Slowly, I opened my eyes. My head pounded like a war drum. Darkness stretched out before me. I was lying on cold, hard concrete.
Wait. My basement didn't have concrete floors.
I sat up immediately, heart racing. Brick walls covered in tangled vines surrounded me. My breathing quickened and the pounding in my head grew worse. I clutched my chest, trying to calm myself. That's when my hand brushed against something cold and solid.
The necklace. It was around my neck.
But I hadn't put it on.
Then, a voice spoke behind me.
"Hello, Ruby. I've been expecting you."
I turned sharply, my heart pounding so loud it blocked everything else out. The shadow stood before me. The same one that had grabbed me earlier.
Its shape shifted and rippled like smoke in the air. Its voice echoed from every direction.
"What… what do you want from me?!" I stammered, fear tightening my throat.
The shadow tilted its head, or what I assumed was its head. "You already know the answer."
"No, I don't. I don't even know where I am."
"You're where you were always meant to be," it said. "You opened the box. You accepted the call."
"What call?" I yelled.
It reached out with a tendril-shaped arm. "The ruby around your neck isn't just a necklace. It's a key. You've unlocked the first step toward fulfilling your destiny."
I stumbled backward, shaking my head. "No. I'm just a normal girl. I don't have a destiny."
The shadow let out a low, dry laugh. "Normal? Is that what they told you? That you were just like everyone else? Oh, Ruby, you are far from it."
The vines on the walls began to stir, moving with unnatural life. At the same time, strange memories flooded my mind—people and places I'd never seen, yet somehow recognized.
"You're lying," I whispered, though even I wasn't sure I believed it.
"Am I?" it said. "Do you feel the ruby? Does it burn? Does it pulse with your heartbeat?"
I touched the gem. It was hot. Not just warm, but alive. Its rhythm matched the rapid beat of my chest.
"What am I?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
The shadow's form swirled in silence, as if deciding how much to reveal.
"You're not human, Ruby," it finally said. "You never were. Earth was never meant to be your home."
The words hit me like a blow.
"No... that can't be right. I've lived here my whole life. My mom, my friends, everything I know is here."
The shadow's voice softened slightly. "That life was an illusion. A carefully designed one. You've lived in a world that was never yours. The truth of who you are, where you truly belong, has been kept from you. But now the time has come. The necklace and the box were only the beginning. Your journey has started."
I shook my head in disbelief, panic growing in my chest. "None of this makes sense. I'm human."
The shadow's presence grew heavier. "The truth is not always what you want it to be. And you, Ruby, belong somewhere else. A place called Landan."
"Landan?" I repeated, struggling to grasp the name. "What is that? Where is it? I've never heard of it."
The air around the shadow pulsed. "Landan is beyond Earth. It's a world apart. It's where you belong. Where your path lies."
"No. I belong here. With my mom. With my life," I said, my voice shaking.
"You believe the woman who raised you is your mother?" the shadow asked. "She isn't who you think she is. She has kept secrets from you your entire life. She didn't bring you into this world."
I froze. "No. That's not possible. She raised me. She's always been there for me."
"She took you in, yes. But she is not your mother. She's only a guardian, someone entrusted to keep you hidden. She knows more about you than she's ever let on, but she was never part of your true story."
The truth clanged through my mind like bells in a storm. The foundation of my life cracked beneath me.
"I know it's hard to accept," the shadow said, more gently now. "There are truths your human mind isn't ready for. But one thing is clear. You must go to Landan. You must embrace what comes next."
I felt like I couldn't breathe. "What do you want from me? What's in Landan? Why do I have to go?"
The shadow hesitated before replying.
"In Landan, you will discover who you really are. Why you were brought here. What your purpose is. Your time on Earth is ending, Ruby. But your true life is just beginning."
I was silent for a moment. Then, the question escaped my lips.
"What do I do now?"
"You've already taken the first step," it said. "You opened the box. The journey is in motion. But more lies ahead. And no one walks this path alone."
The air around me thickened with something I couldn't name. Then, as if drawn by an unseen force, I looked toward the corner of the room.
A small light flickered in the dark, glowing faintly. It grew, swirling into a portal with edges that moved like water. The space around it rippled, humming with quiet power.
"Go now, Ruby," the shadow said. "The path is open. Landan is calling."
I hesitated. My entire life was behind me. Everything ahead was unknown. But I felt the pull. Deep in my chest, something urged me forward.
"Landan," I whispered.
With one last glance behind me, I stepped into the light.
As the portal swallowed me, the last thing I heard was the shadow's voice, quiet and certain.
"We will meet again, Ruby. And when the time is right, you will understand."