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| The Fire and the Fear: Part 1 |
A pendant. A choice. A turning point. As Alexander channels the pain of being bullied into a force he can no longer control, a fire ignites—literally. Across town, Obadiah uncovers the theft of a forbidden relic long thought sealed away. As secrets burn and old powers stir, one truth becomes clear: Antioch has made his move. Scroll down to witness the fallout of The Fire and the Fear»
Episode 19-Part 1| The Fire and The Fear|Baylor City, SC
Across town, the music had stopped, but Alexander still felt it. Not in his ears — in his chest, in his breath, in the way the shadows clung to the corners of his room.
He 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 blackened metal — ancient-feeling, impossibly heavy for its size. The bird’s wings curved around a hollow center, as if protecting a secret.
His breath trembled. His pulse quickened.
Slowly, Alexander fastened the chain around his neck.
The moment the clasp clicked shut, the pendant pulsed—a subtle, rhythmic glow, like a heartbeat not his own.
Alexander smiled.
Warmth surged through his body. A tingling anticipation coursed through his veins. Images of grandeur flickered through his mind—kingdoms conquered, enemies defeated.
Rising, he strode to the window, gazing out at the moonlit city below. The streets were quiet, bathed in silver light—a stark contrast to the storm rising within. He could almost hear destiny whispering, propelling him toward a future unknown but tantalizing.
With a gleam in his eye, Alexander made a vow. He would embrace the greatness promised. The pendant pulsed against his chest, a steady reminder of the power within. The weight of it was reassuring, grounding.
As he stared down, the streets seemed to beckon, promising conquest and glory. He could almost taste the sweet victory awaiting him.
A sudden gust rattled the window, sending a shiver down his spine. It was as if nature itself bent to his will. He clenched the pendant, drawing strength from its glow.
He was no longer just Alexander, a teenager. He was invincible. He would make them feel it—those who had wronged and ridiculed him.
___Later that night, the Baylor City Community Center stood in silence beneath a dying streetlamp. Cracked pavement. A faded mural.
A place once full of memories—clubs, food drives, laughter, classmates.
Tonight was about revenge.
Alexander stood alone in the parking lot. His breath fogged the air. The pendant's weight was unfamiliar. Magnetic.
He didn't remember getting here. His feet had moved before his mind caught up.
"You're not nothing," a voice whispered.
Alexander's fists clenched.
Behind him, a shadow landed on the light post—a raven. Watching. Waiting.
Then Antioch's voice drifted across the lot, smooth as oil. "You came because they'll notice."
A flicker of flame sparked in the Community Center window.
"You came because deep down... you want them to feel it."
Alexander turned—just as the pendant surged with heat, like it was answering his rage.
Smoke curled from the building's frame. The window burst outward with a roar of fire. Glass rained. Heat rolled across the lot. Flames devoured the mural—the one of kids holding hands.
Alexander fell backward, horror twisting his face.
No one saw him.
Except the raven. It cawed once, then vanished into the smoke.
___A few blocks away, Laric wrinkled his nose. “Hey, do you smell that?”
Allen already had one arm in his hoodie. "The smoke is close."
They bolted down the block, joining neighbors spilling onto the sidewalks.
When they turned the corner, the Community Center was engulfed. With a groan, the roof collapsed, sending embers spiraling like butterflies.
Sirens wailed in the distance. Too late.
"Dear God," Laric whispered.
Allen stood frozen.
Through the heat, Laric spotted a silhouette at the parking lot's edge. It looked like Alexander.
He narrowed his eyes. Then the figure melted into the dark.
___Across town, deep beneath the Arklow, Brian moved through the dim corridors alone.
The scent of oil and old stone clung to the walls—familiar, almost sacred.
But something was off.
At the end of the hall, the vault door to the Restricted Artifacts Wing stood ajar.
It was never ajar.
His pulse quickened.
He reached for the keypad—but the panel blinked red. Overridden.
"Impossible," he muttered.
He shoved the door open.
Inside, shelves were untouched. Cases sealed. Except one.
A glass pedestal case stood cracked down the middle. Its steel clasps were twisted open by something unnatural.
The raven pendant was gone.
Brian’s's eyes darkened. "And so it begins."
He hovered his fingers over the pedestal. The hairs on his neck rose. This was no mortal theft. Something older was at play. His mind raced, sifting through ancient memories and forgotten lore.
The raven pendant had been locked away for a reason. Its power—too great. Too dangerous.
He stepped back. Who could have done this? The system was state-of-the-art. Yet the case was empty, undisturbed. It was as if the building itself had helped.
___One hour later, Sheriff Conrad Spriggs stood in the vaulted corridor of the Arklow, notebook in one hand, coffee in the other.
The place gave him the creeps—too quiet, too cold, too full of stories nobody talked about.
But he trusted Brian. Had for years.
“You don’t usually call me unless someone’s stealing snacks from the church pantry,” Spriggs said, trying to make light. “This one’s a little above my pay grade.”
Brian didn’t smile.
He gestured toward the cracked display case, the metal clasps warped open. “This wasn’t taken. It was… released.”
Spriggs stared a beat longer than he meant to. “Right.”
He scribbled a note, even though the words didn’t make sense.
“Lots going on in Baylor City lately,” he muttered, almost to himself. “Sleepy town’s starting to wake up. First a fire, and now a theft.”
Sheriff Spriggs looked at the forensics tech. "Any signs of forced entry?" he asked.
"None. Lock’s untouched. System wasn’t tripped. The override came from inside."
Spriggs glanced at Brian. "What—an inside job?"
Brian didn’t answer. He was still staring at the broken case.
"So, someone stole this," Spriggs said, "without tripping a single twenty-thousand-dollar sensor? Right.”
Brian remained silent.
He stared at the melted clasps. The lingering heat in the glass. He knew the culprit.
Antioch.
___As Laric and Allen walked home in silence, the scene replaying over and over—the flames, the collapsing roof, that figure in the smoke.
Laric’s voice cut through the quiet. “I saw Alexander standing in the fire…”
Allen blinked. "What? You're saying he did this? Burned down the Community Center? Why?"
Laric ran a hand through his curly hair. "He's bullied. Maybe I was just seeing things."
Allen's mind raced. The acrid smell still lingered. He looked at Laric—confused, concerned.
"You think he could do something like this?"
It seemed absurd. But Laric’s words planted a seed.
Allen thought back. Alexander alone in the halls. The jokes. The looks.
Could that kind of pain push someone to the edge?
"Maybe I'm just tired," Allen said. But doubt lingered. He’d seen something in Alexander’s eyes—a darkness.
Allen shook his head. "He's a good kid. He wouldn't do this."
Laric shrugged, eyes reflecting the fire's glow. " I know what I saw."
TO BE CONTINUED…
🔜 Next Episode: The Fire and The Fear|Part 2
The seal wasn’t broken — it was released. As Alexander drifts deeper into darkness, Laric begins to suspect the truth. The game has begun, and the pawn is already in motion.
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