First Attack
537 Words
Three days passed quietly.
Too quietly.
Luke spent most of his time researching old legends with Seren in the town library, while Allyah tried to focus on normal life—helping her family, meeting Mara, pretending nothing strange was happening.
But the whispers never fully stopped.
Sometimes they came while she was walking through town.
Sometimes while she was eating dinner.
Always brief.
Always mysterious.
"The seeker grows stronger."
"Guard the light."
"Trust your heart."
The last one made her blush every time.
Late one afternoon, Allyah walked alone toward the river.
She needed fresh air.
And maybe a moment away from the chaos in her mind.
The sun was setting, painting the sky in soft shades of orange and pink.
The river looked peaceful.
For a moment, she almost forgot about Ethan.
Then the wind shifted.
Cold.
Sudden.
Allyah froze.
Footsteps echoed behind her.
“Well, well.”
Her stomach dropped.
Ethan stepped out from behind a tree.
He looked calm, almost amused.
“Nice evening for a walk.”
Allyah stepped back.
“What do you want?”
Ethan tilted his head slightly.
“Just a conversation.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“That’s fair.”
The sky above flickered faintly.
Ethan looked up.
“They like you more than the others.”
Allyah frowned.
“What?”
“The stars,” he said.
“They talk to you differently.”
Her heart pounded.
“How do you know that?”
Ethan smiled.
“Because I can feel it.”
Before she could respond, he lifted his hand.
The air around them shimmered.
A small cluster of stars above the river began to glow brighter.
Allyah’s eyes widened.
“You’re controlling them.”
“Borrowing,” Ethan corrected.
Suddenly, the whispers exploded inside her mind.
"Danger!"
"Run!"
Allyah turned to run—
But a force slammed into the ground in front of her.
A burst of starlight.
Ethan laughed softly.
“Relax. I’m not trying to hurt you.”
“Then what?”
“I just want to understand something.”
“What?”
Ethan’s eyes glowed faintly.
“Why the stars chose you.”
Before Allyah could respond, another voice cut through the air.
“Step away from her.”
Luke.
He ran down the hill toward them, Seren close behind.
Ethan sighed.
“Ah. The hero arrives.”
Luke stepped between them.
“Leave her alone.”
Seren’s eyes narrowed.
“You’re breaking the rules, Ethan.”
Ethan shrugged.
“Rules are boring.”
Luke clenched his fists.
“You want power? Then face us.”
Ethan smiled slowly.
“Not yet."
He looked at Allyah one last time.
“But soon.”
Then the starlight around him flickered—and he vanished into the darkness.
The river returned to silence.
Allyah’s legs trembled.
Luke turned to her quickly.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded weakly.
“Yeah… I think so.”
Seren stared at the sky.
“That was just a test.”
Luke frowned.
“A test for what?”
Seren’s voice was quiet.
“For war.”
The stars above them flickered again.
And Allyah suddenly understood something terrifying.
The real battle hadn’t even started yet.
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- Writer
