The eye in the dark
721 Words
Liora felt it before she saw it.
A strange chill followed her as she walked back to the dorms that night. The academy grounds were nearly empty, and the lanterns floating above the paths flickered softly, casting long shadows across the stone walkways.
She tightened her cloak.
Something didn’t feel right.
The mark on her wrist tingled faintly.
She stopped walking.
The wind brushed past her, colder than usual. Slowly, she turned her head toward the tower above the training grounds.
For a brief moment, she saw them.
Two faint glowing eyes.
Watching her.
Her breath caught.
But just as quickly as they appeared, they disappeared into the darkness.
Liora stood frozen.
“Did I imagine that…?” she whispered.
The mark on her wrist pulsed in response.
No.
She hadn’t imagined it.
The next morning, the academy buzzed with whispers.
Students gathered in small groups, speaking in hushed voices. Even the instructors seemed more alert than usual.
Mira rushed toward Liora as soon as she entered the hall.
“Did you hear?” Mira asked, eyes wide.
“Hear what?”
“Someone broke into the restricted tower last night.”
Liora’s stomach tightened.
“The upper east tower?” she asked quietly.
Mira nodded.
“That’s where Kael stays,” she whispered.
Liora’s thoughts raced.
The glowing eyes.
The shadow.
Could it be connected?
Before she could ask more, a sudden silence spread across the hall.
Students stepped aside.
Someone had entered.
Kael.
He walked through the hall as usual—calm, unreadable—but something was different.
His sleeve was torn slightly near the shoulder.
And for the first time… Liora noticed faint marks on his hand.
Like he had been in a fight.
Their eyes met briefly.
A flicker of recognition passed between them.
Then Kael looked away and continued walking.
Mira leaned closer. “See? Something definitely happened.”
Liora nodded slowly.
But something inside her told her that Kael wasn’t the one who broke into the tower.
He had been fighting.
Not sneaking.
Later that day, Liora headed toward the library for her next assignment. The halls were quieter than usual, and the uneasy feeling from last night hadn’t left her.
As she turned a corner, a sudden force pulled her backward.
A hand covered her mouth.
She barely had time to react before she was pulled into an empty classroom.
Her heart raced.
Then the hand released her.
“Relax,” a familiar voice said quietly.
Liora spun around.
Kael.
“You scared me,” she whispered.
“You shouldn’t walk alone right now.”
Liora frowned. “Why?”
Kael glanced toward the hallway before closing the door gently.
“There’s something inside the academy,” he said quietly. “Something that shouldn’t be here.”
Liora’s pulse quickened. “The glowing eyes… was that—”
“You saw it?” he interrupted.
She nodded.
Kael’s expression darkened slightly.
“Then it’s already watching you.”
A chill ran down her spine.
“What is it?”
Kael hesitated.
“I don’t know exactly,” he admitted. “But it’s connected to the sealed door.”
Liora’s wrist tingled again at the mention.
“And it’s getting stronger.”
Silence filled the room.
Then Liora noticed something.
Kael was standing closer than before.
Close enough that she could see the faint tension in his jaw.
“You were fighting it, weren’t you?” she asked quietly.
Kael didn’t deny it.
“It’s not fully awake yet,” he said. “But when it is…”
He didn’t finish the sentence.
Liora swallowed.
“Why tell me all this?”
Kael looked at her—his expression softer than usual.
“Because it’s already chosen you.”
Her heart skipped.
Before she could respond, footsteps echoed in the hallway.
Kael stepped back instantly.
“Go,” he said quietly. “Act normal.”
Liora nodded.
She reached the door, then paused.
“Kael,” she said softly.
He looked at her.
“Be careful too.”
For a brief moment, something warm flickered in his eyes.
Then it disappeared.
“I always am,” he replied.
Liora stepped back into the hallway.
But as she walked away, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something unseen was still watching her.
Waiting.
And getting closer.
- Writer
