AWAKE!

' Have a piece of me... '

' Slay every Ghostblood you can find!... '

' Run!...teleport to planet Earth and wait for me, even if it's a hundred years...I'll come to liberate our kind. '

' ... He's escaping! '

' ...death is inevitable for you, Isis...leader of the Ghostbloods '

~

" Noooooo! " Shelby lets out a loud groan springing up to reality from his hospital bed like a demented assassin who just regained his sanity. The syringes attached to his arms, the misty respirator, and the objects in the entire room standing or sitting at one corner all got blown away in one scream. The ray of light that streamed through the silky sky blue curtains of the medical room became brighter for a second as the curtains had given way due to the scream. The light intensity would have been normal for every human eye to endure considering the present time of the day was just early evening, but Shelby had hastily covered his eyes in no time as though he had tried to look directly at the sun. For over nine months, his eyes hadn't seen the slightest amount of light, not even a candle.

The agonizing pain he felt in his head, like the roar of a million warriors charging for battle, including the screams of people being killed, and the collision of explosive energies he couldn't describe was enough to make him feel uncomfortable and go insane, let alone the sudden light that filled the room. He could still feel the words of someone with a deep and sinister voice ring deep in his ears and within his soul. The last thing he heard before being sent into a blackout was ' Have a piece of me... '

Suddenly, the hospital room is filled with a good amount of attendees. A doctor and three nurses rushed in wearing an amazed face. They stared at the destructive scenery in the room for about half a minute, but their curiosity to how the young man who had been in a coma for about nine months had suddenly jerked back up to full consciousness with a violent scream made them ignore the sight they beheld and rushed to his aid immediately.

Shelby's breathing was fast, deep, and heavy like a swimmer who had been underwater. His eyes constantly scurried about in utmost fear, and confusion. One look at his face and you could see the litany of questions with blank spots for answers hanging on his weary look.

" ...it's a miracle, boy. You're a living miracle! " The doctor's tone came with a slight pitch that served as proof for his amazement. He placed his stethoscope on Shelby's chest and suddenly he's struck with unbelief to how fast his heartbeat raced.

" You'll need to stay within these walls for a while, young man. We need to thoroughly examine you. "

" Where am I? ... W-why am I in the hospital? Did I die? " Shelby rushed his questions, still oblivious about everything. His hair was in a mess and so was his composure.

" No you didn't die, you've been unconscious for a very long time and you seriously need to calm down and take a rest. "

" There's no time to be calm... " Shelby responded too quick and fierce, his voice had also changed. It sounded more deep, with a resounding echo within it's tone as though a million people spoke at the same time.

" Sir?... " one of the nurses cast a very terrifying look towards the doctor. The doctor looked at her and he could read the exact question she had in her head portrayed through her facial expression.

" No. " He muttered and looked away, and then back at Shelby. " Young man... " He paused and turned back to the nurse. " what does his name say in the hospital files? " He asked quickly.

" Uhm... " The nurse hurriedly draws out a huge pile of files from a nearby shelf and flips through them with great speed.

" Go check the other two victims of that high-school incident that were admitted here the same day as he was. " The doctor ordered the other two idle nurses, they both take their leave immediately. " My God, could this be what I think it is?... " He muttered a question underneath his breath to himself.

"Shelby!...Marcus Shelby. " The nurse blurted out. Shelby was silent but still appeared lost and confused to why his environment was a hospital.

" Listen to me, Mr. Shelby. I'm Doctor Mike and there's something you have to know. The world has changed, it isn't how it was anymore and you... "

" Dr. Mike!.. "

" What is it?! " He yells back furiously. It was one of the nurses who he had earlier sent to check the other victims. " Can't you see I'm trying to save humanity here?! " He added. Both nurses present were suddenly surprised to how tensed he appeared, his mood had suddenly changed and they couldn't tell why.

" T-the...the other victims have also regained full consciousness. " She stutters. Dr. Mike's eyes widen a bit and he's seen muttering numerous selfless thoughts to himself in splits of seconds.

" There's no time... he's alive and here. " He looked back at the nurse.

" There's no time for what, sir? " The nurse at the door asked.

" Who's alive and here? " The one with the file also questioned confusingly.

" I don't have time to explain things to you, but if we don't act fast.... they'll come here to kill these people. " He said in a rush and took off his lab coat leaving his body with a smart wine shirt well tucked into a pair of black trousers. " You and the other nurse should push the two victims on their hospital beds down here immediately. " He added while he rolled up his sleeves and unbuttons his shirt all the way down to his chest. The other nurse who still held Shelby's file stared at him with utmost confusion, her mouth left agape.

" What? " Dr. Mike asked her.

" No-nothing...sir... just... "

" Shelby. " He ignores her and calls a very lost Shelby who looked like he wasn't aware of the activities going on around him. He only swerved his head from left to right, bobbed up and down, staring into blank space.

" Shelby... " Dr. Mike calls again.

" Huh? " He glances at him for a second. Dr. Mike sighs with relief. " at least you still remember your name. " He said.

" Do you remember anything else, Shelby? "

" I remember everything... " He responds with his usual teenage voice while his eyes and head still darts about. " I remember everything...I remember that day, the day of Armageddon... " He adds, but this time with a different voice like the sound of thunder over many waters.

" Is...is he one of them, sir? " The nurse stuttered in fright.

" No! He's different..." He responds quickly, not taking his eyes off Shelby. " He's not a demon. " He adds in a soft voice.

" But... "

" But nothing. He needs to get to the right person this instant. " Dr. Mike cuts her off and before he could keep questioning Shelby, the two other nurses from earlier pushed in the two victims who were in separate rooms.

" about time you showed up. " Dr. Mike frowned a bit. " place them beside each other. " He orders while he steps away from Shelby. The three ex-students of a mysterious incident that occurred in their detention class nine months ago are placed side by side with Shelby in the middle, a girl at the left and another guy at the right.

" Now it begins... " Dr. Mike mutters. He boldly moves before them as though he was about to give a speech, but just at that same time, a female receptionist bolts into the room like a sports car. She tried to speak immediately as the urgency of the information she carried demanded, but she was totally out of air and all she could do was cough and gasp uncontrollably.

" Take it easy. " One of the nurses said out of concern.

" What is it? Who's chasing you? " Dr. Mike asked impatiently. The woman bends to her knees and squeezes out the words hastily. " The government's Koman officials... they're here. " She said and everyone in the room except Shelby and the two other victims all gasp out in absolute fear.

" No, no, no... " Dr. Mike's eyes gets wider, he was running out of time.

" but why now all of a sudden? We've not broken any rules. " The nurse who still held the files stated nervously.

" They're not here because of rules, they're here because of them! " The doctor points to Shelby and the others. The nurse didn't understand why but she didn't bother asking. " I guess it's time I revealed my true identity. " He adds with his eyes closed. He turns blindly to face the wall behind the three victims on their beds and takes a deep breath and exhales softly.

" Dr. Mike? ... " The nurse with the file called. Dr. Mike raises a palm towards the wall and with one non-English word ' Hatsu! ' the wall swirled spirally like a cosmic galaxy and in no time a vast spinning dark hole was formed, large enough to have a vehicle move through it. The dark hole constantly made a heavy gust of wind gradually sweep across the room, making everyone's clothes and hair to flutter.

" This is an inter-dimensional portal that instantly takes you to another location. " Dr. Mike yells, he had to because the wind in the room was loud and frantic. " I don't have time to explain but this... " he pauses and brings out a diary from his pocket. " ...this diary will tell you everything, where to go, who to meet, how to survive out there. " He stretches the diary out to any of the nurses for them to take it. Instead they stood there completely gobsmacked at what they saw. In the past nine months, they've experienced demons with dark powers walk the Earth, but they never thought they were beings on the Earth other than demons who could use magic.

" There's no time!!!! " Dr. Mike screams. " I need one of you to take these three out of here through that portal now!...I'd buy you some time by stalling the Koman officials. "

" I'll go. " Suddenly, one of the nurses who brought the other victims into the room boldly speaks up. She immediately takes the diary from Dr. Mike and dips it into her pockets.

" Thank you. " Dr. Mike mutters. " Now leave before they arrive. "

" Too late... " A sinister voice creeps in from the door's entrance. Everyone turns to see the receptionist already bleeding profusely through her mouth. A hand with a deadly looking claw had found a gap in between her chest all the way from her back. " I thought I made myself clear about not trying anything funny. " The man slowly reveals his face from behind the receptionist as he speaks softly into her dying ears. He withdraws his arm in one quick pull and her heavy body drops to the ground lifelessly. The man moves into the room with two others by his sides, all dressed in a uniformed long black leather jacket and trousers, a stylish black hat and gloves.

" I can't believe you're also one of them, Doctor. " The man in the middle who had killed the receptionist says with a catchy grin forming at the corner of his lips while he pushed the tip of his hat upwards to reveal the deadly look in his scarlett red eyes beaming like burning sulfur and brimstone. He pulled out the cigarette from his mouth and exhales huge fumes of smoke. " I guess I'll have to kill you all, bloody. " He chuckles excitedly.