Chapter 1 – New Age Activation In A New World

• ~ MELONIE ~
• “Run, Melonie,” my mother’s friend, Evy, screamed, causing me to jump in fear.
• I stood there frozen, scared to move. My face crumpled like a piece of paper, my eyes welled up in tears as I stumbled backward, as if punched in the gut.
• I stared at my mother, Maela, who was swallowed in sweats, fighting off some unexpected, scary animals.
• “Melonie, you need to leave, run and hide. I promise to explain everything to you…RUN,” my mother, Maela, screamed.
• It was my eighteenth birthday; I had just returned from my party only to meet them fighting monsters.
• “Is that a werewolf?” I thought to myself, shivering in fear.
• The fight was toxic, and I felt like that thing was aiming at me for a reason.
• Having no choice other than to flee from the scene, I dashed out of the house at full speed.
• “What were they?” I murmured, frightened.
• Hurrying back to my birthday party, I looked around for my best friend, Arlo, when I got hit by a young man, more like he was trying to pass through me, but couldn't.
• “Strange things are happening today,” I muttered, frightened.
• He stared at me curiously before looking away.
• My best friend, Arlo, came closer, elbowing me back into reality.
• “I heard you were looking for me,” he blurted out.
• “Yes, I am, I'm scared,” I declared, clutching at his arm.
• “Scared…why? It's your party, Melonie,” Arlo stated, laughing sarcastically.
• “I'm serious, you idiot,” I yelled out with seriousness.
• “Alright…what's up?” he calmly asked.
• “Look at that guy and his friends,” I blurted out.
• “What guy?” Arlo asked in confusion.
• “Those men standing right there,” I insisted.
• “I don't see men standing in the direction you are pointing at,” Arlo screamed in frustration.
• “What do you freaking mean you can't see anyone,” I yelled back with intense frustration.
• “Are you calling me crazy? Focus and look closely,” I added.
• “And when do I need to focus before I see something? I don't see anyone in that damn direction you are pointing at!” Arlo retorted with raised eyebrows.
• “That's strange,” I cried out, marching towards the strange man who kept staring back at me in the middle of his friends.
• “What are you?” I blurted out, fearlessly.
• “You can see us?” He asked to be certain.
• “That's such a stupid question, I just spoke to you,” I retorted.
• “Why can't my friend see you?” I asked again.
• “Simply put, we are from a different world,” he responded.
• “A different world? That's something only you should care about. What the hell are you doing at my birthday party?” I scolded in fury.
• “I'm sorry, but the different world is now something you should care about,” he replied with a smirk.
• “I don't like you,” I stated, shaking my head vigorously.
• “That's not something we care about in our world. And guess what?” He announced.
• “What?” I asked, anticipating.
• “We are here for you. Seize her,” he blurted out.
• Immediately, rough hands bound my wrist, rendering me helpless. The feeling of being completely at the mercy of my captors was a crushing weight, threatening to consume me whole.
• It was like a vise, squeezing the life out of me as I struggled to break free.
• “I know what you are thinking, but we are not your enemy. We are here to make sure you are safe. You can call me Arwan,” he explained.
• “Don't you think telling me what is going on is more trustworthy than holding me down like a criminal?” I asked in anger.
• “Melonie, your new age activated something in our world, like in other realms. You are a very powerful tool, and as we speak, things from different realms are searching for you,” Arwan declared.
• “You know my name? Crazy!!! That's not the point. What do you mean by my new age activated something?” I asked, frightened.
• “You turned eighteen today. That was a very loud bell in a different realm. You are in danger, Melonie. We are only here to help you,” he stated calmly.
• “Who the heck are you talking to?” Arlo yelled out.
• I turned to find him staring at me in shock and confusion.
• “Have you been watching me the whole time?” I asked, perplexed.
• “Yes, I thought you were making a speech until the speech turned into war. You were yelling violently. And I thought you were just stressed until I heard something about an activation. Tell me the truth, be sincere. Are you crazyyy?” Arlo asked, ogling at me.
• “He needs to leave,” Arwan cautioned.
• “Please keep quiet, you unseen spirit,” I scolded.
• “What is going on?” Arlo cried out.
• “I have just two words for you, Arlo. Avoid me!” I warned him, walking away, along with the unseen men walking with me.
• “Why can't people see you?” I asked, surprised.
• “It's something we can activate and deactivate,” Arwan calmly replied.
• “Where are we going?” I suddenly froze and asked.
• “We are going to the portal to our realm. Somewhere you will be safe until you know how to fight back,” He stated.
• “No, I can't, my mother was…” I swallowed hard; the sentence felt stuck in my throat.
• “She was fighting off some animals, and they yelled at me to run, including her friend,” I added.
• “Evy and Maela are dead,” Arwan blurted out.
• “I don't understand,” I yelled.
• “Your mother, Maela, and her friend, Evy, died fighting for you,” he declared.
• His words echoed in my head, I felt like my spirit brutally jumped out of my flesh.
• My eyes turned red, and my body shut down in pain.
• “I…don't believe you,” I stammered, trying to push away the heartbreak that I was trying hard to visit.
• “We don't have time to check up on her; we need to get you out of here,” Arwan warned.
• “You think I care?” I asked, laughing sarcastically.
• “My mother is out there, and you are offering to keep me safe?” I added.
• “Your mother is dead,” he retorted.
• “I'd rather find out myself. I can't trust some invisible creature who jumps out of nowhere, claiming to want to save me. How am I sure you are not the enemy?” I responded.
• “If you want to see your dead mother so desperately, we can portal you there,” he suggested and held my hand.
• After a swap of a few seconds, we were in my house.
• I stood there, shocked; what an unbelievable thing just happened? But that wasn't enough things for me to be worried about. I spotted my mother and her friend, Evy, lying lifelessly on the ground.
• My eyes widened in horror like a door was slammed shut in my face. As I whispered “no, no, no” over and over.
• My eyebrows shot up in shock, my face pale & clammy, my chin trembled like a leaf, my lips quivering as I tried to hold back sobs, my eyes brimming with tears.
• “M-mother, wh-what, what-happened here? You promised to explain things to me,” I stammered.
• “We need to leave now, Melonie,” Arwan called out.
• “I saw it,” I declared.
• “What did you see?” He calmly asked.
• “The thing that did this to my mother and her friend. It was a werewolf, right?” I asked, still trying to understand.
• “No, it wasn't a werewolf. But it came for you and not them. They were used as a sacrifice to get to you,” he blurted out.
• I stared back at him in shock.
• "So what was it?” I couldn't stop myself from asking.
• "An apex predator. A being from another realm, taking on a wolf-like form to hunt and devour human prey with abilities far surpassing those of a werewolf. They are very dangerous and…they will be back, Melonie…for you!”