Chapter Text
Monty, a techno music artist just got through wrapping up another sold out concert as he walked through the dark sky, he notices that it was soon raining and had taken refuge in an alleyway.
Monty's fingers instinctively brushed against the worn vinyl record sleeve tucked inside his jacket, a signed copy of a record that was his late mother's favorite. Rain slicked the alley's brickwork like oil on canvas, distorting neon signs from the building of a club he’s leaning on. Thunder grumbled overhead, Monty would feel bassline out of sync with the adrenaline still humming in his veins. He didn't hear the click of stiletto heels until they were inches away. Three women materialized from the downpour as if conjured, their silhouettes cutting through the steam rising from grates. Masha, The tallest, ivory-skinned with serpentine black hair, smiled with predatory warmth.
"Monty." Masha purred, her voice syrup thick. "Your set was... illuminating."
Her companions flanked him. Doris, caramel-skinned and sharp-eyed, Odile olive-toned with golden waves, all radiating a hunger that tightened Monty's throat. Raindrops hissed where they struck the women's bare shoulders, evaporating instantly. Masha stepped closer, ignoring the downpour soaking Monty's purple bomber jacket. Her green eyes glowed faintly in the gloom.
"We’ve watched you." Masha murmured, tracing a crimson nail down his damp sleeve. "Earth’s rhythms are quaint. But your power... love given sound?"
A laugh like shattering crystal.
"Imagine it amplified across Asterio. My consort wouldn’t merely DJ for sweaty mortals."
Behind her, Doris chuckled low, fingers twisting dark energy into a shimmering leash of sapphire light. Odile’s gray eyes flickered toward the alley entrance, a silent command sealing them in shadow.
"Resistance is tedious, darling." Masha breathed, her lips near his ear. "Surrender that pretty power. Lust rewards far more... thoroughly... than love ever could."
Monty shoved her back.
"Lady, I don’t do encores for psychos."
His techno beat heart hammered. Doris lunged, her blue eyes narrowing but Masha raised a hand.
"Patience." Masha crooned. Rain hissed where it touched her skin, steaming away. "He’ll learn."
Odile’s blonde hair whipped in a sudden wind as she whispered an incantation; the alley walls pulsed with emerald veins, trapping Monty like a bug in amber. He gritted his teeth. These weren’t groupies. They were apex predators playing with their food. Masha’s fingers tangled in his jacket collar, jerking him forward.
"Such fire," Masha said as she laughed, breath hot against his neck. Doris seized his wrist, her touch like ice wrapped in velvet, while Odile traced a cold finger down his spine. "Feel that?" Masha whispered. "Your power’s wasted here. With me, you’d orchestrate galaxies."
Monty twisted, but dark energy coiled around his limbs like living chains. His mother’s voice echoed in his head:
’Baby, love isn’t ever quiet when it’s real.’
Doris’ hand slid under his shirt, nails scraping his ribs.
"Stop squirming, sugar. We’re upgrading you." Doris said as Odile pressed closer, her blonde hair smelling of burnt sugar and ozone.
"Think of the audiences," Odile murmured, lips brushing his jaw. "Whole continents screaming your name."
Monty gagged as Masha’s thumb stroked his throat.
"I’ll make you a supernova."
He spat at her feet.
"My beats don’t soundtrack torture."
The vinyl sleeve crackled in his pocket—a static spark. Masha recoiled.
"Fool! You—"
The alley wall behind Odile dissolved into swirling obsidian smoke. A booted foot slammed into Doris’s spine, sending her sprawling into a dumpster. Monty stumbled free as Masha’s grip tore loose. He didn’t look back, just sprinted toward the sudden breach in reality, a portal, the vinyl digging into his ribs like a promise. Behind him, Masha’s shriek cut through the rain.
“You think escape exists?!”
Dark energy crackled, warping the brickwork into grasping claws. Monty dove headfirst into the swirling void. The cold wasn’t water, it was absence. The silence wasn’t quiet; it was sound stripped bare. Then, impact. Hard-packed earth. The scent of ozone vanished, replaced by crushed lavender and distant thunder.
“Where am I?” Monty asked aloud as he pushed himself up from the lavender field, the record was miraculously intact in his jacket pocket. The sky was violet, not purple like his favorite bomber jacket, but a bruised twilight that made the distant mountains look like cutouts. Before he could brush dirt from his knees, three familiar silhouettes materialized at the field’s edge, Masha’s smirk cutting through the gloom like a scalpel, Doris cracking her knuckles with sapphire energy, Odile’s blonde hair floating as if underwater.
“Running only makes the chase sweeter.” Masha purred, her voice carrying across the fragrant air. Monty braced himself, the violet light flickering around his palms, but a fourth shadow detached itself from the treeline. Emerging from the shadow, a man named Draco strode forward, nude toned, skin gleaming under the strange sky, gray eyes fixed on Monty with the intensity of a predator spotting wounded prey.
“The princess wants you unbroken.” Draco announced, cracking his neck. “I’m not so generous.”
His fist clenched, shadows coalescing into jagged obsidian gauntlets. “Hand over the Power of Love, DJ. Or I peel it from your spine.”
“I do not know what you guys are talking about! I’m a human who has no power!” Monty yelled, holding the record like a shield. Draco laughed, a harsh sound like grinding gears, as he advanced.
“Humans don’t make thunderstorms dance to techno, fool.”
Behind him, Masha’s smile widened.
“Your denial is adorable. Crush him, Draco.”
Shadows lashed out from Draco’s fists, whip-cracking toward Monty’s ribs. Monty ducked, rolling sideways as lavender stems shredded where he’d stood. The air hummed with dark energy, thick enough to choke on. Odile giggled, twirling a leash of emerald light.
“He’s quicker than he looks.” Doris said as Odile’s voice cut through the tension:
“Quick won’t save him.” Odile said as she raised her hands, emerald energy weaving a cage of thorns around the field’s edge. Trapped. Again. Monty’s palms sweated against the vinyl sleeve.
'Think, man. Think.'
His mother’s voice whispered:
'Baby, when trouble comes, dance through it.'
But this wasn’t a dance floor. This was a slaughterhouse. Draco lunged. Monty didn’t hesitate. He ripped the record from its sleeve and slammed it edge first into the dirt. The crack echoed like gunfire. Purple light exploded from the shattered vinyl, a shockwave of raw, pulsing sound that flung Draco backward into Masha’s legs. She screamed as her lieutenant crashed into her, both tumbling through crushed lavender. Doris stumbled, her blue leash dissolving. Odile’s thorn cage flickered, just for a heartbeat. Monty didn’t wait. He vaulted over the dissipating emerald thorns, sprinting toward the trees where Draco had emerged. Behind him, Masha’s shriek tore the twilight:
“AFTER HIM!”
But Monty was already diving headfirst into the shadowed woods, the scent of ozone replaced by damp earth and pine resin. Roots snagged his ankles, branches whipped his face. He heard crashing pursuit—Draco’s furious roar, Doris’s sharp curses. He pushed harder, lungs burning. Then the ground vanished beneath him. One second, forest floor. The next, empty air. He plummeted into darkness. Down, down, down, until impact knocked the wind from him. Soft earth. Silence. Pitch black. He lay gasping, the distant sounds of pursuit muffled, then fading. Gone. For now. Slowly, he sat up. His fingers brushed cool stone. A faint, sourceless glow began to seep into the cavernous space around him, revealing five portals. Each pulsed with a different light: crimson red, pure white, cerulean blue, royal purple, and sunflower yellow. The portals hummed softly, a dissonant chord vibrating in his bones. The purple one flickered strongest, resonating with the ache in his bruised knuckles. he carried the only piece of the shattered vinyl record felt the warmth in his palm.
'Love isn’t ever quiet.'
His mother’s words. Choice time. Five portals. Five unknowns. Behind him, far above, Masha’s voice echoed faintly down the shaft:
“…find that hole! He can’t hide forever!”
Monty pushed himself to his feet. Purple felt like home. Like his favorite color. Like the jacket he’d lost. But for some reason he looked at the white portal. The air crackled. And as much as Monty loves purple, he took a detour and had stepped into the white portal. He vanished. The cavern swallowed his silhouette whole.
When he emerged from the portal the air was clean the skies were blue but the forest was white. He didn’t have time to pay attention to detail he had to run away from the portal as soon as possible. He did not want to run into that group a third time. He ran through the forest of white trees and bushes not knowing that he was being watched by five women from the shadows. The princesses that were in royal robes watched him run through their forest with curiosity and confusion. Layla, Brown skinned, brown eyes, black Raven hair, wrapped in a high ponytail, wore purple robes. Susie, Ivory skinned, blue eyes, Platinum blonde hair wrapped in pigtails, wore pink robes. Amber, with skin the same as her name, green eyes, fiery red hair in a bun, wore cyan robes. Yi-Nei, porcelain skin, gray eyes, brown hair, wrapped in ox horns, wore gray robes. And Raven, espresso skinned, hazel eyes, stone gray hair with 2 long braids that hang past her shoulders wore orange robes. Layla stepped forward her brown eyes narrowed as she watched Monty run through the forest.
"Who is that man?" Layla asked her friends. Susie shrugged her blonde hair shimmering in the light.
"I don't know but he looks scared." Susie said as Amber crossed her arms, her green eyes scanning the forest.
"He came from the portal." Amber said. Yi-Nei nodded her gray eyes thoughtful.
"He must be running from something." Yi-Nei said.
"Or someone." Raven said, frowning her hazel eyes scanning the forest. The princesses watched as Monty ran deeper into the forest his purple bomber jacket a stark contrast against the white trees. Layla felt a strange pull towards him a feeling she couldn't explain. She turned to her friends.
"We should follow him." Layla said with Susie nodding.
"Agreed."
"Let's see what he's running from." Amber said grinning.
"Or who." Yi-Nei sighed.
"This should be interesting." Raven said chuckling.
The princesses followed Monty keeping their distance as they watched him run through the forest. Layla couldn't take her eyes off him there was something about him that drew her in something familiar something powerful. She didn't know what it was, but she knew she had to find out. Monty kept running his heart pounding in his chest. He didn't know where he was or where he was going, but he knew he had to get away from Masha and her goons. He could feel his energy draining his legs growing heavier with each step. He stumbled over a root but caught himself before he fell. He looked back, but saw no sign of pursuit. He slowed down, his breathing ragged. He leaned against a white tree trunk his chest heaving. He closed his eyes for a moment trying to catch his breath. When he opened them, he saw a woman standing before him her brown eyes curious her black hair flowing in the breeze. Layla smiled softly.
"Are you lost?" She asked her voice gentle. Monty stared at her his brown eyes wide.
"Who are you?" He asked his voice hoarse. Layla tilted her head.
"I am Layla, Princess of Lumina." Monty's eyes widened.
"Princess?" He repeated. Layla nodded.
"And you are?"
Monty swallowed hard.
"Monty."
Layla smiled.
"Well Monty, you look like you've been through a lot."
Monty nodded.
"You could say that."
Layla stepped closer her brown eyes soft.
"You're safe here." She said her voice reassuring. Monty felt a wave of relief wash over him. He tried to speak but suddenly he fell freely forwars, and he collapsed face first into the ground unconscious. Layla rushed to his side her heart pounding.
"Monty!" She cried her voice filled with concern. She knelt beside him checking his pulse. It was weak but steady. She looked up at her friends who had emerged from the shadows. "He's exhausted." She said her voice worried. Susie knelt beside her.
"What happened to him?" Susie said as her blue eyes scanned Monty's face. Amber crouched down.
"He looks like he's been running for days." Amber said as Yi-Nei nodded in approval.
"He must have been through something terrible." Yi-Nei said.
"We should get him to the palace." Raven said as she frowned her hazel eyes scanning the forest. Layla nodded her brown eyes determined.
"Agreed."
She gently turned Monty on his back and lifted Monty's head onto her lap her fingers brushing his cheek.
"You're safe now, Monty." Layla whispered, her voice soft. "I promise."
The princesses gathered around Monty their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern. Layla looked down at Monty's face her heart aching for him. She didn't know who he was or where he came from, but she knew she had to protect him. She looked up at her friends her brown eyes resolute.
"Let's get him to safety." Layla said her voice firm. The princesses nodded their agreement. Together they lifted Monty gently carrying him through the forest towards the palace. Layla walked beside them her eyes never leaving Monty's face. She felt a strange connection to him a pull she couldn't explain. She didn't know what the future held but she knew one thing for sure: Monty was important. And she would do whatever it took to keep him safe.