Marked By The Hollow Star

Sophia stopped walking. Her chest tightened like something heavy had dropped inside it. Linda’s words were still ringing in her head. I’ll fight for love. Whatever it takes. Why did it sound wrong now? She turned around slowly, scanning the playground. Students were laughing, shouting, moving around like nothing had changed. Like nothing bad was about to happen. But Sophia knew something was off. Her hands were shaking. She hugged her books closer and took a step back toward the classroom. That was when she felt it. Someone was watching her. Sophia spun around. No one. Yet the fear didn’t leave. High above the school building, on the third floor corridor, Aira froze. Her head snapped up suddenly. Her breath caught in her throat. The name came again. Sophia. Not spoken. Not whispered. It echoed inside her skull like a warning bell. Aira gripped the railing hard, her camera slipping from her fingers. Images flashed before her eyes—fast, broken, painful. A girl screaming. Blood on school tiles. A smile that didn’t belong to a human. Aira gasped and staggered back. “No,” she muttered. “Not here… not today.” She pressed her palm against her chest, trying to calm herself. Since when did her visions come without warning? Since when did they feel this close? Aira picked up her camera with shaking hands. “I need to record this,” she whispered to herself. “I need proof.” She lifted the camera and turned it on. “My name is Aira,” she said quietly, forcing her voice to stay steady. “I just transferred to Aderyn Heights College. I don’t talk much. I don’t like attention.” She paused, swallowing. “But strange things have been happening to me. And I think if I don’t document them, I might forget… or go crazy.” She took a deep breath. “There are demons living among us. We sit with them. We laugh with them. We call them friends.” She shook her head. “They can’t use their powers on humans. That’s the rule. That’s why we don’t know.” Her fingers tightened around the camera. “There are witches. There are jinns—beings that can possess people and push them to do things they never planned to do.” She hesitated. “There are time travelers. They can stop time. Go back. Change things.” Aira’s eyes darkened. “And there are seers.” She stared straight into the lens. “I’m one of them.” A loud bell rang, snapping her out of it. Students rushed past her, bumping into her shoulder. Aira lowered the camera and exhaled slowly. As she headed toward her classroom, she saw something that made her stop. Ella. Ella was sitting alone by the music room, smiling at empty air. “So tell me,” Ella said softly, brushing her hair back, “how do I look?” Aira slowed down. Ella tilted her head as if listening. “Just good?” Ella pouted. “That’s all?” A soft laugh escaped her lips. “Well… I know I did this for you.” Students passing by glanced at her and shook their heads. “She’s talking to herself again,” someone whispered. Aira’s heart skipped. She saw it. Not with her eyes. With her gift. A boy stood beside Ella. Pale. Still. Watching her with love-filled eyes. Dead. Aira sucked in a sharp breath. She sees ghosts. Ella’s smile faded. “I miss you,” she whispered. “It’s been hell without you.” Aira took a step back. This school wasn’t normal. And Ella wasn’t pretending. A sudden loud voice broke the moment. “What is this?” Irene, the school head girl, stood at the gate with her arms crossed. Her eyes burned with judgment as she looked at Anna, who stood shaking in front of her. “Why are you dressed like this?” Irene asked coldly. “I—I’m sorry, ma,” Anna stammered. “Are you sure you want to join this school?” Irene sneered. “Or are you here to join a circus?” Students laughed. “Learn class, dumbass,” Irene added, flipping her hair as she walked away. Aira clenched her fists. Power. Cruelty. Control. She felt it all mixing together like poison. In the physics class, noise filled the room until Mr. Nelson walked in. “Good morning, sir,” the students chorused. “Sit,” he said, pointing at Sophia. “Explain capacitance.” Sophia stood up. “Capaci… capa…,” her voice failed. Laughter exploded around her. Her face burned. She rushed out of the class, tears blurring her vision. Outside, she collapsed onto the playground bench, breathing hard. Linda found her minutes later. “Hey,” Linda said softly. “You okay?” Sophia looked up, her eyes red. “Let me ask you something,” she said. “What if you love someone who doesn’t love you back? Someone who makes you feel small?” Linda smiled. “I’d fight for love.” Sophia’s stomach twisted. “Whatever it takes?” she asked. Linda nodded. “Whatever it takes.” As Sophia walked away, fear wrapped around her heart. Back upstairs, Aira dropped her camera. The vision hit her again—clearer this time. Sophia. A choice. A sacrifice. Something ancient waking up. Aira’s hands trembled as she bent to pick up the camera. Her vision was still blurry, but one thing was clear now. Sophia was in danger. And it wasn’t a future problem. It was starting already. Aira looked through the classroom window. Sophia was walking back inside, her head low, her shoulders stiff like she was carrying something heavy. “Why her?” Aira whispered. Seers didn’t get answers easily. They got pieces. Broken scenes. Painful hints. And it was their job to connect them before it was too late. The bell rang again. Classes continued. Life pretended to be normal. But something had shifted. Sophia sat at her desk, staring at nothing. The teacher’s voice sounded far away. Her classmates were writing, flipping pages, breathing. Yet Sophia felt like she was underwater. Whatever it takes. Linda’s words repeated in her head. She pressed her fingers into her palm. Why did love feel like fear? Her phone vibrated softly in her bag. Sophia froze. She didn’t remember getting any message. Slowly, she pulled the phone out and glanced at the screen. Unknown number: You deserve to be loved back. Her heart skipped. She typed quickly. Sophia: Who is this? The typing bubble appeared instantly. Unknown: Someone who sees you. Someone who knows how much you hurt. Sophia swallowed hard and looked around the classroom. No one was paying attention to her. Her phone vibrated again. Unknown: You don’t have to be invisible anymore. Sophia’s breathing grew shallow. How did they know? At the same time, Ella sat in the music room, her fingers hovering above the piano keys. “Do you feel it?” she whispered. The air beside her shifted slightly. Johnson stood there, watching her with worried eyes. “Something is wrong,” Ella said. “I can hear it.” Johnson didn’t answer. That scared her. “Talk to me,” she begged softly. Still nothing. Ella’s smile faded completely. Ghosts didn’t go silent without reason. Something stronger was nearby. Something that even the dead were afraid of. Aira couldn’t focus in class anymore. Numbers on the board made no sense. Words refused to stay still. Her gift was screaming. She closed her eyes for just a second. That was a mistake. The vision crashed into her fully this time. Sophia standing alone. A mirror cracking. A voice whispering promises. Blood dripping, not forced—offered. Aira gasped loudly and knocked her chair back. Students turned. “Aira?” the teacher frowned. “Are you okay?” Aira nodded quickly. “Yes, sir.” But she was lying. This wasn’t just a vision. It was a summoning. Sophia’s phone buzzed again. Unknown: Meet me after school. Behind the old lab. Sophia’s fingers hovered over the screen. Sophia: Why should I? This time, the reply took longer. Too long. Then— Unknown: Because I can make him see you. Sophia’s chest tightened painfully. Her eyes filled with tears she didn’t let fall. She typed one word. Sophia: How? The response came with no hesitation. Unknown: There’s always a price. But love is worth it. You said so yourself. Sophia’s blood ran cold. She hadn’t said that out loud. Ella suddenly stood up from the piano. “No,” she said firmly. “I don’t like this.” Johnson finally spoke, his voice low and tense. “It’s an old thing,” he said. “Older than this school.” Ella turned to him sharply. “You said they were gone.” “I thought they were,” he replied. Ella grabbed her bag. “Then they’re back,” she said. “And someone is about to make a very bad deal.” Aira packed her bag faster than anyone else. She didn’t wait for the final bell. She didn’t care if anyone noticed. She only had one thought in her head. I have to stop her. Because Aira finally understood the core of her vision. This wasn’t about demons breaking rules. This was about humans inviting them in. And Sophia… Sophia was already listening. Aira whispered the question she was afraid to answer. “Was love really worth whatever it takes…” Or had something already chosen Sophia as its next victim?