"Aerbael?" I called out; I already knew that's who it was. I spun around in a giant circle taking in where I was now. It was the room we were all in before I was thrown into the portal, and taken back to my home. Somehow, I dreamed myself into this place of all things, and I couldn't begin to understand why I would do that.
"Aerbael! Where are you?" I shouted as loudly as I could. I was actually starting to become scared by the silence and how alone I felt. I didn't know if maybe something was wrong, or if I was dead. Maybe even injured badly?
"I'm here, calm down." It was like being washed over by so much relief when I heard his voice that I wasn't able to handle it for a moment. Walking over towards where I'd heard him I found him standing against a wall with a look of deep thought strewn across his face. "Where do you live?"
"What?" I asked him, this was the strangest thing he'd ever asked me. The look on my face probably told him that too, I knew I looked shocked and confused all at once from it.
"New York?"
"Wh-... Well yes." I said to him, my forehead was now wrinkling with total confusion as I stared at him. "Why do you ask?"
"I'm going to find you, I'm not sure I'll be the first but I'll be one of the first." He told me, letting his eyes move and look towards me. He stood up straight and let out a loud sigh before closing his eyes for a brief moment. "I don't know how to function in your world."
I stayed silent for a long time, letting all of this actually sink in, until it all finally clicked in my mind. I was back home yes, but that meant that he was here too. My eyes grew almost three times their normal size and I looked at him in pure shock. "I'm home?"
He nodded his head slowly, and then gave me a long stern look that made me want to break out in goose bumps. I was home, but that wasn't anything to get excited about, because something bad was going to happen. "You didn't come back alone though, they followed, and you need to be on your guard because of that."
I stared at him, letting him speak and tell me what he needed to. Besides, I was short on my own words at the given moment, I was too busy letting the fact that I was home again sink in completely. "Your guardian's will find you and your brother one by one, if they didn't come back with you into your house right then. The God's wont cease hunting you and causing their destruction, things are going to get harder because of this, no not harder, worse."
He then stepped forward, moving closer to me and placed his hand on top of my shoulder. He let his eyes peer into my own as he spoke, making sure that I was looking at him and listening carefully. "Raine, be prepared... They will not take it easy on you here, not now, not ever. Blood will be spilled, lives will be lost, and friends will die as well as family. You can't stop it; you can only postpone it until you can destroy them."
All I could do was stare at him, and frankly that was all that I did. I understood what he was saying; I just didn't want to believe a word of it, or to know that what he said was true. I didn't want to lose anyone in this life time, or the next, that was close to me or that I loved and cared for.
Not like this anyways, this was by far the worst way to lose somebody, and I wasn't sure how to handle it yet. But nevertheless, if I was going to have to fight a war, I'd be fighting it right, and I was going to come out the winner, not the God's. I was going to win this war, alongside those I loved, and we were going to take back what we had all just lost.
I was going to make sure that we were the ones who would win, not them. I was going to take the time and make sure everyone understood our world, understood what was going to happen next, and was going to be prepared for the battle of our lives. I knew people were going to die regardless, who I didn't know, and I didn't want to know. I just wanted to give us all a fighting chance in this.
They could, but they weren't going to be taking us down any time soon.
Note to my readers.
If you have a chance to write a review either on Amazon or on Goodreads, I would appreciate it so much.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I'd like to thank my mom, Jamie for all that she had to do for this book to get it out there for me. Riley Mulrooney, if it wasn't for you the Gods would've never existed, the names wouldn't be as awesome as they are and I'm pretty sure none of them would be as sinister as they are. You helped me build this book from the ground up, when it wasn't even constructed with a first sentence yet.
Ava, for letting me use her for my covers and letting me ask for countless different pictures and poses. Gina Marie, because you always did say I'd have a novel out there one day and constantly believed in me along with bragged to everyone you know that you're friends with an Author.
Laura, Jennifer and quite a few others for giving me idea's without even trying and even letting me figure out a new possible character outline. Jeremy, you probably got it the worst from me hearing everything from writer's block to the smallest little issues of detail, so thank you for never telling me to shut up and take a hike.
All the websites that gave me information on all of the creature's I've conjured up for this book, and all the nifty little things that go with them.
Boring summer's for the simple fact that it was so boring I just had to start this book. The band's that are, as they get called my 'muses' for this book. Avenged Sevenfold, Buckcherry, Dir En Grey, Every Avenue, Theory of a Deadman, Halestorm, 3oh!3, Breaking Benjamin, and countless others.
Josh N. For letting me use you as two different characters for your two different moods. Though they're not too different. I have to say, they're both probably the best characters I have ever written and they're two of my favorites. Cody ("Mr. Bond") for letting me do the same to you, I have a feeling a few people will like him, and you get bragging right to say you're a book character now, ha!
My strange, unique, and awkward group of friends. Even after listening to all of you yell "Can I be in the book?" and "Can I be in the movie when it's made?" for hours upon hours. You guys seriously helped me to build this story to what it is, so thank you.
A certain few people whom I won't name who helped me create most of the comic relief in the book, it's not my strongest area and they're great to use for it. Seriously, it was much appreciated.
Most of all every one of you, the reader. Yeah, you. If it wasn't for you this would just be another story I wrote that got thrown into yet another pile of maybes. The people who read these stories and enjoy them are what make this worth it all to me.
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