Edge Of Forever [BTS Space!AU]

Edge of Forever [BTS Space!AU]

BTS Space!AU [ ♧ ✪ ✿ ☆ ❂ ☾✘ ] “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.” The stage is set and the stars are the guide for the lost souls that have congregated to one point. A fixed constant in the universe for others to discover and fulfill their wishes but will it come to ruin for others?

Pairings: BTS X OC (s) Genre: BTS Space!AU Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language

AO3

AN: Sorry guys that I haven’t been as active as I have been with this story! After much consideration, I have decided that this story is going to go in parts so after chapter 20--season 1 will end! There’s a lot of stuff going on right now and I should have more up for you soon! A shoutout to @pinkpjmin​ for sticking with us! If anyone else would like to be tagged in this story, please shoot us a message!

Chapter 19- Betty Blue

We're like two fingers of the same hand The Hand of Fate writing on the sand What does it matter What does it mean

“Oh wow, she looks normal enough!”

Vairuit had been inspecting Lirael since they arrived at the doctor’s house. The bio-android had been fitted with some loose men’s clothing, a pair of overalls that Jimin had that were too small for him but even those were large on her frame. The girls would have lended some clothing to her but since the both of them had either height or muscle, the lending would have to have been done by someone smaller than the majority of them. Vairuit put a hand on her head, ruffling her hair in earnest. The action elicited a happy laugh from Lirael as she stood there and let her do just that.

Hoseok watched the exchange with great fascination along with Namjoon, who still was as stoic as ever. He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned, The sky had started to turn lilac and purple as one of the suns had started its descent down. If he was more of a faithful man, then he would have thought their arrival at his place to be something pre-ordained as that night was the onset of a rare alignment that included the planet that they were on. The locals called it The Pathway Lights, a phenomenon that would ignite particles in the air to create a pathway of sorts like it was an aurora. Normally, many of the locals tended to avoid going outside during that event when it was only a sun that was setting but the event happening then was to be on a larger scale as the moons orbiting the planet aligned themselves as well.

That particular one only happened every 300 years while the minor one happened at least every 20. Everyone on the planet would have seen it on the minor scale at least once but only rare cases would be able to see the major event in its entirety.

The doctor watched everyone carefully, assessing each of them as they talked. Jin was trying to get Namjoon to smile, dragging Lirael along for the amusement. Vairuit and Jungkook butting heads again with Jimin mediating and Yoongi was deep in conversation with Nyala. For the first time in a long time, Hoseok felt . He felt so deeply that he found himself smiling at all of them there, the camaraderie that stirred the past emotions that he thought long buried. It was something that was calling to him again, much like the long lost call that he thought he should follow. Maybe it was all in preparation for that very moment, fate bringing them all together? He really didn’t know but it was all very convenient that the Event was happening right when they all gathered together.

But he was a doctor, not a theologist.

In the short time that he knew these people, he could see that the bonds between them were deepening. Some were explosive and some were forged in fire, Hoseok was envious of them all but felt that he had no place there as they would leave soon. It would happen eventually, as sure as death would come and claim them. He smiled regardless when Jimin came up to him for another point of view in their argument.

Lirael suddenly pointed upwards with an exclamation, seeing the Path start to come alive as the moments passed. At that, everyone looked up and saw the particles being lit up with it seemingly starting from the ancient ruins. The little particles seemed to shower down as it made its path through the atmosphere but their good mood was ruined by the appearance of a person that nobody knew.

“So the bio-android lives and is in perfect working order? That is extremely helpful…”

All of them jerked, startled by the intruder. He wore an insignia of another guild, one that made Vairuit and Jungkook jump forward to protect the others. Nyala stood behind them with fire in her eyes, ready to attack as well. Hoseok stepped forward with his hands up, his happy face now replaced by one of grim determination. The man raised an eyebrow as he watched the doctor walk past the Mao and Jungkook. Even the others looked to each other in question as he did so but he didn’t survive this long by just being a hermit doctor.

“We have no interest in you, Doctor. We just want the android and the ship, the others can be disposed of for--”

He never got to finish his sentence because when Hoseok clapped his hands, needles shot out from the various foliage at the intruders. They made quick work of the people hiding in the shadows as well as the main person, making them akin to a pin cushion. However, when he turned to run--there was only one way to go since the group had cut off their only way to get out of there. The ones that were slower to succumb to the poison on the needles started to fire on them, hoping to hit something so they claim the bounties. However, the rest of them were either quick on the draw or just quick in general as they scattered.

Nyala and Namjoon grabbed Lirael as they ducked behind one vehicle, the first using her abilities to reach several of the rogues at once. Jin and Jungkook were firing shots from behind the building while Jimin took care of those that got too close. Vairuit roared and charged at another group while Yoongi grabbed Hoseok, pulling him along to safety as he pulled out of one his derringers as well. The firefight lasted a couple of minutes before they started to progress. Nobody had enough ammunition to continue to fight there so they pressed the others. Their only option was to head to safety, taking shelter in the ruins as they picked them off one by one.

The groups each ran to a vehicle while Nyala provided the enemies with something to deal with as they escaped. She unleashed the energy that she had been building up and the Lighting Dragon was unleashed there. However, as they were getting away--Hoseok looked backwards to his home and was saddened that it had started to go up in flames due to the pirates. He had no choice but to go with them, even if it was for his own safety as he had made himself an enemy of the pirates. It would take them about an hour for them to catch up, if not longer the further they got away.

The three groups made it to the ruins, finding it an easier way to defend themselves than out in the open where anyone can find them. However, as they were prepping their assault on those that would come after them--Lirael could hear something off in the distance. She wasn’t sure what it was that was speaking to her but the closer she got to the voice, the stronger it seemed to get. Parts of the Path’s event had made its way into the ruin, almost lighting a way for her to follow but once she got deeper into the main cavern, another type of path lit up.

The designs on the floor slowly lit up as the particles hit it, showing Lirael something that nobody else could figure out. Jin turned around, making sure that everyone was accounted for when he noticed that had started to walk away. He left the others, alerting Jungkook with what was going on, to chase after her because she was the one person that they were all supposed to look after. Jungkook shouted after him as he finished up what he was doing, the others busy with their defenses. Soon he caught up to Jin, just as he was grabbing Lirael by the wrist.

“Where are you going?! It’s too dangerous right now to be sight-seeing!”

“But they are calling us...Can’t you hear them?”

Her words stopped Jin in his tracks, heart suddenly pounding as he noticed the engravings on the floor. Jungkook looked at the both of them before following the engravings up to the wall. It seemed to be some sort of language that had been etched there, something that stirred in his memory. It was unsettling for both of them, Lirael being the only one unaffected by the strange phenomenon. Jungkook knew he’d seen something like that before but couldn’t place where but when the air in the room shifted, his senses were on high alert as he couldn’t pinpoint what was going on. The rest of the group showed up, concerned about what was happening because when Lirael had entered in the room--a sort of wall had formed over the entrance where they had set up at, trapping them all in.

Suddenly, it was like gears had started to turn in the walls once all the engravings surrounding them had been lit up. A light burst through and shone down on the floor, highlighting a particular spot.

What doest thou seek?

A voice boomed over them all, shaking some debris and dust off of the ceiling. The only one that wasn’t on edge was Lirael as she stepped forward towards the spotlight. Jin gripped her wrist even more tightly, trying to keep her from going anywhere. Even Jungkook reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder but all she did was smile at them, their hands falling from her body as she moved forward again.

“This is the Southern Gate….” Nyala breathed, walking forward herself as she reached out to touch the engravings on the walls. “This is the doorstep to the Leyline.”

Everyone looked at Nyala who was looking around at everything as she tried to take it all in. She didn’t know too much about the whole project or even much about the lore behind it but she knew enough that if in the wrong hands, it would cause destruction for everyone involved. That was the reason why she kept the Antares and Lirael out of the Pirate’s hands. The light in the etchings seemed to waver as she touched them, her energy that she was putting off was mixing with the light in the wall. The melancholy didn’t last long, however, when Lirael made contact with the spotlight.

The air seemed to shiver again as she was enveloped in the light, her eyes growing wide as she looked up into it. She turned around to face the others and all that came out of her mouth was a gasp of surprise, bringing herself to everyone’s attention again. Jin and Jimin started running forward but they were stopped by Nyala, powerless to stop what was happening. Her eyes now glowed with the same color light that was being given off instead of the emerald green that they normally were. Her body was lifted off the ground, now caught in the beam and controlled by what was producing the light.

Suddenly, all around her, the light illuminated around her and it showed a star chart along with other writing. It was the same writing on the walls but more alive as it interacted with Lirael. She lifted up a hand and the words changed, as if she was directing it around. Jin finally stepped forward and used his ability with his eyes to record everything that was happening, unable to look directly at Lirael for fear that he would cry out for her. It pained him that this was happening, despite the gentle smile she gave right before surrendering herself to the alien light. What was that feeling, that sorrow that threatened to spill out when he saw what was going on?

He hated someone’s freedom taken away like that, no matter if they volunteered--it all mattered to him and he wasn’t the only one that felt that way. Jimin couldn’t help but try and follow suit but Jungkook stopped him, his eyes just as worried as everyone else’s. The words started to flash faster and faster, the map moving around like it was computing where it needed to go and the strain on her face was finally starting to show the longer that she was up there. However, it soon stopped when Lirael finally stopped calculating and the final result was shown for all to see.

Another shake seemed to ripple through the area but it wasn’t from what was happening in front of them. Yoongi looked around and reached out with his abilities, realizing that the pirates had finally found them. He gave Vairuit an alarmed look and the pair of them rushed off to the entrance to see what all damage had been done. The rest were about to join them when Lirael suddenly dropped from where she was being held, the light on the walls as well as in the area suddenly cutting off as the Event passed. She was dropped unceremoniously on the floor, slumped over as she was spent from the exertion.

Jimin was the fastest of all of them as he rushed out to her, picking her up gently as the others came around. Lirael’s head lolled over and landed on his shoulder, exhausted and barely able to keep her eyes open.

“But your wings are wings of the devil.” She sang, voice barely above a whisper, “In front of your sweet is bitter.. Bitter…”

Her eyes were finally green again and her fingers found the collar of Jimin’s shirt, holding gently onto it. He smiled down at her before having to pass her to Jin and Namjoon, with the former taking her into his arms. They all had things to do and none of them could afford anything going wrong now.

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Plot: “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right?

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: Series | Mafia!AU | Crime!AU | Angst | Romance/Fluff | Smut

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Slow Burn, Smut

Additional Warnings: Teasing, Fingering, Spanking, just Jin being a dirty little lover (LOL)

Previous Chapters: Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || Admin E’s WP || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 3,795

Tag List: @prisczero​, @pinkpjmin​, @btsaudge​, @flowerwrites06​, @unoriginal-username15432, @halussali​

Chapter 37: Awake

“It’s not that I believe it, but that I want to try holding out…”

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Keep reading

AWW, EVA I HOPE YOU LOVE IT. You’re so good to me. <3

Shadow’s Birthright | MYG

Chapter 00: Prologue

Plot: Riding in on thunder and lightning, two princes are born. But a crown cannot be shared. It can only be worn by one and one alone. The hands of man have separated the brothers, allowing one to live in wealth and comfort inside the palace while the other grows up among commoners. But Fate cannot be destroyed by the hands of man. A shared destiny reunites the brothers; one to become a king who descends into madness and the other will rise as a dragon whose journey has only just begun in order to claim a crown he does not desire to have.

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: series | historical!au | fantasy!au | angst | romance | drama | tragedy

Pairing: Min Yoongi (Lee Yoon) x Female OC (Kalina Shuri)

Warnings: Historical setting, caste system, magic/sorcery, graphic violence, disturbing graphic images, religious tones, angst, slow burn, smut

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,128

Tag List: @luxekook​, @pinkpjmin​, @btsaudge​, @flowerwrites06​, @stillcopingxx​, @taevkimchi​, @aroseforyoongi​

AN: I’ve teased you all enough with this. I’ve been doing it since Yoongi dropped that damn MV (you all know it by now, don’t act like you don’t). And now here we are. Me. Again. Teasing you with a prologue. But it will be worth the wait, my loves. It will be worth the torture that I am about to put you all through. Because it’s a story I think needs to be told. I know I’ve seen some one-shots out there, and while that’s great, I want to put my Korean History knowledge through the ringer and really put you guys on a roller coaster. If you love this story, show it love. I’m writing this because it’s a story featuring a subject I’m passionate about and one that I will put all of my heart and soul into. Just like with Make It Right. So I present to you the start of this journey, this trilogy series (yes, I said it) full of heartbreak, magic and love.

P.S. Please bear in mind that while the historical accuracy will be mostly correct, I am setting this in a time period in Joseon history where there was no such thing as a king who had a twin brother. Obviously that’s where the fiction/creative freedom is going to come in. Everything else will be period accurate, trust and believe. 

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Keep reading

Shadow’s Birthright | MYG

Chapter 02: World Change

Plot: Riding in on thunder and lightning, two princes are born. But a crown cannot be shared. It can only be worn by one and one alone. The hands of man have separated the brothers, allowing one to live in wealth and comfort inside the palace while the other grows up among commoners. But Fate cannot be destroyed by the hands of man. A shared destiny reunites the brothers; one to become a king who descends into madness and the other will rise as a dragon whose journey has only just begun in order to claim a crown he does not desire to have.

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: series | historical!au | fantasy!au | angst | romance | drama | tragedy

Pairing: Min Yoongi (Lee Yoon) x Female OC (Kalina Shuri)

Warnings: Historical setting, caste system, magic/sorcery, graphic violence, disturbing graphic images, religious tones, angst, slow burn, eventual smut

Previous Chapters: Prologue 01

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,297

Tag List: @luxekook​, @pinkpjmin​, @btsaudge​, @flowerwrites06​, @stillcopingxx​, @taevkimchi​, @aroseforyoongi​, @vivpurple7​, @happilystrongthroughthedark​, @sw33tnight​, @nikkitane​,

AN: I hope everyone is enjoying the series so far. I know I’m getting these chapters out slowly, but I am also updating multiple fics at a time (as I’m sure you’re all aware). Please be patient with me. It will be worth the wait, I promise! If you would like to be added to the tag list, feel free to drop me a line!

P.S. Please bear in mind that while the historical accuracy will be mostly correct, I am setting this in a time period in Joseon history where there was no such thing as a king who had a twin brother. Obviously that’s where the fiction/creative freedom is going to come in. Everything else will be period accurate, trust and believe.

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Keep reading

Shadow’s Birthright | MYG

Chapter 00: Prologue

Plot: Riding in on thunder and lightning, two princes are born. But a crown cannot be shared. It can only be worn by one and one alone. The hands of man have separated the brothers, allowing one to live in wealth and comfort inside the palace while the other grows up among commoners. But Fate cannot be destroyed by the hands of man. A shared destiny reunites the brothers; one to become a king who descends into madness and the other will rise as a dragon whose journey has only just begun in order to claim a crown he does not desire to have.

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: series | historical!au | fantasy!au | angst | romance | drama | tragedy

Pairing: Min Yoongi (Lee Yoon) x Female OC (Kalina Shuri)

Warnings: Historical setting, caste system, magic/sorcery, graphic violence, disturbing graphic images, religious tones, angst, slow burn, smut

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,128

Tag List: @luxekook​, @pinkpjmin​, @btsaudge​, @flowerwrites06​, @stillcopingxx​, @taevkimchi​, @aroseforyoongi​

AN: I’ve teased you all enough with this. I’ve been doing it since Yoongi dropped that damn MV (you all know it by now, don’t act like you don’t). And now here we are. Me. Again. Teasing you with a prologue. But it will be worth the wait, my loves. It will be worth the torture that I am about to put you all through. Because it’s a story I think needs to be told. I know I’ve seen some one-shots out there, and while that’s great, I want to put my Korean History knowledge through the ringer and really put you guys on a roller coaster. If you love this story, show it love. I’m writing this because it’s a story featuring a subject I’m passionate about and one that I will put all of my heart and soul into. Just like with Make It Right. So I present to you the start of this journey, this trilogy series (yes, I said it) full of heartbreak, magic and love.

P.S. Please bear in mind that while the historical accuracy will be mostly correct, I am setting this in a time period in Joseon history where there was no such thing as a king who had a twin brother. Obviously that’s where the fiction/creative freedom is going to come in. Everything else will be period accurate, trust and believe. 

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Keep reading

Fragmentation 0.8

Plot: How does one measure freedom? Are our choices truly our own, or are they part of a preset design outside of our control? We all have a question burning inside of us, though few speak it out. It is the question that drives us forward, seeking purpose in our lives. What is The Matrix?

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: Series | The Matrix!AU | angst | sci-fi | action | drama

Pairing: N/A

Warnings: Strong language, allusions to suicide, extreme angst, graphic violence

Links: FAQ || BTS Masterlist || Admin E’s AO3 || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 2,138

AN: Like all of my works, there will be OCs working opposite of the boys. In this story, we have three. The first in the Fragmentation series is Mackenzie. Like Yoongi and Hoseok, she is self-substantiated. How she does will be revealed! On to Crow’s origin story for Defragmentation! All information in the universe can be found on the official Matrix Wiki so please use that as a reference guide if you ever get confused!

Tag List: @aroseforyoongi​, @prisczero​, @pinkpjmin​, @btsaudge​, @flowerwrites06​, @unoriginal-username15432​

© thebiasrekkers (Admin E). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

“Goddammit Mackenzie! I thought I told you to be home by eleven!”

A pair of green eyes glared up at the rotund looking man. His reddish complexion was barely seen from the scraggly beard covering the majority of his face. Sweat soaked through the dingy wife beater he wore, half stuffed into a pair of faded cargo pants. There were a pair of dog tags hanging from his neck - something that always piqued the green-eyed owner’s interest, but never enough to ask about them. 

Mackenzie doubted he served anyone but himself, let alone the country.

Instead of answering him, she folded her arms across her chest. Normally this was the time when she escaped into her room, but he was blocking the way. He was always getting in her way. 

It was his fault. Life used to be normal. This was as far from normal as a person could get. He was as far from being a real father as a person could get.

“You don’t have anything to say for yourself?”

She rolled her eyes, doing her best to ignore the stink of alcohol on his breath. Mackenzie didn’t understand why he persisted on being like this. It was the same shit on a different day. Part of her wished that he would walk outside and get hit by a bus. But she knew that that was a miracle she would never be granted. 

“Answer me!”

“What do you expect when I’m closing?” Mackenzie asked, her tone flat and devoid of all emotion. 

Her father’s eyes narrowed at her. She didn’t even flinch. “What did you just say to me?”

“I didn’t stutter,” came her clipped response as she let her arms fall to her side, “now move. I still have homework to do.”

Before she could take a single step, her father was advancing on her. Mackenzie mentally braced herself for what was coming. Her body was used to it, but it was always that dark corner in the back of her mind that suffered the most from all of this. So long as that part was shielded, she could handle everything else that usually followed. 

The pain that exploded from the side of her head paled in comparison to the pain of her hip crashing to the floor. Her arms immediately shot up to cover the top of her head as her body curled into a ball. The flurry of kicks that collided into her caused her nerves to scream out in agony. But Mack refused to scream, instead choosing to bite the inside of her mouth. The taste of blood flooded across her tongue and she heard her teeth clacking together when the heel of her father’s boot hit the top of her head.

After what felt like hours, but were actually minutes, her father abandoned her there on the floor. Every square inch of Mack’s body throbbed from the pain. There would be bruises tomorrow. Thankfully he’d missed her face so she could still go to work and school without receiving too many curious gazes. It was none of their goddamn business anyway.

Mack waited until she heard the front door slam before picking herself up off the floor. She roughly rubbed the back of her wrist across the corner of her mouth, eyeing the blood smear and rolling her eyes. She couldn’t help but wonder if the old man would notice if she spit on the floor just to spite him. Would he even care?

Grunting, she made her way into her bedroom, locking the door after shutting it behind her. Her father would most likely be out getting drunk for the rest of the night. It meant she had the whole house to herself until he came stumbling back in at four in the morning. Mack just hoped that she’d be able to get all of her school assignments finished and have enough time to surf the internet. Something told her that she was getting closer to finding what she was looking for.

Or, rather, who she was looking for. 

Speeding through her homework, Mack pulled up several browser windows once she was securely connected to the internet. Her eyes darted across the screen, her fingers flying over the keys - pausing only long enough to use her mouse to click on a few links that spiraled her into another location. Mack reached out to everyone that might have a lead and she got just a little bit closer than she did the day before. 

After another hour, she was starting to get frustrated. Everything was forcing her into a dead end. Just when she thought she had a lead, it only caused her to go on a wild goose chase on the wide web. Mack roughly scratched at her head, attempting to tamp down on her slowly mounting anger. 

“Dammit!” She slammed her fists on her desk, rattling everything on it. “Why can’t anyone just give me a straight fucking answer?!”

Burying her face in her hands, Mack did her best to suppress a sob that she didn’t even realize was building up in the back of her throat. She was tired, in pain, and a little hungry. But most of all, she was starting to lose hope. And that was starting to hurt her more than she would care to admit aloud. 

“Fuck it,” she muttered, standing up from her chair, “I’ll pick this up in the morning.”

Just as Mack turned away from her desk, the ping from her instant messenger sounded from the laptop. Pausing, she craned her neck to look at the screen. The username consisted of a series of random numbers. But what made her heart nearly drop to her stomach was what the person said.

You’ll never find Michael because you don’t know The Truth.

Mack ran back to her desk, her fingers gliding over the keyboard. She could barely hear herself typing from how loudly her heart was beating inside of her eardrums. It was the first time someone responded to her inquiries with something credible. It was the first time she could actually believe what she was seeing.

Because it was the first time someone actually mentioned her brother by name.

Who are you? How do you know that name?

The cursor on her screen blinked steadily. Mack wasn’t sure how much more she could take because she was almost positive that this was the clue she’d been searching for after all this time. It was a solid lead just because someone was able to give her a name. If they knew her brother’s name, that meant that they also had a good idea of where he was. She couldn’t afford to let this person slip from her grasp.

Who I am doesn’t matter.

How I know doesn’t matter.

What matters is...

What are you willing to do to know The Truth?

She stared at the computer dumbfounded. Was this another trick? Was this person just jerking her chain, trying to lead her into a false sense of security before sucker punching her in the face like everyone else? It would be the most logical explanation. It was the only thing that actually made sense.

Mack didn’t know why, but she felt like that wasn’t the case. Not with this person. Were they trying to lead her onto the right path after having been on the wrong one for so long?

Narrowing her eyes, she began typing again.

Anything.

The air was cold and frigid. Mack rubbed her hands together, her breath coming out in small white clouds. She peered through the metal fence as people continued to file through the city. She was isolated from the rest, sitting on a park bench and waiting. She looked at her watch, making a mental note of the time. She had five minutes left to wait. 

Five minutes until she would know whether this was real or a hoax.

The sound of gravel crunching underfoot quickly brought her out of her thoughts. Mack stood up immediately, facing the direction of the noise. All she could see were the trees cloaked in shadows cast from the street lights. She couldn’t see anyone, but the crunching noise wouldn’t stop. There was a large lump forming in Mack’s throat and she couldn’t help wondering if she’d fallen into a trap.

Seconds after thinking that, a young woman dressed in gray and black appeared. She wore a long black coat with a hood just barely covering her head of thick curls. Her eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. The rest of her outfit was some sort of gray jumpsuit that almost seemed to shimmer when it hit the light just right. The legs of the suit were stuffed into a pair of shin high combat boots - the heels continuously crunching into the gravel; releasing an eerie sound.

Mack puffed out another breath of cloudy air just as the woman stopped three feet from her.

“Y-You’re early,” she managed to stammer out.

The other woman smirked, her auburn curls accentuating her mocha skin even in shadow. “If you’re early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late. You’re late, Mack.” She reached up with a gloved hand to remove the sunglasses from her face, revealing a set of dark hazel eyes. “Or should I say, Crow?”

Mack took a step back, her lips parting slightly as the woman referred to her as both her name and her alias. Her heart hammered against her ribs, causing her lungs to tighten up inside. What in the world was happening? Just how much did this woman know?

Not wanting to look like some punk, she shook her head and straightened her stance. “You have information I want and yet I don’t know anything about you.”

The woman continued to smile. “I already told you that who I am doesn’t matter. It never will matter.” She shrugged. “Not until you know The Truth.”

“What the hell is this truth you keep talking about?” Mack could feel her anger starting to grow. “What does it even mean?”

She watched the other woman reaching into her pocket to pull out a cell phone. She punched a few numbers and then pressed it up to her ear. “Unfortunately, we don’t have a whole lot of time for me to explain. You’re going to have to see it for yourself.” 

Mack bit her lower lip, her eyes narrowing as she watched the woman reaching into her other pocket with her free hand. Half a second later, her heart froze as the woman trained the business end of a semi-automatic pistol at her. 

“Whoa,” Mack said, raising her hands up slowly, “what in the fuck are you doing, lady?”

“You have a choice to make, Crow, and you don’t have a whole lot of time to make it, so I’ll be quick.”

Panic began to settle around Mack’s chest. “What do you mean I don’t have a lot of time?!”

“Agents are coming. They’re coming for you because you’re sloppy and desperate, which, sadly, is making me sloppy and desperate.” 

When the hammer clicked back on the gun, tears sprung up in Mack’s eyes. “Please, don’t do this.”

“Shut-up,” snapped the woman, the smile now completely gone from her face, “I already told you we don’t have a lot of time. You have two choices. You let the Agents take you or I force you out of the bubble you’ve unknowingly been put in. I’m giving you five seconds starting now. Five.”

She took another step back, but the woman advanced on her. Mack didn’t know what any of it meant. What did she mean by “agents” and why did it seem like this woman was trying to help her, despite the situation looking crazy to everyone else?

“Four.”

Her heart shook in her chest, causing her to reach up and clutch at the front of her jacket. Mack didn’t want to die. She didn’t want to die without knowing the answers.

“Three.”

She still didn’t know where her brother was. She still didn’t know what The Truth was and what it had to do with her brother.

“Two.”

She wanted to live!

Mack ran up to the woman, wrestling the gun from her grasp. The woman took a step back, but the smile returned to her face. Mack pressed the barrel of the gun up to her temple as tears streamed down her cheeks. Multiple footsteps seemed to thunder through the gravel, but Mack could only see the single snowflake that began to fall from the night sky. The world disappeared into lines of green numbers before returning to normal.

She smiled.

“One.”

After the gunshot ripped through the night, Mack’s world darkened immediately. But she...she felt free, somehow.

“Welcome to the Real World.”