb from his pocket and smashed it on the floor. As soon as he did, a deep vortex opened on the ground. It was dark and black but you could see little lights in it. It almost looked like a portal to another galaxy sprawled out on the floor.

'What the fu-?'

It all happened in a matter of seconds. Stella started struggling again, but the shadows pulled her to tom who pushed her in the vortex. She couldn't believe they had done this to her.' What even is this? I thought they were my friends, they said we were a family. I guess they lied.' Stella saw a light in the distance. She was getting closer and closer and closer. She tried to scream, but no sound came out of her mouth.

"Where am i?"