Chapter 01 Wake up. They are already among us
The asphalt shone with the light from the streetlights lining the road, the engines roared, filling the Friday night with the noise pollution of the modern world, Alex accelerated his scooter as if he were being chased or chasing someone invisible on the road, the traffic was turbulent , but he only thought of one thing
— Today everything would change
A sound even louder than the roar of the engines filled his ears. The streetlights flickered for a moment, and Alex felt as if gravity were failing. The handlebars slipped from his hands, and time seemed to unravel before his eyes.
Before him, reality tore apart as if it were a canvas. He saw himself in a field of ruins, deformed creatures crawling in the abyss like insects. A lone man cut them down with his sword, brimming with power. His eyes radiated a violet glow, his golden hair flickered like living flames.
The warrior stopped and looked at Alex through the torn crack, recognizing him in a blink of an eye. Looking coldly as the sword descended, Alex had his head separated from his body in an instant, he saw his body falling as the warrior's voice somehow entered his ears.
— Wake up, I can't hold them for much longer. Some have already entered the dream.
Defeating a beast that tried to cross the veil, the warrior said urgently.
— The land will be invaded
Alex blinked his eyes, a truck was coming towards him when reality returned to normal, by instinct he pulled the handlebars hard, escaping the collision on the highway, his coercion was turbulent, hitting violently
— What the hell was that?
Leaving aside the people who were looking at him strangely with their cell phone cameras pointed at him and the truck driver who was burning with fury and cursing what had happened, Alex decided to leave this time at a moderate speed.
After the moment Alex reached his destination, he rode the scooter in a nearby alley, but with a strange feeling, these visions of battles between the blond man and terrifying beasts had been constantly haunting him in his dreams and this time he was awake.
Alex decided to push this all deep down in his mind for now, he took a deep breath.
— Today is important, today everything changes —
Alex constantly repeated these words in his head as if it were a mantra
Tonight was his two-year anniversary with Tiffany, the plan was simple: sneak up on her through the smokey Weber mansion, surprise her, and finally become a man in both her eyes and his own.
He easily climbed the walls as if he had already practiced this feat countless times, once inside he used the codes that Tiffany had given him during the walk he saw a different scene than he was used to.
Alex wondered if they had made any changes, and the strangest thing was that there was not a single employee in the residence, a damp cold filled the place, and a gloomy atmosphere assaulted him.
Arriving on the third floor, Alex found himself in front of a door and knocked three times in a previously agreed rhythm, as he always did when they found themselves in these circumstances.
The door opened on the other side, she smiled, Tiffany was beautiful as always, bright eyes and purple hair tied in a ponytail that reached her waist.
— You forgot the flowers —
Tiffany said in the sweet voice of someone who had already forgiven. But something about it seemed off.
Alex wasn't proud of this fact, but he never offered flowers and didn't intend to bring any today, at least it hadn't crossed his mind.
Alex entered the parlor glimpsing a beauty that was both familiar and strange at the same time. The LED lights that used to flash in a warm tone now flashed a cold blue. The groaning chair was there but in a different position. There were small details that didn't fit.
Tiffany closed the door behind him and wrapped him in a passionate hug. Alex smiled, but a uneasiness slowly gnawed at him inside. Somehow her scent seemed to be changing with every breath he took.
Alex kissed her and she returned it passionately, feeling the heat and taste of his tongue.
He walked away slowly, wanting to talk about what happened, the near-miss, the sight of the blond warrior. But before he could say anything, Tiffany smiled sweetly as if everything was normal.
The LED-lit speakers began to play in response to Tiffany's snap of her fingers, pulling Alex into dancing to the music they both loved.
— Today is two years ago, Alex —
She whispered these words in her boyfriend's ear as she made her walk more sensual.
— Honey, did you bring the ring? —
Having said that, she lightly bit her boyfriend's ear.
— I did change —
Alex let go of his girlfriend's waist and tried to reach the box in his pocket.
Alex knelt down, trying to look as romantic as possible, and placed the ring on his partner's finger, to which she laughed happily.
To celebrate the achievement, the couple shared a passionate kiss.
Reality went gray and distorted for a second, then the world regained its color. Tiffany pushed Alex violently.
- Who are you? -
She screamed making Alex freeze in place
— Tiffany , it's me! What's this joke—
She was visibly trembling, frightened, and with a lot of anger in her eyes. Without realizing it, her body was enveloped in a green light.
— Stay away from me
A draft from his trembling hands threw Alex against the bedroom wall. The pain arrived a second later, as he fell to the floor and grunted in pain. Alex couldn't understand anything.
The alarm went off and Tiffany's scream echoed through the night, two men came in and immobilized Alex in the blink of an eye with great brutality.
— Tiffany, my love! What's going on?
— Get your hands off me, Tiffany, tell them we're dating.
She hid herself ordering the men
— Quickly. Get this man out of my room, he tried to rape me.
Alex woke up with his head throbbing as if he had a bad hangover, looking around he saw white lights of a police station cell, his wrists were bound with handcuffs.
His mouth was dry, looking around, he tried to remember what happened, his mind was blurry, screaming at the wall and Tiffany.
A broad-shouldered man walked in wearing a police uniform.
— Alex Wellny. Age 19, son of Thomas and Anastácia Wellny. His father disappeared in a dungeon and his mother is in a coma. He currently lives with his sister, both of whom dropped out of college.
— Sir, this is wrong. This is not me —
Alex tried to get up
— I don't have any sisters or mothers.
The police officer who looked more like a detective pressed him against the wall
— You broke into the Weber's house, tried to attack their daughter, tell me that's wrong too
Alex was having trouble breathing, his memories seemed jumbled as if something or someone had rewritten them.
The police officer pulled out a gun and pointed it at Alex's forehead
— Tell me, who told you to kidnap Miss Tiffany Weber? —
Alex then stared into the void
In the smoke. He didn't even know what he was doing there. Was he going crazy? Or was it something else.
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