1
The streets were lit by the dim glow of the streetlights. The crescent moon hung high above the deserted city. Isabelle walked through the city with a fast pace, yet did not seem to make a noise.
Great she though almost twelve ‘o’ clock, mark is going to kill me when I get home. She continued walking until she reached a set of lights. They were green but soon turned red, even though no cars were in sight. Isabelle turned her head. She stared down an alleyway. It was a quick shortcut home and she needed it. After a quick spin on her heel she was racing down the alleyway. It wasn’t like in the movies; where the alleyway was all dark and spooky, in fact it was lit better than the road and on one side terrace houses and on the other a shop warehouse. (Not abandoned like in the movies)
Her trainers were quick on the cobbled ground but soon came to a halt when she heard something. A noise. A noise that sounded like sobbing. She stopped and turned to the houses on her right. No, it wasn’t coming from the houses. She turned left and noticed the lights were on in the warehouse which was unusual for this time of night. She saw a silhouette of what looked like a man behind the blinds of the fifth floor. It was him sobbing. Another figure appeared. Slightly taller than the other with a sword (presumably) in his hand. Slowly the first man approached the window.
“I’ll jump!” the smaller man threatened. In reply the other figure lowered the sword.
“You don’t need to do that.” He said sounding calm yet persuasive. Seconds later the man lay on the stone floor surrounded by shards of broken glass. Isabelle stared in bewilderment, as strange, dark patterns left his body leaving into the darkness. The body lay there, crumpled from the impact. Isabelle gazed at the window. The man retrieved a cloak and put it around himself, then pulled his hood up and walked away....

2
What just happened? Isabelle thought; her mouth wide open. The air seemed a lot colder now as she sprinted to the entrance of the warehouse. She stood the door waiting to see whoever did this. She hid on the other side. After a moment of silence Isabelle heard footsteps, not hard and heavy, but light and swift. She could sense he was getting closer.
A foot appeared from the door causing her to jump and kick him in the shins. He bent over in pain but soon stood up right and asked “who are you?”
“Who are you?” Isabelle said in reply.
“I asked you first.” he smiled. It was a charming smile and his eyebrows went up in a mocking fashion, revealing his liquid gold eyes.
“Isabelle” she finally said. Loosening her shoulders.
“And do you have a second name, Isabelle?”
“Isabelle Grey”
“And on what business are you her-”
“Your name” she interrupted. He looked at her and chuckled quietly.
“It’s not important but oh well, my name’s Jaden, Jaden Blake.” He said bowing his head. Isabelle noticed a necklace around his neck. It was a neon blue dragon but its eyes shone a yellow light like a torch. A loud crash stopped her thoughts. Someone had knocked over the wheelie bins. “If you would excuse me I need to leave.” Jaden said sounding more panicked than before.
“Hold on you can’t just leave,” she said. “I saw what you did and I want an explanation!”
“For your own good let me leave.” He advised as she grabbed his arm. Suddenly a cold hand grabbed the back of her neck. She froze. Isabelle stared at Jaden who showed no expression. A heavy object was soon against her head. Before she knew it she was unconscious...

3
Her eyelids seemed to be glued shut, so it took some effort to open them. When she eventually opened her eyes she was staring at the ceiling. The light was blinding and the ceiling was a dull grey colour.
“Great, you’re up.” Said a man with glasses on. He wore what looked to be a lab coat and had a short beard. “You look stable so we can take all the tubes out of you now.” Isabelle looked at her wrists tubes were stuck to her skin like in a hospital but this place looked nothing like a hospital, in fact she was the only ‘patient’ in the room. Then the man approached her and removed the tubes.
“Who are you?” she asked, puzzled.
“Mr. Carter.” He replied.
“O.k. and where’s,” she paused slightly. “Jaden?”
“So I see he introduced himself.” Isabelle remembered the night before; how everything just happened: the man jumping, Jaden appearing and the dark patterns... “Jaden she wants you!” Mr. Carter shouted. “Although I’m not quite sure why.” He mumbled. This made Isabelle grin slightly.
Jaden walked into the room wearing the same clothes as last night, but now blood was slatted on his sleeves and a purple bruise had swollen around his eye. Mr. Carter left the room and looked at Jaden on his way out. Jaden looked at his feet as he came closer to Isabelle. He sat down on the chair beside the bed not saying a word.
“I’m sorry.” He finally said still looking down.
“For what? Murdering someone, scaring the hell out of me or letting someone knock me out?” she asked.
“All of them and getting you involved in more than you should.” Jaden looked up at her and she noticed that the purple bruise brought out even more colour in his golden eyes.
“What do you mean?”
“I know you noticed the dark patterns that came from the body, well they were shadows. It’s my job to contain them.” He explained
“Our job.” Corrected a girl who walked through the door. Wow Isabelle thought she was beautiful. Her straight black hair rested on her shoulders. Her olive skin complimented her brown eyes and her smile was pretty and looked for trouble. “Hi, I’m Rose Springfall.” She politely said.
“Hi, I’m-” Isabelle tried to say
“I know who you are.”
4
Isabelle was trying to process all the information she was given. As soon as rose had entered the room she was given all these strange facts. She was forced into a world that didn’t make sense. Jaden had told her that shadows can posses a human body controlling them to their every desire. Rose had also said that she and Jaden had light necklaces (the real name she didn’t remember) that protected them from the shadows. One thing she didn’t get is that they capture the shadows using a thing called a ‘Coran.’ But she needed to sleep on it and eventually she did.
5
As she awoke she heard a sigh. Her eyes opened to find Rose stood watching over her shaking her head.
“You know if you’re going to be one of us you’ll have to have more fashion sense” Rose said as she scanned Isabelle’s clothes.
“What do you mean ‘one of us’?”
“Jaden didn’t tell you.” Rose asked confused.
“No he didn’t, tell me.”
Rose sat on the chair next to the bed, her hair covering half of her face.
“Do you really think we will let you go back to a normal life?” before Isabelle could answer Rose had continued. “No way, zero chance, you know too much you have witnessed things no ordinary human ever has.”
“B-b-but.” Isabelle stuttered. She looked rose in the eye.
“I’m sorry but forget your old life you have a new one now. You’re now a ShadowHunter.
6
ShadowHunter the word itself made Isabelle cringe. She was taken from a life she new, and thrown into one in which she has no idea how to live. It made her laugh. It’s a dream she thought defiantly a dream. But it wasn’t this world was now her reality, whether she liked it or not.
“ShadowHunting 101.” Mr. Carter announced. His deep voice echoed the training hall. The walls were mounted with weapons: swords, bows, daggers, even whips. It seemed like no one had heard of a gun in this lifestyle! “Lesson one: what to do when you come face to face with a shadow.”
Face to face with a shadow. How was that even possible? She thought. She sat in the middle of the hall as Mr. Carter passed backwards and forwards explaining the lesson. Jaden and Rose sat at the back at the hall observing Isabelle’s every move.
“It’s simple. As long as you have your necklace, or to use the correct term your ‘sinjal’, you should be fine and the shadow will be forced into your Coran.” Mr. Carter turned to look at Isabelle. “Right , I think that will be all for today.” And he left the three of them in the room.
She was soon looking at Jaden and Rose as they passed.
“Hey.” She said as she grabbed Jaden’s arm. Rose stopped as well. But after a second she was on her way to the exit.
7
“Hey I’m talking to you!” Yet Jaden remained staring at his shoes in silence. “Why aren’t you talking to me?” He slowly looked up at her. His eyes locked on hers. “So are you going to speak?” she asked.
“Sorry.” Jaden said.
“Sorry? All you ever seem to say is sorry” she laughed.
“No really I got you into this life and I’m going to do my best to get you out.” Isabelle’s face was astonished.
“What? Why it’s actually starting to grow on me and it sounds fun.”
“It’s anything but fun.” He whispered as he turned around and walked to the door. She was sat there. Isabelle sighed and cupped her hands around her face.
In the evening they all met in the dining room: Jaden, Isabelle, Rose and Mr. Carter. It was the first time she had sat in this room. It was big and full of antiques. She looked up to the ceiling and there was a huge crystal chandelier hanging. The light reflected off of it creating a bright shine.
“I think I’m done.” Said Jaden and he stood up to leave the table.
“Me too.” And Rose was soon to follow him up the stairs. That left just Mr. Carter and Isabelle.
“I would just like to thank you for the lessons Mr. Carter. He looked up to her and said:
“Please Izzy , I can call you Izzy right?” She nodded. “Call me Herold.” She nodded again.
“I think I’ll go to sleep now.”
“Goodnight Izzy.” He smiled at her.
“Goodnight Herold.” She replied. Soon she was up the stairs.
8
Morning came and Izzy let out a yawn. She stood up and walked over to her new wardrobe. She could tell Rose had picked out her clothes because they were stylish clothes. So she grabbed some black leggings and a tight t-shirt. When she reached the bottom of the stairs she noticed a smile on Rose’s face. Must be the clothes she thought.
They sat in the same room as last night to eat breakfast.
“O.k., Izzy today we are going to do some physical education. Because it’s not only about confronting the shadows, but about confronting the people who control them.” Herold said putting his spoon down. “So I shall see you at 12 ‘o’ clock sharp.”
“Nice clothes.” Rose whispered in her ear. Isabelle just rolled her eyes in reply. Jaden giggled as he crunched a spoon of cereal. Isabelle got up and went to her room leaving the two of them to finish their breakfast. What was with her she thought Rose hates her and then she loves her! She just didn’t get it.
She found an outfit left on her bed neatly laid out. Jet black combat pants and a black t-shirt. On the floor beneath the bed was a pair of boots. They looked brand new and were her exact size. A note was stuck to the t-shirt, it read: Izzy these are you training clothes. They should fit you (I had Roses help with that) but anyway see you in the hall, Herold”
It made her smile. She took the note off of the shirt and put on her night stand. She undressed and put the outfit on. They were snug on her but felt comfortable and the boots were perfect. She went to her full-size mirror and stared at herself. Everything was perfect.
9
The walls were full of weapons and the floor was padded for safety. Izzy looked around and braced herself for what was coming.
“Okay, Isabelle it may be hard for you to get used to the techniques, but I’m sure you’ll do great.” And then Mr. Carter (or to Izzy ‘Herold’) left the room. Now Jaden was in charge. Great.
She did what he said and when Rose came at her grappled her to the floor, although it took some effort. Rose is probably taking it easy on me. She thought. Just then Rose got up and sweeped her leg to leave her flat on her back staring at the ceiling. Jaden laughed. She looked up and turned her neck towards him, “your loving this aren’t you?”
“I’m not going to lie, two girls fighting because I told them to; yeah I think I’m enjoying it.” He said. Rose and Izzy rolled their eyes in sync. She scrambled up and in to the correct stance Jaden had shown her. She threw a punch at Rose, who ducked and countered, rugby tackling her stomach. Rose had her against the wall, her arm pushing against her throat. They were both sweating and Rose had a cut on her forehead. Izzy was struggling so slid her arm beneath Rose’s and forced her away/quickly, she drove her knee into Rose’s ribs sending her to the ground. Izzy followed her and was ready to punch the living daylights out of her but Jaden stepped in. “I think that’s enough now.” They both stood up and cleaned themselves up. Rose turned to her,
“Hey that was nothing personal I’m just really competitive when it comes to training.” She smiled.
“It’s okay really I mean i have to get used to it.”
“Okay, well I think I’ll leave you two ‘alone’ now.” She giggled.
“What? No. I mean nothing going on between us you know that right?”
“Yeah but I have a feeling that will change.” She smirked and left.