Chapter 1

She walked the streets – or rather – she walked the remains of what once were streets. The pathway of uneven cement chunks created an obstacle-course for tiered feet. Lining either side were towering buildings which groaned as the wind threatened to knock them off their injured foundations. Flirting with the girl's short, black, uneven pigtails, the chilled breeze did not faze the emotionless expression on the pale-white girl's face. Her eyes glowed such a vivid blue, that even her pupils seemed to gaze a darker blue rather-than black. Held by a magnetic-like force, a long-and-broad claymore sword levitated, centimeters off her back. Naturally complimenting her hair and skin color, her unique outfit displayed a solid black with white lining.

The fifteen-year-old girl wondered into one of these towers. Appearing to be mostly in-tact, the ground-floor room seemed to have escaped whatever tragedy happened outside. Scattered over the floor were data chips; each one was exactly five square centimeters small and displayed a sticker on the surface. Faded writing and a picture labeled each chip unique from the rest.

Squatting down the girl began shifting a pile across the floor. One caught her eye. Resting in her hand, a little sticker promised her that this chip would show her a story about the cute character in the picture. Without a moment's hesitation, she stood-up and stuffed the chip into her black purse. After exiting the building, she ambled back down the street, the way she came.

Not a soul was seen on her journey back to an old hotel in the city. Entering one room she started a generator which sputtered to life in a fog of smoke. Following an orange cord down the hallway, the girl entered another room. Out the far window she watched, as the sun began to disappear behind the buildings. Taking the chip out of her purse with one hand, she switched-on a television with the other. Eagerly the chip was shoved into its slot, and the display began presenting the story about the cute character.

While seated on a bean bag, the girl watched intently as the character on the screen went on an adventure with his friends. She watched as the character was presented with unforeseen challenges and tests of character. Eventually he overcame all these challenges with the help of his friends. At the end of the story the character realized he fell in-love with one of his friends; and while sitting on a hill, they watched the sun set together. The screen slowly tilted upward as these two characters kissed. The girl's eyes were locked onto the television like magnets as the final scene faded into the words "The End."

Leaning back in the beanbag, the girl grabbed a chocolate protean-bar off the end-table and began nibbling on it. An hour or so passed before she began to drift into sleep. An adventure might be fun.

In the morning, the girl decided she would go on an adventure. She did not have any friends to go with her, but that did not phase her. Never having friends to begin with, makes one dream about having them yet too afraid of actually having one. Packing a duffel bag, she stuffed it full of snacks and drinks. Holstering her rather large pistol to her side, she was about to walk out the door, when she remembered the chip. It was a really good story. With one swift motion, she grabbed it and stuffed it into her bag. The adventure awaits.

She nearly walked two blocks before she realized an obvious mistake. Where would she go? All North, West, and South had been explored. In fact, she suddenly realized that she was walking one of her usual paths. That was no way to start an adventure.

Gazing down the eastward road, memories came flooding back to her head. That direction was from where she originally came. Dizzily she woke-up trapped in some sort of damaged pod. Several hours passed as she screamed for help, but the only reply she received was the pod's computer reporting that "stasis" was failing. Overwhelmed with emotions, something inside herself sparked the flame in her left eye. A literal blue flame burned out of her eye as-if it were fueled by oil. Throughout her body, she felt warm power surge within her veins. A glowing blue crown appeared around her head, as a voice in her head spoke an unknown English word, "Beast." Escaping the pod with the power was almost too easy. However, an automated security alarm was activated. Battle drones and turrets confronted her escape. She fought her way through using only the pistol and claymore that she found in the pod. Accidentally finding herself in the power-generator room, the girl had no choice but to destroy the power supply and its back-up. Without looking back, she ran out of that facility and never returned since.

That experience was the reason she never explored the East. Unfortunately, the facility stretched as far north as it did south. There was not a way around it. If she could not go around it, then the adventure begins going through it. Making up her mind, the lonely soul wandered eastward, toward the abandoned facility.