Fire And Void

Chapter four

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The next day, I walked through the hallway alone, a bit scared. My footsteps echoed, too loud, too fast. I should’ve been afraid, but there was something else beneath the fear—an undeniable pull, like I was meant to be here.  

I turned a corner and stopped.  

Those same boys I saw yesterday stood in front of a heavy wooden door, their presence was an unspoken challenge to me.

“You’re late,” the first boy said, his voice smooth, almost amused.  

“I wasn’t aware I had an appointment,” I shot back, forcing my voice to stay steady.  

The golden-haired boy grinned. “You always have an appointment with us.”  

I took a step back. “Who are you?”  

The tallest one stepped forward, his shadow stretching toward me like a living thing. “You already know.”  

I don’t. But something about them felt familiar, like a memory just out of reach.  

Then the third boy—the one with the burning eyes—reached out and grabbed my wrist. A jolt of heat surged through me, and suddenly, I saw it. A flash of a memory that wasn’t mine—blood on stone, a fire that wouldn’t die, and a boy with those same eyes, whispering my name.  

I screamed and ouly my arm free. “What did you just do?”  

The boy’s expression darkened. “You don’t remember yet. But you will.”  

The tallest one stepped between us, his voice low. “Not here.”  

The golden-haired boy smirked. “She’s going to love this part.”  

Before I could react, the tallest boy opened the heavy door and gestured for me to enter. “Come inside, Aria.”  

I hesitated, my instincts screaming at me to run. But something deeper, something ancient, told me I had no choice.

The room was dimly lit, the air thick with something I couldn’t name—something electric, charged with an energy that made my skin prickle. The heavy door closed behind me with a dull thud, sealing me inside with them.  

The tallest boy, the one who always spoken first, moved with quiet confidence, his dark eyes watching me like he was waiting for something. The second boy leaned against a nearby desk, still giggling, while the third—his gaze unreadable—remained by the door, arms crossed, his presence a silent warning.  

“So,” the second boy  said, breaking the silence, “how much do you know?”  

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “Nothing. I don't know what you're talking about.  

The tallest boy exhaled sharply, like he’d expected more from me. “You were never supposed to be here.”  

I frowned. “That’s not exactly comforting.”  

He took a step closer, his voice lowering. “Blackmoor Academy wasn’t built for humans.”  

“And what exactly are you?”  

The second boy laughed, but there was no humor in it. “We’re what happens when the world forgets to fear the dark.”  

A chill ran through me. “You’re not making any sense at all.”  

The third boy finally spoke, his voice low and rough. “You’re not supposed to understand yet.”  

I turned to him, frustration rising. “Then stop talking in riddles and tell me what’s going on.”  

The tallest boy’s lips pressed into a thin line. “We don’t have time for this.” He stepped forward, reaching into his coat and pulling out something small and glinting. My breath caught as he held it up—a silver chain with a pendant shaped like a crescent moon, the same one I had seen in my dreams.  

My throat tightened. “Where did you get that?”  

The golden-haired boy grinned. “From the place you don’t remember.”  

I shook my head. “That’s not possible.”  

The tallest boy’s gaze darkened. “It’s more than possible. It’s inevitable.”  

I took a step back, my mind racing. “You’re all insane.”  

The third boy’s eyes flashed with something dangerous. “No, Aria. You’re just not ready to remember.”  

The room felt smaller, the air heavier. I needed answers. And I wasn’t leaving until I got them.

The tallest boy’s fingers tightened around the pendant before he let it fall back against his chest. “You’re not ready,” he said again, quieter this time.  

I shook my head. “You keep saying that, but I deserve to know what’s going on here.”  

"Who exactly are you people?" 

The tallest boy’s jaw tightened."With time you'll find out who we are."

I shook my head, my mind searching for logic where there was none. “I don’t know you. I don’t want to know you either.”  

The second boy’s expression darkened. “That doesn’t mean you won't get to know us.” You belong to us.

"Us?" The word echoed in my skull, stirring something buried deep. A memory flickered—firelight, laughter, blood on stone. A promise made in the dark.  

I gasped, clutching my head as a sharp pain lanced through me.  

The third boy moved in an instant, gripping my shoulders before I could fall. His touch was like fire and ice all at once. “It’s starting,” he murmured.  

The tallest boy stepped forward, his voice urgent. “Tell her.” 

The third boy’s grip on my shoulders tightened. “You don’t remember anything now, but soon you will.” His voice was rough, almost desperate. “And when you do, there’s no turning back.”  

I shook my head, trying to force logic into the chaos unraveling in my mind. “I don’t even know your names.”  

The tallest boy studied me for a long moment before speaking. “Kael,” he said simply.  

The Second boy grinned, though there was no amusement in it. “Jason.”  

The third boy hesitated before murmuring, “Riven.”  

The names settled over me like a weight, familiar in a way that defied explanation. I whispered them under my breath, testing them on my tongue, and something inside me stirred.  

Kael took a step closer, his look sharp. “You were never meant to come here, Aria. But now that you have, everything changes.”  

I became scared. “What does that mean?”  

 “Jason’s smiles returned, but his eyes were serious. “It means the past is coming for you.”  

Riven’s grip on my arm became tighter.“And it won’t let go.”  

The room became too dark, shadows stretching along the walls like living things. The air was thick with something ancient, something waiting.  

Kael’s voice was low, urgent. “There’s something inside you, Aria. Something that was never meant to be buried.”  

I took a breath. “What is it?”  

His eyes burned into mine. “Power.”  

The word sent a shiver through me.  

Jason shook his head. “And you’re going to need it.”  

I looked between them, my pulse hammering. “For what?”  

Riven’s voice was barely a whisper. “To survive what’s coming.”  

And just like that, the world I thought I knew 

Scattered.