The room felt stifling after Darius left, the heavy silence pressing in on Kaelen like a thick fog. His heart had yet to calm, each beat pounding through his chest like a warning, a reminder of the dream that felt too real, the encounter that felt too impossible.
Kaelen paced the room, hands running through his hair, trying to make sense of everything. His body still hummed with the energy that Darius had left behind, the magic, the dark pull that seemed to linger in the very air.
This can't be happening. It can't be real...
But the way Darius had looked at him, the way his touch had left him breathless—it had felt too real. Kaelen clenched his fists, frustration bubbling up within him. He needed to understand what the hell was going on.
A knock at the door shattered the quiet.
Kaelen froze, his pulse skipping. He almost didn't want to answer. He knew what was coming. But if he didn't open it, would Darius just barge in again?
Reluctantly, he approached the door, his breath still shallow. His hand gripped the handle, and as he opened it, he was met with a familiar face Jasper, his best friend from the academy.
"Kaelen," Jasper greeted, his eyes wide with concern. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Kaelen tried to muster a smile, but it was weak and strained. "Yeah, just... weird dreams," he lied, not wanting to share what had really happened. "What's up?"
Jasper raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "You don't look okay, man. You've been acting strange all morning. What's going on?"
Kaelen opened his mouth to respond, but then he heard it a faint whisper, like a voice in his head, reminding him of what Darius had said. You will come to me.
He shivered, forcing the thought away. "Nothing. Just... tired." He stepped back and waved his hand to dismiss any further questions. "I'm fine, really."
Jasper eyed him suspiciously for a moment but seemed to let it go, walking into the room with a roll of his eyes. "Well, alright then. But just so you know, there's talk around the academy. People are starting to notice that you're... different. You've been keeping to yourself a lot lately. Are you sure nothing's going on?"
Kaelen felt his stomach twist. "I'm just... trying to focus. I'm not here to make friends, you know?"
Jasper nodded, but there was still concern in his eyes. "I get it. You've always been a loner, but this is different. If you need help, I'm here."
Kaelen appreciated the offer, but there was nothing anyone could do. Darius had already made it clear: Kaelen was entangled in something much bigger than he ever imagined, and there was no escaping it.
"I'll be fine," Kaelen said, trying to sound more convincing. "Thanks for checking in though."
Jasper seemed to take that at face value. "Alright, just... don't shut everyone out, okay?" With that, he clapped Kaelen on the back and left, leaving Kaelen alone with his thoughts.
The moment the door shut behind him, the weight of the room seemed to double. The air felt too heavy. Kaelen could still feel Darius's presence lingering like a shadow, just beyond his reach. And the words, the prophecy, continued to echo in his mind.
"You will come to me."
But I don't want to come to you, Kaelen thought fiercely, staring at the door as if Darius might appear at any moment. I don't want to be part of whatever you're planning.
Yet, a small, treacherous part of him couldn't deny the curiosity gnawing at the back of his mind. He had felt it in his dream, that magnetic pull, that connection that made his pulse quicken just thinking about it.
What if this is my destiny? That thought sent a chill down his spine. The very idea that his life was already mapped out by some prophecy made him sick. His future shouldn't be decided by some demon who thought he could just walk in and claim him.
But the more Kaelen tried to push the thought away, the more it clung to him, like a shadow he couldn't escape.
He turned away from the door, pacing the room again. He needed to focus. He had to get his mind off this.
A knock on the door.
His stomach dropped. This time, he couldn't ignore it.
Kaelen hesitated before opening the door, expecting to see Jasper again or maybe one of the academy staff. But to his surprise, standing before him was a girl with sharp, intelligent eyes and a mischievous smirk on her lips. She had long silver hair, tied back in a loose braid, and wore the standard academy uniform, but there was something about her that made her stand out.
"I hope I'm not interrupting," she said with a playful gleam in her eye. "Kaelen, right? You're hard to miss, especially after the incident last week."
Kaelen blinked. "Incident?"
She raised an eyebrow, stepping closer as if she wasn't waiting for permission. "Don't play coy with me, Kaelen. You know, that little stunt you pulled at the Ritual. You're lucky the Headmaster didn't expel you for that."
Kaelen's face flushed. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, I think you do," she teased, leaning in slightly. "I saw the whole thing. You've got some... interesting power hiding beneath that shy exterior. And I'm curious. How are you dealing with him?"
Kaelen's eyes widened in surprise. "You... know about Darius?"
The girl's smirk grew wider. "Of course I do. You think you're the only one who's been noticed by him?"
The blood drained from Kaelen's face. "What do you mean? What do you know?"
She leaned back, her posture relaxed but the tension in her eyes telling Kaelen that she was anything but casual. "Let's just say that you're in a lot deeper than you think. And if you want to survive this... you'll need all the help you can get."
Kaelen took a step back, his heart racing again. "Who are you? Why are you here?"
The girl's eyes flickered with something dangerous excitement, maybe? "My name's Elira. And I'm here to make sure you don't get yourself killed. Trust me, things are about to get a whole lot more complicated for you."
Kaelen opened his mouth to protest, but before he could, Elira slipped something into his hand a small, black crystal that seemed to pulse with energy.
"Keep this close," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Darius is not the only player in this game. And you'll need all the power you can get if you want to survive what's coming."
Before Kaelen could ask anything more, she turned on her heel and left, disappearing down the hall as quickly as she had appeared.
Kaelen stood there, holding the crystal in his hand, his thoughts spinning. He didn't know who to trust anymore.
All he knew was that his life had just become infinitely more complicated.