Myka and Jaeger (Myka's Prologue)

Myka’s Prologue

The smell of sweat lingers on my thin blanket. The taste of blood stings the tip of my tongue. There is a single light seeping through one of the four small windows in the massive room. I can barely tell the outline of my rough pillow in front of me. The snoring of fifty soldiers-in-training reverberates gently in the spacious bunker. Even though the atmosphere is that of a late evening--warm, cozy, the feeling that there is plenty of time to rest--I know that it is almost over. Nervousness begins to rumble just beneath my skin. I’m not used to the morning work outs yet; I don’t think I ever will be.

All of the sudden, blasts of light and thunderous gunfire erupts throughout the room filled with bunk-beds. A scream echoes across the walls like nails on chalkboard. I am uneasy for a moment, being reminded of every time that I have ever experienced a real threatened screech from a female, though it fades when I remember that it is not real. I swiftly scurry to my chest and pull out an ancient and detailed crossbow. It is made from mahogany, and gives the scent of freshly burnt wood. I retrieve it and a silk black pouch filled with lightning-steel bolts, the only thing that can kill a demon. I never use them in drills, but it is required to practice quickly loading my weapon.

“Myka!” hollers my friend. What was his name? John? Travis? I had only known him for a week or so. I’m so terrible with names. “Myka!” he cries again.

I don’t answer. I’m afraid of saying something wrong. Last time I said something wrong… I was punished severely by the captain, Toris. I made sure not to forget his name. Why did I join the Beato Forze, the most elite and secret group of demon slayers in the world? I knew that the probability of dying was pretty high. I guess I felt like…

“Myka!” yells the friend one more time.

“What?!” I finally yell back.

Maybe that’s why she left me. I’m so damn irritable.

My friend comes out of nowhere in the chaos and grasps my shoulder with a tight grip. His face is heavily sweating and he is in a deep panic. The young dark face is full of terror. He is trying to choke something out, but just can’t quite.

“Not… a…” the young man collapses before finishing. I instinctively drop to the floor to try and hold him up, but it’s too late. He is either unconscious or dead, and I don’t think I have enough time to find out. I drop the body reluctantly and rush in the direction that all the other trainees are. More of them fall to the ground. What is happening? Could it be that this is the real thing? Are demons attacking?!

I don’t believe that theory just yet. Instead, I carry on with the drill as though it were any other. I rush out the door and throw on a special pair of goggles. They are black, thin, and flexible. Immediately after my eyes adjust to the change in shade, I start to see large dark figures.

I almost cry aloud, though I know better. So this is the real deal.

I aim my crossbow steadily at one of the tricky silhouettes and fire a bolt.

Darn! It moved out of sight at the last moment. Just then, I am thrown backwards into the wall, and I can feel a hot set of fingers clawing at my chest. This is it… I silently pray to myself. This is how it all ends…

No.

A beam of light cuts through the center of the shadow before me, and soon the faded monster is gone. I pull off my goggles, but only to be blinded by the glare of the intense light. I hold my hand over my eyes so that it doesn’t burn my pupils. When the ray disappears, I am left alone in the corner of a small equipment facility. Standing before me is a crew of elite Beato Forze members.

“Son,” says one. His voice is booming, yet calm. “What is your name?” He sounds black and leaderly.

“Myka,” I choke out. “Myka Rellokate.”

“You’re one of the few survivors. Looks like we’re gonna have to move you to home base, Pandemonium. Congratulations, kid, you’re being promoted to Official Beato Forze Private.”

Great.