Thank you so much for picking my story to read,belstaff stiefel trialmaster! The Core is really taking a lot of time for me to process, so it's also wonderful if you would leave a comment or two on your way out. Your support really keeps me motivated. :3

~Kura

THE CORE

CHAPTER ONE:

I will never forget the day that I was born again. It seemed so trivial to me. I had gone for a swim in the river after training, slipped and fell, hit my head on a rock. The next thing I knew, it was like every inch of me was alive with the sensation of a thousand cold-as-ice needles burrowing under my skin. My vision seemed completely blue and brown�water and mud swirling in chaotic eddies around me.

I remember finally surrendering to the cold. The whack to the back of my head had done something to my coordination; rocks slipped from between my fingers before I got a chance to pull my head above water. After my third try, and after I had rubbed my hands completely void of any sense of touch, I couldn't even bring forth the resolve to twitch a finger. I lay back and closed my eyes.

When I awoke snug in a bed, I couldn't help the words that slipped from my lips. "Wow," I muttered. My speech was like porridge falling out of the bowl; sloppy, wet,munich zapatos, and each syllable fell with a nasty plop to the floor. "The beds in heaven sure are nicer than at home."

"I'm glad you like it," said a voice to my right. My head shot around to locate the source and I was rewarded with a sudden throbbing pain at the back of my skull. "Careful there,LV Damier Canvas," he continued. Large, calloused hands pushed me back into my pillow with surprising gentleness. "Whacked your head. Lucky you were floating face-up in that river�I found you just outside. You were so blue I thought you would die with the cold. But you still had a pulse, so I brought you in here. Are you hungry?"

My hands strayed gingerly to the back of my head, fingering the bandages. They wound around my head over and over again, pushing my hair out of my eyes. "Who are you?" I asked, completely ignoring him.

"Me? Well, my name's Zane. I can see you wear the badge of the Core on your shirt. What regiment?"

I rolled over to better get a look at him. It didn't help much�he was seated in a chair across the room with a small fire to his back. "Fourth squad stealth. But I'm still in training," I answered after a moment. "You know about the Core?"

Zane snorted. "Of course. Who doesn't know about the infamous Core? Here, have some soup. It'll get rid of whatever chill's left in you." He ladled some into a bowl and walked over to the bed,venta de munich, each step landing with a heavy thunk on the wooden floor.

My sudden inhale didn't seem to faze him.

"You're�what happened to your eye?" I breathed, sitting up slowly. He glanced at me,gucci borse, a smile on his pale lips, and fingered the large black eye patch that lay like a dark scar across his left eye.

"What, this?" said Zane quietly. "�An accident at the Core. I was decommissioned for it. What'd you say your name was again?"

I looked down at the soup, felt my stomach growl, and began to eat as politely as I could. "I didn't. But it's Acadia. I thought the Core didn't have accidents�how'd hurt your eye like that? I've never seen anyone with an eye patch before."

With a jarring scrape, Zane pulled his chair over to the bedside, a twinkle in his remaining eye. "Acadia, huh?" he responded doggedly, "That's a nice name. Strong. Unique. What color are your eyes?"

I blinked. "Um�brown." He'd really sucker punched me there; wasn't I the one asking the questions a few minutes ago?

"Ah, brown." There was a hint of disappointment in his voice that sent my pulse into my ears. He nodded, staring analytically at my face. "Brown, just like everyone else."

Thanks for reading this! Actually, chapter one is really quite old (and short). My plan is to rewrite the rest of the story so it's up to snuff, so please stay tuned until the next chapter!

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