CHAPTER 2

The girl dropped her arms to her sides and jumped off the building and back onto the ground. She landed gracefully and then turned to look at the three people dressed in black. She was now in the light of a streetlamp and they could see her completely. Her hair was a purple. It came down nearly to her shoulders. Her bangs were spiked on one side and hung down normally on the other. Her eyes were a deep purple. She wore black pants that fit tightly. Over them, she wore a short, purple skirt. She had on brown boots that came up a few inches above her ankles. Over her shoulders was what looked like a cape, only shorter and more elegant, like a small cloak. It covered her shirt completely, showing only part of her arms and her hands. She just looked at the three people now in front of her.

"Are you guys alright?" she asked, her voice holding genuine concern. She had a light and gentle sounding voice, but it was obvious that it could be used fiercely as well.

"Yes," responded the woman simply. She was still in partial awe. The girl just smiled sweetly.

"That's good," she said. She turned around and started walking away.

"Wait a minute, I want an explanation," said the young man with orange colored hair. She just kept walking, so he ran up behind her. "Answer me," he demanded as he tried to grab her shoulder. Her hand shot up quickly, grabbing his wrist. She had stopped walking. He tried to get his arm free but failed to do so. Even through all his struggling, her arm didn't move an inch. She eventually let go, and he sprawled backwards. She glanced back at them before fully turning around again.

"I have to go," she said as she began walking away.

"Wait," said the taller man. "What's your name?" She stopped again and turned slowly.

"Me? It's Kyra. Kyra Meredith," she said. He nodded his head.

"My name is Jaxon," he said. He looked towards the girl who stood next to him. "This is Kayle." The girl nodded her head. Jaxon then looked to the boy in front of him. "And this is Tyrell." Tyrell was currently examining his wrist. Kyra simply nodded to them, a small smile on her face.

"Can I ask you a question?" asked Kayle.

"Alright," said Kyra.

"How did you do that? You took that evil out easily and we couldn't even scratch it."

"Well, I've always had these powers. The way I see it, I'm the only one who stands a chance against them."

"So, you fight evils?" asked Tyrell in a rude tone that displayed his slight disbelief.

"Of course."

"Well then," began Jaxon, "why don't you join us in our fight against them?"

"What?" asked Kyra.

"We work for a distinct organization that is trying to protect these people from the evils, and we'd really appreciate your help." Kyra just smiled and bowed her head.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm afraid I can't accept."

"Why not?" he asked her.

"Because I have a life here. I can't just leave my school, my friends, and especially my mother. I'm really sorry, but I have to go now," she said as she turned around and walked back into the darkness.

It was late out, and the sky was a terrifying black. Kyra ran along the streets as fast as she could, but eventually jumped upward onto the top of a nearby building and ran across that instead. Up ahead, in another area of the city, there were lights shining from nearby houses. The city was indeed falling apart, but there were still areas that were decent to live in.

She jumped to another building and then jumped down after reaching the edge of its roof. She ran a little further until a small house could be seen. It looked almost out of place in a city where the buildings seemed to touch the sky. She slowed down upon reaching it and walked up to the front door. It was the same dark blue color of all the buildings in the area, and if you walked a little further, you'd find more houses just like it. The lights were on and the chimney had smoke pouring from it.

She opened the door and looked in. The smell of a well-cooked meal was the first thing to catch her attention. She walked in all the way and shut the door behind her.

"Mom, I'm home!" she yelled. She quickly took off her boots and headed towards the kitchen. It wasn't very big, but it was good enough for just the two of them. Her mom looked to her as she entered the room.

"Welcome back Kyra. Dinner will be ready in a little while," she said. Her hair was the same color as Kyra's, but it was much longer and straighter. Her eyes were an emerald color instead of purple. She wore a black dress and a white apron. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail. She smiled to her daughter who returned it wholly.

"Alright mom," responded Kyra. She walked into their dining room. It was quite small and ordinary. It was no different from any of their other rooms. All of them had yellow walls, a white ceiling, and wooden floors. Their table seated four, even though there were only two of them. It was nothing expensive, just a round, wooden table. Kyra took her normal seat and waited patiently for dinner.

"So, how was your day?" asked her mother. She walked out carrying two plates, each with some chicken, potatoes, and corn on them. She set one down in front of Kyra and then sat down with her own plate.

"The usual. School was kind of boring though. All we did was take finals, and I have even more tomorrow. It's sort of boring, but at least there's no homework."

"How many days are left of school?"

"Only two. It's going to be great!"

"How about this summer we take a trip?"

"To where?"

"Anywhere you want."

"That'd be great! It's been a long time since we've done anything big like that. It will be so fun!"

"I'm glad you're excited." She scooped up some mashed potatoes with her fork. "So, what took you so long tonight?" she asked. "You're usually back way before dinner and you usually help with it."

"I'm sorry mom. I got caught up in something," she explained while cutting up her chicken.

"More evils, right?" questioned her mother.

"Yeah. There've been more than usual lately. It's strange."

"Was this one as easy as the others?" Kyra swallowed her food before responding.

"No. This one didn't go down without a good fight. Not only have move been showing up, but they seem to be getting stronger as well. It's strange."

"Just promise me you'll look after yourself, alright?" Kyra gave her mother a smile.

"Of course, mom. I promise."