I wake up cold. Really cold. My body aches like I've been rolled down a hill, smashed against rocks, and left to rot. For a moment, I'm convinced I've died, because the last thing I remember is that blinding light, the shadow with glowing eyes, and the words whispering inside my head.
But no. I'm alive. Somehow.
My eyes flutter open. The sky above me is… not a sky. It's huge, swirling, and dark purple, streaked with lightning-like cracks of light. I sit up slowly and notice the ground beneath me isn't stone or dirt—it's soft, glowing moss that pulses faintly under my palms. I'm in a forest, but nothing like I've ever seen. The trees stretch impossibly high, their branches twisting like they're alive. The air smells sweet, metallic, and strange.
I touch my neck. No collar. The metal is gone, broken into pieces somewhere—thankfully. My fingers tremble, though, and I can feel something buzzing under my skin. A warmth, like fire trapped in my veins.
"What… the hell just happened?" I whisper to myself. My voice sounds small in the eerie silence.
I try to stand, and the moss almost seems to grip my feet. My legs wobble, but I manage to keep my balance. I take a few steps forward, cautiously. Every part of me feels like it's… different. Sharper. Stronger. I reach out to touch a tree, and the energy beneath my skin reacts—it hums, twinges, like it's alive and listening.
I stumble backward. My heart is racing.
"Okay, Aria," I mutter. "Focus. Think. Don't freak out. You just survived something insane. You're alive. That's good. That's… actually amazing."
I take a deep breath.
Then I hear it.
A voice.
Not a whisper, not in my head. A real, human voice.
"Hey! Are you new here?"
I spin around, heart hammering. Between the towering trees, I see a figure moving toward me. A girl about my age, with short silver hair and piercing green eyes. She's wearing a leather vest and pants, and she carries a dagger on her belt. Her expression is wary but curious.
"Yes!" I blurt out. "I… I think I'm new. I don't even know where I am."
She crouches slightly, keeping her distance. "You're in Arcanthia. And if you just came through like that, you're lucky you're alive."
I swallow hard. "Arcanthia…? Wait, am I… dead? Is this hell?"
The girl shakes her head. "No. Not hell. But it's close. This place isn't kind to people who wander in unprepared."
"I… survived a collar thing. A dungeon. Some weird summoning… I don't even know!" I collapse onto a rock, overwhelmed. "I don't understand any of this!"
She studies me for a moment, then sighs. "Figures. Most people freak out the first time they wake up here. Look, I'm Sera. You… might want to follow me. There's a safe place not far from here. And trust me, you need it."
We move quietly through the glowing forest. The moss pulses beneath our feet with each step, like it's counting. The trees shift slightly, and I swear I see shadows moving in the corners of my eyes. Arcanthia isn't a normal forest—it feels alive, aware, like it's testing me.
"So… Sera," I say cautiously, "how long have you been here?"
Her lips twitch into a grim smile. "Long enough to know it'll either make you or break you. The collars, the dungeons… that's just the start. You don't survive here by being nice. You survive by knowing what to take and who to trust. And mostly, by trusting no one."
I shiver. "I just want to go home."
Sera shakes her head, eyes dark. "Home isn't coming back for you. Not anymore. You've been pulled here for a reason, Aria. And whatever that reason is… it's bigger than you think."
I feel a pulse under my skin again. Stronger this time. Fire crawling through my veins. When I touch my chest, it tingles like it's alive.
"What's happening to me?" I whisper.
Sera glances at me sharply. "That collar didn't just fail. It unlocked something. You… you've got a gift now. Something dangerous."
"Dangerous?" My stomach drops. "I don't even know how to control it!"
"Then you better learn fast," she says. Her eyes scan the forest. "They'll be looking for you. The Overseer doesn't let anyone escape. Not without consequences."
My blood runs cold. "You mean… the guy from the dungeon? He's coming?"
Sera nods grimly. "And he's not alone. There are others too. He controls the collared, Aria. And now… you're uncollared. That makes you a threat. Or a weapon. Or both. They'll come for you."
I stare at her, heart hammering. "So… I'm hunted?"
She shrugs. "Welcome to Arcanthia."
We keep moving, winding through the forest. The light of the glowing moss guides us, but it's not comforting. Every shadow feels alive. Every whisper of wind feels like eyes watching. My pulse races. My stomach twists.
Then I see it.
A clearing ahead, and in the center… a figure standing perfectly still. Tall. Black robes. A hood covers their face. But it's the collar. Around their neck. Broken. Just like mine had been.
Sera freezes. I freeze. The figure doesn't move, but I can feel it. Power. Raw, dangerous power, radiating off them in waves. My chest tightens. My pulse jumps.
"Who is that?" I whisper.
Sera swallows hard. "No idea. But we need to move. Now."
Before I can react, the figure lifts a hand. The air around it shimmers, and the ground trembles beneath our feet. Branches twist unnaturally, and the moss pulses violently.
A voice echoes, deep and distorted, as if coming from everywhere at once.
"You shouldn't have escaped, Aria Vale."
I stumble back, heart hammering. "How… how do you know my name?"
The figure steps forward, hood falling back slightly. Eyes glowing like molten gold stare straight at me.
I feel the fire inside me flare uncontrollably. My hands shake. My body hums with energy I don't understand.
Sera grabs my arm. "Don't use it! Not yet!"
But it's too late. The energy bursts from me, blasting outward like a wave. Trees shatter. Moss cracks. The figure staggers back—but not as much as I hoped.
Their voice is calm. "Interesting… very interesting."
Before I can react, they vanish in a flash of light.
I look around frantically. Sera is breathing hard. "They're gone… for now. But they'll come back. And next time…" She shakes her head. "Next time, you won't be ready."
I sink to my knees, trembling. Fire still burns under my skin, uncontrollable, untamed.
"What am I?" I whisper. "What is this power?"
Sera crouches beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Something that can change this world… or destroy it. And whoever they are, they're the key to finding out. We need to move. Now."
I look up. The forest is quiet again, but I know it won't stay that way. Not for long.
Then I hear it—a whisper, faint but clear.
Aria Vale… you cannot hide. We are coming.
I freeze. My blood runs cold. The fire inside me screams.
And I realize—this is only the beginning.