Darkness encircled the area. There was no light giving a feeling of emptiness and loneliness. At the center of the darkness, is a young woman lying on the floor. She had long blonde hair, White pale skin, and a slender figure. Opening her eyes, she found herself stunned by nothing but darkness. As she was trying to get up, she felt a sharp pain going through her left arm.

Realizing that she wasn't in New York City, Layla tried to remember what she was doing before she ended up here.

"What happened? I was with my mother a few moments ago?" thought Layla.

Memories of the incident passed through her head. While she was arguing with her mother in her mother's apartment building, their conversation was interrupted by the bright light approaching them from outside. Layla quickly chooses to jump to the floor. While her mother ran away from the window. As the fire hit their apartment, she heard her mother's scream behind her. Trembling from her mother's voice, Layla turned her head to face her.

With bright red fire on her, she looked Layla in the eye and screamed something that Layla was familiar with hearing. "I hate you, Layla!"

The building started to collapse under Layla and her mother. Leaving them falling to the ground. Layla couldn't remember anything after that, leaving her scared and confused.

"I can't remember anything after that? Does this mean that I am dead?" said Layla.

Filled with questions, Layla chose to get up and start moving as she was thinking about her circumstance.

"Even in death, I am alone. I guess nothing changes. My struggle was pointless in the end."

As she was dragging her body across the darkness, a smile crept on her face as she couldn't help but laugh. "My mother's face was hilarious. At least she came down with me. I guess we just weren't lucky enough."

Different types of emotions started to form in Layla's mind. As she was laughing, tears ran down her face.

Frustrated with her circumstance, Layla couldn't help but complain. "It's not fair! Just when everything started to go right, it was taken all over again."

While crying, Layla felt a voice calling for her. Curious about the noise, she started to walk in the direction of the sound. The closer Layla got to the sound, the louder and clearer it became.

Layla could hear the same thing being repeated to her. "Layla, it's time."

After reaching a certain point in the darkness, Layla felt like something changed. A sudden increase in pressure started to surround her. She couldn't hear the voice anymore. For the first time since finding herself in the darkness, she felt that her life was in danger. She found it hard to breathe and started to gasp for breath.

The pressure caused her to fall on the ground. "What's happening? What's causing this?" she said.

As Layla was anxiously looking around, she found that dark purple lights started to gather around her. To Layla's surprise, the lights moved in front of her, forming a large closed eye. After the eye was formed. The pressure surrounding her lessened, allowing her to stand up.

Her fear was replaced with familiarity. Looking at the eye made her remember some things from her past. Ever since she was young, people always avoided her, including her mother. Layla remembered the fear in her mother's face after hitting her when she got angry at her once.

She stared at her hand and kneeled, mumbling something that Layla didn't understand while frantically looking around their apartment. "It was just a mistake. I didn't do anything wrong. Please don't kill me."

Layla got up and tried to comfort her mother. "What's wrong, mommy? I won't run off again."

When Layla got close to her mother, she backed away while trembling. "Stay away from me, you monster! If I didn't have you, I wouldn't be in this mess!"

Layla's mother quickly got up and walked away, leaving Layla confused. Layla went to her room and got to her bed. She could hear the crying sounds of her mother from her room. Feeling the loneliness creeping up on her, Layla tried to hug her pillow to get rid of her worries.

"I didn't do anything to mommy. Why is she so mad?"

Layla curled up into a ball and started to cry. "Why did mommy call me a mistake? I didn't do anything."

As similar thoughts were going through her head, her surroundings started to change. Dark spots oozed from under her, forming a small black area around Layla. Layla noticed what was happening and stopped crying.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

After wiping the tears off her face, Layla began to poke the dark spot. "What's this? It doesn't seem to be water."

While Layla was poking the spot, ripples started to occur in the patch around her. Multiple small black balls formed from the pool on the floor. Purple lights formed on them one by one, and they started to bounce around Layla and rub against her. She was able to feel their soft bodies as they moved around her.

When they started to bounce around her room, Layla couldn't help but chase them. She spent the rest of the night playing with them until she tired herself out. Feeling exhausted, Layla chose to go to her bed.

While she was lying down, the small black creatures chose to surround her. "This was so fun. I hope we can play again," said Layla with a bright smile on her face.

Layla fell asleep and never saw those black creatures throughout the rest of her life. She assumed that it was all a dream and pushed the memory to the back of her head. Layla reached out her hand to try and tried to touch the eye, hoping to feel the same way she did as a kid.

When Layla was about to touch the eye, it started to move. The eyelid was illuminated by the purple lights in the absolute darkness. Two bright red circles formed around the eye. As the eyelid was moving. Layla could see multiple symbols that she couldn't recognize between the circles.

Layla could only stand and be amazed by the display in front of her. "Wow! That's so pretty. I wish I had a camera," Layla said while smiling.

When the eye opened in front of Layla, the red patterns and the eye started to merge together. A bright light mixed between purple and red started to shine. Layla reflexively closed her eyes to shield them from the light. While Layla was struggling to open her eyes, she heard a feminine voice.

"It seems like you don't disappoint Layla. You're the only one to make it this far."

Layla saw a hole opening in front of her. In the absolute darkness, it served as a source of light. Layla could see a human figure walking out of the hole. In front of Layla was a woman in a black and red dress, which matched with her grey skin and red eyes. She had long black hair that touched against her back. What surprised Layla was two large horns sprouting from the woman's temple and multiple large black rings floating behind her. Layla couldn't help but feel some type of familiarity with the woman.

Confusion spread all over Layla's face as she asked. "Who are you? No, what are you?" while slowly backing away.

The woman returned a slight grin, which caused Layla to take a step back. "I guess it has been some human years since we have seen each other, so I'll reintroduce myself. My name is Satanachia. I am something no human could ever compare to."

The name sounded familiar to Layla, but she couldn't remember where she heard it from. While Layla was lost in her thoughts, Satanachia continued.

"It seems you aren't strong enough to keep this connection up for long. So I will keep this short. Since you were able to build a stronger connection with me. I am feeling generous and don't mind rewarding you for your efforts."

With a slight gesture of her hand. A black ball with purple in the center formed around her hand. With a smile on her face, she made the ball start to shine. The ball then turned into a piece of paper with similar symbols that Layla saw around the eye.

Satanachia tossed the paper to Layla and said, "With this, you should be able to contact me. If there is a time when power is what you desire simply, call my name, and we can work out a deal."

When Layla caught the paper, it started to merge into her skin. Layla started to panic and tried to pull it out, but it moved too fast. After moving into her skin, she felt a sudden pain in her chest like someone was stabbing her heart. Layla fell to her knees, holding her chest and gritting her teeth.

Layla slowly looked up and saw Satanachia wearing an innocent smile. "It seems like our time is up. One more thing, you have become a target that people want, so you may need me faster than you think," said Satanachia.

When Layla was about to speak, she found that her body was disappearing. The last thing that she saw in the void was Satanachia

waving at her as she was leaving.

As Layla began to open her eyes, she felt the bright light of the sun hitting her face. After her eyes adjusted to the light, she found herself in a large hospital room. Her bed was against a wall, and there was a curtain surrounding her with hospital equipment beside her. Layla tried to move her body, but she found that she couldn't feel her left arm.

Panicked and confused, Layla slowly lifted her head, hoping that the worst hadn't come to pass. "Please, please, please," said Layla.

When Layla found her left arm, it was covered with a cast. She could see her fingers and hand poking out at the end. Layla began to wear a relaxed expression while looking at her left arm. She felt relieved that she survived. But she began to wonder where this place was.

"It seems like I didn't lose anything. But where am I?" Layla said.

Layla could hear multiple footsteps around her, along with the voices of different people. She tried to call someone but found that her throat was dry. Her attempt to call for help only caused her to start coughing.

A nurse quickly moved the curtain around Layla and checked on Layla. Seeing Layla coughing, the nurse began to help her. "Slowly breathe in and out. I'll get some water after this," said the nurse.

After Layla stopped coughing, the nurse that helped quickly left. With the curtains gone, Layla could see some other parts of the room. She could see multiple curtains in the distance, along with medical staff walking back and forth. Layla got a weird feeling in the building. Even with the number of patients, she couldn't hear much noise other than walking.

While Layla was lost in her thoughts, the nurse came back with a plastic cup. "Sorry it took so long, but this water should help with your dry throat. Feel free to ask a few questions. I know that you must be confused," said the nurse.

Layla took the plastic cup and drank the water. After giving the plastic cup back to the nurse, Layla began to ask her questions. "My first question would be, where am I?"

The nurse nodded and returned a small smile. "We are still in New York City. After the accident, multiple small buildings have been turned into mini hospitals to deal with the influx of patients."

"Ok. Then how did I get here? I remember being in my mother's apartment?" asked Layla. The thought of her mother caused her expression to change.

"I don't know when you were brought here, but I know that the accident was two weeks ago. Many of us had to work overtime to deal with the sudden demand. If it wasn't for Virtue's support, we would have been overwhelmed a long time ago," said the nurse.

Virtue was a company that Layla had trouble trusting. Whenever her mother would hear about the company or see anything about the company. She would start to tremble and check around her surroundings like something was watching her. Even when Layla grew older, it was something she always did or tried to hide.

With the mention of Virtue, Layla started to feel uncomfortable. "How long would I have to stay here?" she asked.

"I would have to review with the nurse and doctor that was looking after you. I think it would be a week, but the sooner, the better. We still have people being found and treated. But for now, I think you should get some rest," said the nurse.

"I guess I'll get some rest. Thanks for the help," said Layla.

The nurse returned a quick nod and began to walk away. "One more thing. We will have one of the doctors check on you regularly until you leave. I am getting a little tired of failing to save people," said the nurse with a sad expression.

With the nurse gone, Layla began to try and process everything that had happened.

"I guess my mother really is gone. I guess... it's just me now," said Layla.

A tear ran down her cheek. With her mother gone, Layla felt like a burden had been lifted off her shoulders. And at the same time, she lost something she could never get back.

"I can only move forward regardless of what happens. Nothing much changed, even when I grew up," thought Layla.

Thinking of the future, Layla remembered what happened in her dream. She questioned what her future will become before falling asleep.