Break time at Aldren Academy lasted forty minutes, forty minutes that always seemed to disappear in a blur of laughter, chatter, and half-eaten lunches.
Across the courtyard, Seraphina was walking past when she noticed something strange. Two girls, the Anabellas everyone had been whispering about were talking with Rajo near the fountain.
"Nice to meet you, Rajo. We're new here. Mind if you become our friend?"
Their voices overlapped perfectly, like a single melody sung by two mouths. Every word came out in sync, their tone identical, warm, cheerful, yet oddly rehearsed.
Rajo, being Rajo, smiled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, uh… really? Why not? Yeah, sure!"
He laughed awkwardly. "We'll be good friends, I mean, good friends."
The twins giggled, their voices blending again in eerie harmony.
Seraphina stopped walking. Her brow furrowed slightly as she watched them from behind one of the stone pillars. What on earth…? she thought, her eyes narrowing.
The way the twins moved, even the little things was too precise. The way they lifted their hands, the subtle finger counting before each line, and the mirrored tilts of their heads. It wasn't just similarity, it was synchronization.
"What kind of body language is that?" she murmured to herself, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's like they've been… programmed."
She shook her head slightly, trying to dismiss the thought. That's ridiculous. But still, something about them made her uneasy.
She was about to step away when—
"Hey!"
A sudden voice came from behind her. Seraphina flinched in shock as a hand rested gently on her shoulder. Her balance slipped, and she stumbled forward before turning around sharply only to come face to face with the same twins, now standing right behind her.
Their hands were folded neatly, their smiles wide, too wide, Sweet, polite… and wrong.
"Do you want to be our friend, Seraphina?"
Their voices came together again, soft and melodic, but this time it sent a chill down her spine. Seraphina's eyes widened in horror. How did they, how did they know my name?
"Seraphina," they repeated, a little louder, their smiles never faltering.
Seraphina blinked, snapping back to reality. "I—uh—no, thank you," she stammered, her voice trembling. "I'm fine alone."
The Anabellas tilted their heads in perfect sync once more, their smiles fading just slightly then returning as if painted back into place. Without another word, they turned away, walking off with Rajo who still looked dazed and oblivious.
Seraphina let out a shaky breath, her pulse racing. She couldn't tear her eyes away from them. There's something wrong with those two, she thought, swallowing hard.
Just as the twins were about to disappear from view, their heads turned, both of them a full 180 degrees, twisting smoothly and unnaturally. Their purple eyes locked onto her, glowing faintly under the sun.
A smile, slow and cruel crept across their lips. Seraphina froze. The courtyard noise faded into nothing. All she could hear was her heartbeat.
"I wish Kaelith was here…" Seraphina murmured softly, her eyes drifting toward the gray sky above the campus. The wind tugged gently at her hair as she let out a weary sigh. "Where are you, Kaelith?"
Her voice carried a quiet ache the kind that only comes from missing someone who used to make everything feel less heavy. With one last glance at the fading courtyard, she turned and walked back toward her class, her footsteps slow and thoughtful.
---
Meanwhile, somewhere else in Aldren — far from the noise of the classrooms the basketball court stood mostly empty, bathed in the golden light of the late afternoon. The echo of a bouncing ball faded into the distance as Rajo stood near the bleachers with the Anabellas.
Ana's phone buzzed quietly in her pocket. Her cheerful smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a cold focused expression. She stepped a few feet away and answered in a low whisper.
"Father, we've secured one teenager," she said calmly, her tone sharp and precise, nothing like the soft friendly voice she'd used moments ago. "He's ready to join. I used his emotions to gain his trust. We're pretending to be his friends… soon, every teenager in this school will follow."
A deep, distorted voice came through the line, its tone slow and deliberate.
"Good. Remember, Ana, this is your first time in the academy. Blend in. Don't draw attention to yourself. You may look human, but your blood isn't like theirs."
Ana nodded slightly, her eyes lowering. "I understand, Father."
A short pause. Then the voice asked,
"And Bella?"
Ana hesitated for a second. "She's with… that new boy. The quiet one."
A low hum of approval came from the other end. "Excellent. Tomorrow, we'll release four additional projects into the academy. That will make it easier for you and your sister to influence the rest."
Ana's lips curved faintly into a practiced smile. "Understood. Consider it done."
"Good. Don't disappoint me."
The line went silent.
Ana stared at her phone for a long moment, her reflection faintly visible on the dark screen. For a brief flicker, her eyes lost their warmth and replaced by a cold, calculating emptiness.
Then, as if nothing had happened, she slipped the phone back into her pocket and turned around. Her cheerful expression returned instantly, perfectly rehearsed.
"Sorry, guys!" she said, flashing Rajo and Bella her familiar bright smile. "Just a quick call from home. Nothing serious."
Her tone was playful again, but behind that voice beneath the perfect smile — something darker lingered, hidden just out of sight.
A week later.
At the middle of the forest where Eryndor's humble abode stood, he lay on the bed with a bandage tightly wrapped around his waist, suffering from the gunshot he had earlier. Blood still dripped, though not as much as the first time he was hit.
Kaelith folded his arms and rested his head on them beside the bed, quietly waiting for Eryndor to wake up.
That afternoon was painfully silent so still that even the air seemed to hold its breath.
A group or rather, a tribe appeared from deep within the forest. Their clothes were torn, their skin stained with dirt as if they hadn't bathed in years. They were chasing after something, a beast from another dimension, and their pursuit led them straight to the area around Eryndor's house.
The Hexaflare.
A majestic creature of legend, shaped like a great tiger with thick, puffy fur that shimmered faintly even through the shadows.
Long before kingdoms ever rose, it was said that the Hexaflare roamed molten plains, a divine beast born from the union of fire and spirit. Its body, tiger-like and marked with glowing reddish sigils, shimmered under the sun like living embers. Six tails flowed behind it, each one burning with the flame of creation. Legends whispered that when the first dawn broke, the Hexaflare roared, and its voice ignited the stars marking the birth of the world's fire.
The tribesmen hurled a spear toward it. It pierced deep into the creature's side, and the Hexaflare let out a thunderous roar that echoed through the forest.