After visiting the vibrant city of new Orleans after recieving numerous strange dreams and visions she visits the city to find answers, Leila is soon attacked by a mysterious creature but is soon saved by a handsome stranger. But as a string of ritualistic murders soon begun shaking the city to its very core they'll have to race against time to stop the mysterious killer all the while trying to learn more about Leila's true identity
Chapter 1 1
The sky was a deep, bloody red, as if the very heavens were bleeding. New Orleans lay in ruins, its once-vibrant streets now a desolate wasteland. Flames engulfed the crumbling buildings, casting a hellish glow over the devastation. A massive fissure tore through the ground, stretching from the Mississippi River to the distant horizon. The earth seemed to be splitting apart, revealing a chasm of smoldering darkness. The air reeked of brimstone and smoke, and the only sounds were the distant rumble of thunder and the crackle of flames.
The vision was one of utter destruction, a testament to the end of days. The city's iconic landmarks – the St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, Bourbon Street – were nothing but smoldering rubble. The once-majestic oak trees were now charred skeletons, their branches like bony fingers reaching toward the crimson sky.
In the distance, a dark storm brewed, its leading edge a swirling vortex of ash and smoke. The winds howled, whipping the flames into a frenzy as the very fabric of reality seemed to unravel.
But amidst the destruction, a lone figure sat atop a ruined building, surveying the devastation with an air of quiet contemplation of the destruction all around. Shrouded in shadows, the figure's presence seemed almost otherworldly, as if they were a dark specter summoned by the chaos.
Their features were indistinct, shrouded by a hood that cast a dark, impenetrable shadow over their face. Yet, as the winds died down for a fleeting moment, the figure's gaze lifted, and their eyes gleamed like lanterns in the dark.
Black as a piece of the abyss, with golden pupils that seemed to burn like embers, their eyes appeared almost hypnotic.
And then, the figure slowly turned its head, their gaze sweeping across the ruins as if searching for something - or someone. Their eyes locked onto a point in the distance, and their expression twisted into a hint of a sinister smile.
The figure's eyes flashed with an inner fire as they turned to look...
Leila jolted awake, her scream echoing through the darkness. Her heart raced, and her sheets were drenched with sweat. She gasped for breath, her eyes scanning the familiar contours of her bedroom. But the image of the figure's black and golden eyes lingered, seared into her mind like a branding iron.
She threw off the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed, her feet dangling in the air. The room spun around her, and she felt a wave of nausea wash over her. She buried her face in her hands, trying to shake off the vivid dream. As she looked out her bedroom window, she murmured to herself, "It's just a dream...it's just a dream..."
Just then, her phone rang, shrill in the silence. She jumped, her heart racing, as she reached over to answer it. " Hey, Leila, it's Sarah," her best friend's voice chimed in on the other end of the line calming her down. "I'm just calling to remind you that our flight to New Orleans is in a few hours. Are you ready?"
Leila's mind was still reeling from the dream, but she forced herself to focus. "Yeah, I'm almost packed," she lied, realizing she hadn't even started gathering her things yet.
"Great! I'll pick you up at 10 am then?" Sarah asked, sounding cheerful. Leila nodded, even though Sarah couldn't see her. "Sounds good. See you then."
As she hung up the phone, Leila felt a shiver run down her spine. New Orleans. The same city from her dreams. She pushed the thought aside, telling herself it was just a coincidence. But the memory of that dream still lingers in the back of her mind.
Two hours later, Leila zipped up her last suitcase. She was dressed in a white tank top with a jacket and cutup jeans, her long charcoal colored hair was braided into a single braid and placed over her left shoulder.
Her dark grey eyes were weary as she zipped up her traveling bag. Was she making a mistake? What if visiting the city that's been haunting her dreams? She clutched at her crescent moon pendant as she stared out her window.
She's been having these strange dreams for months now, and they've only intensified as she gets closer to her nineteenth birthday. She's tried talking to her mother about them, but she's never given her straight answers. She knew that there was something going on with her, and she knew she had to visit the city to find out why.
Her musings were soon cut short by her friend Sarah honking her car outside her window. " Come on Leila, we're going to be late, and we need to hurry to catch our flight." Looking away from the window she hurried to pick up her bag and suitcases. But as she was leaving she cast one last glance at her room, hoping that this wouldn't be the last time she'd get to see it.
Soon the pair were cruising down the highway on their way to the airport. And her best friend Sarah was driving. Sarah was a beautiful girl with deep blue eyes, with a head of long blonde hair, she was the most fashionable of the pair, and you can see it in her attire. As she was wearing a beautiful blue dress with matching earrings.
" Did you really have to bring so many bags?" Leila asked, glancing back at the car seat filled with the bags. " But, of course, we're going to one of the wildest party towns, so a girl's gotta look her best" Sarah giggled, causing Leila to sigh fondly before shaking her head.
Soon the pair arrived at the airport and, after closing up Sarah's rental, grabbed their bags and suitcases and began making their way towards their boarding area. The airport was a hub of activities as they made their way through, with passengers coming and going and with the intercoms blaring out messages over their heads. Soon the girls made it to their waiting area.
And after another hour, they were searched before being allowed onto the plane. But as Leila looked out at the now cloud filled sky after the plane took off she couldn't help but feel like this trip was about to change her life forever.
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