The Secret Within
288 Words
The Secret Within
The wind howled through Clara’s cottage like an angry spirit.
Curtains flew wildly. The fire blazed high without touching the wood. Plates crashed from the shelves.
Clara held onto the table, staring in shock.
Eli was on his knees, clutching his head.
“Make it stop!” he cried.
The stranger stood at the doorway, calm but watchful.
“You see now?” he said. “He cannot control it.”
Clara rushed to Eli and wrapped her arms around him.
“He’s just frightened!”
“No,” the man replied. “He is awakening.”
Eli’s screams grew louder. Suddenly, the room flashed with bright silver light.
Then everything stopped.
The wind died.
The fire returned to normal.
The cottage fell silent.
Eli collapsed into Clara’s arms, weak and shaking.
She glared at the stranger. “Who are you?”
The man hesitated, then removed a small symbol hanging from his coat—a circle with a star inside it.
“My name is Rowan,” he said quietly. “I belong to the Order of Ashen Keep.”
Clara had never heard of it.
“We protect the world from powers that should never wake,” Rowan continued. “And the boy... is one of them.”
Eli opened his eyes slowly.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone,” he whispered.
Clara touched his face gently. “You won’t.”
Rowan stepped closer.
“If he stays here, your village will suffer. Others are already searching for him.”
Before Rowan could answer, a loud horn echoed from outside.
All three turned toward the window.
On the hill beyond the village stood three riders dressed in black cloaks.
Watching the cottage.
- Writer
