Prologue

Red liquid fills snow slowly in one particular spot.

I stared out the window, terrified to see a body being tossed aside in front of the church.

I rushed downstairs from my bedroom trying not to wake up the other children.

Running in the hallway.

I peeked out the door.

Spotting the Priest praying with the teenagers who are practicing their magic.

Two individuals enter the church, an old man with long white hair wearing a suit.

With a child-like figure in a cloak.

He looks my age, no it can't be.

"Who are you and what do you want with us?"

The priest confronts the two mysterious figures along with the other church members.

A liquid void of color due to the lack of light in the middle of the room.

Drips from the end of the child's cloak, seeing his evil grin underneath his hood.

"I'm here for someone, a child."

The air feels tight in this area.

I can't breathe, it's like one of them is taking it all from me just by standing there.

I can't move, I can't run.

I don't want to make any noise.

I don't want them to notice me.

"What is the child's name?"

The priest asked. The man signs.

"Catherine."

"And what is your name?"

The Priest addresses him.

"That isn't important."

The priest smirks.

"You are a stubborn one. I wish I could help you, but we are praying."

The man growls.

"This conversation is going nowhere. I know you have her here!"

He looks at the child, then back at the priest.

The man grips the priest by the collar.

"Where the hell is the child?"

The man shouted.

A light shines from the priest's palm, sending the man across the church.

He groans.

Getting up, shaking it off, wiping his suit.

The child laughs at the priest.

The child's laughs would echo around the church.

"That won't hurt him, you just made him even more angry."

The child says, crossing his arms and kicking his legs up on his seat.

"This is not a trafficking facility, this is a shelter for the homeless and lost individuals who seek God for help."

The Priest says reassuring the man calmly.

The man roars, sprinting at the Priest.

The Priest uses another spell.

Trapping him in a bright yellow sphere that slowly burns his skin.

Even his clothes also begin to turn into ashes.

"You're a Vorkhan, aren't you? No worry, I'll do this as long as it takes to hold you off."

The priest says.

While the other members gather to hold hands in a formation, creating a barrier.

An immense energy surges around the church.

A bright yellow energy wall forms in front of the children.

The man would stand punching the sphere he's entrapped in.

It begins to crack and the priest can't hold it anymore.

The priest releases the man from the sphere.

The man charges at the priest, enraged.

The priest shoots a long wave of sunlight towards the angry burning man, slowing him down even further.

The man keeps charging towards him, not stopping; he eventually grabs the priest, punching him in the face.

Knocking the priest off his feet.

Grabbing the priest by his neck lifts him off the ground with one arm.

"Everyone protects the children! Don't worry about me!"

He shuts the priest up by punching him in the gut.

The man would throw the priest across the church out of my view.

The child moves really fast, throwing daggers at the church members, but the barrier catches the daggers.

The disciples continue to chant as the barrier gets stronger.

The man gets enraged as his remaining tethered burnt clothes get shredded.

Shoving his hand into the barrier.

His burnt arm is burning even more, but his arm heals rapidly.

While his muscles bulge and grow too.

Covered in white fur burning and healing simultaneously.

He reaches one of the chanters.

Digging inside her throat with his claws as they grow bigger along with the rest of his body.

Blood splatters they all scream horrified.

They all lose focus as the wall shatters like glass.

I closed the door screaming, hearing limbs being torn and broken off.

Along with screaming.

I ran upstairs, lifting my mattress and grabbing my dagger.

Looking at my roommates, they all shiver confused and afraid.

I close the door behind me, I must protect them, it's me they want!

Thinking to myself.

I rushed back downstairs, with my dagger in my hand.

My legs tremble, a giant figure steps into the hallway standing over me.

I can't make out what it looks like.

But I can see steam puff out as he growls as liquid drips from his snout.

I can hear it stepping on the wooden floor as the boards creek.

He stares at me growling, baring his fangs.

The large beast charged towards me.

I get in my stance, ready to fight.

"She's mine! Go clear the area."

The beast snarls, obeying his demands, charging like a large wolf on four legs right past me.

Before I can react to the beast.

Behind him the kid in the cloak dashes at me.

We'd clash but his sword grazes my forearm,

"Catherine, it's been a long time, we have fought. You have failed your assignment, so we are here to do it for you."

The child says.

I recognize that voice, it can't be.

Through the hooded cloak I see a grin.

I slash at his neck but he counters with his hand gripping my wrist to counter it.

He kicks me in the stomach by pushing me back.

I still have enough strength to fight back.

I sprint towards him, our weapons collide exchanging, swinging at each other.

Blood begins to fling everywhere I haven't hit him once he's been predicting all my moves.

I breathe heavily.

"You're getting slower Catherine."

Before I can respond, he kicks the dagger out of my hand.

Aiming his sword at me.

"It was too easy. You used to be stronger, but these people made you weak. We aren't designed to protect Catherine, we are designed to kill."

The child says, standing over me.

He gets in his stance.

I've seen this many times during my training.

He's preparing for the final strike.

"You are wrong!"

I responded back by yelling at him.

"We aren't designed for anything! You don't have to listen to Thorne anymore, you don't have to follow her please. Let these people live, they are innocent. The killing needs to stop. When does it end?"

I asked, shouting at him.

He giggles.

His hand still covers the handle of his sword.

"You are a fool, Catherine. Thorne only eliminates threats if you are determined to be a threat. This church was meant to be destroyed by their believers. You failed. That's why we are here."

He pointed at me.

I go for my dagger, grabbing it, his sword slashes at the speed of lighting.

Parrying his attack with my dagger in time.

He used too much force, the energy of the attack pushed me back.

Slashing again, I block it.

But the attack would break my dagger.

His leg slams against my hip.

I fell down protecting my side in pain and groaning.

He raises his palm over me.

"If you don't tell me anything, then I don't need you alive, Catherine."

Lighting covering his palm, it strikes with immense speed.