THE RETURN OF MAGIC

RED MOONFESTIVAL

Screams filled the cafeteria.

Students shoved past each other in panic while the shadow creature crawled across the broken floor with unnatural movements. Its claws scraped against tiles, leaving black marks that smoked like burned ash.

Kai stood frozen for half a second.

The monster’s glowing red eyes remained locked on him.

Not the others.

Him.

KAI! Lyra shouted.

The creature lunged.

Kai barely moved in time as the monster slammed into a table behind him, snapping metal apart like paper.

What do we do?! Jax yelled.

No idea! Kai answered honestly.

Another creature suddenly smashed through a second window.

Then another.

Three of them now.

Students screamed louder.

The teachers were just as terrified.

One of the creatures grabbed a student by the leg

Before it could attack, a sharp wall of ice exploded upward from the floor.

CRACK!

The creature was thrown backward violently.

Everyone turned.

Elena stared at her own hands in shock.

Thin frost spread across her fingertips.

I… I did that?

No time to panic! Zion snapped.

For once, his voice sounded genuinely serious.

The creatures regrouped quickly, hissing angrily.

Kai’s heartbeat thundered inside his chest.

His palms suddenly burned.

Blue sparks flickered across his skin again.

Just like the dream.

What is happening to us Lyra whispered.

The fire alarms screamed overhead.

Then every light inside the cafeteria exploded at once.

Darkness swallowed the room.

Students cried out in fear.

Only the flashing red emergency lights remained.

And outside the shattered windows

The clouds above the city began turning red.

Slowly.

Unnaturally.

Jax looked outside fiGuys.

Everyone turned toward the sky.

A massive crimson moon hung above the city.

Too large.

Too bright.

Too close.

The entire cafeteria fell silent.

Even the creatures stopped moving momentarily.

Kai felt cold suddenly.

Like the world itself had changed.

Then one of the monsters screamed violently and charged toward them again.

This time

Zion stepped forward.

Dark smoke burst from beneath his feet.

Shadow-like energy wrapped around his arm before blasting outward like a wave.

The creature flew across the cafeteria and smashed through a wall.

Everyone stared at Zion in shock.

Including Zion himself.

What?

The remaining creatures attacked immediately.

Jax cursed loudly. Okay nope!

Flames suddenly exploded around his fists.

Bright orange fire spiraled upward violently without burning him.

Jax’s eyes widened.

THAT is new.

One creature leaped toward Lyra.

Instinctively, she raised her hand.

Silver light burst from her palm.

The creature froze midair as glowing moonlike chains wrapped around its body before slamming it into the ground.

The cafeteria shook again.

Kai stared at all of them.

Ice.

Fire.

Shadows.

Moonlight.

None of this made sense.

Then the final creature turned toward him.

Its mouth opened unnaturally wide.

And it spoke.

The Heir

Kai froze.

The monster shrieked and rushed straight toward him.

Something inside Kai snapped.

A violent surge of energy exploded through his body.

Lightning erupted around him.

BOOOOM!

Blue electricity burst outward across the cafeteria, destroying tables and blasting the creature backward through the wall.

Thunder roared deafeningly overhead.

For a moment, the entire room glowed blue.

Then silence.

Smoke filled the air.

Kai stood trembling in the center of the destruction while small sparks danced across his hands.

Everyone stared at him.

Students.

Teachers.

His friends.

Nobody spoke.

Then slow clapping echoed from the cafeteria entrance.

A tall man wearing a black coat stood there calmly.

Silver markings glowed faintly on his gloves.

His sharp eyes scanned the five friends carefully.

Interesting! the stranger said.

Behind him, more shadow creatures appeared in the hallway.

Dozens of them.

The man sighed slightly.

You children really chose the worst possible day to awaken.

Kai stepped backward cautiously.

Who are you?

The man looked directly at him.

My name is Orion.

A creature rushed toward him from behind

Without even turning around, Orion lifted one hand.

A glowing golden blade appeared instantly.

SHIIING!

The creature split apart before it even touched him.

The

cafeteria went dead silent.

Orion looked back at the group calmly.

If you want to survive tonight, he said,

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