Prologue: The Escape

It was a dark night. There's neither sign of the moon nor the stars as little Jolene stared at the sky through the windows of the orphanage. She was sitting at the dining table beside the four other kids. In front of them are bowls of porridge for dinner, usual food, but she wonders why the five of them had to eat separately from others, and be guarded by two men tonight. Lyndon, her best friend who has been sitting beside her, discreetly held her hand and squeezed it so that she wouldn't be so afraid.

"Eat." One of the men behind them spoke.

It was indeed a dark night for everyone, most especially for the young children in this old orphanage.

The kids held their spoon to eat, all but one kid whose eyes gleamed purple.

"No way, this porridge is filled with too much poison. One spoonful of it is enough to kill me, I can't stand the smell of it! Let alone put it in my mouth!"

The children caught the two men off-guard from their surprised expression, but they maintained their composure, "What are you talking about kid? You're scaring the others!"

"Oh... but he is not lying." Another kid on the table murmured as it faced the men behind them, the two grown men were petrified seeing its flashy red eyes.

Due to panic, one of them brought out their guns and aimed at the little children, the other followed the latter.

"I don't want any more words. Just eat." They warned.

The boy who was sitting in the middle finally faced the guards behind him. He looked at the men, who both aimed their guns at his face. He was silent as he remained to stare at the guns. The men told him to face his food and eat, but instead, he startled them as he touched both of the guns and it immediately withered like dry leaves.

"I think I broke it." He commented as he smiled at them with his fiery green eyes.

Unarmed, the guards took a few steps back at the kids as the five of them faced their direction.

The kid with red eyes giggled, "They are scared of us now." This gave the men more chills in their spine.

Jolene stood up and spoke, "Mister, don't be scared. We're just kids." Her voice was sweet and calming. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and turned silver, "Everyone, stand up. Let's give the seat to the misters because they will sit down." The four of them did not utter any sound as they followed little Jolene.

To the men's confusion, they can't help but follow what she told them. They both sat down in front of the bowls of porridge.

"Thank you for preparing a meal for us, but I don't think we are hungry yet," Lyndon told them. The rest of the kids just watched, some are certain of what's going to happen, some are still innocent and clueless.

Lyndon's eyes turned silver as he leaned in the midst of them to whisper, "But I bet you are. Go on, you can have our foods, eat."

The guards followed what he said without arguing. They ate several spoonfuls before they had a seizure and their faces dropped dead on the table.

The kid with green eyes broke the silence, "They're... dead."

"Don't be sorry, they wanted to kill us anyway." the other kid consoled but its red eyes paints pity over the guards.

"If they want us dead, we have to run away here." Its determined purple eyes looked at each of them as they all agreed to his thought.

"We must escape the other guards outside, but there are like hundreds of them! We need to think—"

"No time for that! There are guards coming here and they'll see them!" Lyndon exclaimed as he refers to the dead guards at the table. He held Jolene's hand, "Run!" he said as he began to run along with Jolene, the three others did not waste any time and followed him as well.

The incoming guards were puzzled to see little kids run together at this hour of the night. Not until they recognize which room did they came out from. They hurried to check the room and saw the dead men sitting on the dining table, with spoons still in their hands.

"Chase after those kids! Hurry!" one of the men ordered the others as he does the same.

When they realized they were being chased, the five of them hurried even more. They ran through the corridors and empty narrow hallways that they are very familiar playing in. They managed to go out in the yard as they ran for their lives in the midst of the cold night. They have finally reached the gate outside the orphanage; the orphanage was hidden in the mountains so they all ran into the forest to go down to the city.

Lyndon halted as they were running away, he faced the little girl he was holding hands with, "Jolene, I have to go back." the three other kids behind them stopped to wait as well.

Jolene worriedly held tight on Lyndon's hand, "No! Are you crazy?!"

"Vann was left in the orphanage! If I leave him, they will kill him for sure!" Lyndon removed her hands to his, "I'll be right behind you all." He said as he returns back to the orphanage using a side route on the outer side of the fence.

"Let's go!" the other kid's green eyes struck Jolene as she was grabbed to continue from running away. She did not want to run but she saw the guards running closer to them, she had no choice. She ran, but this time no one is holding her hand. Still, she ran as fast as she can. They all ran until they were almost out of their breath.

When they have gotten pretty far again, they all paused to catch their breath as the purple-eyed kid spoke, "We are so easy to track together, we should split up."

"But what if we get lost?"

"We won't. Just go down and down this mountain, I can track all of your scents, I will bring all of us together. Trust me."

"I agree. Let's just meet when we reach the city." Jolene seconded. She bravely stood up and pointed northeast, "I'll go here." She decided, the rest stood up as well and went in different directions.

Jolene continued walking alone in the darkness, hoping that Lyndon would come. Now she wonders how Lyndon will be able to find her. She tried not to stray too far away hoping that she will soon see him.

"Lyndon will find me... Lyndon will find me..." she kept murmuring those words hoping that it will come true just like what always happens.

However, she stopped when she heard a noise. Her heart pounded hard when she heard the noise get louder and she was able to see a man chasing after her. She ran as fast as her small legs can take her. Jolene panicked as she can hear the man's devilish chuckle upon finding her. She is out of breath and on the verge of crying for she knew she do not stand a chance, he is too close now. She screamed when the man was able to hold her and lift her up. She struggled to get away but she can't.

"Steady little girl..." the man hushed her. Now she can tell that he is one of the guards from the orphanage by looking at his uniform. She groaned in pain as he injects something into her leg. "Time to pipe down, I will bring you back to the lab, and you will tell us how you kids managed to escape."

Jolene felt dizzy, but she tries to fight back one last time, her eyes were back at being silver, "But you won't bring me there. Go back and l-leave me alone." she said weakly.

The next thing she knew is the pain when the man dropped her to the ground. The last thing she saw is how the man walked away without a word and emotion as her sight went blur then dark.