1000 Years Ago

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Ana Pov

The skin on my body felt like it was being pressed with the weight of the world onto my bones. It was as if I was being suctioned through a straw. I tried to open my eyes but all around there was nothing but flashing colors. They zipped around me brightly as my body continued to tumble into an abyss.

Time seemed to slow down along with my flailing limbs. Until I landed hard face down on a cold floor. The impact hurt like a bitch but I couldn't move my body at all. What I could do was hear sounds, all around me; the shuffling of feet, murmuring voices and a loudly creaking door either opening or closing. Damn it, all I want right now is to open my eyes. Something tells me this place isn't Helia's kitchen.

"Just relax little time traveler. The pain will subside gradually" a woman's soft but firm voice glided down my ears. It wasn't a voice I'd ever heard but one I could listen to all day.

Who said that?

Maybe if I could at least get my eyes to open that simply question could be answered. Taking her advice I relaxed my stiff, sore body. Focusing hard I was able to finally pry my eyes open. The blinding white in the room was a little too much to bear so I closed them instantly. A few minutes later I slowly opened them again more prepared this time.

The room that came into view I recognized as the one from the picture I fell in. It was even more beautiful in person. Everything was white with gold accents. If I lifted my head I was sure a gold chandelier would be there. A few feet in front of me the spectacular looking woman sat unmoving on her gold throne.

My eyes danced all over her, taking in her mirror image features. She looks more like me than I care to admit. With the exception of a few details and her obvious beauty, she could be my older sister or something.

Her eyes locked with mine and she smiled a small smile at me. Who is this woman?

The sound of heavy doors opening behind me drew her attention away. If only I could turn my head to see who entered. Instead I laid there waiting for them to pass. First to march by me was a woman with long white hair. She had it in a single braid sweeping down her back. The long black dress swooshed as she moved.

Trailing behind her was a little girl carrying a wooden doll. The girl's brown hair was in a similar braid and her little burgundy dress looked too big for her. She didn't pass me like the woman but stopped and looked at me curiously

"Grandmother, who is this?" She asked. The woman stopped short of the throne and turned back to the girl

"Who dear?" She said looking confused at the child. The little girl frowned

"The girl laying right her" She replied point a small finger at me. The woman placed her hands on her hips in a disapproving fashion

"Helia stop telling stories. There is no one there. No come on" The woman's voice left no room for arguing. The little girl stomped her small foot but obeyed.

She took two steps away before turning and looking me right in the eye. "I see you" she whispered. Well I see you too kid, I wanted to say but couldn't. Geez was I sucked in here to just lie around.

They approached the throne and bowed respectful

"Celeste, I have come to warn you" The white haired woman said

"Carry on" The woman called Celeste replied

"Arc must not go into battle. None of my visions show us winning this war. We must flee" The older woman's voices sounded full of fear.

What is she talking about? This is so confusing. More feeling came into my fingers and I could move them slightly. Like that helps.

Out of nowhere a smoky apparition began to form right in front of my eyes. I watched closely as the shaper became clearer and clearer, until Helia, Jace's old grams stood in front of me. Well more like floated.

"Helia?" I murmured with a raspy voice. Clearing my throat I tried again "Helia where am I? Are you a ghost?" I asked because she did look like floating smoke but still like herself.

"No dear I'm no ghost. This is just my spirit coming to guide you through this. And this place you're in would be Nexus, home of the supernatural." Helia explained but it didn't make sense to me.

"Uh could you explain it like your talking to a five year old" I said getting movement in my neck. Helia floated to the side no longer blocking my view of the woman talking beyond me.

"The image I showed you was one thousand years into the past in a place we call Nexus. Nexus is a realm parallel to earth and where all the creatures' humans consider supernatural originated. There are two portals that connect this place to your land that you call earth." Helia said watching the exchange between the women get more intense. Celeste still looked calm, but the older woman was on a rampage explaining something with lots of hand gestures.

"So am I like on another planet?" I wondered. This is all so strange

"No. Think of Nexus and earth as the same place but separated by a wall. Humans don't know the wall is there and never see it. Supernaturals from Nexus know about the realm that separates us but can only enter through a portal." Helia glided to the other side me, glancing over my body

"Why am I here? And why can't I move?" My frustration was growing by my inability to budge

"Traveling through a vortex is a strain on the body. You should gain control soon. As to why you're here-" Helia was cut short by the doors bursting open forcefully.

I could hear several feet stomping in along with clanging metal. Soon enough I was almost surrounded by bulking men dressed in chainmail carrying swords. There was one man leading and the only one in gold chainmail. These people sure do like gold. His movements were firm and hard. He walked with authority and power. The guy snatched off his helmet of revealing a handsome scruffy face and dark hair. All the men with him dropped to one knee saying "your majesty" prideful to Celeste, while he simply placed his right fist to his heart.

This guy must be some big deal if he didn't have to bow.

"Who is he? Better yet who are all these people?" I asked Helia who was watching like she already seen this before.

"That man is named Arc. These are the men in the army he leads. The woman on the throne is the creator. She is the first vampire and ruler of Nexus. The older woman is a crone of this time named Hildegarde. And the little, scared looking girl is me." My head jerked up quickly. Her statement just shocked some life into me. Slowly I moved myself into a sitting position.

"Uh did you just say that little girl is you?" I asked thinking I heard wrong. Helia nodded. No way! "But this was a thousand years ago! You only look like sixty or seventy, not a thousand!" My disbelief was in every word I said. Helia looked unfazed by outburst as she continued to watch the scene before us.

"Vampires are the only creatures that stop aging. The rest us age at a human rate until about age twenty and then it slows. The reason I live so long is because I am a crone and a crone cannot die until she names her successor, which I have not." Her explanation was so simple yet complex at the same time. I was going to ask why she wouldn't name her replacement but Arc's roaring voice stopped me.

"NO! We must attack now before Erebus illegally uses the portal again and transports more turned humans here!" Arc shouted pacing in front of the throne. Celeste regarded him coolly.

"My son if you do this we will all fall" Celeste said gently. The more I watched Arc it became easier to see his resemblance to Celeste. She did just call him son so he must be.

"Nonsense! I have the best men! Just because your witch says I will lose doesn't make it a fact mother!" Arc countered

"Young prince my visions are never wrong" Hildegarde threw in angrily. Arc just waved her off

"Mother, please listen. Erebus is out of control. He is illegally turning humans into vampires and creating an army to kill you and take your crystal heart. If we don't stop him now he will succeed. I have sources that located his hide out. If we surprise attack him tonig--" Arc abruptly stopped talking when Celeste stood.

Her calm was long gone and lightning bolts shot through her eyes. She was mad

"Son, I gave you an order to stand down. You will not disobey me!" Celeste's voice was so powerful everyone in the room dropped to the floor, which the exception of her son. Even I was scared of her and I'm already unseen on the ground. Arc angrily strode from the room, his men shortly after.

Meanwhile I finally had enough strength to stand. Even though my legs felt like jelly.

"Well, that was intense." I said to Helia "What's he so upset about anyways?" Helia sighed sadly before speaking

"Arc was Celeste's only son and a warrior; very strong, but very foolish. A vampire named Erebus wanted to be king, he wanted power. So he began illegally using the portals to travel to earth where he turned hundreds of humans. His goal was to take the crystal heart of immortals that lie in Celeste's chest and awaken the red dragon to enslave the human race" Helia told me

"Oh my gosh that's awful. Did they stop him?" my anxiety increased because for some reason I felt connected to this story. Just wasn't sure how

"Yes and no. Celeste's mate, Arc's father went to battle alongside the wolves. But they were outnumbered. Erebus knew that the alpha of the weres carried a crystal heart of wolves. As he slaughtered the huge wolf he tore it from his chest. Arc's father saw this and knew he couldn't allow Erebus to have one of the hearts. He attacked Erebus and shattered the heart, forcibly launching the pieces into the air. Erebus chopped his head off seconds later" Helia said sadly floating closer to watch her younger self play.

Wow this Erebus guy is a real ass! I guess that explains why Arc was so determined to kill him. So where did this go wrong?

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