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| Before the Storm |
As ominous signs spread across Baylor City, Laric delivers a warning that confirms what Obadiah already fears — the hunt has begun. Faced with rising darkness and fading strength, Obadiah is transported to a place of memory, where an old friend reminds him what it truly means to be chosen. Scroll down to witness the turning point below »
Episode 16| Before the Storm|Arklow Bible Museum
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| Trouble at Dusk |
Episode 15 |Trouble at Dusk|Baylor City High School
The sun dipped low behind the trees as Laric, Allen, and a few other students wandered into the quiet park just beyond the school’s back lot. It was tradition — an unofficial meet-up before prom week kicked off.
“Ten bucks says someone spikes the punch at prom,” Allen said, tossing a football back and forth with a lanky kid named Wes.
“Twenty says it’s your dad who catches them,” Laric joked.
Allen grinned. “You’re not wrong. Nothing gets past Officer ‘Paranoia’ Spriggs.”
A gust of wind stirred the branches overhead. Laric glanced up — a dark shape shifted across the pink-and-gold sky.
Just a raven. He brushed it off.
Nearby, Zanna Sinclair sat on the swings, scrolling her phone. Laric’s pulse kicked up. He was still working up the courage to ask her to prom — and now she was right there.
“Go talk to her,” Allen whispered, nudging him.
Laric hesitated. “Not yet.”
He could feel something — a disturbance in the air, like pressure just before a storm. His senses were tuned sharper than most. A legacy of his bloodline, though even he didn’t fully understand it yet.
Another gust of wind rustled the trees.
This time, the raven didn’t just pass overhead. It perched atop a lampost, scanning them.
Laric stiffened.
Allen noticed. “What’s up?”
“Don’t you think it’s weird that a raven’s watching us?”
Allen scoffed. “It’s a bird. Welcome to nature.”
“No. This one’s... different.” Laric stared at it. “It’s like it knows us.”
Allen followed his gaze. “Now you’re being paranoid. C’mon. You’re wound tighter than my dad’s handcuffs.”
Behind them, footsteps echoed.
They turned.
Jude Carson, the basketball captain — and Morgan’s ex — strolled into the clearing with his usual entourage: Eli and Stan. Trouble followed them like a shadow.
“Well, well,” Jude said, hands in his pockets. “Didn’t know they let choir boys hang out after dark.”
Laric sighed.
Allen stepped forward. “Didn’t know morons could walk upright.”
Stan snorted. “Still mouthy, I see.”
“We’re not looking for trouble,” Laric said, keeping his tone calm.
Jude smirked. “Good. Then you won’t mind if I talk to Morgan.”
“She’s not here,” Allen said. “And she doesn’t want to talk to you.”
Jude’s smile faded. “Careful.”
Before things could escalate, a loud caw cut through the tension. The bird flapped his wings — once, twice — then took off, disappearing into the trees.
For a moment, all five boys just stared after it.
Then the streetlight above them flickered. Once. Then again.
Laric’s stomach turned. He didn’t know why, but it felt like something had been... watching. And not just the raven.
Something else.
Suddenly, Jude’s expression changed.
Not rage. Not pride. Fear.
“You feel that?” he asked his boys. “Like... the air’s thick?”
Eli shifted. “Yeah. Like we’re not alone.”
They didn’t wait for answers. Jude muttered a curse and turned to leave.
“Wow,” Allen said. “I didn’t even throw a punch.”
But Laric didn’t respond. His eyes were fixed on the streetlamp where the bird had perched. The glass cover was blackened — not broken, but scorched.
He took a cautious step forward.
On the ground, at the base of the pole, was a small feather.
Burnt. Charred black.
He picked it up — and instantly felt a wave of nausea roll through him.
“Laric?” Allen asked.
Laric didn’t answer.
Because in that moment, a whisper brushed across his mind — ancient, low, and full of contempt.
We see you.
His hand shook.
Allen stepped in. “You okay, man?”
Laric let the feather drop. “Yeah. Just... hungry, I guess.”
He forced a smile.
But something had changed.
The park wasn’t just a hangout spot anymore.
It was marked.
TO BE CONTINUED…