Chapter One

Lyra's POV

“Again”

My mother’s voice snapped, echoing in my head over and over again.

“Control, Lyra! Not force, control!”

“I'm trying as hard as I can”

My hands shook as I stood barefoot on damp earth, moonlight slicing through the canopy of trees above us. Magic pulsed beneath my skin, begging to be released and harnessed.

“You have to learn this…” she said, circling me. “….You have to be strong Lyra, that's who you were born to be, the slightest slip up and you will expose your lineage, understood?”

A branch cracked somewhere in the distance, my breath hitched as I opened my eyess looking towards that direction.

“Focus... ” she warned sharply. “... If they sense you—”

But who?...

~

The ringing of the bell sharply jolted my head from the table, heart slamming against my chest as I gasped, sunlight streamed through the window, too bright. Oh god, the same dream again. I slowly recollected myself.

“Miss Hale?... Care to explain to me why you were sleeping in my class?“

“I... Sorry sir, I wasn't... It won't happen again” I swallowed, my breath gradually coming down as I felt sweaty.

*Of course it won't, detention after school”

I sighed feeling a hint of annoyance creeping up on my skin, I picked my books quietly, grabbing my bag as I stood up, leaving the classroom, just one more year and I'll be out of school.

~

I sat down on one of the desk as the other students also filed in for detention. I held my bag, staring at the clock, of course I could always just leave school and disappear, focus on more important things I should be doing rather than this, I just had to exercise patience.

I brought out my book from my bag, and my pen, silently scribbling in it, but it wasn't a textbook, the leather-bound purple cover of my grimiore with a triqueta insignia on the cover stared back at me, worn and familiar. I exhaled slowly, calming the pulse of magic humming beneath my skin, my pen moved on instinct, sketching the triquetra along the margins.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The chair behind me jolted forward and I stiffened slightly, quiet laughter and snickers followed, I didn’t turn around. I never did, quiet girls with freckles and perfect grades made easy targets for people like them, and for so long I had had to put up with it just so I didn't lose control like my mom always said.

Suddenly the air around me stilled as the noises faded into the background I could feel the air repressing as my eyes blurred and turned pitch dark, the room dissolving.

Flames roared to life where desks once stood as smoke clawed at the ceiling. Screams echoed, and students trapped, coughing, falling, walls blackened, the fire spreading too fast, hot and dangerous.

People had died. Blackened bodies everywhere, the school destroyed.

I sucked in a sharp breath as the vision shattered after that, the air returning back to normal as I breathed, my hands fisting now. Another vision... After a long time, and this time, danger.

I hastily shoved my grimiore into my bag, standing up quickly.

“Miss Hale... What do you think you're doing, sit back down”

“I... I don't feel well” I lied bolting towards the door immediately. “Miss Hale... “ the teacher's voice died out as I hastily ran down the corridor, my fingers dialing the emergency line, nine, one—

The school fire alarm immediately blared loudly, red lights flashing as chaos resounded around, It was too late.

They won't make it in time, I could still smell the fire, smoke and... Death.

I ran...

Straight for the science block, it was a furnace, students pounded on the door, coughing and crying, I stepped into furnace for the door, the fire having no adverse effects on me as long as I concentrated. One particular lab was glowing red, that must be the main one, the metal door was so hot.

“It's locked” someone on the other side screamed. I touched the handle of the door trying it, it was bloody hot and locked. I didn't have time to think, I closed my eyes focusing.

“Aperiatur porta.”

I whispered, my eyes glowed and the lock clicked open, I did it, but I didn't have time to dwell on that, I pushed open the door as the students poured out, crying, stumbling and hastily leaving past me.

“Somebody is still inside!... “ a voice cried “….She collapsed”

I tried to look in but the furnace was growing faster, I turned around, “You guys keep running and make sure you don't look back!“

They nodded and left, after I was sure everyone had gone, I jumped into the flames without hesitation.

Smoke burned my lungs as I looked around the room carefully for the last person, I saw a girl, collapsed under the lab table, dropping to my knees beside her, I shook her body but she didn't stir at all, her skin was gray, her breaths shallow, she had inhaled too much black smoke.

“Hey wake up!“

She didn't stir either, I placed my hand on her heart and closed my eyes, silently concentrating, the room was already getting hotter, and in the distant I could hear the sound of the firefighter and police already arriving.

“Quod intravit ut noceat, exeat ut pereat.”

I whispered and then opened my eyes as it glowed, black smoke slowly spiraled out of her mouth and nose disappearing, then she started coughing, gasping for air, alive.

The floor started shaking as I smelt it, my eyes darted up immediately, landing on the hydrogen and nitrogen gas tank the flames were surrounding already as it started to swell up, my eyes widening at the sight.

“No.. “