------------EVERYTHING GOES BLACK-----------------------

Nakago's voice: "You bear much potential, Victoria. I chose you for your unique abilities, to win this battle -- my battle. But for now, you will remember nothing of what has transpired here this night. You are mortal, you are weak, you are nothing. I live only in your fancy... and this is just a dream..."

A young woman's voice echoes in the background. "Hey, get up, baka. You're gonna be late for solfage again."

Nyx could feel her muscles aching as she twisted beneath the covers for her warm, soft bed. Christine, her roomate was looming over her, with her hands on her hips--she was lokoing quite annoyed. "Well?"

"Where am I?"

Chris cocked her head to the shook her head and threw her hands up in the air. She then proceeded to speak to Nyx as she would to a kindergartener. "You are in your bed, your side of the room, our dorm room. This is L.A. We're in Mount St Mary's College. We're on top of a freaking mountain. And you are late for class."

Nyx noded her head. "I thought so. I just had the weirdest dream, man."

The digits of alarm clock on her bedside table read: 7:47 a.m. "KUSO!" She jumped out of bed, threw on her trench coat over her black pajamas and ran out of the room.

Throughout the day, Nyx (is refered to as Victoria in the "real world" -- Nyx is her alter ego) could not shake the dream from her mind, but it was so vague and shady that the she could only recall bits and pieces of it. The smooth, velvelty tones of a man's voice lulled her senses, but she could not make out what he was saying to her. She busied herself with homework and workstudy. As she was walking back to her dorm room--

"Meow."

The trench coat girl stopped in her tracks. A striking black kitten with illuminating green eyes had appeared out of nowhere and was scarecely five feet away from where she stood. It's head was cocked to the side.

"Hey little kitty. Bye." Nyx walked on, but the kitten followed her. Something was eeriely strange about that cat. She walked at a faster pace and ducked into her dorm room, with her back against the door. "Weird."

She sat on her bed and --

"Meow."

The kitten was lying stretched out on top of her lap top. Nyx jumped to her feet. "What the hell--??"

The kitten shook its head exasperatedly at her. Then it began to speak. "Do you have to be so rude?"

Nyx could do nothing but stare, numbly and dumbly at the cat. IT WAS TALKING!!! The kitten leaped from the lap top and landed gracefully beside her, on the bed. "Sit, don't be frightened. I won't hurt you, Nyx."

"Nyx? Who's Nyx?"

"You are," replied the cat.

"Me??? I don't know what you're talking about. I'm Vic. Victoria Ricci -- and this is not happening." Nyx picked up the cat and began to examine it, flipping it on it's back. "You're a pupppet, right? Some sort of robot."

The kitten hissed and began to claw at her, stratching her arm. It jumped to the floor. "Do you mind?"

"Hey! You scratched me!"

"Serves you right. My name is Chia. Yes I'm a cat and Yes--I can talk. It's all part of the plot."

Nyx ploped down on her bed. "This is unreal."

"It's real. Deal with it. It's my job to help you out. I'm not supposed to, but be glad for my services. Without me, you'll be dead or sorely beaten up before the day is through. Celeste finds out you're new on the block, she'll have you for lunch."

"What is going on here??"

"You are Nakago no Miko. You are supposed to battle the other Otakus for the your bishounen--pretty boys."

"Hold on a second. I'm supposed to be fighting for a guy? Yeah, right."

"Forget the women's lib. and listen to me." Chia hops on to her lap.

"Just where is this Nakago guy? And why am I fighting for him?"

"Nakago is in another world ... but you're in his world ... it gets complicated. Listen. This isn't L.A. It's a manifestation of your wishes. You can go about your own busines as you would in L.A., but keep walking and you might just reach London."

"Huh?" Nyx is still in a starte of utter confusion.

"Nakago is reincarnated into this world after his death in your world when Tamahome killed him and sent him back into the Book world. Don't expect for any of this to make any sense now. But it will all be revealed to you as you go on with your game."

"Hey, alright. Supposing what you're saying is true. Why am I fighting for this Naka-guy?"

"Because he is you bishounen. He is your god, Nyx."

"Stop calling me, Nyx. My name is Victoria--"

"You're Nyx. You'll see," something in the cat's eyes made her not to question him any further about this.

"But how do I know he's worth fighting for? Huh?"

"Watch." The cat jumped from her and waved it's paw. A vortex of some sort manifested into the room and a visual of Nakago appeared.

"Shimatta!" Nyx's jaw dropped. "Damn, he's a hottie!"

"Told you." Chia waved his paw again and the vision vanished as quickly as it came. Chia began to walk away, towards the door.

"Hey. How the hell will I defend myself against the others? And how do I know who they are??"

Chia peered at her over his shoulder. "All will be revealed to you soon enough..." With that he vanished through the door.

Nyx stood there for a moment, taking everything in. Then she rushed to the door and threw it open.

An empty corridor. There was no sign of Chia anywhere.

to be continued.....