Chapter Three: The Gift Of Sacrifice

Kara had been on her own for quite some time. With the ghosts of her past haunting her as her only company. The decisions she had made had managed to follow hee through her mind, the things she could never let go. The last time she had spoken to Gabriel, the real Gabriel, he had chosen to end their relationship...their bond to one another. He knew that they had caused nothing but damage, and pain to all that they had encountered and he felt it best that they seperate, and then he disaapeared. Kara knew that he was right deep down, but she also couldn't stop loving him. She couldn't let him go, despite the fact that it was not healthy.

" Things are going to change for us.." Kara smiled as she marched through the forest, determined to achieve her new goal. Kara was a powerful Witch, and the daughter of Aurora, one of the most naturally gifted witches. But Kara had trained for years to get as strong as she was. Not to mention, she was also half Vampire, and that had its own added Perks as well.

But Kara, during her 18 years of solitude had learned of several secrets that would have only been known to magic users on earth, of which, there were practically none. Earth was special in its own way. Though most of the inhabitants were human and practically defenseless against most things, the Earth itself was an intersection of sorts. A way to travel between different worlds, the Underworld and Outworld for example. However, Kara would be headed to neither of those worlds and opted for a new one instead. One that was new to her at least but in reality, very ancient. The world was called " The Downside" this name was not the original name but that had been lost to time. The Downside, was a world that very few had ever traveled too.

There were reasons for this. The inhabitants, were practically rotting corpses. A world full of zombies is the way Kara had viewed it. And whilst the inhabitants were creepy enough, the reason most people didn't like to travel there, was mainly due to the darkness of the realm. Some people believed that the Abyss and the Void has spawned from its depths. This was the realm of darkness itself, and it held a very special secret deep within.

The way to get into the world was very simple for few and complicated for many, It required a sacrifice to enter, a sacrifice that most would never be willing to give up though for Kara, nothing would stand in her way.

It took her time, but Kara finally managed to arrive at a small, dead tree on the edge of the forest. Kara had heard through rumors that the entry was located here but she had also followed the dark energy which eminated from the tree.

Kara knelt down on both knees, and held out her hand and waited. Several minutes passed before a small branch from the tree extended out, twisted and blackened, it crept towards her hand and stopped inches away from her. Kara continued to wait, she knew this was a part of the test and she would need to be brave in order for it to work.

After a few more seconds, the branch launched forward and contorted itself even more before engulfing her hand completely. In an instant, the branch retreated back to its home and Kara was now missing her entire right arm. There was no pain however, the wound healed itself in an instant, this was known as the gift of sacrifice. Before she knew it, the ground began to rumble and open beneath her, there was very little that she could do to prevent her fall into the Pitt.

Downward she tumbled for several minutes into pitch blackness before crashing onto a hard, flat surface. She had made it, she was in the Downside.