The moon hung low in the sky, casting a silver glow across the dense forest that surrounded the Academy. Every tree seemed to whisper secrets, every gust of wind carried an untold warning. Nova stood at the edge of the woods, her cloak fluttering behind her as she stared into the darkness, her senses sharpened like never before.
Something was calling her. A silent pull that tugged at her chest, beckoning her deeper into the night.
She didn't know why she had woken up breathless, her heart pounding, drenched in sweat. The dreams had returned—flashes of flames, shadows whispering her name, a figure cloaked in darkness watching her from behind a veil of smoke. But tonight, there was something different. A voice. Familiar. Close. Urgent.
Nova took a deep breath and stepped past the threshold of the forest.
Every crunch of dried leaves beneath her boots echoed like thunder in the still night. She tightened her grip on the dagger she had hidden in her cloak—a small silver blade passed down from her mother. Her fingers trembled slightly, but her eyes remained steady.
After several minutes of walking, she found herself in the heart of the woods where moonlight barely reached the forest floor. There was a clearing ahead—circular, eerie, silent. As she stepped into it, a strange energy pulsed through her, washing over her skin like waves of invisible heat.
"You're not supposed to be here," came a voice.
Nova spun around, her dagger drawn. Standing at the edge of the clearing was Elias, shadows clinging to him like vines. His eyes gleamed faintly, the familiar golden hue replaced with something colder.
"You followed me," she said, her voice steady despite the pounding in her chest.
"I didn't have to," Elias said as he stepped closer. "You were drawn here just like I was. This place… it's a nexus. Something old, something angry, stirs beneath it."
Nova lowered the dagger slowly, but didn't sheath it. "Why didn't you tell me you were one of them?"
Elias's eyes softened, and for the first time, Nova saw a flicker of guilt in him. "Because I didn't want you to look at me the way you're looking at me now."
"And how exactly am I looking at you?"
"Like I'm a monster."
Nova's expression faltered. She hadn't meant to. There was still confusion and anger within her, but beneath it all, she still remembered the way Elias had looked at her the night he saved her from the burning ritual chamber. There had been something real in his eyes. Something human.
"I'm trying to understand, Elias. But everything is moving so fast. Secrets, bloodlines, powers I don't understand—"
"—and a darkness coming for us both," he finished.
They stood in silence for a long moment, the wind rustling through the trees.
Then, suddenly, the air grew colder.
A howl echoed through the night.
Nova turned just in time to see shadows slithering across the clearing, creeping toward them like living smoke. Her instincts kicked in, and her dagger glowed faintly with the same violet shimmer that had appeared during her training duel.
"Move!" Elias grabbed her arm and pulled her back as one of the shadowy forms lunged forward. It had no defined shape, but its presence felt ancient and malevolent.
Nova slashed with her dagger, and the creature hissed, recoiling from the light. Elias unleashed a burst of flame from his hands, but it only delayed the creatures—it didn't destroy them.
"They're not dying," Nova said breathlessly. "Why aren't they dying?"
"Because they're not fully here," Elias growled. "They're echoes—remnants of something darker. And they're feeding off your awakening."
"My what?!"
"No time to explain," he said, grabbing her hand. "We need to get to the Altar of Flame. It's the only place you can fight them completely."
They ran through the forest, dodging trees and leaping over roots as the shadows followed, screeching and wailing. The ground seemed to tremble with every step, the forest reacting to the battle unfolding within it.
Nova's mind raced. What had Elias meant by "awakening"? Was this power inside her more than just random bursts of energy? And why did the shadows want her?
As they neared a clearing bathed in moonlight, Elias raised a hand, and the vines parted to reveal a hidden stone path leading to an ancient stone structure buried in roots and time. The Altar of Flame.
The moment Nova stepped onto the stone floor, a surge of heat coursed through her body. She cried out, dropping to her knees as fire licked her veins—not burning her, but awakening something dormant. Her eyes flickered with violet light, and her hair lifted slightly as the wind around her stilled.
Elias knelt beside her. "Nova, listen to me. You're the Nightmarked. Chosen by the Flame and the Void. That power inside you—it's the balance. The only thing that can keep the darkness at bay."
Nova's breaths came fast. "I don't understand."
"You don't need to. You just need to accept it."
The shadows reached the edge of the altar, screeching and writhing. But they couldn't cross the threshold. Nova stood slowly, eyes glowing brighter now.
"What do I do?" she asked.
Elias pointed to the center of the altar. "Stand there. Channel your flame. Call on the bond. Let the Night answer."
Nova moved to the center. The stone beneath her glowed faintly as her feet touched it. She closed her eyes, her heartbeat syncing with the rhythmic pulse of the altar. She reached deep within herself, past the fear, past the confusion—and into the place where her power lived.
She saw flashes. Her mother's face. The first time she healed someone. The night the flames answered her call. And then—Elias. Standing in the shadows, but offering his hand.
When she opened her eyes, they were no longer violet. They were a deep, endless black rimmed with fire.
The shadows shrieked and burst into flames.
One by one, they were consumed, leaving behind only ash and silence.
Nova dropped to her knees, gasping.
Elias rushed forward, catching her before she fell. "You did it. You channeled the Flame."
"I… I didn't know I could."
"You're stronger than you realize, Nova. But this is only the beginning."
She looked up at him, her voice barely a whisper. "What happens now?"
He hesitated before answering. "Now, we prepare for war. Because the real enemy is still out there. And they know you're awake."
Nova leaned into him, her body trembling not from fear, but from the weight of destiny settling on her shoulders. She was no longer just a girl running from her past.
She was the Nightmarked.
And war was coming.