Our story begins with a girl running through a lush green forest. She swiped her curly brown hair out of her eyes and wiped the sweat off her forehead. She stopped to catch her breath and panting, she bent over holding herself up on her knees. She wore brown moccasin like shoes on her feet with brown strings winding their way half way up to her knees. Her shorts rode high and were also brown with a lime green string belt hanging loosely over them. Her shirt was a green matching her belt. It swooped low, so that the sleeves were on the edge of her shoulders, and it was scrunched around the breast area. Around her neck she wore a glass charm of a leaf held by a string similar to her belt.

Hearing a faint sound of a leaf crunching, she got up from her slouch and stopped breathing to hear better.

"Seylin?" She asked. "Is that you?" Hearing no answer, she walked toward the source of the noise timidly. Her senses keen, she prowled through the brush like a tiger, not making any sudden movements. Starting to get weary, she was about to walk back home when a vine hidden under the debris suddenly came to life and slowly wrapped itself around her ankle. She jumped in surprise then shouted at the trees angrily.

"Seylin! Stop it! Where are you!?" Still hearing no answer, she summoned the vines away and began running once again. Out of the trees a figure jumped out at her, tackling her to the ground. The two rolled a ways through the leaves until they came to a slow stop. The brunette yelled in frustration.

"Seylin! Get off me! I've been looking all over for you!" The figure on her jumped up in such a graceful fashion, not even the wind parted between him. Standing tall in front of the now grass covered girl was a boy with similar brown hair that hung loosely in front of his green eyes. His moccasins were the same as hers, but he wore tight brown pants, mostly covered by a forest green tunic. Strung over the tunic were brown strings, and on his hands were brown gloves with the fingers cut out.

"Well maybe if you'd just run faster you wouldn't loose me so easily." The boy named Seylin said. He said it simply because he knew it would make her mad. And of course it did.

"Oh yea!?" She challenged, still sitting on the forest floor. "I bet if I ran right now you wouldn't even be able to catch me!"

"Face it, you've never been the fastest one in the family." He knew he'd hit something there. The girl in front of him jumped up with an air similar to his.

"Fine then." She said calmly. "Catch me." With that, she ran farther into the trees. Through the wind wisping in her ears, she heard Seylin chuckle and begin to run after her.

She ran harder than she'd ever run before. Thoughts of Seylin's face when she out ran him pushed her to keep going against her lung's protests. However, she stopped when she heard Seylin calling her name farther back among the trees. 'He's giving up already?' she wondered silently. 'That's not like him.' Suddenly black gloved hands reached out of no where, grabbed her shoulders, and thrust her against the nearest tree. Out of the shade from the sycamore tree came a tall figure in a black cloak. Everything on him was black, except for the two silver chain draw strings hanging on his chest. A hood hid his face, but she could tell it was a man by his build.

"Nira?" The man asked. His voice was dark and cold, almost…inhuman. Not knowing what else to do, she nodded at the sound of her name.

"Very well." He said darkly. "Come with me." Leaving her no choice, the cloaked man brought his hand up. In front of the two, a black hole formed. Just looking at it she couldn't breathe. Being extremely claustrophobic, Nira was reluctant to go in the portal, but the man left her no option. Before she could protest, he had already pushed her in by her shoulders. Turing around, she watched in shock as the darkness swept over her, and the man in the black cloak disappeared.

Her first journey through the realm of darkness was horrific, one she will never forget. It was like the darkness was all over her body. It was almost as if she could get it off just by brushing it away. Soon however, it started snaking up her arms and legs, reaching her face. It was like clouds or a ghost wrapping itself around her, trying mercilessly to suffocate her. She tried to scream, but found that her voice was lost in her chest. The snake of darkness wound around her neck and entered into her from any hole it could find. The helpless girl found herself unable to breathe as it entered her lungs and conquered her body. With hope as the last thing on the girl's mind, she fell into unconsciousness.