Prologue Let me die. Please. I don’t want to wake up hollow and numb, a ghost of myself. I want to remember what it felt like to be touched all over by someone, be kissed like I meant something; if only for a moment. I want to remember what I went through, both the good and the bad. If I can’t, then I want to die. Please, please, let me die. “Gemma Lucas,” a welcoming voice graces my ears. “Can you hear me?” I blink my eyes open to wispy clouds lazily floating across a crystal blue sky. The sight is breathtaking and makes me feel calm and serene. Yet something about it is off. The clouds look almost too wispy, like a smeared watercolor painting, and the sky has jagged edges that slope in distinct directions as if it’s one gigantic, glistening crystal. I roll to my side and through the gemstone grass, Where am I? “The City of Crystal,” I murmur. “What the hell?” I quickly push to my feet. The land is paved with a winding path of shattered teal porcelain that leads to a silver throne perched on a podium. To my right is a crystal wall that fences through the grass, flashing vibrant images of people and landscapes like a television screen. “Why am I here?” I turn in a circle, searching for life, a