Book One: The Era of Change

Prologue

On this particular day, the usually crowed ice rink was unusually empty; the long line that always snakes around the counter and cark park wasn't there.

Instead, a class of thirty students arrived in groups, one after another, replacing the public crowd.

"It's the first time I've ever, ever had an ice rink cbooked! You guys should do this more often," Amelia gushed, "Next time at the zoo, I can have the alpacas all to myself!"

"You're exactly as I remembered you, still the ever crazy alpaca lady," Naomi laughed.

"I don't think I quite make a lady," Amelia snickered.

"Please enter, my lady," Naomi mock saluted with one hand, holding the door with the other.

"Hey everyone! Today is the grand, grand-" Ella shouted as the class gathered around.

"Reunion-" Eva continued, living up to their name of being twins...not actual twins of course.

Heaven above, they looked nothing alike!

"-Of our class!" Keira finished before they did their weird in-sync thing, again.

"Ice skating is the best!" Ella sighed, "Guys! We bothered to spend money on this so you better enjoy yourselves!"

"Go get skates off around the corner! What are you waiting for? Go!" Keira half-laughed, half-shouted.

As the class waddled like a huddle of penguins towards the skates counter, Naomi tapped Keira on the shoulder. 

"Naomi...?" Keira trailed off at her friend's sour expression.

"You feeling weird by any chance?" Naomi asked.

"No?" Keira said as if a question, "What's wrong?"

Naomi shook her head, "Just jittery. The ice is making me feel weird."

"Really? What's wrong with it?" Keira asked her friend.

"I dunno. It feels like I'm being watched. I don't like it here. It doesn't feel like it normally does," Naomi complained.

Keira laughed, "You're making it sound like the place is haunted."

Naomi snorted inelegantly, "I wasn't the one who told a ghost story at school camp and made Eva and Ella stay up the entire night."

"Point," Keira conceded. 

"Not the point, actually. Point is, there's something about this place I don't like," Naomi frowned stubbornly. 

"Come on, you'll be fine. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning or something?" Keira asked. 

"...fine," Naomi relented, her expression no lighter.

Keira saw this and immediately dragged her friend over the skates counter, "Come one, we don't have all day!"

"We kinda do!" Naomi retorted.

---

Naomi felt slightly less jittery once she'd engaged in at least three conversations with three different groups of classmates. Talking took her mind of things.

Much better.

She thought as she amusedly watched Ella do spins on the ice and Eva trying to copy with little success.

By the time everyone called for a break, Keira and Ella were way out of breath from the game of tag that had ensued the moment Ella tried to ruffle Keira's hair.

"Hey guys! Let's grab lunch. They're gonna fix the ice for us!" Eva shouted, waving everyone off.

Everyone lined up to get out from the door. But when Eva went to step out of the rink, something stuck out from the side, catching Eva's foot and sent her face planting onto the ice.

Naomi saw what happened as clear as day. That 'something' was Grace's foot. Said girl hurriedly retreated her foot, as she checked her phone.

"Eva!" Naomi shouted, gently placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I'm fine," Eva muttered trying to stand up. 

A sudden jab of pain shot straight up her spine, into her head when she tried to straighten her back and she was on the floor again. Clutching her head, Eva tried to stop the tears pricking the edge of her eyes.

"Grace, what the fuck was that for!?" Keira asked whilst scowling.

Grace picked at her nails, "She tripped herself. Why are you asking me?"

If it weren't for the situation Naomi would've sighed. Trust Keira to get so worked up before figuring out what was going on. And trust Grace to take the first chance she gets to pour oil over fire.

And where was the damned ice official?! You'd think with all the commotion, someone would've heard them and come with a first aid kit. Eva was on the ground, probably concussed for all they knew. That jittery feeling came back.

"Stop accusing me random things, you moron. How do you know that it wasn't anyone else or that she just tripped her stupid little ass herself?" Grace defended.

"I saw your foot," Naomi said blandly.

Keira saw red, "Okay you bitch, let me tell you two things. One. Martial art classes teach you how to kick ass. Two. I'm not above kicking your face just because you have no ass."

"Hey Keira, calm down," Naomi murmured placing a hand on her shoulder, "I don't know about you but I think right now getting Eva some first-aid is more important than kicking in Grace's face."

Naomi paused for a second. 

"We can do that later," she added for good measure.

"Just get out," Ella said bluntly, still kneeling next to Eva

Naomi's pov

The temperature seemed colder suddenly, and I knew it wasn't because of any of the people here. 

I was probably just being silly. (At this thought, I told myself 'famous last words')

And then I heard it. A low chuckle to begin with, it soon became stronger, crazier. I whipped my head around to search for the sound. Yet it appeared I was the only one who could hear the voice.

Between bouts of manic laughter, his voice resonated against the walls of ice rink. And it chilled me to the bones.

'Hee hee....You can run all you want, but you'll never escape the orange masked man's control. Sister, time to stop hiding and return to our world.'

The howls of laughter were the only thing ringing in my ears as I tuned the world out. The last thing I saw was Keira looking at me weirdly before black hit my vision.

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