The grand forest was silent and dark. Small streaks of orange light streamed through the overshadowing canopies of eternal trees, illuminating the dense undergrowth. The place was cold and damp, as though life had been drained away from it.

A soft breeze swept past the tree trunks, lifting dried leaves, rustling, flying through the air. A thin teenage girl panted as she stumbled through the uneven ground in the shadows. Her crimson shirt with a mysterious insignia stood out amongst the greens, browns and gloomy greys of the forest undergrowth. She steadied her breath as she slowed her pace. She constantly paused to look around as she struggled with legs buried in the undergrowth. She stopped, and closed her red eyes as she concentrated on her environment. She opened them again. The scarlet in her eyes slowly faded into a warm amber.

The girl plodded on, as the only creature moving in the forest. Her dark navy jeans were slightly battered, as was her long violet hair, which was almost black. “I think I lost them…” she muttered to herself. She halted. A large pair of black dragon wings sprouted from her back. She leapt up and swiftly took flight further into the woods. She wove past the clusters of trees before digging her blackened claws into a large chunk of stone. She released her grip and dropped to a patch of dirt.

The girl crawled through a small tunnel of vines. At the end of the passageway was a large circular clearing filled with thick grasses. The sides were coated in thick vines, so dense the section of the woods was a room. There was no trees overhead, allowing the faded light of sunset pass into the area.

Standing up, the girl stared at the eerily tidy expanse. She turned her head towards the centre of the area, where a human-sized crystal hovered above the ground. It glimmered and glowed with turquoise and emerald tones, faint patterns swirling on its surface. Mesmerised by the mysterious item, she stood still.

“Desmond! Over there!” shouted a young male voice.

The girl snapped out of her trance and dived into the bramble of vines.

A black helicopter slowly descended on the ground. Two men poked their heads out of the door.

“The project is not here, Simon.” declared the man named Desmond.

“I swear! She was here on the ground, staring at the crystal!”

The girl closed her eyes and held her breath.

“For almost five hundred years now… the wait is almost over.” whispered Desmond. “Once she finds that she has none of the icons, she won’t be here to bother me. I can then resume my plots.”

“Master! What if someone finds out how to unlock the spell on this crystal?”

“We don’t need to worry. After all, who would guess the key is within themselves. Let’s leave.”

The helicopter noisily rose into the air. The sound slowly faded as the girl crawled out of the vines. She quickly looked around. “His name is Desmond?” she whispered to herself. She sauntered through the thick grass towards the glowing gem in the centre of the clearing. The shimmering crystal seemed to become duller as she moved towards it.

The girl was only a few metres from the jewel. She gasped. Embedded within it was a pale-skinned woman clad in extravagant emerald and cerulean clothing. Her body was gently curved; suspended in motion. Her bright cobalt top was low-cut with white frills on the edges. She had long hair of the same colour, pushed past her large ears. Several earrings hung from them, including pair of bulky azure gems. The woman’s long skirt was a vibrant sapphire with green trims.

“Hello.” said the girl.

The soft breeze stirring the grass was the only response. The girl slowly raised her hand towards the glistening crystal. She quickly lowered it. She resumed gazing into the gem, mouth open in awe.

“Who is this?” muttered the girl.