Chapter 1

Jasmine – Present Day
Jasmine struggled to open her eyes. Faint voices echoed around her, distant and unclear, like she was underwater. The pounding in her head wouldn’t let up. Why was this happening? Her thoughts were jumbled, and her body felt like it had been shut down, unresponsive. This wasn’t just exhaustion—something deeper was at play. She fought against the heaviness pulling her back under. Drugged, she realized. That had to be it. Who were these people trying to wake her?

Even as her mind grasped for consciousness, it slipped, like sand through her fingers, and she fell again—into memories or dreams, she couldn’t tell.

The Diner – Two Weeks Ago
The familiar setting of The Bullet, a small diner in Washington D.C., came into focus. It had a cozy, homey feel. Jasmine sat with her Bible study group, True Victory, celebrating Omarion’s birthday. They had come to the city for a Christian leadership seminar—two days of intensive sessions with three more to go. Out of the twenty members in the group, only seven had made the trip, but now they were down to five. Aaliyah and Dawn had left that morning, leaving Jasmine, Omarion, Shawn, and Nas to handle the remaining sessions.

Jasmine smiled to herself. She and Aaliyah had founded the group, and this was their first big trip. It was going well, considering all the planning involved. Omarion was stuffing his face with strawberry shortcake, crumbs falling onto his shirt. His awkwardness always made Jasmine smile—he was quiet but solid, and she knew he’d make a good leader when she and Aaliyah graduated.

“Thank you, guys,” Omarion said, his deep, clear voice cutting through the chatter. His eyes, warm brown with an almost golden hue, shone with gratitude. “I didn’t think anyone would remember.”

“Omarion, come on, Jasmine may work us to death, but we weren’t gonna forget your birthday!” Nas teased, raising his glass of iced tea. Nas was the joker of the group, always breaking tension with his energy and quick humor. He was sitting between Omarion and Shawn, the three of them forming an easy trio.

Shawn, with his calm demeanor and martial arts training, looked over with a small smile. He was always the serious one, grounding Nas’s wild energy. “Nas is right. Even if Jasmine had forgotten, we would’ve done something. You only get one birthday a year.”

Jasmine raised her hands, mock-offended. “Why am I getting painted as some kind of slave driver?”

Nas shrugged, grinning like a kid who’d been caught stealing cookies. “Because you keep us busy. But hey, we made it through two days, so you can chill now.”

“It’s not just me! Omarion and Aaliyah helped plan this whole thing. Don’t act like I’m the only one cracking the whip.”

“Nobody’s blaming you, Jasmine,” Omarion said, always the peacemaker. He flashed a reassuring smile, and Jasmine shook her head, amused.

“I’m just proud of us,” Jasmine said, glancing around the table. “We’ve hit almost all the seminars, and we’re gonna take back so much for the others.”

They all smiled, sharing in the quiet sense of accomplishment. As they settled into finishing their desserts, Jasmine checked the time. There was still the evening sermon to catch, and she didn’t want them to be late. As she glanced up, she noticed Nas watching her, an annoying habit of his. He always seemed to be observing, like he was waiting for her to slip up.

“Relax, Jazz. We’re gonna make it on time,” he said with a smirk. “And if we don’t, you’ll forgive us. Right?”

Jasmine – Present Day
The laughter faded, like a distant echo, replaced by the dull throb of pain in her head. The warmth of the diner slipped away, leaving behind cold reality. Jasmine’s senses sharpened, and she blinked, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. The cold metal around her wrists felt sharp against her skin. Restraints.

Panic surged through her body, but she couldn’t move, could barely blink. This wasn’t a dream. This was real.

The voices around her started to sharpen, and with them came the sensation of being upright. She was strapped to something—cold, hard, and metallic. The fear hit her chest like a sledgehammer. She wasn’t alone. Omarion, Nas, Shawn, and Aaliyah—they were all here, restrained, groaning as they started to wake.

A woman’s voice pierced through the haze. “Welcome to my lab.”

Jasmine’s throat was dry, her voice hoarse. “Where am I?” she croaked.

The woman stepped into her line of sight, dressed in a white lab coat over a flowing black robe. Her black, curly hair fell past her shoulders, framing a pale face with a smile that felt all wrong. There was an unsettling energy to her, something Jasmine couldn’t place, but it made her skin crawl.

The woman rolled her chair closer, studying Jasmine with the same calm interest as a scientist might study a caged animal. “You’re in my lab. My name is Lilith, and I saved you and your friends.”

Saved? Jasmine’s mind was reeling. She tried to piece together how they’d ended up here, but nothing made sense. “Saved us from what?”

Lilith’s smile widened. “All in good time, Jasmine.”