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| The Pawn's Dilemma |
A pendant. A choice. A turning point. As Alexander accepts a dark gift that awakens something within him, Obadiah is reunited with his most trusted lieutenant, Luk-el—who has come to protect him, with or without orders. Scroll down to witness Antioch’s first strike below »
Episode 18| The Pawn's Dilemma|Baylor City, SC
Alexander’s locker slammed shut with a metallic bang, the sound too loud for the chatter buzzing around him. His hands trembled — still shaking from what happened in the gym the day before.
The stranger’s voice echoed like a ghost.
"To make them see your worth."
He wanted that more than anything.
Laughter erupted behind him. Alexander stiffened.
“Hey, Smutty!”
A shoulder slammed into his side. His books hit the floor, papers scattering like leaves. He clenched his fists, jaw tight, eyes on the ground as laughter rose around him.
“Oops.” Jude smirked as he walked past. “My bad, man.”
Alexander’s pulse thundered.
Not today. Not again.
A soft caw from the window made him look up.
A raven perched on the ledge outside, its feathers black as oil. It didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Just stared — too still to be normal.
Alexander swallowed. The shame burned hotter, rising like a flame beneath his skin.
Then came the whisper:
"You don’t have to take this anymore."
He turned sharply.
Nothing.
Just students walking past, laughing, unaware of the voice curling through the air like smoke.
"I see you."
His fingers twitched.
The raven let out a low caw, then spread its wings and lifted into the sky.
For the first time in a long time… Alexander didn’t feel helpless. He felt seen.
___
Across the hall, Laric and Allen watched Alexander storm off.
“Man, it’s getting worse,” Allen muttered.
Laric didn’t respond at first. Alexander had always been quiet — bullied but unbroken. But today… something felt different. Sharper. Off.
And that raven…
Laric had seen it too. Perched on the window. Watching. And when Alexander looked at it — something shifted.
A chill slid down his spine.
“Allen,” Laric said slowly. “I think Alexander’s in trouble.”
Allen sighed. “No kidding.”
“No,” Laric said, eyes narrowing. “I mean real trouble.”
___
Later that night, Alexander sat on his bed, restless. Loud rock music blasted through the bedroom, but the feeling wouldn’t leave. The voices lingered — something… someone was watching.
He stared at the window. His reflection looked pale, uncertain.
Then the shadow moved.
He flinched.
A shape perched in the tree outside — the raven.
But this time, its eyes glowed faintly.
A voice, soft as silk, slipped through the air: "Come outside, Alexander."
His heart pounded. His brain screamed: Close the window. Go to sleep. Forget it all.
But his body moved.
Shoes on. Quiet steps. Out into the night.
The raven swooped low, landing on the sidewalk. It cocked its head once.
"You're stronger than they know."
“Get out of my head!” he yelled.
The raven cawed again.
The air grew thick — unnaturally still. No crickets. No breeze. No cars. Just silence.
The shadows stirred.
Two figures emerged.
The boy from the gym — tall, lean, cloaked in darkness — stood in front. His red eyes glowed beneath his hood. Beside him, a woman in flowing black smiled with pale, predatory delight.
Alexander froze.
The boy spoke. “We meet again, Alexander.”
Same voice. Same calm danger.
“Who… who are you?” Alexander asked.
“I told you,” the boy said, stepping closer. The cold around him deepened. “I see your potential. You were born for more than this.”
He gestured toward the house behind Alexander — quiet, small, ordinary.
“Bullies. Silence. Powerlessness. That’s not your story.”
The woman’s laugh was light and sharp.
“He doesn’t believe you,” she said softly.
Antioch’s red eyes locked on Alexander. “Do you?”
Alexander opened his mouth, but no words came. Only memories: Jude’s smug face. The laughter. The powerlessness.
The woman stepped forward, her pale eyes glowing. “You’re tired of being invisible, aren’t you?”
Alexander’s throat tightened.
“They don’t respect you,” Antioch added. “But they will.”
He reached into his cloak and pulled out a pendant — a raven carved in obsidian, wings curled protectively around a hollow center.
“This is yours,” Antioch said. “A gift. With it, you’ll never be powerless again.”
Alexander stared at it.
This is wrong, a voice whispered inside him.
But the air pulsed. The night wrapped around him like velvet. And still…
He didn’t want to walk away.
His hand lifted.
His fingers brushed the metal.
A jolt shot through him — cold fire in his veins.
Antioch’s smile widened.
“Take it, Alexander,” the witch purred. “Embrace your strength.”
He hesitated.
Then slowly, breath shallow, he closed his hand around the pendant.
It shimmered in his palm — as if it breathed.
The dark figures stepped back, satisfied.
“Good,” Antioch said. “The first step is always the hardest. But now…” He grinned. “Now we begin.”
Alexander’s vision blurred. Darkness licked at his skin, coiling into his chest.
And when he opened his eyes, they flashed — blood red.
___
“Delia, I’m going to take a walk around the museum,” Brian said, adjusting his blue tie.
“Don’t forget the board meeting at 10:30,” his secretary reminded him.
He held up his phone. “I’ve got it covered. Call me if anything comes up.”
As he stepped into the hallway, he nearly collided with Ava Pearce, first lady of Baylor City’s largest church.
“Ava. Good morning,” he said warmly, giving her a gentle hug. “How are you?”
Ava’s lips parted, but her eyes said more than her voice could. “Brian…”
He read the strain in her expression. “You want to talk in my office?”
She hesitated, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “Actually... would you mind walking with me? I don’t want to sit right now. What I have to say won’t take long.”
He nodded, offering his arm. “Of course.”
As they walked past the exhibits, Brian noticed the way Ava’s shoulders curled inward, her posture small.
“Did Timothy show up this morning?” she asked.
“Yes,” Brian said. “On time. Ready to work.”
Ava stopped mid-step. “He did? He’s here?”
“He is.” Brian gave her a curious look. “Why wouldn’t he be?”
Ava exhaled shakily. “Praise God. I thought he’d left town after the fight with Thomas.”
“What happened?”
She shook her head. “You know their history. It's never been easy between father and son. But this time... Thomas threw him out. I didn’t stop it. I just stood there.” Her voice cracked. “I feel like I’ve failed him again.”
Brian’s voice softened. “Do you want me to speak to him?”
Ava nodded. “Please. Just… see if he needs anything.”
“I’ll make sure he’s okay,” Brian promised.
They stopped near the elevator. As the doors opened, he gave her a parting hug and a reassuring smile.
When the doors slid shut, Brian’s shoulders dropped. The tension between Timothy and Thomas had been brewing for years — spiritual pressure under the surface of their family, threatening to rupture.
He turned and walked toward the Hall of Origins, the museum’s centerpiece.
There, behind a glass partition, stood a towering recreation of the Garden of Eden. A waterfall flowed behind illuminated panels, casting soft ripples of light across sculpted vines and stylized figures of Adam and Eve. Brian paused before Eve, the fruit frozen mid-offer in her stone hand.
He studied it quietly. The air behind him shifted — not with movement, but with presence.
He turned, and the air cooled slightly, as if recognizing something celestial.
Luk-el leaned casually in the archway, blazer sharp, posture easy. A school ID clipped to his belt read: Lucas Elliott.
“Nice exhibit,” he said. “Though the lighting could use some work.”
Brian blinked. “Luk-el?” He thought back to what Antioch said, Tell your pet, Luk-el, to stay out of my business. He’s meddling where he doesn’t belong.”
Luk-el gave a slow nod.
Brian stepped forward, voice low. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
“I know.”
“The Watchtower didn’t tell me you were sent.”
“They didn’t,” Luk-el replied calmly. “I wasn’t dispatched. I volunteered.”
Brian stiffened. “You came without sanction?”
Luk-el tilted his head. “Antioch arrived. I didn’t wait for permission.”
Silence hung between them — heavy but not hostile.
Brian placed his hands behind his back. “Antioch paid me a visit.”
Luk-el straightened with concern.
“No worries.” Obadiah said. “He just wanted me to know he arrived.”
“What else did he say?” Luk-el asked.
“He wants you to stay out of his business.”
Luk-el leaned his head to one side. “I’m sure he does, we both know that’s not going to happen.”
Obadiah ran a hand across his forehead. “Does that have to do with the name?”
“Lucas Elliott,” Luk-el answered, gesturing to his ID. “New history teacher at Baylor High School.”
Brian blinked. “You’re at Laric’s school?”
“He doesn’t know who I am. Not yet.”
Brian narrowed his eyes. “Students. The idea place for him to recruit.”
Luk-el’s gaze didn’t waver. “Exactly. I planned to be right there to stop him.
🔙 Next, in Episode 19: The Fire and the Fear| Part 1
Alexander channels the pain of being bullied into a force he can no longer control, a fire ignite in Baylor City.
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