[center][b]Somewhere in Araminta...?[/b] [i]There was a house in the middle of the woods, three stories and stood ominously as the only house for miles. Abandoned for some time, a stranger in a leather jacket and a hoodie brushed the For Sale sign as he walked up the stairs with a purpose. He pushed open the wooden door and was almost instantly assaulted by the smell of mold and what smelled like decaying meat. The stranger pushed past it all as he walked through the house to the kitchen. The first sight was the refrigerator as he walked over and threw it open and grabbed a gallon of milk. He ignored the rancid smell as he popped the top off and just downed it all. With some of the disgusting spoiled milk landing on his body, he shook his head as he tossed it aside. He turned around and walked towards a door to the basement. He walked down the stairs to what would be a normal basement if it wasn't for the tunnel that was carved into the place. The stranger walked into the dark tunnels and keep going until he ended up in a massive staircase that was seemingly out of a castle. At the top were two massive wooden doors that emanated a strange red light, and this stranger went up the stairs through the doors. The first sight was a massive hall and at the center were stairs that lead up to a massive golden throne with a strange figure sitting in it. It was shadowy, it's silhouette was strangely feminine. The stranger walked up to the foot of the stairs and took a knee, placing the switchblade that was in his hand on the ground in front of him. "Ah, I see," The figure spoke in a feminine voice. "You have done well." An orb of red light appeared in her hand as it gracefully landed on the hooded figure. "You deserve a reward, and a reward you shall get. We still have more work to do," When it hit the figure in the hood and mask, it caused a red light to surge throughout his entire being. The figure in the throne smiled and her white teeth could be seen through the darkness perfectly as if they were being illuminated by light. "Go on, collect more...." [/i][hr][b][code]Araminta, Pennslyvania. 6:48 PM, Monday June 3rd.[/code][/b][hr][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ILijVCw.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/NieOvUT.png[/img][hr][hr][/center] The sun was setting over Araminta just as it did many days. Today Jaden wished that he could say it was any different, but he was spending all day on his bicycle. Pedaling from one place to another putting up missing signs... only for most of them to get taken down. If there was one time he wanted this cracker ass town to do the right thing... it'd be now. He ended up at a convenience store on top of a hill that overlooked the river. It was quite beautiful, but he didn't have time to take in the scenery... that not he cared. His eyes were baggy and his legs were desperately calling him for a rest. He had to find Cierra, even if it killed him. Jaden sighed. He knew Cierra was still alive because... because he would just know if she was deceased. Every now and then he receives a vision or two of her. Lost. Walking around a strange version of Araminta, Pennslyvania. Weird. He wasn't sure if it was just a dream or if it was the real thing, but these powers of theirs have to be good for something. Anything. Placing the tape on the topmost part of the missing poster he hopped back on his bike when he heard a crash... A great crash that could be heard all over Araminta and Jaden's head whipped towards the direction of the woods as he saw a massive pillar of purple light piercing through the heavens. Jaden raised an eyebrow as he looked in awe... Araminta just got a lot weirder. ... And soon enough, he was engulfed in the purple light. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SLQtFtW.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/wcQpXM3.png[/img][hr][hr][/center] [i]"Justin,"[/i] Katie said in Chinese as she huffed as she damn near ran up the stairs. [i]"You gotta slow down just a bit."[/i] The girl clutching her purse with one hand slid the keys into the doorknob and turned it to the left. This was a lot to handle... her brother who went missing a few months ago turned out safe and sound. Telling her a bunch of craziness on the clock! Katie was wearing her generic coffee shop uniform which consisted of black jeans with a white dress shirt tucked into it and a red apron. When she made it into her dorm she marched directly to her bed and sat down on it. [i]"Katie, I can't,"[/i] Justin said, rather hurriedly, [i]"I can't calm down and I can't put into words what happened."[/i] [i]"It was an earthquake,"[/i] Katie said. [i]"But, that's not what happened... you're still in Pennslyvania, right?"[/i] Justin said. [i]"I wish I could show you the things I can see but you're too far away."[/i] [i]"Brother, did you hit your head?"[/i] Katie said with a pause as she undid the tie on her apron and let it fall off. She laid on her back as she softly spoke, [i]"Because you are not making [i]any[/i] sense."[/i] [i]"I don't think I should say this over the phone, but magic... it's[/i] real," Justin said and immediately Katie paid attention. [i]"Wait, did you just say magic is real?"[/i] Katie asked. [i]"Ha, sounds like you know something, too,"[/i] Justin said, [i]"I have to show you, I can't explai-"[/i] Suddenly that great crash appeared and made Katie drop her phone, and she almost fell off. She looked at the window and saw the purple light... she wasn't in the angle to see the pillar but she can see the great light it gave off as it engulfed her too like it did many others. [hr][center][i]Is this the light they talked about? You know, the light you see when you die. I didn't think it came from a high beam. Or was it a high beam? It didn't seem like a high beam? Or a light any car could give off. And trust me I have seen a fuckton of those and this light felt different. Much different. I like it. I hope it never ends. Because it fills me with strength. Passion. Love. And most of all... [b]Anticipation.[/b] So... What kind of light is it?[/i][/center] [center][img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/bd8d2da4-ce70-4c16-983f-a9da0ab357c6/d36a5oq-74334220-3d92-44d8-9f95-3e79afc4edd8.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2JkOGQyZGE0LWNlNzAtNGMxNi05ODNmLWE5ZGEwYWIzNTdjNlwvZDM2YTVvcS03NDMzNDIyMC0zZDkyLTQ0ZDgtOWY5NS0zZTc5YWZjNGVkZDguanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.qKMS63RYXOiR8n9IJcvjgYVO0c7p2oidqGxh8HtjQYk[/img][hr][/center] Rita opened her eyes. She suddenly gasped for air as she desperately looked around herself, sitting up. She thought that she was dead! By all means, she should be at the speed that the car was going. All she saw around herself was this... warehouse? That's what it looked like. It reminded her a bit of that place she partied in a few times. Just an empty room that let in the setting sun - which was weird as hell because it was night time last time she checked. Was she unconscious? No. She didn't fall asleep at all, she was fully conscious just engulfed by light of some sort. She eventually hopped up to her feet as she looked around. She wasn't alone in the room as it seemed a good dozen other people were in the room as her. All on the ground. "... What in the fuck was that?!" Jaden loudly shouted as he hopped to his feet. He looked around, confused as all hell. "Where the hell am I?!" "I doubt anyone here has the answer," Kaitlyn said as she also rose to her feet. She dusted off the back of her clothes before she pulled her button out from her pants. "So how about you stop yelling, please? It's unnecessary." Jaden grumbled as he stood up. He looked at Kaitlyn as he said, "Fine." His first instinct was to just get up and start walking back home. He shook his head as he marched on before being stopped. "Hey!" Rita shouted at him before she wrapped her arms around herself because it was cold here. "This place doesn't look like Florida, does it?" Jaden looked at Rita with a blank face. "... Of course, this ain't Florida. We - [i]I believe[/i] - are in Araminta, Pennslyvania. But, I doubt a magical purple light teleported us [i]just[/i] to this warehouse." Jaden shook his head as he crossed his arms. He realized that things were probably not straight forward... or he was just being paranoid. Still, the Marines taught him strength in numbers. He shouldn't wander off alone. "Ara- what?" Rita asked. "Araminta, never heard of it? Well, neither did a lot of people, girl," Jaden said as he looked around. More and more people are getting up. He had a strange feeling about this place. That he couldn't accurately say he was [i]in[/i] Araminta.