Stolen Magic

Alaric

This time, the forest was brighter, the flames golden and warm rather than destructive. Lyra stood in the center of it, the ground beneath her glowing faintly with runes she didn’t recognize. The air hummed with power, and she felt it coursing through her veins like a river of light.

“Good,” a familiar voice said. “You’re starting to understand.”

Lyra turned, her breath catching as she saw him again. Alaric. He stepped out of the shadows, his dark hair tousled and his electric blue eyes glowing faintly. He looked like someone she should trust, yet the intensity of his gaze made her uneasy.

“I don’t understand anything,” Lyra said, her voice shaking. “Who are you? Why are you in my dreams?”

“I told you,” Alaric said, his tone patient. “I’ve been waiting for you. You’re finally waking up to who you are.”

“Who am I?” she demanded, the frustration in her chest boiling over. “Everyone keeps talking like I’m supposed to know, but I don’t!”

Alaric’s expression softened. “You’re Lyra Everhart, heir to a powerful legacy. Your blood carries the magic of the Evermoor Coven—magic that can shape the future of our world.”

Lyra staggered back, the words hitting her like a tidal wave. “The Evermoor Coven?” she echoed. “That’s impossible. My parents—”

“Are not your real parents,” Alaric said bluntly. “They’ve hidden the truth from you, tried to suppress your magic. But it was only a matter of time before it awakened.”

Her chest tightened. “Why? Why would they do that?”

“To protect you,” Alaric said. “The world outside the Evermoor is dangerous, Lyra. There are those who would kill to wield the power you hold.”

Lyra shook her head, tears pricking her eyes. “I don’t even know how to use it. I can’t control it.”

“You will,” Alaric said, stepping closer. “But first, you need to uncover the truth. Keep looking, Lyra. The answers are in that house.”

“And then what?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Then,” Alaric said, his gaze steady, “come to me. I can guide you. I can help you understand what you’re meant to be.”

Lyra stared at him, torn between trust and suspicion. “Why should I believe you?”

A faint smile tugged at his lips. “Because I’m closer to you than you think.”

Before she could ask what he meant, the dream dissolved into darkness.

Lyra woke with a start, her breath catching in her throat. The morning light streamed through her window, golden and soft, but it did little to calm the storm raging inside her. Alaric’s words lingered in her mind, his voice as clear as if he were standing beside her.

“Keep looking.”

She dressed quickly, shoving the letter and locket into her bag before heading downstairs. Her parents were already gone, off to their mysterious jobs, and the house felt eerily quiet. School passed in a blur, her thoughts consumed by the dream and the weight of the truth she was uncovering.

When she returned home, she dropped her bag by the door and went straight to the attic. There was no hesitation this time, no second-guessing. She would find the answers, no matter what it took.

The attic was just as she’d left it, boxes stacked haphazardly and dust hanging in the air. Lyra climbed over the piles, her fingers brushing against every surface as she searched for something—anything—that could tell her who she really was.

Time blurred as she worked, her frustration mounting with every empty box. But she refused to give up. Not this time. Not after what she’d seen.

Finally, her hand closed around something smooth and cool. She pulled it free, her breath catching as she realized what it was: an old wooden box, its surface carved with intricate runes.

Her heart pounded as she opened it. Inside was a book, its cover bound in leather and embossed with the same symbols that had appeared in her dreams. Beneath it lay a pendant—a crescent moon inlaid with a shimmering blue stone.

Lyra’s fingers trembled as she picked up the pendant, its surface warm to the touch. The magic inside her stirred, like a spark waiting to ignite.

This was it. The truth was finally within her grasp.

And nothing would stop her from finding it.