THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

ANRIETTE KOLIL POV:

"It hurts, right?"

How long has it been? How much time has passed? I don't even know if it is day or night here. All I know now is pain and darkness. Ever since I fell for that voice and left Mercuria. My life has turned around like never before.

As soon as I entered Titanium through the borders, all those accompanying got killed and then I met this woman.

"If you already know, what is the point of asking?"

This woman, I called her X, I don't know anything about her, but she knows everything there is to know about me, about my family…about Kevin.

The only thing visible about her is her long black hair getting outside the hood she is wearing. Her cape covers her whole body as well so it is impossible to describe her. Though, from time to time, I can see her grey eyes shining from the darkness of the hood like death staring right at me..

After killing my comrades and capturing me, she brought me to a cave and sealed inside a sort of cocoon made of translucid strings. The liquid inside the cocoon was black as charcoal and as soon as she put me inside, I think…I died.

I mean, I lost consciousness from seeing my feet getting instantly dissolved and the pain that came from it. After that, I don't know what happened but when I woke back up, I was there, inside the cocoon. My arms and legs back, though they aren't as before. My arms, especially, have grown mantis-like blades on the side while my hands look like I haven't had any manicures done in a long time. For my feet, I can only see that my nails are longer but that about it.

"Okay, so today is good as well. See you soon."

"Wait." This woman I can't just let her go another time like this. "How long have I been here now?"

"Fufufu. Don't worry. It won't take much longer. Then you meet your beloved."

Everything turns dark once again after that, and the woman disappears. I feel my consciousness fading again. But I can never forget it. My beloved…Beloved my ass!!! That guy killed them!! My parents, my friends!! He destroyed everything I ever had while laughing like a damn demon.

I don't know where X found survivors of that day but they all confirmed what she said. Those people, I knew them, they were guards in Nargil. Though they are responsible as well. They admitted that they were the ones who started fighting him because he was wanted in Floras. Why did it have to be in my town? Why did that fucker have to come specifically there?!!!

The answer is simple: HE WANTED TO MAKE ME SUFFER!!!

He wanted to make all of us suffer and laugh while we would be desperate! That's right!! That's why he wasn't eager to help me!! Because he was enjoying my suffering! And yet here I was, like a fool, falling in love with such garbage of a human being.

"But soon, you will pay. Don't worry."

***

Another day, I guess, another visit of X. This time, however, unlike the other time so far, she brought a paper and a pen with her.

"What are you writing?"

"Your changes."

"My changes?"

"Yup. It seems your emotions played a role in the way your body got altered."

"Altered? What are you talking about?"

"Don't worry about it."

"How can I not worry?!!" The cocoon vibrates in unison with my shouting voice. Could we possibly be connected somehow? Then perhaps…

"Tell me what you are doing or else…"

"Or else?"

"I am breaking out of here and slicing your throat right where you stand"

"Hmph! Good luck with that."

"AHHH!!!" I scream and the cocoon vibrates even more but doesn't break.

"Oh come on. You had such a silly idea. This thing only vibrates because you are moving the liquid inside when you talk. It won't break from such a puny and cute scream."

"Fuck you!"

"You would like that, don't you? But sorry, I am not your beloved nor do I feel even remotely attracted to you."

"Well, I am glad we feel the same then."

"Don't try to fake your smile, you can't fool me."

"Hmph!"

"Anyway, you should soon be ready. Your arms have stopped growing, your legs as well. Your face and hair color stayed the same however, that's interesting. You are the second."

"The second?" Wait, is she doing this to other people?

"I told you, don't worry about it. Anyway, you should rest."

"No, wait!" Once again, everything turns dark and my consciousness starts fading again. Fuck!! This bitch is just doing whatever she wants!

***

Suddenly, one day or night, I really don't have any notions of day and night anymore, I wake up. But this time, the woman isn't here. Everything is still dark. And my body, for the first time ever, my body is moving. My fingers first, then my arms, my neck, my legs. My whole body is moving, slowly and with great effort but still it is moving, answering my thoughts.

Then I guess it is time. I will break off here and have X answer my questions. All of them!!

I move my arm to the cocoon's wall and press it but it doesn't break. She was right, that thing seems pretty hard, but so am I now. I use the blades on my arms and as soon as they touch the wall, they pierce it and I feel air coming inside.

"Huff!!" Suddenly, I feel like I am dying. My lungs can't take air in, I can't breathe. No, I will survive, I will survive and make him pay!! He will know the extent of my pain and suffering multiplied by a thousand folds.

I gather all my strength and slice the wall open completely. As I do that, I fall helplessly to the ground of the cave. I don't know how, but it helps me breathe. I can breathe with more ease now. I wonder why.

I push and slowly get up. Then as I look around, I don't see anything. That cave is just empty and cold. The floor is wet, there are stalactites all around and it smells like old socks in here. I walk aimlessly and from time to time, bats fly around, breaking the cemetery silence of this place.

Suddenly, I spot light, There, in front, shining dimly. But still, it is light. I walk, walk, walk…But the light stays at the same distance no matter what.

"The fuck is this?!" I walk even faster until I can finally run. Then something incredible happens: I kick the floor like I wanted to run but instead, I jump a good few meters ahead and land on the ground like a vulgar bug without wings.

What just happened? Where did such strength come from? It's only then that I notice it. My legs. I look at them and even in the darkness, I can see how they have changed. Only their shape looks like a human's leg. But the muscles are sticking out of it and they look like those of grasshoppers.

"I guess I must be really ugly now." I stand back up and prepare myself then jump again.

This time, I jump even farther, and as soon as I land, I kick the ground again and jump. Only that this time, I didn't control the direction and go towards the ceiling and the stalactites on them. I place my arms in front of me and close my eyes, bracing for the impact but I feel nothing.

As I open my eyes, the stalactites are falling while my mantis blades have stuck into the ceiling.

"Seriously?" Those things are so hard? They have the same color as my skin so I thought it was just bones inside at best.

I pull and even place my feet on the ceiling until they finally come out. Then I kick the ground right as I reach it again and follow that light.

****

"Finally!"

After almost twenty minutes of jumping, landing on weird places like holes full of feces, I don't know what kind but it stank so I am really not happy to talk about it, or getting stuck on the ceiling two times, I finally reach was seems to be a gate. A decorated gate with glasses at the center, around the handle. That's where the light was coming from, I guess.

I push the gate and as I place my foot outside, the scenery changes.

"How in hell…" In front of me now, a desert. Sandstorms and a grey ashy like earth are the only things that greeted me back. I turn around and the gate looks really old from the outside, unlike the inside which was pretty clean.

"Where am I?" Was I not captured near the border? What is this place? Where is X?

"Well, you finally up, sleepyhead?" Suddenly, X's voice rings behind me. As I turn around, I see near sitting on top of the gate I just opened. When did she arrive there?

"When-"

"I guess it was a success, then. Come, I will present you to the others."

She gets down from the gate and starts walking. I guess I have no choice but to follow for now.