Departure on a new journey

The sun was getting real low while I was watching it through the window of my chamber, sitting on the middle of my bed.

Did you ever have this feeling ? This feeling that something in your life was wrong and that nobody gonna help you ? Well, I've known this feeling since I was 8 years old and thanks to that I learned that sometimes no one can help you, except yourself.

When the sun disappeared behind the horizon I jumped out of my bed.

"Well...It's nearly time..." I whispered.

I grabbed the bag hidden under my bed and started to fill it with the very few things of mine, some clean clothes, my my toothbrush, a bunch of books and writting materials, my personnal diary and some supplies I took in the cellar.

2 days. I was preparing myself for this moment since 2 long days. That was my only chance and I was determined to take it no matter the risks. It was out of the question for me to stay with "him" any longer.

I gave a gaze trought the window to realize that the sky had already turned dark and snow was falling like rain in a stormy day.

"Okay, it's time to go."

I clumsily put on my father's leather jacket, which was a bit too big for me, throw my bag ready to crack over my shoulder and after a deep breath I opened the window of my bedroom and been hit on the face by a icy wind.

I barely put a foot on the window sill when the doorknob turned, once, twice, three times. Then I heard violent knocks on the door, and a male voice starting to scream through it.

"Hey !! You little freak, what have you done? Open that fucking door !!!"

Without a second thought, I jumped out the window as I heard the door slam opening and started running through the night without giving a care for the screams ordering me to come back and insulting me.

"Sorry uncle, I'll never be your punching ball again." I muttered.

I continued to run for about 15 minutes maybe more, with the wind blowing harder and harder. When I was finally sure I was far enough, I leaned against a tree, completly exhausted and I looked up to the black sky whence snowflakes were still falling.

I know, being alone in a forest on a winter night is definitely not what many would call a good situation, but to be honest, on the moment I didn't care a lot. For the first time since a long time I was feeling free.

I looked at the time on my father's watch put upside down on my wrist to see it was 12:46am and I felt a little smile on my face.

"Happy birthday Leon." I whispered while the cold was draining every last bit of strength into me before everything goes black..

/ ******** \

While my consciousness was slowly coming back I could hear two female voices whispering to each other. Then gradually the two voices became progressively clear enough for me to hear what they were saying.

"Are you sure he's what we need? He looks so…weak." Said the first voice.

"It's true. He is weak right now and this is exactly why he's perfect. Do not worry...one day this little spark shall be the brightest star in our sky. I'm certain of it." Answered the seconde voice while I blacked out again.

I blinked awake slowly and when I looked around me…

"What in the world ?..."

When I passed out I was in a snowy forest, but now I was on a small island in the middle of a large blue lake lying in what appeared to be a cave.

On the ceiling of the cave, a few holes of different sizes were letting the sun's rays illuminate the place, one of them being located just above my small island.

The place looked so surreal, so beautiful, but I couldn't enjoy the view because of the incomprehension and fear gripping me as several questions were jostling in my head. Where was I? What was this place? How did I end up there? Did someone bring here ?

"Calm down Leon !" I thought smacking my cheeks with my both hands.

After regained my cool, I looked more closely my surroundings. On the small moss-covered island where I was there was nothing at all...Except a strange tree completely devoid of leaves leaning over the water.

The first thing that stood out was its jet black wood, as if it was made of darkness itself, but it was not the most interesting "detail". At the end of the farthest branch from the shore was shining a strange fruit.

I had still no idea of where I was so knew I had to stay careful.

But my curiosity prevailed and finally I climbed the tree to the branch where the fruit was, to examine it more closely. It was both in the shape of an apple and a human heart but was a bit smaller than a peach and emitted a faint scarlet light.

Something in this fruit was attracting me as if it was calling me and before realizing it my hand was already approaching the fruit to take it.

As my hand grabbed the fruit, I froze. I felt that if I picked this fruit I would do something irreparable and I couldn't go back. But I also felt that if I stepped back now I would regret it forever.

Then I remembered everything my life had been these last years, everything I had been through, everything I had lost. I had nothing to lose.

"To hell with caution."

And I picked the fruit from the branch. But at the second I did it a horrible shiver ran through my whole body. I felt like I had cut a thread which was waiting for someone to cut it since eternity.

All of a sudden the water in the lake began to stir, so violently that I felt like I was in the middle of a raging sea. Then something slowly came out of the water…