1 Prologue

11th November 1990

Dusk was upon the Pharrel's estate.  Youthful Clarity was cradled in her mother's arms, her older brother Ethan was playing with his action man doll and a perfect day was coming to a close. It would have been around 3-4 o'clock and it was already completely dark outside. Clarity was idly playing with mother's pristine silver locket, examining its sleek chain and oval pendant with curious eyes. This act of innocence would mean nothing in most cases, but with childish carelessness, Clarity accidentally loosened the clasp of this fascinating object and it fell to the ground, then what followed would be the most dramatic change of scenario since Carrie's prom night. Her mother hastily put her down to pick it up, but before she could try, she suddenly collapsed, her arm hitting a candle and pulling it down with her in the process. Violent orange flames climbed up the lichen wallpaper and before long the whole room was ablaze. Ethan rushed to his mother's aid, ignoring it completely. He screamed her name whilst Clarity was screaming in unison, as she was trapped under her mother's immobile body. The room's temperature suddenly accelerated, reinforcing that they needed to get out of there. Ethan roughly tugged his little sister free and carried her outside. The frigid air of early winter bit at their skin and made their identical azure eyes water with a single violent breeze. Ethan saw that Clarity was holding the locket and must have decided it would be too emotional if she kept hold of it, so he took it from her and put it on his own neck. Most people would see that as a very mature decision, considering he was just six years old. When he wore the locket, a strange feeling developed, grief, he concluded, as the very feeling was left untaught in his mind. Clarity anxiously chewed on one of her short brunette locks, still wondering what was going on. All that was remembered from that day was heat, despair, and the sorrowful cries of an infant.