DARK CAMPUS

Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12: The First Warning

The dreams returned, but they were no longer mine alone. I walked through places I had never

seen — a crumbling temple deep beneath the foundations of the school, its walls covered in

glowing runes that pulsed with a slow, rhythmic light; rows of figures kneeling in endless

darkness, their faces hidden beneath hooded cloaks; and a voice that echoed in my head,

resonant and cold, as if spoken inside my own chest:

"Light and dark were never meant to mix. One day, he will burn everything down just to keep

you safe. And in that fire... you will be consumed too. Heed this warning, chosen one. Turn back

before the bond becomes unbreakable, or suffer the same fate as all who came before you."

I woke up gasping, my heart racing, sweat dampening my forehead. The room was pitch black,

but I could sense a presence at my bedside. A single candle flared to life on my nightstand,

casting a warm golden glow over Alexander's face. He sat there in the shadows, watching me

sleep, his expression troubled.

The next morning, I woke up and looked at my palms. Thin, silvery lines snaked beneath my skin

like ink spreading through water, shimmering faintly when I moved my hands in the sunlight.

They looked like veins, but they weren't red — they were pale silver, pulsing gently in time with

my own heartbeat. When Alexander saw them that afternoon in his office, the color drained from

his face, leaving him pale and shaken. He reached out but hesitated to touch me, as if his very

presence might worsen what was happening.

"This is the curse," he whispered, tracing the lines with a trembling finger, careful not to make

actual contact. "The power I gave you comes at a price. The world is testing whether you are

strong enough to bear it. Every time you use what is within you, every time you call upon the

light... the darkness will leave its mark. And if the marks spread too far..." He trailed off, unable

to finish the sentence.

"I'm not afraid," I said, though my voice wavered. "We'll find a way to break it, won't we?"

He looked at me with eyes full of centuries of grief. "I will burn the world down before I let it

consume you. But that... that is exactly what they want me to do."