Something feels off

Aria’s POV:

I don’t talk about what happened. Not to Lizzy, my parents, or even to myself. I pretend it didn’t happen. That it was some kind of nightmare. A hallucination. A bad reaction to whatever was in that drink. People accept easier explanations when you hand them one. So I do.

“He just passed out,” I tell Lizzy the next day when she asks.

Her brows knit together. “Aria… you looked terrified when I found you.”

“I was,” I admit. That part isn’t a lie. “I thought something was really wrong.”

“Wasn’t there?” I shake my head, lying straight to her face.

“I think I just freaked out.”

She studies me for a long moment, like she’s trying to decide if she believes me. Then she nods slowly.

“Okay,” she says, even though I can tell she’s not fully convinced.

I don’t give her anything else. If I start talking now, I won’t be able to stop.

I try to go back to normal. I go to work, come home and sleep. Trying to repeat the process until I feel normal again. But normal doesn’t feel the same anymore. It feels… thinner. Like something underneath it is waiting to break through.

The first time I notice it, I’m walking home. It’s late. The chill of the air whipping against my skin. My footsteps echo against the pavement as I pull my jacket tighter around me. Suddenly I stop. I’m not alone. A eerie feeling creeping in the air. I don’t hear anything. That’s the problem. I just… feel it.

That same wrongness from the night of the party. My heart starts to pound in my chest.

Slowly, I turn my head, seeing nothing but empty streets and dark windows. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

“Get a grip,” I mutter to myself.

I start walking again, picking up my pace. It happens again the next day. And the day after that. Always the same feeling. Like something is just out of sight, watching me, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

By the third night, I can’t ignore it anymore. I’m not imagining this. Something is following me. I cut down a different street, my pulse racing as I glance over my shoulder. Still nothing.

“Okay,” I whisper, my voice tight. “This isn’t funny.”

No one responds. Of course not. But the feeling doesn’t go away. If anything, It gets closer. The air shifts subtly, it’s enough for me to notice though. I feel that same pressure from the night of the party creeps back in, curling under my skin. My breath catches in my throat.

“No,” I murmur, shaking my head. “Not again.”

I whirl around, this time they are there. Figures step out of the shadows like they were always part of them. At first I only see three, behind them are more, all closing in on me. My focus locks onto the ones in front. Something about them feels… heavier.

I feel their magic coming off them in waves. It is old, ancient magic. The kind that shouldn’t exist. It is controlled, powerful and monumentally dangerous. I take a step back, getting ready to make a run for it.

“Who are you?”

No one answers right away, their eyes stare holes through me. Not in a curious way. In a way that tells me they already know exactly who I am.

“You felt it,” one of them says finally, his voice calm.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t understand what you are,” another voice adds from the side.

My pulse spikes.

“Then explain it,” I snap, fear turning sharp. “Because I’d really love to know.”

“That’s not how this works.”

Something inside me shifts. That same heat from before flickers to life under my skin. It feels unstable, unpredictable. I clench my fists at my sides. I really don’t want to hurt anyone again.

“Stay back,” I warn.

They don’t listen. The first one steps forward slowly, measuring each step, like I’m not a threat to them. It makes me feel even more uneasy. Especially after what happened at the party three nights ago.

“We’re not here to hurt you,” he says.

I let out a shaky laugh.

“That’s not convincing.”

“No,” he agrees. “But it’s the truth.”

My heart is racing too fast now. The power is building again. I feel it deep inside my veins. I don’t have any idea on how to control it, or even how to stop it.

“Just leave me alone,” I say, my voice breaking slightly.

“You activated something ancient,” he continues, ignoring me completely. “Something dangerous.”

“I didn’t mean to!”

“I know.”

That stops me in my tracks. Just for a second something in his expression softens, like he feels an ounce of remorse for what he is about to do. It disappears just as fast as it came.

“But intent doesn’t matter,” he says.

The air around us tightens. It isn’t wild like before. It’s more controlled, more focused.

I feel it instantly and this time, it doesn’t feel like mine. It feels like theirs. Panic slams into me. I take another step back. This can’t be happening right now.

“No,” I whisper. “No, I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

The words hit harder than anything else. Because I know they mean it. The power surges from them. It crashes into me like a wave, pinning me in place. I gasp, my body locking up as something invisible wraps around me. I can’t move. I can’t fight.

I can barely breathe.

“Stop…” I choke out.

The world starts to blur. Darkness creeps in at the edges of my vision. I struggle against it, against them, against everything. But it’s useless. The last thing I hear before everything goes black, is a single sentence.

“Welcome to Ebonveil Academy.”