Author’s POVThe café was bustling with the usual crowd, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and pastries filled the air. Aeris paused at the door to scan the room, his eyes searching for a familiar face amidst the sea of strangers.It took a minute, but he finally spotted her. Charis. She was dressed in a crisp white blouse and a tailored blazer that seemed to scream academic without being too obvious. Her dark hair was pulled back into a neat bun, and a pair of round rimmed reading glasses perched on the bridge of her nose.She was sitting at a small table near the window, her eyes fixed on something outside the window, her expression unreadable. Her thin fingers moved to adjust her glasses, then popped back into place.Underneath the table and away from his eyes, her fingers fidgeted nervously; her mind had wandered far away from where she was currently seated.As he walked closer, he noticed she was tense, her shoulders were slightly hunched and her eyes darted towards him befo

Author’s POVThe realization crept up on him like a chill on a cold winter night. One moment, he was lost in thought, navigating the familiar streets with ease, and the next, he was well aware of the car behind him.At first, he thought it was just paranoia, a side effect of the meeting with Charis and the nature of their conversation. But surely, Grimfall hadn’t learnt to drive just yet, so it couldn’t possibly be.But as the car continued to follow him, its headlights casting an unmistakable glow on the road ahead, he knew he wasn't imagining things.His instincts kicked in, and he focused on the road, his mind raced with a million possible people who could do this, but nothing seemed to stick. He knew these streets like the back of his hand, and he was determined to lose the tail.He took a sharp turn, the tires screeching in protest, and accelerated down the narrow side street. The car behind him hesitated for a moment before following, its headlights illuminating the dark alleywa

Author’s POVThe sun beat down on the field, casting a warm glow over them as they all stood aside, waiting for Aeris to call the next person up.When Zayan finally stopped panting and rejoined the others, Aeris moved over to the trunk of his car and pulled out paper figures, setting them up in front of them.He paused to catch his breath, his hands snaking around his sides as he addressed them, “Eilish, you’re up next.”Her eyes widened in surprise as she moved forward, a wave of uncertainty washing over her. She walked over, her head tilted slightly to the side, her eyes fixed on the paper figures in front of her as she tried to figure out what this was about.Rune, sensing her nervousness, stepped forward and offered her a reassuring smile. “Hey,” he called out, “you're gonna do great," his voice was soft and calming. "Just focus on the target, and let your powers flow."Eilish nodded, her eyes darting to Aeris, who stood watching her with a serious expression. "Okay," she said, he

Author’s POVAeris felt like the air had been knocked right out of his lungs. He stared at the man before him, watching as the black shadows that snaked around him seemed to have a mind of their own.He looked around, doing a headcount of the kids to ensure everyone was still accounted for, “Everyone, get behind me.” When he noticed their hesitation, he yelled, “Now!”They shuffled towards him quickly, letting him act as a human shield between them and the stranger who seemed familiar to Aeris.Wilder stood shivering, his trembling hands pressed against his ears as beads of sweat fell from him, hitting his groin in quick succession.“Please, make it stop!” He yelled, wincing lightly on the floor.Aeris let his gaze shift between his brother and the kid wriggling in pain at his feet. As cautiously as he could, he lowered himself, holding the boy steady, his eyes almost never leaving Tiago.“Stay with me now, Wilder. Stay grounded, don’t let those damn voices mess with your head.”As a

Author’s POVThe group collapsed to the ground in rapid succession, their breathing ragged and labored as they struggled to recover from the intense battle that had just ensued.Wilder gasped just then, his hands finally away from his ears as he sat upright, beads of sweat lining his forehead. His eyes were bloodshot as he looked around, almost breathless.“It’s alright,” Eilish muttered, “He’s gone now.”Wilder nodded slowly, his fear still obvious as he lowered his head, letting her hold him as he cried.“I saw it, I saw what it wants to do to everyone.” He looked around, noting the shocked expressions that stared back at him and continued, “Everyone dies. If we don’t stop him, everyone dies.”Rune was the first to answer, he gave a light shrug. "I'm out of here," he said, his voice low as he struggled to his feet, “this isn’t my fight anymore.”Wilder’s face crumpled in confusion, “What do you mean? You’re all going to let that affect the choice we all made to protect the world? Ou