The fall

The Royal ball was a beautiful sight. Men dressed in black tie and women head to toe in glamour, with royalty and celebrity names from all over the world in attendance. The arrival on the red carpet was a spectacle, lights flashing as cameras exploded, waiting to see which recognizable face was next. The press lined the streets like vultures hoping to get lucky and catch a small snippet to splash all over the morning's front covers. 

And don't get me started on the food, it was like nothing you've ever seen. Silver service ran smoothly as waiters glided between tables, careful not to disturb the over the top, tit for tat chatter. This year's menu included foods I'm sure no one actually likes, but they gleefully threw it down like it was their last meal. Chasers of wine, whisky, beer, whatever your tipple... nothing was too much. 

Often I had avoided coming to these events. Too over the top for my liking fake personalities and everyone ready to catch you out. One slip, one wrong move, and you suddenly become an outcast. Beautiful dresses and good food can't hide bad people. But every so often it was nice to feel special and pull out all the stops. 

I sat back and watched as another couple exited their car complete with diamond necklace, Rolex watch, Gucci suit, Christian Louboutin shoes. Both already slightly tipsy, so it wouldn't be long before they were arguing in the street. This was the couple of the hour, and the waiting press went wild at their arrival. 

This year however, I had decided to make a slightly less extravagant entrance. 

Like it or not, I was here and I needed to just accept that it was what it was. Not overthink it and not worry about what was going to happen next. The night had already passed quickly, and while I wasn't ready to head off yet, I knew it was getting late. Slowly but surely, people were starting to filter out onto the streets.

"Angelica?! Is that you?"

Shit, someone's seen me... I froze. I turned around slowly, putting on my fakest smile, ready to greet them. 

"Wow, you look... rough. Normally people go all out at this thing, why are you dressed like that? Steve, look what I've found over here..."

He shouted over to his friend, both men began sniggering and catcalling me as they looked me up and down. I didn't have the energy for another fight, I hadn't eaten a real meal in two days and I felt sick to my stomach. I knew I might not be so lucky this time so I just needed to get out of there. I swallowed hard and turned to leave, but I was instantly stopped.

"Nope, I don't think so."

One of the men grabbed my wrist, holding onto it hard. His other hand slid up my arm, resting on the bracelets that were hidden under the sleeve of my coat. I instantly knew by the look on his face he could feel them.

"What have we got here?" 

He pulled my sleeve up and gasped at the layers of jewelry up my arm. Diamonds, pearls, and the most beautiful rubies glistened in the streetlights. 

"Busy night." 

He started to pull them off me. I tried to stop him, but an arm from behind wrapped around my neck making sure I couldn't. I felt something press into my side, it was cold and sharp. I tried to pull my arm away, but all it made them do was press it firmer and the grip around my neck tightened. 

"Stop." 

I shouted out, reluctant to struggle too much, but they just laughed, taking the last one off my wrist. 

That last one though caught their attention, they paused for a moment and looked at it more closely than the others. It was jet black and the most unusual looking stone.

They didn't know, but that last one was an Anthropolis diamond. 

That last one was from 300 years in the future...

...the future I kept getting told didn't exist. 

They threw me to the floor, laughing as they walked away instantly thousands of pounds richer. The ground was cold and wet, and rather than get up and run after them, I just laid there. I put my head on the floor, looking up to the sky as the rain started to fall around me, soaking through my clothes. I didn't care that they had taken the diamonds, I wasn't interested in the pearls. But as I lay on the cold, hard floor, I felt tears fall down my face. I cried. Not because I was scared, but because they took the last thing that tied me to Anthropolis. That bracelet was the last piece of a world that no longer existed. 

The last piece of a story nobody believed. 

-----------

6 Hours Earlier

"Occupation?"

I looked up from the custody desk.

"Former immortal empress."

The officer didn't even blink. She didn't even sigh; she just let out a small huff of air that was meant to pass as amusement. 

"Right... So unemployed then."

Ouch. That hurt. Her pen scratched across the form as she scribbled down her notes. Without even looking up, she began typing. I smiled. 

"Yeah, I guess that's one way of putting it." 

The strip lighting above my head began to flicker, lighting up the small room. All it did, though, was highlight the grey of the police station. Grey walls, grey floors, grey desk... hell, even the people looked grey, drained of life. It was at this point I looked down and realised I couldn't remember the last time I had a hot shower and the dirt under my finger nails and the state of my clothes backed that up.

Three hundred years in the future, I had stood in a world where impossible things happened and was surrounded by unimaginable violence. Today, I stood in a police station in Leeds, which smelt of cheap pine disinfectant and piss. 

Life can change fast. 

"Any fixed address?"

"No."

The tapping stopped abruptly. 

"No?"

"No."

"Staying with family or friends?"

I laughed. "Nope."

"Miss, is something funny?"

"No, I was just thinking how much easier life was when facing an apocalypse..." 

"...Any history of mental illness?" 

Again, ouch! I must have looked surprised by the comment, as for the first time the female officer made eye contact with me. 

"You have claimed several times since your arrest that you have travelled through time. I want you to think really carefully how you answer this question." 

"I am not insane, I have..."

"...To the year 2326?"

"It's true!" 

The officer sighed. I didn't blame her, I'm sure if I was sat where she was, I would think I was insane as well. 

Really, who in their right mind would believe me? I'm not even sure if I fully believed it myself. Was it a dream? Perhaps, but there was so much that felt real. So many scars that are unexplainable. 

For most, heading back to 2026 was what they wanted all along. I led the Amoralist army to victory with huge plans for the future, but had my world destroyed at the push of a button and was thrown back to a world that I had outgrown. I had nothing left here. I'd spent 300 years fighting for a future that no longer existed. England hadn't changed, but I had, and that was a bitter pill to swallow. 

"I'm going to put undiagnosed and recommend you are seen by the nurse." 

Ok, so they think I'm insane...

"Any history of drug use?" 

...Or on drugs. 

"No."

"History of violence?"

I mean, what sort of question is that? I just smiled and shook my head. She wrote something down and underlined it before returning back to her screen. I looked down at my wrists. Possibly not my finest hour, handcuffed in a police station, but sometimes we have to roll with the punches. She sat me down on a bench and I stayed there, listening to the clock ticking... 46,800 times, just waiting.

"Angelica, we are releasing you on a caution. We do not expect to see or hear from you again..." 

I had sat there for hours and suddenly that was it. I imagine it was probably something to do with Alex; I hadn't seen him recently, but I could feel his presence watching over me. It wouldn't surprise me if a few phone calls had been made and all of this disappeared. But I wasn't going to argue. I stood up and was led back to the desk, and just like that, the handcuffs were removed and my bag was pushed back across to me. 

I grabbed my things and I ran towards the exit and did not look back. I got outside and breathed a sigh of relief, then it dawned on me, I didn't actually have anywhere to go. I reached into my bag and pulled out my purse, emptying it out into my hand. I counted £8.37. Not even enough to get food, never mind somewhere to sleep. Maybe I was better off inside the cells. 

Life wasn't quite as straightforward as it once had been. In the early 2000s, I was pretty well known. I joined a small little wrestling federation and was catapulted into a life a lot different than this one. Days on the road and unbreakable bonds with people who I thought were my friends made the madness bearable. I had none of that now. I hadn't spoken to anyone from that part of my life for years, and truth be told, I didn't need them anymore. 

I sat on the wall outside of the police station looking at my phone, willing for it to tell me what to do next. My battery warning flashed up battery low and that's when I saw it. That familiar logo.

CWF Golden Intentions: A Press Statement.

Sixteen names already announced. I quickly scanned them some familiar names still knocking around the ring, some not so familiar ones too. The prize, number one contender for the World Title. And with that comes a bed, food... money.

I looked again at the names past winners, champions, former acquaintances, rivals, people-in-the-future-who-I-would-nearly-destroy-but-maybe-they-didn't-even-remember-it, and the age old tradition of has beens and cocksure nobodies. 

My name wasn't on the list. It had been years since I had parted ways with CWF. I'd always firmly refused a return to the ring, and here I was seriously thinking this might be my only option. For a minute I wondered, could this be what I was waiting for? The place I was hell bent on destroying coming back to save my life? There was no longer a Rishel there in charge the release claimed, so could this be the lifeline to reclaim what was always rightfully mine?

There was no one on that list that made me worried. Not one name that would have me shaking in my boots. I wore the scars of battles with the Highlanders, Silas, and Danny B, but would they even remember, or is that just a nightmare they haven't had yet? 

My name was always going to be a whisper in the locker rooms at events like this, a presence from the golden age of the federation, a ghost among the corridors hauntingly always there. But in this occasion there is no army to work with, entering this would be a tactical survival of the fittest. 

I've survived Golden Intentions before, never winning, but going the distance only to fall at the last hurdle. But I didn't need it then. I have had the glory of holding the world title high above my head with crowds screaming my name I knew what winning this would bring. The only question was, could I actually do it again? I'm sure I could, and realistically who was going to stop me? I mean yeah, obviously I wasn't the immortal mega demon super bitch anymore, but I could still fight and win this and this would change my life. And looking at this list no one, including the Andersons, would be able to stop that happening. 

There was nothing here for me anymore, and there might not be anything in America past this match, but by winning Golden Intentions, I might be able to change whatever this current hell was. I needed a reason to keep going, and maybe this was it. Just a couple of things stood in my way and money and a flight were pretty big problems to have.

I let that slight inconvenience slide for a moment and excitedly started to Google the unfamiliar names, desperately checking out the competition. Esmeralda von Krauss... a nobody. Brooke Hernandez... irrelevant. John Obvious... come on, what the hell is this? I've seen more talent in a circus, which is exactly what this is going to turn into. In fact me turning up is actually doing them a favour, this federation is actually on its arse! 

Dangerous Dan had become less of a joke nowadays and a serious contender having won Golden Intentions before, he was already a step above the others. But this also made him a target. It was quickly clear that preexisting alliances from Blind Ambition and Magik or even the Highlanders, if they stopped fannying around, would mean the past winners like Dangerous Dan and DannyB would need to tread carefully. But for me I wasn't even on their radars, not really. There's unexpected entrants and then there is really unexpected entrants.

I was getting nowhere with this, Google was giving me nothing. Paul Freedom...if that's his real name, his parents need arresting. Marva Duke. Never heard of her. Ezekiel, The Raven...the list seemed endless and the names utterly irrelevant. The deeper I looked the worse it got.

The battery was flashing up again now 10%. I needed to think quickly. Could I put a call out there? I clicked to share the post and started to write out a message, feeling the adrenaline running through me.

Anyone heading to Golden Intentions, could pick me up from the airport...

I hit delete. I commanded an army now I'm begging strangers for a lift. Desperate much?! I tried again.

Anyone want to sponsor my travel arrangements to Golden Intentions?

Deleted that too, then suddenly I had it.

Need a way to Golden Intentions. Will pay when I win.

I stared at that message for what felt like hours. The worst part wasn't asking for help, the worst part was I meant it. 

My thumb hovered over the send button...if I could lead an immortal army to near total world dominion, how hard could winning Golden Intentions be? 

I needed to get some money. And I knew just the place for me to strike my next target. 

Tonight was the Royal Ball. Tonight, the wealthy, and oblivious would spend the night drinking cheap alcohol patting each other on the back and would be stumbling out into the dark dripping in diamonds, watches and enough money to change my life.

I pulled on my coat and reached into my pocket, my hand instantly wrapped around the knife that has been living in my pocket for the last three weeks. I kept telling myself it was there as protection, the only backup I would need. But as I stepped into the rain, I knew the truth. 

Just a few short weeks ago, I was on the verge of rewriting an entire civilization, and yet in this world, I was a ruler without a kingdom. In this world, I was a mentally unstable criminal hiding in the shadows, waiting for the rich to filter out onto the streets.