Chapter 4

Radiant Garden

I sat up in my bed, the sheets falling to the floor. My heart was pounding hard and fast. I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself. I looked around my room, though it felt like my mind was not really in my room; it felt like it was still on that mosaic window. I looked out the window: it had a great view of the Castle of Radiance. I got up after my heart started to slow down, went to the window, and opened it wide.

Radiant Garden—also known as the Capital of the Light—that is where I live. It’s a beautiful world that I am glad to be born into. It’s a huge kingdom surrounded by a pink ocean and a few bright green mountains.

My name is Samantha Klion, but everyone calls me Sam.

I turned my head towards the front door as I saw my mother leave. I smiled before running to the dresser, pulling out some clothes, and putting them on quickly. I bolted out of my room and quickly put my shoes on. I ran outside and breathed in the new day with a big smile on my face. A few of the neighbors waved at me and I waved back to them happily.

“Your sister is on her jog,” Mrs. Marial said, giving me an apple.

She lived in the house in front of mine and always gave me and my mother a pie or a basket of fruit every Sunday. My “sister” is really my best friend; we’ve known each other since we were born. We are inseparable, Kae Millowa and me. But since my 13th birthday, some strange things have been happening; like that dream I had. Was it a dream...? Then, I’ve been seeing this weird, shady guy outside my window. Kae has seen him too.

I wonder if she’s had the same dream as me. What was that place? It was a big circular mosaic window... or was it a window? If it was, wouldn’t I have broken through it when I stood up? Wait... I didn’t sit up; the only moving I did was when I looked at myself when that warm light flooded over me to reveal that window. The voice called it my “heart,” but isn’t a heart like some big red organ in the body that circulates blood? Not some stain or mosaic window that smelt like death and decay.

A familiar voice brought my head out of the clouds. I turned to look for the source and saw it was Kae! She was running over waving at me. I waved back happy to see her. She ran straight into me and hugged me. I coughed and my eyes widened but I was used to her tackle-hugging me, we even named it; we called it a glomp. We stopped hugging and started to walk toward the Outer Gardens.

“So, how are you Kae?” I asked her happily, yet curiously.

Did we both have the same dream? I wondered.

“Eh, a little creeped out,” Kae said, looking around. “That creeper that’s stalking us was outside my bedroom last night.”

“Hey don’t worry I’m here to protect you,” I said, holding my arm out and flexing. I was a little muscular. Not quite buff, but muscular.

“But can you protect me when I wind up on that stained glass window?” she asked.

I stopped walking and looked at her. She had the dream too; it couldn’t be a coincidence.

“You had the dream, too?” I asked her worriedly.

“Yeah... why?” She says turning to me. “You had it, too?”

I nodded. I began to think again.

Why is it we had the same dream? Who was this mysterious ‘stalker’? Did he have something to do with the dream?

Kae waved her hand in front of my face.

“Stop daydreaming!”

“I wasn’t daydreaming! I was thinking.”

“Thinking about what?”

“Thinking about that so called, ‘dream’”

After a few minutes of walking me and Kae had wound up in the Main Square area. Here Kae ran to some of the flowers that lined the square and picked a few. She put some of the flowers in my hair and I smiled at her.
I saw something in the corner of my eyes and swiftly turned to see a boy, about 16, he had long, messy, white hair. He was pale and had yellow eyes. His mouth was tightly closed as he stared directly at me. He was also wearing some very strange clothes, a black tee-shirt and gray pants. His shoes were black and white; a skull was imprinted on his black shirt. A black and white checkered under sleeve was over his left arm and it made its way under the short sleeves of his tee-shirt. He has some weird black armor on his left arm, at the shoulder there was a white... button?

I grabbed Kae and made her stand behind me as I drew the metal bar I usually carried around. I didn’t like the look in his eye’s, a look of longing, and not in the way of love. He looked like he wanted to hurt me or Kae and I was not going to just stand by and let that happen.

“Oi! David! Come on!” A voice said by the gates that lead to the castle.

I turned my head slightly to see who it was, it was another boy, about 21. He was also wearing strange clothes, a black and white checkered shirt and white pants. His shoes were blue and he had a silver and blue armor on his arm too.

The boy called David only nodded to the other guy and then turned back to me. He slowly went down the steps that lead to the square and stood about two yards away from me. I tensed and stood at the ready in case he attacked. He only smiled that evil smile as he continued to stare at me.

After a few minutes he got into a sort of battle position, one that would be taken if you had a sword or something. I grew confused why was he taking an armed stance without a weapon?

I gasped as a weapon appeared in his hand in a flash of light. It was black and gray, it was long and slim and the handle had a guard on it. I couldn’t tell anymore details because the blade was pointing straight at me. Just as I was about to get focused the boy suddenly rushed at me with amazing speed and did a downward slash. I let out a yell as I held my iron pipe in defense.