• Prologue


    A man ran through the coble stone streets. The only sounds where the steady beats of his feet pounding the ground as he ran, and his heavy breathing. Wrapped in his black clothing, he was hard to tell from the shadows of the night. As he ran, his midnight black hair fell back from his face, revealing deep purple eyes.

    Jumping at an unnatural height, he landed with a soft thud on a rooftop. Reaching into the black cloak that covered him, he brought out a baby wrapped in silk clothes. The cold night air woke her and she started to cry. Her eyes were a shining crimson, the small amount of hair she had was a dazzling sliver.

    Crooning over the baby, the man said, “Hush my daughter, he is not as near as you think. I am here to protect you.” The night air was now turning frigid. Tucking the now cooing baby back into the warmth of his cloak, he jumped from the roof to the street below and ran toward the edge of the city.

    Coming to a large manor on the outskirts of town, he opened the gates and ran up the gravel drive. Reaching the large double doors, he quietly crept inside. Walking upstairs, he took the baby girl out of his cloak again. Opening a door on the second floor, he walked into a room furnished with a small crib, dresser, and some child’s playthings.

    As his eyes started to cloud with tears, he kissed the baby’s head and laid her in the crib. Turning to leave, he reached the door and said, “Goodbye, my Anya.” As he closed the door, a tear ran down his face. Going out side into the night air, he walked back down the drive then disappeared into the night, leaving his whole life behind.