The sky above Ravenshade High was black.
Not dark because of night.
Black because something had covered the moon.
Rohgah stared at the distant school.
Smoke was rising above the towers.
Flashes of red and purple magic illuminated the clouds.
Students were running from the main gates.
Some were screaming.
Others were fighting.
"What is happening?" Ashbel asked.
Machir didn't answer.
He was already moving.
"Stay together!"
The five of them followed him through the forest.
Rohgah ran beside Sofia.
Neither of them spoke.
But both were thinking about the same thing.
The memory.
The river.
The little boy.
The little girl.
Their hands joined together.
And someone tearing them apart.
Rohgah's head throbbed.
He pressed his fingers against his temple.
Sofia noticed.
"Are you okay?"
"No."
She lowered her voice.
"I remember more now."
Rohgah looked at her.
"What?"
"You were crying."
"I was a baby."
"You were older than a baby."
Rohgah stopped.
Sofia stopped too.
"How old?"
"I don't know."
"Then how do you know it was me?"
She stared at him.
"Because you had the same eyes."
Rohgah looked away.
His heart was beating strangely.
Before he could respond, a huge explosion shook the forest.
BOOM!
Birds flew from the trees.
Ashbel stumbled.
Bella caught her.
"We're close."
Nicole looked ahead.
"I can see the school."
Ravenshade High was surrounded by a wall of dark energy.
Students were trapped inside.
Teachers were fighting creatures that looked nothing like anything Rohgah had seen before.
Machir stopped.
His face hardened.
"They came prepared."
Rohgah looked at him.
"Who are they?"
Machir finally answered.
"The Order of the Hollow."
Nicole frowned.
"I've heard that name."
Bella looked at her.
"So have I."
Ashbel's eyes widened.
"They're supposed to be extinct."
"They were never extinct," Machir said.
"They were waiting."
Rohgah stepped forward.
"For me."
Machir grabbed his arm.
"Listen to me. Whatever happens, do not use the silver magic again."
"Why?"
"Because it will reveal you."
"To who?"
Machir looked toward the school.
"To everyone."
Rohgah pulled his arm away.
"I don't care anymore."
Machir's expression darkened.
"You will when you understand what you are."
Rohgah turned away.
"We're going in."
They rushed toward the gates.
A creature attacked.
Bella sliced through it.
Another jumped toward Ashbel.
A wall of water slammed it into the ground.
Nicole moved like lightning.
She grabbed one attacker by the throat and threw it across the courtyard.
Rohgah raised his hand.
Purple magic formed.
Then silver appeared inside it.
Machir shouted,
"No!"
Rohgah stopped.
The silver light disappeared.
He released the purple spell instead.
The attacker was blasted through a wall.
Sofia watched him carefully.
"You almost used it."
"I know."
"You shouldn't."
"Why?"
"Because they're looking for that."
Rohgah stared at her.
"What exactly are they looking for?"
Sofia's eyes dropped.
"You."
Before Rohgah could respond, a figure landed on the roof.
Everyone looked up.
A woman stood there.
Long silver hair.
Black armor.
A silver mask covering half her face.
She slowly removed it.
Nicole's eyes widened.
"That's impossible."
Bella looked confused.
"Who is she?"
Nicole whispered,
"Queen Seraphine."
Ashbel's face went pale.
"The former vampire queen?"
The woman smiled.
"I see my reputation survived."
Nicole stepped forward.
"You were declared dead."
"I was never dead."
Queen Seraphine looked directly at Rohgah.
"And neither is the truth."
Machir moved in front of Rohgah.
"Leave my son alone."
Seraphine laughed.
"Your son?"
She tilted her head.
"Is that what you've been calling him all these years?"
Rohgah's eyes narrowed.
"What does that mean?"
Machir raised his hand.
"Rohgah, don't listen to her."
Seraphine smiled.
"Ask him about the river."
Rohgah froze.
She continued.
"Ask him about the woman."
Sofia stepped backward.
Seraphine looked at her.
"And ask him why your memories were erased."
Sofia's breathing stopped.
Machir released a blast of magic.
Seraphine vanished.
Her laughter echoed through the courtyard.
Then everything went silent.
Rohgah slowly turned toward Machir.
"You erased my memories?"
Machir didn't answer.
"Did you?"
Still nothing.
Rohgah's anger exploded.
"You lied to me!"
A shockwave burst from his body.
Everyone was thrown backward.
The school windows shattered.
Silver light surrounded Rohgah.
Machir looked horrified.
"Stop!"
Rohgah couldn't.
His magic was no longer obeying him.
Sofia ran toward him.
"Rohgah!"
He looked at her.
For a second, he saw the little girl from the river.
Then the silver light vanished.
Rohgah collapsed.
Sofia caught him.
Machir stared at the two of them.
He whispered,
"This is happening too soon."
Sofia looked at him.
"What did you do to us?"
Machir's face remained expressionless.
But his eyes told the truth.
He was afraid.
Then the school bell rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Every magical barrier around Ravenshade High disappeared.
A voice echoed through every corridor.
"The heir has awakened."
Students froze.
Teachers looked toward the sky.
Rohgah slowly opened his eyes.
And for the first time, everyone at Ravenshade High knew that something about him was different.