Chapter 1: The Subway to Florence
The subway car doors slid shut with a hiss, locking out the noise of the crowded platform behind me. The train lurched forward, and I stumbled into my seat, clutching my worn-out purse like a lifeline. The neon lights above flickered, casting everything in a dull yellowish glow. I closed my eyes, letting the rhythmic clatter of the wheels lull me into a kind of daze. This was the end of a day I wished I could forget. Fired from my job, my rent overdue, and a broken relationship hanging like a ghost in the back of my mind—I felt like I had been stuck on a treadmill of regret and bad decisions for years now.
In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to disappear. To start over somewhere far away.
I reached into my purse, intending to pull out my phone and drown the world out with music, but my fingers brushed against something cool and metallic. Frowning, I pulled out an old locket. The locket. It had belonged to my grandmother, who had passed away years ago. I hadn’t seen it in ages, hadn’t even remembered putting it in my bag. How had it ended up here? The delicate silver was cool against my palm, and the intricate design of twisting vines and flowers had always seemed too fragile for something so old.
I clicked it open, half expecting a picture inside, but instead, the small compartment held nothing but an odd, gentle warmth.
Suddenly, the train lurched violently. The lights flickered, and the metal screeched as if the subway car was tearing itself apart. I clutched the seat in front of me, my heart pounding as the world outside the windows spun, blurring into nothing but streaks of dark shadow.
Then it stopped. Not gradually, like a normal subway slowing to its destination, but all at once, as if the entire world had been hit with a pause button.
For a moment, there was silence. Complete and eerie silence. The train doors slid open with a soft whoosh, and I found myself looking out at what should have been another underground station.
But it wasn’t.
Gone were the grimy tiled walls, the buzzing lights, the smell of stale air. Instead, the doorway revealed an open street, bathed in warm sunlight, with people in flowing gowns and tunics walking casually by, their faces calm and unhurried. Buildings with weathered stone facades rose on either side of the street, adorned with flags and intricate sculptures.
I blinked, half certain I had fallen asleep and was dreaming.
A hand grabbed mine. Strong, rough, pulling me forward before I could react. I stumbled out of the subway car, my eyes wide, as I was led into this strange world that looked nothing like New York.
“You can’t stay there,” a deep voice said. “It’s not safe.”
I looked up, startled, and met the gaze of the man who had pulled me out of the subway car. His dark eyes were intense, but there was a calmness about him that kept me from panicking. He wore a loose, dark tunic with a wide belt, and his sharp features reminded me of the statues that lined the museums back in my world.
“What’s happening?” My voice came out more of a whisper than I intended.
“Not here,” he said, his grip still firm on my hand. “I’ll explain later, but right now, we need to get off the street.”
I nodded, letting him pull me along the narrow alleyway. The cobblestones beneath my feet felt real enough. The sun, the warmth of it on my skin—it all felt real. But how could this be? One moment, I was in New York, barely holding it together, and now I was… here. Wherever this was.
“Wait,” I said, digging my heels in. “Where am I?”
The man glanced back, his eyes scanning the surroundings before he answered. “Florence. We’re in Florence.”
“Florence?” I repeated, incredulous. “Like, as in Italy? Renaissance Italy?”
“Yes, that Florence.” His lips twitched in what might’ve been a smile, but it faded quickly. “Come on.”
He pulled me around another corner, into the shadow of a tall building. The air smelled of bread and herbs, and people bustled past in colorful garments. But something felt off. As though they weren’t really paying attention to us. They moved with purpose, but it was as if we existed in a different layer of reality.
“How did I… how did I get here?” My voice was shaky.
“Later.” The man’s expression darkened, his gaze flickering toward a narrow street behind us. “We have company.”
Before I could ask what he meant, I spotted a figure moving in the distance. A person cloaked in shadow, their face hidden by a hood. They walked with eerie precision, their eyes locked on us.
Fear prickled at the back of my neck. “Who is that?”
“No time,” the man said, tugging me forward again. “We have to keep moving.”
We darted into another alleyway, and I could feel my pulse quickening. My heart thudded in my chest as I followed this stranger through the labyrinthine streets. I didn’t know who he was, or where he was taking me, but somehow, he felt like the only solid thing in this surreal nightmare.
Finally, we reached a small courtyard, hidden away behind a tall iron gate. The man pulled me inside and closed it behind us. He leaned against the gate, catching his breath. His dark hair fell into his eyes, and he pushed it back with one hand, revealing the sharp angles of his face.
I realized I was staring. There was something about him—an intensity that made it hard to look away.
“Who are you?” I asked, my voice still shaky.
“Lorenzo,” he replied, straightening up. “And you are?”
I hesitated. “Nina.”
“Nina.” He said my name slowly, as if testing the sound of it. Then he nodded. “You shouldn’t be here, Nina.”
I bit my lip, unsure of how to respond. “I don’t even know how I got here.”
He moved closer, his gaze fixed on mine. “The locket,” he said quietly. “It brought you here.”
I swallowed hard. “The locket? My grandmother’s locket?”
Lorenzo nodded, his expression softening for the first time. “That locket… it’s no ordinary trinket. It holds the power to cross time. You’re not the first one it’s brought here.”
His words sent a chill through me, even though the sun was still warm on my skin. “But why me? Why now?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted, his eyes searching mine. “But we’ll find out.”
For a moment, we stood there, the weight of his words sinking in. The city of Florence stretched out around us, ancient and unfamiliar, yet strangely beautiful. The courtyard was quiet, save for the distant murmur of the city beyond the walls. It felt like we were the only two people in the world.
I didn’t know what to think. Everything was happening too fast, and I still wasn’t sure if this was real or some kind of elaborate dream. But Lorenzo’s presence was grounding. He was the only constant in the chaos swirling around me.
“Thank you,” I said softly, not sure what else to say.
He glanced down at me, his dark eyes serious. “I’ll protect you, Nina. But you need to trust me.”
Something in his tone, in the way he looked at me, made my breath catch. I didn’t know this man. I didn’t know anything about this world. But there was something about him that made me want to believe him. Something that made me want to stay close.
I nodded slowly. “Okay.”
Lorenzo’s gaze softened. He took a step closer, and for a moment, I thought he might reach out, might touch me. The air between us was charged with something unspoken.
Before he could say or do anything more, there was a rustling noise behind us. I turned quickly, my heart racing.
The shadowy figure from before stood just beyond the gate, watching us with dark, hooded eyes.
Lorenzo cursed under his breath. “It’s not safe here.”
The figure stepped forward, and I could feel the air grow colder. My pulse quickened as I realized we were being hunted.
“Run,” Lorenzo whispered, his hand tightening on mine. “Now.”