 |
| The Pawn's Dilemma |
Alex gritted his teeth as he slammed his locker shut. The hall buzzed with after-school chatter, but he barely heard it. His hands still shook from what happened in the gym the day before.
He didn’t know why the stranger’s words echoed in his head.
"To make them see your worth."
He wanted it more than anything.
Laughter erupted behind him. Alex stiffened.
"Hey, Thompson!"
Alex turned just as a shoulder slammed into his side. His books hit the floor, papers flying. He clenched his fists, staring at the ground as laughter filled the hall.
"Oops." Jason, the ringleader, smirked as he walked past. "My bad, man."
Alex’s breath came in sharp bursts. His pulse pounded in his ears.
Not today. Not again.
A soft caw from the window made him look up.
A raven perched on the ledge, black feathers gleaming in the afternoon light. It tilted its head, watching him with unnatural stillness.
Alex swallowed hard. His anger, his humiliation—it burned, boiling under his skin.
Then, a whisper.
"You don’t have to take this anymore."
Alex’s breath caught. He turned sharply, searching for the voice.
Nothing.
Just students laughing and walking past as if they didn’t hear a woman’s voice curl through the air like smoke.
"I see you."
His fingers twitched. The raven let out another caw, then spread its wings and took flight.
Alex’s heart pounded. For the first time in a long time, he felt something other than helplessness.
Someone saw him.
Across the hall, Laric and Allen watched Alex storm away. Something felt... wrong.
"Man, he's getting worse," Allen muttered beside him.
Laric nodded slowly. Alex had always been quiet, always endured the bullying without fighting back. But today his energy was different—sharper, darker.
And then there was that raven.
Laric had seen it too, perched on the window, watching. The moment Alex looked at it, he changed.
A chill crawled up Laric’s spine.
"Allen," Laric said, eyes narrowing. "I think Alex is in trouble."
Allen sighed. "No kidding."
Laric shook his head. "No. I mean real trouble."
Later that night, Alex sat on his bed, unable to shake the feeling that something was watching him.
He stared at his reflection in the window.
Then, a shadow moved.
His breath caught. A shape perched on the tree outside his open window—the raven.
But this time, its eyes weren’t black.
They glowed.
A voice curled through the air, soft as silk.
"Come outside, Alex."
Alex’s pulse jumped. His head told him to ignore it—to shut the window, go to sleep, forget everything.
But his feet moved on their own.
He slipped on his shoes, heart racing, and stepped outside.
The raven swooped down, landing lightly on the sidewalk. It cocked its head.
"You're stronger than they know," the voice whispered again.
Alex swallowed. His fingers twitched. "Who... are you?"
The raven let out a soft caw—and suddenly, the shadows behind it shifted.
The night air hit like ice. The world was unnaturally still—no crickets, no distant hum of cars, only thick, stifling quiet.
The raven hopped closer, wings rustling softly.
The shadows behind it stirred.
Two figures emerged.
The man from the gym—tall, lean, and cloaked in shadow—stood at the center. His red eyes glowed faintly beneath his hood. Beside him stood a woman in a flowing black dress, her pale face twisted into a predatory smile.
Alex froze, throat dry.
The man smiled. "We meet again, Alex."
His voice was exactly the same as in the gym—smooth, familiar, and terrifying.
"Who... who are you?" Alex asked, voice cracking.
"I told you already," the man said, taking a step closer. The air around him grew colder. "I'm someone who sees your potential. Someone who knows you're meant for more than... this."
He gestured toward the Thompson house behind Alex—a modest, unassuming home.
"Bullies. Silence. Powerlessness. You were born for more."
The woman’s laugh was soft and sharp. Mocking.
"He doesn’t believe you," she whispered.
Antioch's eyes narrowed as he studied Alex.
"Do you?"
Alex tried to speak, but his chest was too tight. He thought of Jason’s smug grin as he knocked his books down. The laughter. The burning shame.
The woman stepped closer. Her eyes were a pale, icy gray, and they seemed to peel back the layers of his soul.
"You're tired of being invisible, aren’t you?" she said softly.
Alex’s breath caught in his throat.
"They don’t respect you," Antioch added. "But they will."
He reached into his cloak and pulled out a pendant. The metal caught no light; it seemed to absorb the darkness around it.
The charm was shaped like a raven, its wings outstretched. The chain swung hypnotically from his fingers.
"This is yours," Antioch said. "A gift. With it, you’ll no longer be powerless."
Alex stared at the pendant. Deep in his gut, he knew taking it was wrong.
But the weight of all his humiliations pressed on him. Jason’s laughter. The whispers. The constant feeling of being less.
His hand lifted. His fingers brushed the cold metal.
A jolt shot up his arm, like ice and fire mixed together.
Antioch’s smile deepened.
"Take it, Alex," the witch whispered. "Embrace your strength."
Alex’s heart pounded.
He clenched the pendant in his fist.
The raven on the charm seemed to shiver as if it were alive. The ground beneath his feet vibrated.
Antioch stepped back. The witch did the same, their faces triumphant.
"Good," Antioch said. "The first step is the hardest. But now... now we begin."
Alex’s vision blurred. Darkness wrapped around him, coiling into his veins.
And when he opened his eyes, they briefly glowed crimson.
The next morning, Obadiah stood in the museum before an ancient manuscript, his hands clasped behind his back. He wasn’t looking at the artifact. He was listening.
Something was off. The city's energy had shifted. Darkness was moving.
The soft scuff of footsteps made him turn. Luk-el leaned against the nearby wall, arms crossed.
"You feel it too," Luk-el said.
Obadiah exhaled. "Antioch’s starting."
Luk-el's expression remained unreadable. "He’s not just here to cause chaos. He’s setting something in motion."
Obadiah turned fully to face him. "You were always good at reading the battlefield, Luk-el. Tell me—why do you think he's here?"
Luk-el hesitated. "He’s gathering pieces. Pawns."
Obadiah’s stomach twisted.
Luk-el nodded grimly. "If we don’t act soon, many will be lost."
Meanwhile, across town, Alex sat at his desk, staring at his reflection in the window.
The raven pendant Antioch had given him lay cool against his palm. The chain was sleek and black, the small insignia of the raven cold beneath his fingertips.
"Greatness is within your grasp," the voice had whispered the night before.
Alex’s breath trembled. His pulse quickened.
Slowly, he fastened the chain around his neck.
The moment the clasp clicked shut, the pendant pulsed with a faint, rhythmic glow—like a heartbeat sinking into his skin.
And Alex smiled.
Note: The story above is a work of fiction created for inspirational purposes. Any resemblance to actual individuals or events is purely coincidental
No comments:
Post a Comment