Chapter one

“Edward…oh Prince Edward,” a mystical voice cooed. “Oh Edward, you better open your eyes before I lose my patience. Oh Edward. Prince Edward.” There was silent and no movement coming from the man lying on the smoky floor. “Open your eyes!” the voice commanded now and Edward’s eyes snapped open and he let out a heavy gasp. He laid still, not understanding what was happening until he took a look of his surroundings. He jumped to his feet immediately, feeling lighthearted and rubbed his temple, closing his eyes and shaking off the dizziness.

            He opened his eyes once more and glanced around, there was smoke everywhere, no single building in sight and he glanced at his feet. It looked like he was standing on the clouds but he could feel the hardened ground and he furrowed his brows. He looked up once more, there was no clear sky, only clouds of smoke. He moved forward but after moving for what felt like hours it seemed like he hadn’t moved an inch and was back at where he began. Edward shook his head and took his right this time but like earlier, it felt like he was just going around in circles. It’s a little misty and obviously cloudy or rather smoky. He couldn’t see anyone or any object in fact. It was like he was alone in the universe but he was very sure that he heard a voice calling for him just now.

            He tried to remember how he got there but his memory seemed jagged and he couldn’t quite place it. He thought harder and only stopped when he was having a headache. He grabbed his head, groaning in pain as he tried to numb the pain. After some minutes, he could stand straight again and he decided to figure out his surrounding once more.

            Hours went by but he was still stuck on the same spot. There was no one with him, there was nothing in sight and he still can’t figure out how he got there in the first place. He had walked, ran, did everything but it always seemed like he was in the same spot, like he didn’t even take a step. He knew he was missing something, something important, something vital. He felt a sharp pain on his chest and his hand went to clutch his chest in reflex. Either he is missing something or it could be…someone.

Glimpses of image flashed in his mind and it was so painful that he let out a painful cry, grabbing onto his head and willing for the memory to stop. He panted heavily, his eyes feeling like they were bulging out of his sockets by the time it was over. He glanced up, sweats dripping from his forehead, where in the world could he be and how did he get there. He closed his eyes, still panting softly as he fell on his back, losing his consciousness.

            “Edward, oh Edward. Open your eyes,” the voice came again and he snapped his eyes open. He jerked up with a gasp, a terrible pain on his chest and he grabbed onto his chest tightly, his face squeezed in pain and he couldn’t help but yelp, groaning loudly in pain. After what felt like hours, the pain finally stopped and he realized painfully that he was still in the same place. The cloud seemed to have lightened this time but there was still no sunlight or moonlight or any light to at least just let him know the time of the day or what could possibly be going on.

            He dragged himself up on his feet and decided to try again, maybe there was something he missed yesterday —that’s if it was yesterday— that could finally help him understand what was going on and maybe —just maybe— tell him who he is or was, whatever that helps. However, he walked for hours but he was back at his spot, not feeling like he had actually moved. He gave up when his legs couldn’t move anymore and he sat on the cloudy floor, hugging his knees to his chest.

            “Oh Edward, it’s time to wake up,” the mystical voice called again and he groaned. For some reason, he doesn’t want to wake up again, what difference does it make? However, a certain part of him still made him open his eyes, who knows, maybe it would all turn out to be a dream. When he did open his eyes, he regretted it because he found himself in the very same place. The place may be vast in space but somehow, he was feeling claustrophobic, after all, what difference does it make if it has enough space, it was still a prison, a prison that he can’t even see the guards or his inmates.

            He sat down, the flashes coming again and he prepared himself for the pain, however, he was surprised when the pain didn’t come as heavily as he had thought and that he even caught a few glimpses of what could be going on in the images. He saw himself in what looked like a meadow and then he saw himself getting stabbed on the chest. This time, he felt a gruesome pain on his chest and fell on his back, wiggling on the floor with his hands clutching tightly on his chest. “Ah,” he screamed in pain, his eyes burning red with tears and he shut his mouth tightly, biting unto his tongue to keep him from screaming out again. Right before he passed out from the pain, he saw a wolf, a snow-white wolf.

“Edward, get up now, it’s time to wake up.”

Edward moaned and sat up. He wondered how long the torture would last. He can’t even tell how long it has been. From his calculation, it could have been days, or weeks, or months or even years and yet it was still the same thing every time. He would pass out either in pain or exhaustion and then this voice would wake him up only to go over everything again.

However, this time, when he thought of the snow-white wolf, he felt…longing. He frowned and pictured the wolf in his mind again. The fur was whiter than the snow and so smooth, he found his fingers itching to touch it, to caress it. A wave of pain took over his chest once more but it wasn’t like the other pain. The pain was of longing, filled with sadness that maybe he had left something behind, that he had left something in pain. What is his history with the wolf? Why does thinking about it make him sad and long for it?

He sighed and rubbed his temple, shaking off the numbing pain and forcing himself on his feet. He still needs to find a way out of there, if not for anything but to find the wolf, maybe it would tell him who he is and what he could possibly be doing there. He walked around for hours upon hours but still met the same fate as always. He slumped on the ground, passing out due to exhaustion.

For the first time, he dreamed. He dreamt that he was in a meadow, he was fighting some people. It looked like they wanted to kill him, they were throwing killer moves at him, killer kicks and even he was surprised at how he evaded the whole attack. They seemed to have outnumbered him but he had no problem with that as he was killing them off. They seemed to not be a match for him. He woke up on his own without being called by the voice for the first time. However, he was enveloped with mystery about his dream. How could he be so strong and yet remember nothing of it? Where did he get the strength or most importantly, where did the strength go? How come he can’t feel such powers coursing through his veins? He had seen the snow-white wolf again, what is the deal with it? What does it have to do with him?

“You will have to remember, Edward,” he heard and his head jerked up. It was that voice, the one that kept waking him up. For the first time, it spoke to him when he was conscious.

He jumped on his feet, looking up at the cloudy/smoky sky. “Who are you?”

“Oh Edward, all in due time. You have to get your memory back before asking any questions.”

“Where are I am?”

“Oh Edward, so impatient. Do you not understand what I just said?”

Oh of course he understands, he understands perfectly well but how could he miss the chance of finally getting out of there? Or even knowing where there is. “Did you bring me here?” he asked but no response came. “I’m talking to you. Hey, hey! Answer me!” he yelled, turning around and feeling the stress taking over him. Could the voice have left him again? All alone in the damned place? Is this like his own purgatory? Who is the white wolf? And why does his heart miss a beat every time he thinks of it? So many questions and no answer and yet, he was stuck in a place, not even given the chance to go out and get the answers himself. He slumped on the ground, feeling the pain, the anger and most of all, the loneliness washing over him.