Chapter 5 – The Betrayal
260 Words
Amelia spun, heart racing. Standing in the tunnel was Mr. Harrow, the kindly school principal who had always offered her tea after long days. His familiar smile was gone. In its place was something cold and cruel.
“You?” she whispered.
He stepped forward, lantern light casting his shadow against the cavern wall. “Curiosity,” he sighed, “always the teacher’s flaw.”
Amelia’s mind reeled. “Why? What is this?”
“The town survives because of this,” Harrow said. “The lanterns demand balance. One life every cycle. Without them, Black Hollow would wither, swallowed by the darkness beneath this island. We sacrifice a few so the rest may live.”
Her stomach churned. “That’s madness. You’re murdering children!”
“They are chosen,” Harrow said sharply. “Marked before they’re even born. We only obey what keeps us alive.”
Amelia’s hands trembled, but anger sparked in her chest. “And you erase them from memory? Pretend they never existed?”
Harrow’s smile was thin. “It’s easier that way.”
Two men appeared behind him, townsfolk she recognized from the market. Their eyes were dull, resigned. “She knows too much,” one murmured.
Harrow raised his hand. “Take her. She will feed the flame tonight.”
Amelia backed away, her fingers brushing the shard of green glass in her pocket. As the men closed in, the shard pulsed warmly, as though alive.
And she realized—perhaps the lanterns weren’t only meant to take. Perhaps they could be broken.
- Writer
