SELINA's POV
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The air surrounding me was heavy with silence and an icy chill, while rain relentlessly poured outside. It felt as though something had torn it away from its freedom, forcing it into a state it never wished to be in. The same could be said for me.

According to the weather report, today was supposed to be a sunny day. Yet here I was, stranded in the middle of nowhere with my car amidst a thunderstorm. I was meant to be on my way to a meeting, but I couldn't bear to continue with that job any longer. It had become nothing short of a living hell.

In the past, I despised rain and thunderstorms out of fear. I was afraid they would haunt me, much like the unanswered questions about my life, my unknown powers, and my identity.

The nightmares of my powers, the havoc it can caused before has always taunted me. Even the caretakers at the orphanage I stayed till adolescence would gossip whenever they saw me. According to them I was found in middle of storm.

I tried to question everyone I could, tried to find out who I was and why does the shadows could speak to me? Why could I mainupulate shadow itself?

But after facing countless absurd challenges, except for commonest of all which is wealth, I gave up. I was too busy to be a people pleaser back then and now? Even thinking about it drains my energy.

I realized that even if no one stood by my side, at least the rain would weep with me, empathizing with my pain and eventually washing it away.

A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, displaying its power before vanishing in an instant. The thunder, on the other hand, felt more like cries, pleading for help. Ironically, everyone mistook it for a roar meant to frighten them.

These two natural phenomena reminded me of my true self, which had become lost in the complexities of the past. Over time, I grew to love the very things I once detested.

I reached for my phone and attempted to call my secretary, Ella, but as luck would have it, there was no signal. I wagered that at this very moment, someone was plotting how to undermine me. And even if no one was, it seemed as though fate had a personal vendetta against me, though I couldn't fathom why. Sometimes, I even wondered if I were God's personal nemesis.

With a heavy sigh, I gave up on trying to establish a connection and set my phone aside, opting to retrieve a book instead. While it may seem peculiar for the era I live in, books have always provided me solace and comfort.

Ever since I was a child, I found solace in stories and myths. As I raised my hand, tiny sparks of black smoke emitted from my fingertips. Perhaps it was because I never discovered who I truly was, where I came from, what powers I possessed, or where I truly belonged.

To preserve my sanity and keep my mind occupied, I preferred to read and imagine a world where I wouldn't be alone whenever the opportunity presented itself. The book I held in my hands told the tale of a girl burdened by her family's expectations, pressuring her to become someone revered by the entire world.

Ironically, that was her greatest fear. The genre of the book shifted over time, transitioning from dark academia with a strangers-to-lovers theme to a story of revenge with a hint of dark romance.

It remained my favorite book thus far because, even though my life was mundane, I found myself relating to the female protagonist more than I had anticipated. I suppose I had to form connections with fictional characters since I couldn't find anyone in reality.

After an hour or two, I found myself halfway through the book, nearing its final chapters.

Suddenly, darkness descended, shrouding my surroundings like a sinister cloak. Panic seized my chest as I fumbled for my phone, desperately attempting to activate the flashlight. My trembling fingers finally found the button, and the harsh beam of light pierced the obscurity.

In that chilling moment, I sensed an eerie presence, and my heart pounded like a trapped bird's wings. My breath caught in my throat as I slowly scanned the impenetrable void around me. That's when I saw them-two crimson orbs fixed upon me, burning with an otherworldly malevolence.

A blood-curdling scream clawed its way out of my throat, drowning in the deafening crescendo of an ear-splitting thunderbolt that shattered the heavens, as if the very skies were warning me. I blinked my eyes in sheer terror, and in an instant, the eyes vanished, leaving me in disorienting silence.

What in the world had just happened? Where had those crimson eyes disappeared to? Were they even real? My trembling hand clutched my chest as I struggled to calm my racing heart. Perhaps it was all a figment of my imagination. Or perhaps, something far more sinister lurked in the shadows.

I pressed a hand over my chest and took some deep breaths to calm down myself. Then, Glancing out at the obscured road ahead, I had a nagging feeling that something unexpected lay in my path, something that had been waiting for this precise moment.

The rain, normally a source of discomfort, felt like a silent accomplice, urging me to look beyond the mundane and embrace the enigmatic.

My fingers absentmindedly tapped on the steering wheel as I wondered if I should go out and check, a subtle rhythm that seemed to sync with the patter of the raindrops. It was as if the world outside was whispering secrets, beckoning me to explore its mysteries.

But as if guided by an invisible hand, my gaze was drawn to a faint glimmer on the wet pavement just beyond my car. It was a subtle, almost ethereal light, like a promise of something extraordinary hidden within the rain-soaked darkness.

Despite the sensible voice in my head warning against straying from the safety of my car, an inexplicable curiosity tugged at my core, urging me to investigate this unexpected source of radiance.

As I stepped outside into the relentless storm, the rain seemed to part around me, as though granting me passage to the unknown.

A pendant, with its purple gem and intricate dragon-like design, lay there, bathed in a surreal, almost mystical glow. It was as if the storm itself had conspired to reveal this hidden treasure.I hesitated for a moment, my hand hovering over the pendant.

As I held the pendant in her hand, the weight of her decision settled upon her. A shiver ran down my spine, and I couldn't ignore the feeling that this discovery was meant for me, a piece of a puzzle that had been waiting to be found.

My fingers traced the intricate design of the dragon-like structure surrounding the gem. "Should I keep it?" I mused aloud, my voice wavering. "No, I shouldn't do that. This belongs to someone else, and who knows if there isn't a curse on it?"

For a moment, doubt crept in, and I was about to put the pendant back where I found it. But as I prepared to exit the car, I took one last lingering glance at the mysterious jewel. It felt as though the pendant was silently pleading to me, as if it held a secret waiting to be unlocked.

A battle raged within me, a collision between her rational mind and an inexplicable desire. I hesitated, My frustration growing.

"Screw it," I mumbled under my breath, giving in to my curiosity and temptation. "I'll just put it on" I placed the pendant around my neck, the chain cool against my skin.

Now, what was I doing? My eyes scanned the interior of my car, attempting to recall my previous task, and my eyes landed on the book.

Ah, right! I was reading! The book spanned around 600 pages, and I wasn't sure if I would have such an opportunity again. I had to finish it today. With renewed determination, I settled back into my seat, but at that moment, an unexpected sensation washed over me. I looked down at the pendent and found it emitting a white glow.

It was as if the pendent had whispered to my soul, and my body seemed to respond to its mysterious call. A sudden wave of exhaustion swept over me, heavy eyelids drooping against my will.

I fought to stay awake, knowing I had a book to finish, but my mind yielded to my body's demands. Slowly, almost involuntarily, my eyes closed, and all my determination dissolved into the realm of dreams..