...
In a place where darkness reigned, nothing could be seen. A faint light appeared before three people seated in a circle. Inside the circle were ten smaller circles along the edges, and in the center, an unknown symbol resembling a letter from a mysterious language. Of the ten circles, only one was illuminated, casting that faint light in the midst of the darkness. Suddenly, the light went out.
"The third operation has failed…" one of them spoke, directing his words to his two companions. The three were masked from head to toe, their entire bodies concealed, with only their pitch-black eyes visible. Their speech was like inner voices, for they could hear one another without moving their mouths.
Another answered, "Let's redo the operation…" but the other interrupted, saying, "Every second is important."
A red light spread from that circle, turning the dark place into a glowing, crimson, terrifying world, where the darkness merged with the horrifying bloody color.
…
Elsewhere… a forest full of trees, plants, and beautiful flowers added an artistic touch to the enchanting scenery. But in the middle of this forest, there was a large pit, surrounded by broken trees and withered black plants, disfiguring the natural beauty of the place.
In the pit stood a man with shoulder-length black hair, his face and body covered in many wounds. His hands were severed, and blood flowed endlessly from them. He shouted, "Go… don't you dare return… run… everything depends on your mission!"
He was addressing a young man wearing tattered cloth clothes, with thick brown hair, and features overwhelmed by fear and dread. Such fear had never been seen before; his body trembled, and tears streamed from his eyes without him realizing it. He turned quickly and ran, disappearing into the depths of the forest.
"Well done… well done…" said the strange creature in the pit mockingly. He had sharp, vampire-like teeth and long, elegant red hair. He wore a long black coat with a red tie, beneath which was a white shirt and black pants, perfectly matching his upper attire. In his complete elegance, he looked as if he had stepped straight out of the Victorian era.
The human with severed hands responded, "Let's continue this…" and the vampire smiled a wicked, delighted smile.
Suddenly, thick dust filled the place…
"Have we arrived?" asked one of the three masked figures who had appeared at the beginning. The other replied, "Let's hurry before time runs out…" but the third interrupted, pointing with his hand toward a certain place: "There."
The place was at an entrance with a sign reading: Sydney Uni. The three entered slowly, and they were met with another sign that read: Sydney Uni Sport.
One of them said, "So this is a sports complex." The other replied, "Let's split up and choose quickly; time is almost up…"
…
Back in the dark place where the three had first gathered, the color changed this time to yellow, emanating from a small hourglass at the center of the engraving, surrounded by the circles and the mysterious symbol. The sand inside the elegant hourglass fell slowly, glittering like tiny golden particles, while the light shone like the brilliance of enchanting jewels.
…
"Where am I?… What is this place?" wondered the voice of a young boy. He was standing on a beautiful green hill, facing a charming primitive village. The boy wore old clothes resembling the attire of villagers from the medieval era, made of simple, worn gray fabric.
…
End of Chapter.