Obsidian

Prologue

           Lightning sliced through the midnight sky of Brasov like flashes of a predator's smile. Along the shores of Brasov lied an obsidian castle rising into the sky like the hand of a dying man grasping out for mercy. Laughter and screams alike were hidden by the sounds of earth-shaking rumbles of thunder.

People danced underneath golden chandeliers and sparkling jewels. Their faces adorned in ornate masks and their bodies covered in the finest of fashions.

The sound of sweeping waltz mixed with the laughter and amusement, oblivious to the raging rolls of thunder outside. The sounds of clicking heels on marble floors, tinkling jewels, and masked laughs creating in itself a symphony that only served to mask the sound of screams below.

Eyes wide with fear and pain the girl ran through dark hallways, hoping for a way out of this maze of obsidian stone. The sounds of piercing screams and raucous waltz music flooded her ears, mixing together in her head in a disorienting mess.

Hallway after hallway all without end. "There's got to be a way out of here" she panted. There has to be. Panic was beginning to set in, and she began to feel sobs building inside of her.

She turned corner after corner hoping for a chance to escape to find someone like her, someone who did not kill humans like they were mere playthings.

"I've finally found you," a soothing voice said.

All the pain and terror left her as she turned around to see a beautiful man smiling at her. His eyes dark and shimmering with a sort of cold beauty that drew her in.

He offered the girl his outstretched hand. "Come with me, little bird. I can save you. I can take you away from here."

"Of course," she smiled. The torrent of music and screams stilled and all she heard was the man's calming voice, telling her to follow him, to trust him.

She grasped his hand and found herself being led to an ornate, golden door. For a moment she felt confused. Since when was that there? How could I have missed that, she thought.

"Come darling, I'll take you away from here" he reassured her.

She followed without objection, letting herself be lulled into a feeling of relief. A smile began to form on her face. The pain she felt just a moment had disappeared. I'm free.

Opening the door, the enchanting man led her through into a world of pure, never-ending darkness.