Dark.

The first thing I notice is everything is so dark that I can't even tell if my eyes are open or closed. My heart pounds intensely for no specific reason and anxiety bubbles in my chest.

Where am I?

Pitch black is all that I can see, it surrounds me completely. I wouldn't be able to see my hand even if it was an inch away from my face. I try to shuffle my feet forward, but notice that my feet aren't even touching the ground, yet they somehow aren't floating or hovering either. I've just been thrown into the middle of nothingness. Panic grips my heart and squeezes tight. The atmosphere is bleak, cold, and empty. Its depressing, like I've fallen into a void that lacks any life whatsoever. I hate having no control, no idea what's going on, and not being able to see anything at all.

Am I dead?

The air suddenly starts to buzz with energy, that awful ringing returning. It gets louder and louder, vibrating through my entire body and seeming to rattle against my bones. When my eardrums feel as if they could burst any second, I clamp my hands over my ears to muffle the sound. I hunch over, breathing heavily as I keep my palms pressed tight against the sides of my head.

Without warning, the sound comes to a complete stop, leaving absolute silence in its wake. In the quiet, I can hear my heart pounding and my blood rushing. I take deep breaths, attempting to calm my racing heartbeat and set aside my panic so that I can try and think clearly.

My body goes rigid, every muscle pulling tight, as all of a sudden, I feel a presence. I can't figure out where it's originating from, it's almost like it's everywhere at once. But, the aura that this presence brings is impossibly cruel and even darker than my surroundings.

Fear.

I feel true fear. There has only been one other time that I have ever felt truly afraid. It was the moment before my mothers heart stopped beating and the moment that a horrific scream tore from her throat. After fear, when the damage was done and she laid dead on the floor, there was an onslaught of anger which eventually turned into sorrow and grief. Her scream still replays in my mind on repeat, reminding me exactly what she went through.

That was the last time I was afraid, but now, standing in this darkness as an unknown presence lurks around me, I feel fear creeping in.

"Ah, there you are," a male shapeless voice suddenly exclaims, cutting through the silence and sounding overly excited. The voice reminds me of a snake. It's deep and smooth, but full of malice, poison, and hidden intentions. A shiver runs down my spine and I feel goosebumps rise on my skin, hair standing on end. Every instinct in my body is telling me to run as fast as I can and get as far away as physically possible.

"Who are you?" I snap, setting that tinge of fear aside and hoping to convey confidence.

A low cynical chuckle fills the air, coming from every direction, surrounding me completely.

"It's about time that we've met," the voice responds, choosing to not answer my question. "We have so much catching up to do."

"Go to hell," I hiss venomously, becoming defensive and aggravated with the lack of clarity.

It barks out a sadistic laugh in response, making my brows furrow.

"Oh, I've already spent a long time in hell, Little One, but I appreciate your bravery," he says once he sobers up from his laughing fit. I can hear the grin in his voice. "I'd like to think you got that from me."

The blood in my veins freezes, turning to ice, and an echo of an idea of who the voice belongs to slips into my mind, but I push it away out of denial.

"What are you talking about?" I sneer harshly.

"You know who I am," he whispers, this time the voice is right over my left shoulder. The overwhelming energy from his presence threatening to suffocate me and bring me to my knees. I can feel his breath fan over my neck, but it's icy cold instead of warm, biting at my skin with a chill that spreads throughout my whole body.

I become impossibly still, my heart knocking violently against my ribs.

"Go on, say it, Little One," he commands lowly, there's still amusement in his tone, as if this whole thing is just one big game to him.

"No," I grit out.

He laughs again and it echoes from everywhere this time, instead of right over my shoulder.

"You are just what I hoped for you to be. Fiery and defiant." he says, sounding thrilled by my resistance and anger. "You cannot be tamed or bound by the rules that silly little angels tell you."

I realize he's referring to Gabriel and my anger increases tenfold.

"You must not have gotten the message, but I told you to piss off." I growl.

The shapeless voice chuckles again and the sound is dark and eerie.

"Have you considered my offer?" he asks. "Come with me, Victoria, and you will never have to run from angels again. Your power is infinite, we can do so much with it. They will fear you."

I shake my head, my breathing still uneven. He wants to turn me into a puppet, so that he can pull the strings, and use my power for his own gain.

"Isn't that what you want? To be feared? To get your revenge on them?" he asks, hoping to tempt me, but I know better than to fall into this trap.

"No," I snap. "I will never help you."

"No, Darling, this is about you, not me. You're lying to yourself if you think you don't want power. You want people to fear your name." he says. "You are my daughter after all."

I squeeze my eyes shut tightly and swallow thickly.

"Don't call me that," I hiss, shaking my head.

"But, it's true. You have my blood running through your veins." His voice falls into an impactful whisper as he responds quickly with the same amusement still laced into his tone.