The Enchanted Pulse #1

The Call Of The Lake

We sprinted through the trees, my heart pounding in rhythm with my feet slamming against the dirt. The wind picked up, whipping through the branches as if the whole forest was coming alive, chasing us. But that wasn’t the worst part.

Behind us, I could feel the lake calling me.

“Nalani! Slow down!” Mina shouted, trying to keep up, her breath ragged as she struggled through the thick underbrush.

I didn’t slow down. Something in me—something primal—was screaming to get out of there. My siren senses were going haywire, like the very water from the lake was trying to pull me back.

We burst out of the woods and into the open campus, the buildings and lights a welcome sight after the oppressive darkness of the forest. We stopped, breathless, and Mina bent over, hands on her knees, gasping for air.

“What the hell... was that?” she panted, looking up at me with wide eyes.

I swallowed hard, trying to shake the eerie sensation still clinging to my skin. “I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice shaky, “but whatever’s in that lake… it’s alive. And it knows we were there.”

Mina stood up straight, her face pale but determined. “I’m not saying we go back tonight, but we have to figure out what’s going on. You felt it, right? That energy? It’s not just a haunted lake—there’s something bigger happening.”

I nodded, still on edge, my pulse racing. I didn’t tell her the worst part—that whatever was out there, whatever was calling me, wasn’t finished with me. And it wasn’t just the lake—it was something deep inside me, something tied to my siren nature that I couldn’t shake.

As we stood there, catching our breath, a sudden voice startled us from behind.

“Rough night, ladies?”

We whipped around, and there he was. Him. The handsome human I was trying so hard to avoid. His dark hair was tousled, and his mischievous grin lit up his hazel eyes. He was casually leaning against a nearby lamppost, as if he hadn’t just caught us sneaking around like a couple of amateur ghost hunters.

“Oh great, it’s him,” I muttered under my breath, earning a sideways glance from Mina.

“You again?” I tried to keep my voice steady, but my frustration leaked through. “What are you doing here?”

He smirked and pushed off the lamppost, sauntering over to us like he owned the place. “It’s a university campus. I go here, remember? Besides, it’s not every day you see two girls running out of the woods like they’ve just seen a ghost.”

“We didn’t see a ghost,” Mina snapped, clearly still rattled. “And we weren’t running.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Uh-huh. Sure looked like running to me. So, what were you doing out there? Midnight stroll by the haunted lake?”

I shot Mina a look that said don’t say a word, but she was too flustered to catch on. “We were... investigating,” she blurted out.

I groaned internally. Great, Mina.

“Investigating what exactly?” His interest was clearly piqued, and he folded his arms, looking between the two of us.

Mina hesitated, glancing at me for backup, but I wasn’t about to share any more information with this guy. “Nothing that concerns you,” I said, trying to sound dismissive.

He tilted his head, giving me a once-over that made my skin crawl, but not in the way I’d expected. It wasn’t fear. It was something else—something dangerously close to attraction. And I hated it. “You’re Nalani, right?” he said, clearly enjoying himself. “We met earlier.”

“Yeah, I remember.” I crossed my arms, trying to put some distance between us. “And I didn’t ask your name.”

He grinned wider. “It’s Evan. But you can call me anytime.”

I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they’d get stuck. Ugh, seriously? Of all the guys to get involved with, this was not the time. Especially when I had just come from the lake that might—or might not—be hiding something supernatural.

“We really have to go,” I said, grabbing Mina’s arm. “Enjoy your night, Evan.”

As we walked away, Mina whispered, “He’s into you, you know.”

“Don’t even start,” I muttered, my mind racing. The last thing I needed was to get tangled up with a human guy—especially this guy.

We made our way back to the house we shared off-campus, and as soon as we stepped inside, Mina was back to her curious self. “So, what do you think is going on with that lake? I mean, seriously, that light we saw—it wasn’t just some reflection or something. That was... something else.”

I sat down on the couch, running a hand through my hair. “I don’t know, Mina. But whatever it is, it’s powerful. It felt like it was... calling me.”

Mina’s eyes widened. “Calling you? Do you think it’s connected to your siren side?”

I frowned, not liking the direction this conversation was going. “I don’t know. But I do know one thing—we’re not done with that lake. Something wants us to come back.”

Mina sat next to me, her voice serious now. “Then we need to figure out what it is. Because whatever’s in that lake? It’s not friendly.”

I nodded, the weight of her words settling in. She was right. And if the lake was calling to me, then it was only a matter of time before I’d have to face whatever was waiting for me beneath the surface.

And somehow, I knew that Evan—whether I liked it or not—was going to be part of this mystery too.

Great. Just what I needed.