The person's firm hold on my neck nearly caused me to suffocate. Although I attempted to loosen my grip, my body's pressure simply worsened matters."Quit it, Mira! There's nothing wrong with you, according to him!" Myra let out a scream, and by that time, she had grabbed my leg to keep me from dangling."What are you doing, Mira? I know that you're simply trying to make a scandal out of me so you can get rid of me as student council regent. Stop what you’re trying to kill her!" Isabel, who had noticed that her palm was beginning to turn black, attempted to stop Mira. Her iris color was changing to a brilliant white.In a close call, I nearly passed out. For an instant, I felt my hands move on their own to my suffocating tendon. I could feel the electricity frying them. Still, with a gleam in her eye, Mira raised the hand that would be her instrument in releasing my neck from whatever power was holding me there.This is not how I die. This is not how I die... This thought kept running
I am a deadlock. Suppressed and isolated: feared by a great number of people. If I could have shouted from the highest rooftops that I was a healer, I would have, but I can't. But what kind of person would make me out to be? I was unable to conjure spells or brew potions successfully. I was unsuccessful in my attempts to cultivate greens. I was neither a witch nor a faerie in any way. Even I wasn't some hybrid. I did not fall into any particular category. I had the impression I was something other than merely a healer. I had seen what had happened in my nightmares. The number of occurrences is considered to be quite high. When I bleed, the blood is a grayish-white color with flecks of black and white, and it sparkles like the stars in the night sky. At various points in time, both the light and the dark were chasing after me. Just who am I? And I had no idea what you were talking about. It's possible there was a reason for the stalemate. At least I had Myra and the weird guy Oswin
After Sir Ferns went over the guidelines for both camp and the academy, he assigned everyone to work on camp gridlock.Gardening, maintaining the school, hunting, and logging would all be rotated among the three people once a week. Myra, Oswin, and I worked together on this project. Myra was well-versed in all the goings-on at the academy. When it came to deadlocks, she was a wiseacre.Our team's project this week is maintenance and support at a local school. Deadlocks' primary responsibilities in this role included repairing bulletins, signage, and posters, helping with stage decorations, and delivering fresh supplies to the academy's camps, including the squad houses. With that final idea, I had to swallow hard. Instantly, the thought of The Drift came back to me.Oswin had grown impatient while waiting for me. While Myra was still tidying up for her delivery of fresh supplies, we dug carrots out of the raised garden beds and ate them while we waited.When uniformed Myra appeared, w
That burning sensation I felt as his gaze shifted from a corner to mine gave me a burning sensation—an impossible amount of fire that almost turned me into ashes.He let go, and just like the light bulb that needed power, our bodies returned to their typical colors, but the sensation stayed.Am I his imprint, or are we woven into cross paths and building something already carved by the fates? Or maybe I am overthinking. Again.Maybe I was wrong... Or perhaps I was not wrong.The first instinct I had was to run. Run. Yes, I had to run and get away from this burning yet soothing sensation. I felt like this tingling in my chest signified something.Danger.Dad had always warned us not to engage in anything suspicious. This inner stir he had given me could lure me into a trap. I sensed it. I felt it. My instinct told me.I could have gone back on the wagon and withdrawn from the situation. Avoid the crucible at all costs! Isabel could have perhaps known the solution.As he turned around,
I clenched my fist, ready to punch the guy. Though I have never studied self-defense, I was not about to let this man's kiss serve as an introduction. Unfortunately, for him, his wish will not come true.His breath warmed the tip of my ear. He had his back to the wall behind me like that.He bowed low. Nearer. I almost looked at his face without knuckles in the grip.The house was bathed in light from our bodies. Oh, I was so relieved.The energy was warm, and I could feel it moving toward my hand. Until recently, I doubted that my body could effectively react to threats and keep me safe. My system can heal any wound quickly, but that's all I know.Both of my hands were glowing brightly. Perhaps the other boys saw him, and he stopped coming close to kissing me.He turned his back on me and looked elsewhere. His frustration caused his jaw to stiffen. The disappointment on his face vanished instantly when he saw the flashlights I was holding."Well, that's promising." He was looking at
"I decline the invitation." Sitting across from The Drift at the table that doubled as an extension of Isabel's office as student council regent, I made my statement. My anxious chest. Once again, I was put in the path of this fearsome group.Mira smiled sarcastically, sitting between Chase and Fabian. She raised an eyebrow and said, "You know, if this is about the last time, I understand. But no one ever rejects The Drift.""I just did."Isabel smirked, trying to suppress the laughter in her chest. My response to Mira seemed to satisfy her.Leaning against the wall, Glor Fina was surprisingly reticent. That's how she usually stayed calm under pressure. It seemed as though the conclusion of this discussion was of little importance to her."Stella, this is to your advantage. Becoming our apprentice would help you reach your potential." Fabian insisted. His burning blue eyes never left mine.Chase now joined Fabian in exchanging looks with the other person. After glancing at us, I notic
Three deadlocks, a seer, and a weaver. We just became a squad. Even with Isabel, I was at a loss where to begin looking into Sandro's disappearance. Yes, she's sharing her side of the tale, but what about the other perspectives?I was aware that Mira had good reason to dislike her; after all, she claimed to have seen Isabel and Sandro in the hours before Sandro vanished. I did not believe what anyone said. A definitive account of the truth had not yet been uncovered; after all, it didn't matter who told the tale.Now, where do we even begin?"I know how we start working on the Sandro Aragon case!" One morning, while doing nothing, Myra was turning over the soil in the cabbage bed. After completing our school maintenance and upkeep tasks, we decided to lend a hand in the garden.Even though it was still dark outside, the woman was bursting with life force. Her attention was fixed on the tasks at hand in the garden, and she worked tirelessly. I might have thought she was a fae if she we
It was a weekend. It had been a family day. Avi and I would enjoy our time with our parents, and I would keep my excitement under control.Our father had already been knocking at the caretaker’s room of the 5th crucible. I could always count on Dad to be punctual. He had a knack for never being late. He would arrive at the terminal ten to five minutes early, at six o'clock, when he said he would.A flower shop by the name of Esahc was our last stop before returning home. Avi and I were planning a flower delivery for mom. She had a soft spot for peonies.I was in the process of picking out a bouquet of fresh flowers for mom as Avi perused the selection of gift wrap. He was in the automobile, keeping a watchful eye. Instead of the habit of interfering in Avi’s unusual routines without good reason, he let us do our shopping.As I paid for my five peony stems, I was greeted by a familiar face across the flower stand. While on the phone, he held a large bunch of yellow and white tulips."I
Chase wished for her. Because fate had decreed that he would be the one to save the Tribe when evil seeded. For a long time, almost every living thing on the planet believed that this was the ultimate goal—he who would save us all. True. I'm guessing quite frequently. But, there are those people who selected the road to their own ruin. Either temporarily or indefinitely. He could have been one of the unlucky few. Be cautious of what you hope for. The rumors have it, but he didn't pay any heed. Chase did not beg a falling star to help him keep the tribe safe on the night in question. He merely desired to be content. The desire to find true love. He thought that true love had an eternal essence. He did. Stella descended from the stars the same night. His desire. Yet, if wishes could be granted, why didn't his hope for bliss and eternal love come true? Why did it tear him to shreds? Perhaps not all of our desires are granted; perhaps a meteor's fall does not magically fulfill all of
My mind was deluged with disturbing visuals. There appeared to be no living things. Nothing but an enormous void of darkness exists. Should we consider Tribes over at this point? Is this what my bleak visions of the future mean? So, this is it? "Chase," Mira muttered behind me. He clung to my arm, which he hadn't done in a long time because he hated me for losing Sandro. "Please tell me what you see, Isabel. Please let me know if you can see the photo of us... of Tribus." I stammered as I tried to speak. As thick black smoke gradually enveloped the entire dome, my entire system trembled. "I'm not seeing anything. I can't. Nothing is visible to me!" "This can't be happening," said Fina, who was standing behind me. The density of the dark smoke increased. None of the doom tree's limbs were visible to us. Our shared anxiety united us. Is it the end of everything? The last place I saw Chase, my eyes widened as I noticed a small light there. That is until the intensity of the storm
A strong breeze blew. Leaves, small branches, and sand fluttered in the breeze. The entire opening of that volcano was barely visible to me. Even with my glasses on, I fell asleep because my lashes are short. I leaned in close to Fabian and Stella. "Clypeus!" Mira begins to cast her spell. Then, gradually, a semitransparent, glass-like dome forms around us. Mira sat behind the sobbing Fabian, comforting his back. Many people see it as rude and hard, but there is a hint of sadness on its face. It is understanding. "She desired to live. I could see it in her eyes. She wanted to be with us, but fate had other plans." The man hugged Stella's body once more. "She's a pleasant person. I'm sorry for your loss, Fabian and Isa "Fina, who was sitting at Stella's feet, made a sad statement. Even though Fina's statement was brief, I could sense her sincerity. I was surprised to hear Mira sobbing behind Fabian. Perhaps he is sorry for what he did to Stella. Tears formed on the bridge of her ey
A piercing scream filled the volcano's mouth. Fighting with opponents had almost rendered me paralyzed. Chase here. I can hear his anguish from where I am. He's finished it. It has been completed. Stella has been drained to death by him. Stella... My dearest friend. She's left. She was consumed by both, as I have seen many times. All of my friends were being taken away from me by fate. Sandro. Myra. Oswin. Now Stella. Tears streamed down my cheeks gradually. I really wish we had more time. Stella exudes positivity. I wish it had ended differently. This is not the case. This is not the case. Chase yelled once more. This created a powerful wave of energy. The man is in mourning. I understand your anguish. That is why his power has been increased by a factor of two. Never underestimate the strength of a bereaved soul. It is capable of destroying an entire village in its grief. Thank you very much! I raised my eyes to the doom tree's flowers once more. My heart was pounding
From the glowing cylinders strewn about, three divine forms form a triangle. A tailcoat tuxedo in a scotch mist white with solid silver Gothic buttons was what Sir Ultra wore. As he descended into the volcano's crater, his mournful gaze followed me. Sir Blue Dane, decked out in a brown military jacket and worn pants, stood across the way. Sir Strike comes down from up high in his trademark black trenchcoat and blows off the Santis. The nearest landing spot was right here, and he kept looking between me and Chase, who was still asleep. That's right, they've finally arrived. Trinity touched down in the volcano's sandy crater. They didn't waste any time, Blue Dane and Ultra. As soon as they landed, they unleashed a barrage of counterattacks on their foes. Meanwhile, I was aware of Sir Strike's close proximity to me. In an instant, his jaws tightened and his golden eyes narrowed. "I hope we're not late," he said quietly as he yanked the grass wrapped around me with all his effort. Whe
Like a light of a single firefly banishing in the prey's mouth, his burning eyes were gone, and so was his grip, which was almost an inch away from my hands. Oswin was able to move him to the point where the bullets would have passed through, which should have been for the enemy. Chase hesitated when he got to his new place, but as soon as he did, three bullets hit his right chest in quick succession. Chase almost recoiled as the bullets hit his body. White, icy mist splattered from the gunshot. like a ball bursting inside after hitting a sharp and deadly bullet. My heart slowly disintegrated seeing his demise. "Chase!" I screamed. I tried to run towards where the man was now unable to move and what looked like a lump of ice in the standing. Chase was frozen solid, metaphorically speaking. He was paralyzed from the neck down. As the scalding liquid trickled down my cheeks, I made an effort to close the gap. As I walked up to the man, tears filled my eyes. It didn't go unnoticed b
This scene was shattered by four shots fired in rapid succession. My first taste of the pungent, cold gunpowder came from the locusts released by Isabel's magical rifle.The next thing I noticed was the smell, which seemed to be deteriorating muscle, fabric, and rubber. When I turned around to face the shadow sorcerers following me, I saw that they, too, were dissolving like ice in the presence of a powerful flame. Isabel praised them as she walked toward them with her gun still pointed at Sandro. Myra and Oswin stayed inside the massive energy orb. Sandro made a gesture that his black coworkers should not attack. I think he was trying to protect Isabel. The all-black group didn't do anything as the student regent moved closer to his old friend. Sandro froze in place. Isabel approached him, the rifle pointing directly at his face. As the man traced a path between them, I saw Isabel take a few gulps at a time. When he got close enough, I could see the whites of his eyes reddening un
"Detrahet me in vas+," came a whisper in the wind. It echoed in my head. Detrahet me in vas... I was suddenly reminded of the mark it made on my mind during the silent hour at the academy, which Isabel informed me meant "bring me the vessel."As the four dark sorcerers held me captive, I fought to free myself. The tight grasp of their dry hands and sharp nails had already begun to irritate my arm and leg. I was definitely terrified when I saw his face again, and I let out a shriek. The look on his face spelled doom for me.I felt my chest disappear. Because of the attention I received from my peers, the struggle was particularly intense. Chase emerged from hiding behind the massive boulder and began to stand. Time will tell, but it seems likely that it will bolt off again soon.They are doomed to die. If it didn't finish, people could feel sorry for me, and that would lead to many deaths. I would not tolerate pity on anyone else's part.But what should I do first, and how?It seemed t
Each passing second was accompanied by the shrill sound of my heart. Then the noise level skyrocketed, and I could see everything happening right in front of my eyes. It felt like my body was going numb with each pulse of my heart and every pump of my veins.A part of me felt like it was wasting away, but my brain wouldn't let me give up.Yes. I did my best to stick to the established sequence. My world nearly came apart at the seams because I trusted the weaver's prophecy. I thought that the beginning and end of my story were written by the universe itself.But.In the middle of the beginning and the end, a pause gave me a chance to alter my fate, if I so chose.This was presented to me by him.I needed Chase to give me hope so that I could keep going until the battle was over. To fight back at every turn, and perhaps throw a wrench into what the foresightful weavers and seers have planned.As he raced to save me, I realized he wanted to prove that he would fight and try to change fa