The lights went out.
For three seconds, Ravenshade High became completely silent.
Then someone screamed.
The sound traveled through the darkness like a knife.
Students rushed through the corridors. Doors slammed. Glass shattered. Somewhere downstairs, a warning alarm began ringing.
But I couldn't move.
I was staring at Rohgah.
My brother.
The word kept repeating inside my head.
Brother.
The boy from my memories.
The boy whose hand I had held beside the river.
The boy I had cried for when they took me away.
The boy I had spent years feeling strangely connected to without understanding why.
Rohgah looked just as devastated.
"You knew," he whispered.
I shook my head.
"I didn't."
"You remembered."
"Not everything."
His eyes filled with confusion and anger.
"Then what do you remember?"
I opened my mouth.
Nothing came out.
A terrible pain suddenly shot through my head.
I screamed and fell to my knees.
"Liora!"
Rohgah caught me before I hit the floor.
The moment his hands touched me, another memory exploded inside my mind.
Fire.
A woman running.
Two babies crying.
Machir standing beside a river.
A silver-haired woman screaming.
"Please! Don't take them!"
Then Machir raised his hand.
Magic filled the air.
The woman collapsed.
One baby was carried away.
The other was left behind.
I saw myself.
A little girl.
Crying.
"Rohgah!"
I reached toward him.
But someone pulled me backward.
Then everything disappeared.
I opened my eyes.
Rohgah was still holding me.
His face was pale.
"What did you see?"
I couldn't speak.
Machir stepped toward us.
"That's enough."
Rohgah looked at him.
"No."
Machir stopped.
"You knew."
His voice was barely a whisper.
"You knew all along."
Machir's face was expressionless.
But his eyes were full of something I had never seen before.
Fear.
Rohgah slowly stood.
"You knew she was my sister."
Machir said nothing.
"You knew."
"I was trying to protect you."
Rohgah laughed.
It wasn't a happy laugh.
It was broken.
"You erased my memories."
Machir's silence was enough.
Rohgah's magic suddenly erupted.
Silver light exploded from his body.
The walls shook.
The council members raised their staffs.
Nicole grabbed Ashbel's arm.
"What is happening?"
Ashbel stared at Rohgah.
"He's losing control."
Bella stepped forward.
"Rohgah!"
He didn't hear her.
His eyes had turned completely silver.
Machir raised his hand.
"Rohgah!"
A shockwave blasted through the corridor.
Everyone was thrown backward.
I hit the wall.
Nicole fell beside me.
Ashbel's water magic immediately surrounded her body, protecting her from the impact.
Bella dug her sword into the floor to stop herself from sliding backward.
But Rohgah remained standing.
He looked at Machir.
"You stole my life."
"I saved your life."
"You stole my sister."
"I saved both of you!"
The words echoed.
Everyone became silent.
Rohgah stared at him.
"From what?"
Machir looked toward the floor.
"The Hollow."
Another heartbeat shook the building.
Boom.
The floor cracked.
Boom.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Boom.
Machir's face became grim.
"It has awakened."
The eldest councilor stepped forward.
"The prophecy has begun."
Nicole looked at him.
"What prophecy?"
The councilor stared at Rohgah and Sofia.
"The prophecy of the blood-bound children."
Rohgah turned.
"Tell me everything."
The councilor hesitated.
Machir shook his head.
"Don't."
The councilor ignored him.
"Many years ago, a prophecy was discovered beneath the ancient kingdom of shadows."
He raised his staff.
A projection appeared in the air.
Two children stood beside a black river.
One boy.
One girl.
Their hands were joined.
Behind them stood a massive dark creature.
"The children were born beneath the same moon," the councilor continued.
"One carried the power."
His staff pointed toward the boy.
"The other carried the key."
It pointed toward the girl.
Rohgah stared at Sofia.
The councilor continued.
"When brother finds sister, the forgotten blood shall rise."
The floor shook again.
"When their hearts recognize what their minds have forgotten, the kingdoms shall burn."
Nicole's face went pale.
"And the Hollow?"
The councilor looked toward the ground.
"The Hollow is not a creature."
Everyone stared at him.
"It is an ancient force."
He lowered his voice.
"It feeds on magical bloodlines."
Ashbel whispered,
"Then why did it awaken now?"
The councilor looked at Rohgah.
"Because he awakened."
Rohgah's face hardened.
"So this is my fault?"
"No."
Machir answered.
"It is mine."
Everyone turned.
Machir stepped forward.
"I knew the prophecy."
His voice was quieter now.
"I knew what would happen if the children were reunited."
Rohgah stared at him.
"So you separated us."
"Yes."
"You erased our memories."
"Yes."
"You let me believe I was alone."
Machir swallowed.
"Yes."
Rohgah's expression became colder.
"Why?"
Machir looked at Sofia.
"Because someone had to carry the consequences."
Sofia stepped forward.
"You chose us."
Machir's eyes met hers.
"I chose survival."
Her voice trembled.
"And what did you think would happen to me?"
Machir said nothing.
"You let me grow up believing I had no family."
A tear ran down her face.
"You made me forget my brother."
Rohgah looked away.
For the first time, Machir seemed unable to defend himself.
Then the school shook violently.
A crack tore across the floor.
Black smoke rose from beneath it.
Students screamed.
The council members immediately formed a protective circle.
"Everyone out!" the headmaster shouted.
But the black smoke spread faster.
It crawled along the walls.
Across the ceiling.
Toward the students.
Ashbel raised both hands.
A massive wave of water burst through the corridor and pushed the smoke backward.
Nicole transformed.
Her eyes became crimson.
"Get the students to safety!"
Bella nodded.
She ran toward the nearest group.
"Move! Now!"
Rohgah looked at Sofia.
"Stay behind me."
She shook her head.
"No."
He stared at her.
"You don't understand."
"I understand enough."
She wiped her tears.
"If I'm the key, then I need to know what that means."
Rohgah stepped closer.
"You are my sister."
"I know."
"I won't let anything happen to you."
Sofia looked into his eyes.
"You already lost me once."
She took his hand.
"Don't lose me again."
For a moment, Rohgah couldn't respond.
Then the floor beneath them exploded.
A black hand emerged from the crack.
Everyone froze.
It was enormous.
Its fingers were unnaturally long.
Black veins covered its skin.
The hand grabbed the edge of the floor.
Something began pulling itself upward.
The council members screamed ancient spells.
Magic collided against the creature.
Nothing happened.
The Hollow continued rising.
Its head emerged.
There were no eyes.
Only a huge opening where a face should have been.
Then it spoke.
Not loudly.
Not softly.
Inside their minds.
"I remember you."
Rohgah froze.
The Hollow turned toward him.
"My child."
Rohgah's blood ran cold.
Sofia stepped closer to him.
The Hollow turned toward her.
"And my key."
Machir's eyes widened.
"No."
The Hollow smiled.
At least, it seemed to smile.
"You cannot hide them anymore, Machir."
Machir raised his hand.
"I will destroy you."
The Hollow laughed.
The sound shook every window in the school.
"You already failed once."
Machir's magic exploded.
The Hollow disappeared beneath the floor.
For several seconds, there was silence.
Then a voice came from somewhere far below.
"Find the girl."
Every werewolf in the building suddenly collapsed.
The vampire students cried out in pain.
Mermaid students clutched their heads.
Babylonian warriors dropped their weapons.
The supernatural kingdoms had felt it.
The Hollow was awake.
And it was calling for Sofia.
Machir looked at her.
"We have to leave."
Sofia shook her head.
"No."
"What?"
She stared at him.
"I've spent my whole life running from something I didn't understand."
She looked at Rohgah.
"I'm not running anymore."
Rohgah stepped beside her.
"Neither am I."
Nicole walked toward them.
"Then neither are we."
Ashbel joined her.
Bella followed.
The three girls stood together.
Machir stared at them.
"You have no idea what you're facing."
Nicole's eyes narrowed.
"Then we'll learn."
Suddenly, every window in Ravenshade shattered.
A freezing wind swept through the hall.
Black symbols appeared across the walls.
One after another.
Then the councilor whispered,
"The Hollow has chosen its first target."
Rohgah turned.
"Who?"
The councilor looked at Sofia.
Her face went pale.
Behind her, a black symbol appeared.
A circle.
Two lines crossing through its center.
The same symbol that had appeared in Rohgah's visions.
Machir whispered,
"Liora."
Sofia slowly turned toward the symbol.
Then a voice spoke directly into her mind.
"Come home."
Her eyes widened.
And somewhere beneath Ravenshade High, something began laughing.