ckpack. Since her family had relocated to Arazona, she had been dreading t

ome by the commotion and loudness. In an attempt to orient herself, she glanced abo

e of him out of the corner of her eye, their eyes briefly locked before she averted her gaze. Denise didn't have the guts to approach him until lunchtime, though. He approached and took a seat across from her as she was attempting to eat her sandwich by herself at a table. He smiled and said, "Hey, I'm Alex," to her. "I noticed you today at school. I take it y

e in his eye, Alex drew closer. To put it simply, Arazona has secrets. However, I believe you will enjoy this place. You appear to be the type of person who can manage a small amount of mystery. Alex's eyes met

by a figure across the cafeteria. The black-eyed woman from the town square was the one. And a sly smile was developing across her face as she looked directly at Denise. Denise looked to Alex, her heart pounding

are you okay?" Uncertain of how much to divulge, Denise paused. When she eventually said, "I just saw that woman again," "The one whose eyes are black. She was observing me. Alex's face became serious. "I know who you're talking about," he replied. "Arachne is her name. She's not from this area. Denise's gaze expanded. She questioned,

inquired. Alex inhaled deeply. His words, "Arachne is...a guardian," "She's been watching you, waiting for you to arrive." Denise's gaze expanded. "Are you waiting on me? "What do you mean?" Alex paused, scanning his surroundings anxiously. His words, "You're...s

everything." As Denise waited for Alex to continue, her heart was pounding. However, a loud noise reverberat

black after that. Denise experienced a wave of panic as her world went dark. What was going on? Who was behind the footsteps? When Denise regained consciousness, she was in an unfamiliar, poorly lit room. S

on, Denise," stated the man. "You possess a gift. A present that has the power to alter the path of human history. Denise's thoughts were racing. What kind of present was Alex referring to? To "ch

at was no longer Alex. Something else was involved. Something hideous. The monstrosity that was once Alex spoke in a voice that was not its own, and Denise watched in fear. It said, "Welcome, Denise," "I had been anticipating your arrival. You're just in t

was the last sound she heard. "Denise, the