The night air was cool on Leo's skin. He stood in the backyard, away from the house, away from the others. Just him and the dark and the burning in his hands.He looked at his palms. Normal. Just skin. But he could feel it. The fire underneath. Waiting.He closed his eyes. Thought about flames. Small ones. Just a little.Nothing happened.He tried harder. Focused. Pictured fire dancing on his fingers.Still nothing."Come on," he muttered. "You were there before. At the stove. In the chapel. Where are you now?"He opened his eyes. Stared at his hands. Frustration building.A tiny spark. Just one. On his fingertip. Then it died."Yes," he whispered. "That's it. Come on."He concentrated again. The spark came back. Grew a little. Flickered. Died.Leo wanted to scream. This was impossible. A human being couldn't do this. Couldn't make fire from nothing. Couldn't get inside people's heads. Couldn't be what they said he was.But the mark on his arm said otherwise. The dragon at the chapel

The kids were safe. Three of them. They were scared but alive. Maria called a team to help them. The team would take their statements and find their families. Leo stood by the car. He watched the red door. His hands were still shaking. He had used his mind walk power. It was hard work.Sarah was not there. When they arrived, she was gone. They only found traces of dark energy. The energy was fading away."She knew we were coming," Chloe said. "She left before we got here."Bella nodded. "She felt you. In the dream. When you saw where she was. She knew."Leo looked at his hands. The mark on them tingled. "So she is always one step ahead.""For now," Iden said. His voice was grim. "But not forever."---They went back to the house. Maria arrived one hour later. Her face looked tired. She was worried."Three more missing," she said. "Since yesterday. All young. All of them had strange dreams. They had visions. They saw things they could not explain."Bella's face went pale. "She is hunti

Leo looked at Elara. His face was hard. "When do we start?""Now," Elara said. "We have no time."Chloe stepped forward. "I will go with him."Marcus shook his head. "Only one person can go. The spirit world is dangerous. Too many people can cause problems.""Then I am that one," Chloe said. "I have been with him through everything. I will not stop now."Leo took her hand. "Are you sure?""I have never been more sure."Elara nodded slowly. "A witch's light may help in the dark. She can go."Bella sat on the couch. "I will guard your bodies here. I will watch in the dream world while you are gone. If anything tries to get in, I will know."Iden stood by the door. His hand was on an old object at his belt. "Maria and I will watch the real world. If Sarah attacks while you are gone, we will stop her."Maria checked her gun. "We have your backs."Leo looked at them. His family. His friends. "Do not die while we are gone.""No promises," Maria said. "But we will try."---The Circle got t

The white mist wrapped around them like a soft blanket. It was warm but also cold. Leo held Chloe close to his body. Both of them were still shaking. Their hearts were beating fast. They could not forget what they had just seen. The future Leo. The dead bodies everywhere. The black scales growing on his hands."It was not real," Chloe whispered. Her voice was small and tired. "It was just a test. Only a test."Leo nodded his head. But his heart was still pounding hard. He could feel it in his chest. "I know," he said. "But it felt real. It felt like it could really happen. Like I could become that monster.""It won't happen." Chloe pulled back from his chest. She looked into his eyes. Her own eyes were red from crying. "Because you will fight it. You will fight it every day. And I will fight it with you. I will not let you become that man."Leo wanted to say something important. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him. He wanted to say that she was the only reason he had not

The house was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that makes your skin crawl. Bella sat on the edge of the bed in the small guest room. Her eyes were closed. She had been sitting like that for hours. Her body was still, but her mind was far away. She was watching. Waiting. Feeling for any sign of Leo and Chloe in the dream world.She could not go into the spirit realm like they had. But she could feel it. Like feeling water move under ice. She could sense their presence. Their warmth. Their life.For a long time, she felt them walking. Moving through tests. She felt their fear. Their courage. Their love. It was like watching a candle flame from far away. Small but steady. Burning bright.Then she felt it. A crack. A break. Something sharp and wrong. Like glass breaking in her mind.Her eyes snapped open. Her heart jumped into her throat. "They're in trouble," she said. Her voice was loud in the quiet room.Iden looked up from his book. He had been trying to read, but his eyes kept goi