I open my eyes to see if anything happened and if I was able to save myself with a small bit of magic. But once my eyes were open, I saw nothing. Nothing happened no flames no trace of magic from me. I look back at John and Zack with all hope gone from me. John is shaking his head in disappointment holding his face with his hands. Zack is just staring at me wide-eyed not saying a word. I know the moment he speaks he’s going to say that I’m completely useless he looks at John and begins to speak.

“what’s wrong with her?” He asks in a saddened tone as if he cared I was defective. John sighed standing up to face him. “We don’t know we have tried everything possible to awaken any powers. Even still we have concluded she has no magical ability... But I assure you she is very powerful!” John runs over to me grabbing my shoulders to keep me close. “She’s stronger and faster than any human being. Very intelligent as well!” Zack tried to speak but he just kept going on. “She’s also very skilled with a katana it’s her choice weapon and she.-“ Zack finally cut him off, yelling, “I’m not going to kill her!” John immediately stopped speaking, and I just stared at Zack.

“You aren’t going to kill me...?” I’m so confused he doesn’t want to discard me. He doesn’t want to leave me to die and tell the scientists to find a new project. John looks at me then at Zack letting me go and walking back to him at the table, “Who are you? Really who are you?” Zack’s never-ending smile didn’t fade for a second. “Why I’m a friend of the generals of course.” I walk over to them crossing my arms, John shakes his head. “No, I have met the general before, no friend of his would keep Lilly alive after learning her secret. So, who are you.” Zack looks at me for a moment then back at John. “I’m here for her.” For me? Why is he here for me is he going to save me? I don’t understand what’s going on here. “What do you want with me? What could another human want with me!?” Zack just continued to smile at me not responding to my questioning. John started to repeatedly ask Zack questions and I looked over to the training room door. Seeing Zack’s two army buddies by the door, their violet eyes glowing as bright as his.

I look at Zack’s eyes again staring into the cat eye yellow iris and the surrounding purple color. It clicks in my mind when I look back at the soldiers. Something had been off about them from the very start they acted zombie-like. Leaning against the walls never saying a word or reacting to anything that happens around them. They must be possessed, possessed by Zachary but how did a human learn to do such a thing?! I whip around and look toward him yelling, “He’s a demon!”

No one speaks for a long moment, John stares at me with a shocked expression and Zack just looked at us both back and forth with his never-ending smile. “He has to be one why else would the soldier’s eyes be a bright violet like that!” I say frantically trying to back up my claims. Again, John doesn’t say anything he just looks completely shocked at the idea. This is fair because who would be stupid enough to disguise themselves as a soldier and not just any soldier a soldier that is close to general Christopher?

Still, not a word from either of them, but then Zack begins to laugh loudly. I take a step backward startled by his sudden outburst. John directed his attention to him his expression unchanging. “Is this true Mr. Zachary?” He asks in the usual formal tone with fear hidden behind his words. Zack's laughter comes to a stop, he looks at John and then at me, “Let me explain myself please, sorry for my laughter though I found it amusing it took the lady this long to realize what I was. But I suppose seeing as you have no trace of magical ability that would explain why you couldn’t even sense my power.”

“Your power? I don’t understand what that means. Why are you here!?” This was all too much to take in at once. I thought I was going to die today but instead I run into another of my kind, and he disguises himself as a soldier to break into the lab I am held in but why? “For you of course.”

“For me?” I say pointing at myself and raising an eyebrow in confusion.

“Yes, Miss Star for you, I’m here to save you from this place.” He walks to me and takes my hand once again as he did before when he first arrived. I felt my heart start to beat quickly, I pulled my hand away from his swiftly. His smile seemed to falter for a moment but remained as his eyes looked saddened when I pulled my hand away. “Why would you save the girl? Are you important? Is she important? After all these years of her being here, I have always wondered who she was. Do you have answers? If anything, at least tell her.” John asks questions quickly like an excited child. Zack stares at him for a moment, “There is a war going on outside these walls as well all know too well by now. Let’s just say that demons care way more about their kind than humans thought. We leave no one behind.”

I don’t believe that fact for a moment. John wasn’t satisfied with his answer either, so he started to protest. Zack walked closer to him whispering something into John’s ear I couldn’t make out. But whatever it was changed his tone completely while a smile grew across his face. He pushes up his glasses and his eyes light up. “What is it!?” I yell but neither of them responded to me, “I demand a better explanation as to what’s going on!”

Zack puts his hands up in defense, “All right, calm down Miss Star. I’ll tell you but we have to talk quickly. Before we know it, your lab friend will figure out who I am and try to drive me out of here away from you.” I assume he is talking about Zayden when he referred to my ‘lab friend.’ He is right I also know nothing about possession, but I am sure that it can’t last forever. I nod to him so he would continue speaking. He holds out his hand towards a seat at the small table next to us. I sit down on the left side, and he sits directly in front of me on the right. “As you know my name is Zachary Alex Heart that is my genuine name. I am a high-ranking demon from hell tasked with a mission to rescue imprisoned demons from all over the country. I have broken into many places besides this one, but the majority of those places were churches. When my superiors heard of you a young lady of eighteen that had been raised in the lab as a weapon against her kind, they told me to come for you immediately.” Zack stops halfway through his story. This was a lot to take in I think he is letting me collect my thoughts. But I’m too eager to wait, “What happened next?”

“Well, I went through every laboratory in the country to find you. I was given the orders to eliminate you if you were too far gone under humanity’s grasp.” John cut in, “Are you on the demon’s side truly?” Zack’s smile widens larger. “Why no you could say I’m on the middle ground. Now please let me continue we don’t have much time.” Zack looks towards the door out to the hallway. I can hear people running, they must have figured it out by now or are at least about to break in at any moment Zack went on. “Seeing you have no magical ability, that you have been tortured here for many years and have no desire to go with the human’s wishes I will take you from here and watch over you for the time being I give you my word that I will protect you. I know this is a lot to take in but if you don’t come with me now, they will either kill you or put you through even more suffering.”

Stolen story; please report.

The footsteps outside got louder and louder. The thoughts in my head grow with the sound but I feel there is no time to think about it now is the time to decide what I will be doing. I either live or die, I go with a stranger, or I stay here with a friend that cannot save me from the hell I live in. I look at John and give him a look of apology. “Zack, I want to go with you.” His eyes brighten up once again he takes my hand pulling me up from my seat. My heart races once I hear the sound of the door busting open. I look at Zack’s possessed soldiers only to see they have fallen over out like a light Zayden standing over them holding out a pistol.

“The game’s over now Demon of Mist! We know what you are and why you are here!” Who’s the Demon of Mist!? What kind of title is that is it his high-ranking title? Zack interrupts my thoughts by swiftly moving me behind him. “Well, you are slow to catch on Zayden. I thought you would be smarter than this considering how highly you are praised in this country for your work.” As fast as I wondered what the meaning of his title was the sooner it was revealed. A purple-colored vapor admitted from his body surrounding him. He was so close to me that I felt whatever this magic was against my skin. It was wet, it was a mist! Zack holds out his right hand to the side of him and the fog formed into the shape of a spear, it afterward hardened changing to a solid form. He is now gripping onto a solid purple spear that glows a violet color from the core of it. Once the mist subsides completely, I can see he has two large black horns on top of his head just above his hairline sticking up from behind his middle-parted bangs. He also has a black demonic tail but unlike mine at the end of his, there is only half a point like the end of his spear was half cut off at the tip. I stare at his new form in awe for a long moment. Looking at Zayden and a few other scientists behind him they seem just as amazed before Zayden breaks out of the trance.

“You slaughtered humans in every laboratory across America! I guarantee you that you won’t reach your goal and steal the project!” Zack’s smile changed to a frown, and it is the scariest sight I have seen in my whole life. My stomach drops looking at him I fear what could happen next. “You think that you can stop me? I have given my word to protect this woman. Do not take a Demon’s word lightly if we go back on it, it means dishonor and pain.” Zayden looked to be shaken by his words for a brief moment. He grips the pistol with both hands pointing it at Zack’s heart. “Listen Demon! This gun is loaded with holy bullets. We both know one shot from this means your demise, so I suggest you give the girl to me!”

I hold onto Zack’s arm that held onto the spear and he looks back at me for a brief moment then back to Zayden, “If you think a small bullet blessed by God can save you then you are a fool. I have gone through churches before going through the labs so I think you should put the gun down I don’t want to fight you. We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” Zack was bluffing about the bullets. If I know anything it’s that if anything that is blessed even touches a Demon’s skin, it starts to burn. He pushes me backward to John and he grabs my shoulders lightly, “Just stay with me it will be ok Zack will protect you no matter what.” Zayden points his gun then at John, “You! Traitor! You are on the side of this demon and the project. Once this is all done you will be killed in front of her.”

I hear him swallow hard behind me in fear the thought of John being killed in front of me isn’t the best image to have in my mind. Zack and Zayden look to be in a sort of standoff. Zack points his spear out then the first shots are fired. ONE TWO THREE! BANG! BANG! BANG! Zack spins his spear in circles each bullet bouncing off but one that grazes the side of his cheek and then zooms past my face. I feel my heart race faster and faster, “Is that all you got lab boy?” Zack yells out in his confident tone. Zayden looks back at the men behind him, “Get him!” The two scientists behind run towards us with silver swords out glowing with a hint of gold at the sides.

Just before I think his head is about to be chopped off his spear changes into a sword glowing that bright purplish-blue in the center. His blade strikes against theirs. But all at the same time the soldiers he had under his spell awaken and hold onto their guns. Firearms aren’t so common but when they are used by people like Zayden and the soldiers it’s terrifying, “Zack look out!” I yell frantically hoping that he won’t get shot. John lets go of my arms in the blink of an eye he’s in front of the soldiers fighting with them to get the weapons out of their hands. Zayden whips around and kicks him in the gut to the ground, “traitor! I will kill you myself!”

Zayden holds John up by his throat, Zack notices my distress as I hold my hands out and scream out. He takes hold of the sword pushing the two scientists back with their blades off of him and kicking them to the ground. He rushes over to Zayden striking from behind, Zayden drops John to the ground while he holds his throat trying to catch his breath coughing. Zayden dodges the attack of the blade and Zack’s weapon shifts from the sword back into the purple spear once again, he charges at him, but Zayden snatches a spear off the wall. In the middle of the struggle, Zack yells out, “Take Lilly and get her out of the laboratory as quickly as you can! I will catch up with you momentarily!”

John gets up hastily taking hold of my arm and running to the door out of the training room, “What about Zack!?” I yell frantically. He looks back at me with a smile, “Don’t worry Miss Star he’ll catch up! We just need to get you out of here. I have wanted you to be free all of these years now you will be so just trust me, ok?” Alarms were blaring for the sound of an intruder. I cover one of my ears with my free hand from the noise. My chest is burning, unable to breathe as we run down the long dark hall. Someone will run into us at any moment, and we will have to fight again. I can’t keep up everything is happening so fast! A demon has come to save my life, but I still don’t fully understand why. I know he said that he is following orders but from who!? I don’t get it I just want to be free but what’s the cost? What happens next!?

Before we know it John and I end up back at the main entrance the elevator right in front of us. Where’s Zack why isn’t he back yet? Has Zayden already beaten him or are they still fighting? I look back at the elevator but there are four no five no six! I can’t count there are so many people blocking out the path. All with swords and guns waiting to shoot or stab us. John looks over at the glowing light next to us from the power source of the lab. I hear footsteps from behind I whip around to see Zack his smile returning to his face once he saw me, “Lilly!” He slams his left hand down onto the ground the other still holding his purple spear. The scientists gripped their guns tighter once he was in view. The purple mist flies across the ground and just before they all shoot at Zachary purple glowing spikes rise from the ground piercing into their now limp bodies. Once Zack raises his hand from the ground the spikes go back into the ground and vanish into the fog it once was. /

“Lilly!” He runs over to me, grabs my shoulders, and looks into my eyes. “Are you all, right? Zayden is knocked out momentarily, we need to hurry!” He looks over at John, but John’s focus is from behind. Looking back, we see more people running in from the hallways. He looks back at Zack and me, “You two go quickly.” He pulls out a small dagger from the inside of his jacket. “I’m going to destroy the power core. The entire place will blow they will be off your tails forever.” I can’t believe this he can’t sacrifice himself, “No! No, I won’t let you!” He shakes his head giving me a soft smile. “Please Lilly” He never uses my name. “Just live on for me, have a normal life, be a teenager enjoy the wonders of the world for me.” He held out his hand to the power core, “You have less than a minute before I shatter the exterior, now go!” Zack holds onto my hand running over to the elevator to call it down. The sound of heavy footsteps from all angles gets louder and louder. Tears in my eyes fill as I look back at John, he just smiles with tears in his eyes as well. The elevator door dings, and Zack pulls me inside. Everything is so loud in my head and before I know it, we are waking up outside on the grass behind us nothing remains of the laboratory I spent my life inside nothing left, but rubble.