Chapter 1:

  Another Beginning

  Have you ever had a dream that felt so real, it was like you were living another life? Only for you to suddenly wake up and realize that it was only just that. A dream.

  My name is Lucas Avington, and I've had the same recurring dream for a while now. Though the settings are always different, there are always two constants within these dreams.

  First, a woman with beautiful, jeweled eyes of emerald, each one with golden hues near the pupil. Fair skin with warm undertones that glowed golden in the setting of the sun. Deep teal colored hair framed their slender face, and a cute button nose adorned it.

  The second constant is that these dreams always ended so suddenly. Sometimes, this was for no foreseeable reason. Others, it was because I met some tragic fate. Like in the types of dreams where you're falling, but wake up right before you hit the ground, or being chased by a monster only to wake up just as it gets you.

  You could say there was a third constant, but I considered it a part of the first, and that would be her smile. No matter how many times I had the dream, whenever I saw her, she would be smiling such a beautiful, brilliant smile. My heart raced each time I saw her. However, I began to notice something. Each time, her smile seemed to get sadder. Almost...bittersweet.

  She felt so strangely familiar, yet I had never met her before. These dreams always felt so real. As if these weren't dreams...but memories.

  Of course, that couldn't be. Every time, I woke up in my bed, alone. That woman was nowhere to be found, and I had no recollection of ever meeting them before. I had even asked the few people I knew if they ever saw someone like her before. None of them have.

  She was an anomaly. Why was I having such dreams about this woman? My friends would tell me I was going crazy because of how long I was single for. They even offered to set me up a few times, but each time I politely declined. It just never felt...right.

  It wasn't like I was waiting for someone. I still had time to find someone if I wanted, but as I was currently 30-years old, I wasn't getting any younger either. My dating life had never been great. I always thought there was something wrong with me. Failure after failure, and so I just gave up.

  What was the use of dating when there was so much else going on? The world was under pressure from the gates that opened about ten years ago. Monsters like you'd find in fantasy worlds spilled out. Many died before the governments could get things under control. There was no time to think about dating when I was just trying to survive.

  No one knew just how this happened. Some believed it to be a sign of God come to punish us. There were a lot of doomsday fanatics. Many cults rose up around this time. This only added fuel to the fire when people began to experience a change. Magic was real.

  People began to show powers unheard of before. They could do things that the realm of science couldn't define. There is a saying that magic is just science not yet discovered. However, this went beyond that of what science could accomplish. Feats that could only be described as unnatural.

  These people soon became known as "Pyers" when this change was accompanied by a mysterious phenomenon in the form of a status screen. It dispyed what could only be described as stats in an RPG (Role-pying Game). I knew this, because I was a gamer. I enjoyed all types of games, though my favorites were role-pying games.

  This fact allowed me to be familiar with many terms associated with these changes. Hell, there were even stories written just like this. Many people, myself included, read such stories as a hobby. We never thought it could be a reality.

  Because of this, there were many who felt like they were suited to life as a Pyer. They felt confident in their knowledge. After all, they read about this many times while compining about the main character being stupid, weak, or too kind. Sometimes all three.

  These people would be the first to die.

  It was simple hubris. When you're reading a story, it is much different from reality. To this day there are still people who haven't learned from the first waves mistakes. Just because you read about it, doesn't mean you'd survive. Even still, there were always people who were like them.

  You had those who were too excited to become a Pyer and those who rejected any help because of the novels they read. Those who were too excited were quickly met with the reality of how difficult fighting these monsters were. Those who were too moody and tried to act the lone wolf, wanting all the "exp" to themselves, found that they were without allies.

  Both types found death.

  The only consotion was those who were too excited were often the ones to survive most between the two. Saved by their more experienced companions or skating by with only minor wounds. They either wised up or immediately retired.

  You might be asking about me now. Am I a Pyer? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Though, while I do say it is unfortunate, I'm not sure I would want to be a Pyer. It's definitely lucrative, but dangerous. Treasure and loot from monsters, including their cores, can earn you a lot of money in this world now.

  It is possible for almost anyone to awaken as a Pyer. However, I have yet to do so, and after five years, I simply do not think it possible. I remain a normal human.

  This is also one of the main reasons I have never been able to date. Most people want to date Pyers, or Hunters as some call them, so that when monsters attack, they will be protected. For Pyers, that means they have the advantage in the dating scene. The choice of almost anyone.

  I am not exceptional in any skill nor attractive in the conventional sense. That isn't to say I'm unattractive or unskilled, I just often don't stand out. Truthfully, there was probably only one unique thing about me, and that was the silver streak among the rest of my chestnut-colored hair.

  It was a bit of an oddity. Covering several strands of a lock of hair along the right side. What was even stranger was the fact that the silver never quite touched the tips of those strands of hair, which were still chestnut in color. This was true even if I cut my hair.

  It has been there for as long as I can remember. Since my hair fell to just below my chin, the streak was decently long, even if it never reached the tips. There were many who thought I dyed it, but when I told them I didn't, they'd very rarely believe me. Often, this would lead them to think I was doing it for attention and lying to them. This wasn't the case.

  Right now, I had just woken up from another one of those dreams. I lived in a small studio apartment. My bed was against one corner, with a small couch against the wall and a ft screen tv, which I found for a deal, across from it. The kitchen was practically nonexistent with only a small fridge and stovetop. There was no counter space. Only a small cutting board that pulled out from above one of the drawers.

  There was a sink to wash dishes, but it was singur. That meant the kitchen, living room, and my bedroom all shared one room. Though, I did have a small balcony that I could walk out on. My view wasn't great, just some back-alley brick wall, but fresh air at least. Well, as fresh as you can get in the city.

  The only other room was the bathroom, which I always made my way to first thing in the morning after putting my gsses on. Brushing my teeth and hair, using the bathroom, and I was ready for my day after a quick shower. In the mirror, amber-blue eyes, patterned like a nebu, looked out from a pale face which seemed like it never saw the sun.

  I usually stayed inside, as I didn't have much work to do. The sun also never really took to me that well. However, today I had to go shopping. Food was running low, and I had nothing to drink. I dressed casually in dark grey sweatpants and a t-shirt. Over that I pced an oversized bck button up jacket.

  Grabbing my keys and an empty backpack, I was out the door. The walkway in front of the apartment was open to the air, with only a half wall separating it from the elements. Making my way down from the fifth floor via the elevator, I was able to grab my bike and began pedaling towards the store.

  The streets were narrow, but retively safe. I lived in a quieter part of the city. This world had changed, and with it did the structure of society. Even America, one of the most unmovable powerhouses in the world, was not untouched.

  I was born in the Midwest, in what was southern Minnesota. My parents moved when I was younger out to Washington, DC, for their jobs. When the gates opened, all the major cities were overrun and destroyed. Landscapes changed, and new cities were built over the old.

  Some, however, were unable to be recimed. Washington, DC, was one of those cities unable to be recimed. Though, that didn't stop people from trying. Those who lived in the district moved to just outside its limits. It's where my parents and I relocated.

  This area has many names, though commonly just called City W. Some call it Washington City, some say WC or even New Washington. Regardless, the old world is no longer what it was.

  This was no more evident than when the sirens began bring. A rift had appeared. These unexpected breaks happened, but why did it have to happen just as I finished my shopping? My backpack was full, or...was it? I don't remember. Did I even go shopping?

  I only recalled the park across from the grocery store beginning to change. The sky was darkening as red lightning shot out from the cracks forming in the air. A child cried, screaming for help. I saw them on the ground with a hurt leg from where the earth ruptured beneath them. It was utter chaos.

  My instincts told me to run, but how could I just leave a child? Dropping everything, I found myself propelled forward. The world was like this. Pure and utter chaos. This was supposed to be a safe neighborhood. Why was a rift appearing here?

  I reached for the child, taking them in my arms as the rift burst, forming a gate break. The monsters that spilled out tore into everyone around. Gunshots were sounded by the quick responding military, but it wasn't enough. I had to get out of there, for my sake and this child's.

  These monsters, they looked like...I don't know. It was like I couldn't remember them. I only knew they had sharp teeth and cws. Why can't I see the monsters? I knew they were there, but I couldn't see them, my vision focused in front of me.

  That's when I could feel it. The impact as the monster caught up to me. I struggled, throwing the child to safety and telling them to run as best they could. Even if they were injured, they had a chance. I could see the creature now. A giant hound. Bck skin and red eyes. Its teeth were sharp.

  I knew because its teeth were currently tearing into me as I tried to pry them off. Yet, why couldn't I feel the pain? It just felt...warm. Like some kind of pressure, but no pain. Was it because of adrenaline?

  It was as I felt my strength waning that I saw it. The flowing locks of dark teal. It was her. My eyes widened as the hound was blown away by the woman I kept dreaming of. Cd in armor that looked out of medieval times. Its dark ptes fit her body well and covered everything except her face which was locked in a fierce, angry expression as she killed the hound.

  I could only smile, knowing she was real. As always, my heart raced when I saw her, just like when I had those dreams. She turned towards me, her expression softening as she knelt down before me. She said something I couldn't quite hear, then smiled that beautiful smile.

  However, I could see it. Despite how beautiful that smile was, it broke my heart, for it was the saddest I have ever seen it. Reaching up to her face, I tried to speak, but found the words failing me as the world began to fall apart.

  No, I couldn't wake up yet. I had to know who she was. Wait. Waking up? No. I couldn't...no, stay asleep. Please. I want to see her, if only for a little longer. That sad expression...I have to do something.

  The monsters were closing in, overwhelming us, and that is when I woke up.

  -----

  A cold sweat drenched my sheets, my eyes widening as I woke with a start. "That same dream...again?" I sighed, putting a hand to my face as I could still feel everything. Yet, my body was intact, and there was no woman like that around me.

  Gazing at my hand, I could still feel her face under it. It had felt so soft and smooth, almost comforting. Taking a few breaths, I slowly sat up in my bed. The covers fell away from my body, revealing the undefined state it was in. I wasn't active, so of course I wouldn't be built.

  Of course, I did work out when I could, though I always stayed just under being slightly overweight. I would be considered average by most standards, which was a bit hard to swallow sometimes. No one wanted to be average, but it was better than being less than average, I supposed.

  "Ugh..." Grabbing my gsses, I stood to put on my boxers I left on the ground. It was uncomfortable sleeping in any clothes. Bunching up, trying to strangle your body in your sleep...it wasn't fun. Entering the bathroom, I could only stare at my tired face.

  "Five years..." I thought to myself, that's how long since the gates opened, and the world changed. City W was built on the outskirts of Washington, DC, after attempts to recim it kept failing. My parents lived in another district of the city where they worked.

  I lived alone, trying not to be a burden to them. They loved me, but couldn't continue to afford paying for me. That's why I lived in such a small studio apartment. It was cheap, but in a safe neighborhood. I did odd jobs here and there for the Pyer's Association, though I wasn't a Pyer myself.

  "Did that...get longer?" I wondered, looking at the streak of silver in my hair. All of it was silver, from root to tip, though it felt like it shouldn't be. Pying with it, I shook my head after a moment of examination. "No, it's always been like that." I put it from my mind as I brushed my teeth and hair. After using the bathroom and taking a quick shower, it was time for me to go do some work.

  It was simple work, just some deliveries to be made. I used my bike to do so. The deliveries were often materials to be brought to the various Pyer Guilds or other Association bases. However, my thoughts were still elsewhere. The dream clouding my mind.

  It felt like I had that dream a million times, but this was the first time it ever felt so...vivid. The feeling of these dreams often faded quickly, but for some reason this one stuck with me. "Her smile looked so sad..." I couldn't shake how my heart felt when thinking of it.

  Unfortunately, there was no more time to think on it. I was te, and so quickly grabbed my keys and headed to the door. Putting my shoes on haphazardly, I practically spilled out of the door, barely catching myself on the handle.

  Before I could straighten myself out, I caught the glimpse of something before me. Boots. Not just any kind of boots, but very well made, high end bck calf boots. The kind I would never see in my entire life, for they were way too expensive. Not like I'd wear them anyways, since they weren't my style. Considering they were women's boots.

  Attached to them were the jeaned legs of an individual I had never thought to see. Even before I saw them fully, I knew who it was. Something deep inside of me told me. This was her. Sure enough, that dark teal hair cascaded down the slender, yet strong shoulders of the one who always appeared in my dreams.

  I had never met her before, but that smile as she saw me was the same. I had never...seen her before? No, I had. Right? She was the heir to that wealthy family. "What was their name again?" I could hardly think. It felt like my mind was colpsing.

  "Hello...Lucas," Her voice was like that of an angel. Light and silvery.

  She said my name so naturally. As if she has said it a million times before. So affectionate was her tone, that I immediately felt flustered.

  "I'm Elizabeth Falcrest, and I know this is sudden, but..." She knelt down on one knee and held her hand out to me, "I'm here to ask you. Will you marry me?"

  Blinking, I could hardly believe the events unfolding. In fact, I didn't even register it as my consciousness slipped from me. My head felt like it was going to explode. Dreams that felt like memories, memories that felt like dreams. They all came flooding into my mind.

  The ground came quickly, though the nding was soft, sturdy. I realized I had fallen into Elizabeth's arms. She caught me so naturally. Her hand on the back of my head was tender as she held me to her.

  "I suppose...that was a bit much for you, my dear Lucas," She whispered, "Rest now. I will keep you safe...this time, at least."

  These words, I did not hear. I simply felt her warmth as the darkness took me.

  -----

  Nikushimi