Kidnapped

The black smoke swirled with a violent intensity like a swirling storm. Just as fast as it was whirling, it calmed down and gathered in the blurred form of a figure on the floor. The smoke solidified leaving behind the body of a girl with fiery red hair that fanned around her. 

Isabelle gasped before her eyes snapped open abruptly. She let out a sigh of relief when she was suddenly able to breathe. Isabelle gasped in air greedily like it was the last time she was ever going to breathe again. For all she knew, it really was. She barely had any time to enjoy her newly functioning lungs when the redhead realized there was something wrong. 

'Where am I?' her alarmed voice rang in her head.

Isabelle propped herself on her elbows. Her chest was still rising and falling rapidly from the lack of oxygen and now quickened even more with fear. 

The room she was in was barren. It was white from top to bottom but there were glowing pulsing lines curving around the walls. 

It was beautiful yet serene to watch the blue, green, and gold lines pulsing softly.

Isabelle snapped out of her reverie and began to find an exit. 'Voila,' she cheered as the gate suddenly appeared right in front of her and opened.

The hallway outside the gate was of the exact same fashion. Isabelle played with the ring on her thumb in nervousness. 

'The time I chose to die was in the middle of my date,' she groaned and stilled walking.

The hallway wasn't very long and Isabelle made a run for the end. Suddenly she crashed into something hard and landed with a thump on the floor.

"Ow!" She cried, rubbing her forehead and bottom, "That hurt!"

She looked up to see just what she had crashed into and her eyes widened. Standing in front of her were two men. Or so she thought. One guy has handsome features and salt and pepper colored hair. He was staring at her form with wide eyes. The other had orangish skin with masculine features and stance but his fingers were talons.

Isabelle whimpered and she shuffled back to escape from them. Her legs were shaking in fear and her hands were clammy on the smooth floor. 

"Ms. Morgan, wait up!" the human yelled after her and took long strides.

Isabelle paused in her motion and tilted her head, "You know who I am?" She asked, her eyes were filled with curiosity and caution.

The man nodded and gave her a hand for her to get up. "We are the ones who brought you here." He told her while pulling her up. 

"I am Mark Grayson, and he is Void," he introduced. Void nodded his head in acknowledgment. 

"We need your help in saving the universes." He announced.

Isabelle blinked twice again before she burst into a peal of hearty laughter. She just got kidnapped and people are asking her about saving the universes. What sins had she committed to go insane at a time like this?

Isabelle groaned, 'Ryan might be still waiting, Damnit!'

The gate opened again and out came a tall guy with soft brown hair and bright blue eyes. He ran a hand through his hair and walked towards them. His feet softly padded on the floor beneath. However, one thing was out of place and it was that...

The guy was half-naked!

"Hi!" He waved at her as he walked towards where she, Mark, and Void were standing. 

Isabelle stared at him with wide eyes and nodded her head in response. 

The half-naked guy smiled at them and offered his hand to shake to Mark.

Mark took in the ragged appearance of the boy as well as the bright red spots marking his neck and chest and hesitated. He didn't know where the appendage had been but he still took it. He'll wash his hand several times afterward.

Isabelle's eyes widened, within a flash as the half-naked man pinned the man to the ground and used his knee to keep him in place. "Where the hell am I?!" he spat in a dangerously low and rough voice. It made Isabelle shiver as goosebumps broke out on her arm. She cautiously took a step away from there.

She saw as Void rushed towards him, "Ethan Jackson, let him go! We will explain, just let him go!" He yelled.

Ethan loosened the grip making Mark groan in discomfort and stepped back. He glared at her and Isabelle raised her hand to pledge her innocence.

"I was kidnapped just like you," she quickly assured making Ethan take some heat off from his gaze.

"What do you want?" he spat motioning for them to quickly start talking. He had already shown he was not unskilled and if he was pushed Ethan would take them down. It was clear no one wanted to be on his bad side.

Mark groaned as he popped his back. He was not as young as before and these kinds of actions were not good for his body anymore. He nodded at Ethan's request — order— and produced two identical pieces of paper and handed it to them.

Isabelle looked at the pamphlet incredulously but she was curious. Curious enough she quickly grabbed it to read. The red-haired girl was hoping this would shed some light on the situation.

'Welcome to Halcyon.

If you are reading this then you have been chosen by our computer program as the most compatible duo from the country. You will go on missions to save the multiple parallel Earths.

It has been a decade since we were founded and we have been actively working to stop the doom. With so many worlds with their lives on the line, we need your help. Help us and ensure that your world wouldn't meet the same end.

Marking will be done after you pass the test.'

"The worlds are ending?" She whispered as her hands shook with fear. The words were spinning in her head as she looked at the damned piece of paper she was holding.

"Do not tell me you haven't noticed anything strange yet," Void said in a grim voice as he looked down at his feet.

Isabelle wanted to shake her head but she couldn't. She had noticed of course. Everyone had noticed. The number of stars was decreasing with every passing day. The astronomers were trying to figure it out but they couldn't. It was as if the galaxies were ceasing to exist with every passing day.

"My one is already gone," He informed them and Mark tightened his grip on Void's arm. He patted him in a comforting way making Void shoot him a grateful smile.

'How can you say no to this,' Isabelle mentally wondered. She envisioned her only family, her mother, and stifled a gasp as her frail and blood-covered body was envisioned. 'No, I have to help!'

"What are the tests?" Isabelle and Ethan asked at the same time.