The conversation with the masked figure left Selwyn breathless, his mind racing, struggling to grasp the weight of the words that had just been spoken. "You are the only one who can finish what he started." The words echoed in his mind like an ominous mantra, pressing down on him, and he couldn't shake them off. His father's legacy was now his to bear, and that thought settled heavily on his shoulders.
And then, just as quickly as the figure had appeared, the bell rang—a shrill, urgent sound that broke the heavy silence that had enveloped them. Selwyn blinked, momentarily distracted by the noise. When he looked back up, the figure was gone. Vanished, as though swallowed by the very air around them. For a fleeting moment, Selwyn wondered if he had imagined it all, but the golden moon symbol on the figure's robe remained etched in his mind. That was real. Everything was real.
He glanced around the rooftop, his breath catching in his chest. The world below was unchanged—the city carried on its usual hum of noise and movement, the sky stretching out wide above him. But Selwyn felt different, like something had shifted in the fabric of his existence. Something had changed.
Shaking his head, he turned quickly and hurried downstairs, his heart pounding, his mind still whirling with questions. What now? What was he supposed to do with everything he had just learned?
By the time Selwyn reached the courtyard, his friends were already gathered near the entrance to the building, chatting and laughing as they waited for him. Jason waved as soon as he saw him, but there was a noticeable look of concern in his eyes. Something had shifted in the air around them too.
"Selwyn, where did you disappear to?" Jason asked, his brow furrowing. "We were looking everywhere for you. You just vanished. Are you alright?"
Selwyn swallowed hard, trying to steady his breath, but it was like his heart was still racing from the encounter. His mind was a blur, and he didn't know how to explain any of it. His gaze shifted to Sofia, who stood beside Jason, her sharp blue eyes locking onto his with an almost uncanny intensity.
"You didn't look so good up there," Sofia said, her voice gentle but with an undertone of concern. "Is everything alright?"
Selwyn forced a smile, trying to mask the turmoil swirling within him. "Yeah, I just needed some air," he said, attempting to sound casual. "Got a bit lost in thought, I guess."
Raven, who had been standing off to the side with her arms crossed, raised an eyebrow. She hadn't said much since Selwyn had arrived, but there was something in the way she observed him—a subtle tension in the air as she studied him. Her green eyes seemed to pierce right through him, almost as if she could sense there was more to the story.
"Lost in thought?" Raven echoed, a half-smirk playing on her lips, her tone playful yet skeptical. "Sure about that?"
Selwyn met her gaze, and for a brief moment, the weight of his secret felt almost unbearable. He couldn't tell them what had just happened, what he had learned about his father's past—or the unsettling revelation that he might be entangled in something much darker than he had ever imagined. He couldn't. Not yet.
"Yeah," he said finally, his voice betraying a slight strain, "just... just some stuff on my mind."
Jason raised an eyebrow but didn't press further, sensing that Selwyn didn't want to talk. "Alright, man. Just don't disappear again, okay? We were starting to think you'd gone rogue or something."
"Rogue?" Raven scoffed lightly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "I think Selwyn's got enough going on without becoming a rogue. He's more likely to get lost in a book than get caught up in anything dangerous."
Jason chuckled, the sound easing some of the tension. Selwyn felt a sense of relief, even though it was fleeting. The group fell back into their usual rhythm, but deep down, Selwyn knew that nothing was the same. The encounter with the masked figure, the unsettling message about his father—it was too much to process in a single moment. It was the beginning of something far more complicated.
They made their way to the common area where they usually gathered before heading to class. Jason cracked a joke, Sofia teased him back with a sharp remark, and Raven rolled her eyes playfully. But despite their lively conversation, Selwyn couldn't focus on their words. His mind kept drifting back to the rooftop, to the mysterious figure, and to the cryptic message.
His father had been a Rogue—a fighter, someone who had battled forces that now seemed to be drawing closer to him. But Selwyn wasn't a fighter. He had no idea how to wield power, no understanding of what his father had fought against. And now, if the figure was to be believed, his father's legacy was now his own to carry.
As they sat down at one of the tables, Raven leaned in slightly, her eyes narrowing with concern. "You sure you're okay?" she asked quietly, her voice softer than before. "You seem... different."
Selwyn forced another smile, though it felt more strained this time. "I'm fine, really. Just a little tired. A lot on my plate lately."
Raven studied him for a long moment, her gaze piercing, as though she could see through him. But after a beat, she pulled back slightly, giving him a nod of acknowledgment. She didn't press further, but Selwyn could feel the weight of her unspoken questions.
His friends would always be there for him, but this was something he couldn't share with them—not yet. The unknowns were too overwhelming. He didn't know what path lay ahead, but he knew one thing: this wasn't something he could face alongside them.
The day passed in a haze, each minute feeling heavier than the last. When Selwyn left the college with Jason, the silence between them was almost palpable. Jason kept the radio low, sensing that Selwyn needed space. The car ride felt endless, though it was only a short distance to drop Raven off at her place. Even after they parted ways, Selwyn couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted.
When they reached Selwyn's apartment, Jason gave him a quick glance before speaking softly. "You good, man?"
Selwyn forced a smile, but it felt fragile. "Yeah. Just... tired. Thanks for the ride, Jason."
"Anytime," Jason replied, his voice quiet but sincere, before pulling away.
Selwyn stood in front of his building, watching Jason's car disappear down the street, feeling a deep sense of isolation. The world seemed to close in on him as he entered the apartment. Clara was busy with work again, her presence a distant echo, and the apartment felt quieter than usual. The comforting hum of home didn't reach him anymore, not with the weight of everything that had been uncovered.
Dinner passed in an automatic blur—Clara mentioned a new project at work, Jason's latest antics, Sofia's quiet kindness. Everything felt so normal, yet all Selwyn could feel was the distance between him and the world. The laughter, the conversation—it all seemed like a façade. Underneath it all, his mind raced, still tangled in the remnants of the figure's cryptic message and his father's mysterious past.
After dinner, Selwyn retreated to his room. The moment he closed the door behind him, the noise of the world fell away, and all that remained were the whispers in his mind. The figure's words, the golden moon symbol—it all played on a loop, drowning him in uncertainty.
That night, sleep didn't come easy. As he lay in bed, the visions returned. Darkness enveloped him, pulling him into a realm of shadows. Figures in tribal masks danced around a fire, chanting in a language he couldn't understand. His father's face appeared, blurred by shadows, surrounded by chaos and the clashing sounds of battle. Screams rang out, then a single name whispered through the smoke—Arten.
Selwyn awoke with a start, his heart racing, his breath coming in short gasps. Sweat soaked his shirt as he glanced at the clock. 4:00 AM. The dream had felt too real. And the voice that had whispered his father's name—the chilling words still reverberated in his mind.
"Your father... he was one of us."
Selwyn had never known much about Arten Carter's past. He was only five when his father had died in that supposed "car accident," the details always murky. The official story was that the car had fallen into a valley, an unfortunate mishap. But Selwyn had always sensed that there was more to the story—something his mother had never spoken about. She always painted his father as a hero, a firefighter who had saved lives, a man who loved his family. But now, with everything he had learned, Selwyn couldn't ignore the questions that were flooding his mind. Why had his father kept this secret? What had been left unfinished? And why had it all been hidden from him?
The whispers grew louder in his mind, like a presence in the room, pulling at him, urging him to listen. He couldn't ignore it anymore. Something was calling him. Something had been left unfinished.
The next morning, Selwyn rose with a sense of urgency, though his body felt heavy with exhaustion. The whispers clung to him, reminding him of the encounter that had changed everything. He couldn't escape the sense that something was about to unfold, something he couldn't control. He pushed aside the lingering fear, knowing he had to face whatever was ahead.
As he walked to college with Jason, the whispers followed him like a shadow. It wasn't just a feeling—it was an instinct. He knew where he was being drawn, and when he reached the rooftop, he wasn't surprised to see the figure again.
This time, its robe was different—more ornate. The golden moon symbol gleamed faintly in the morning light, shimmering in a way that seemed almost alive. Selwyn's pulse quickened as the figure turned slowly to face him, its presence overwhelming.
"You've been waiting for this moment," the figure said, its voice calm but filled with an unsettling weight.
Selwyn's voice trembled as he demanded, "Who are you?"
The figure remained still, its mask hiding any features, its presence far too powerful to ignore. "I am someone who knew your father. Arten Carter was one of us."
The words struck Selwyn like lightning. His father had been one of them—whatever they were. And now, the truth was within his grasp, but Selwyn wasn't sure he was ready for what he was about to uncover.
The figure stepped closer, its voice dropping to a whisper. "Your father made a choice... and you are the one who will finish it."
Selwyn stood frozen, every muscle tense with fear, confusion, and something else—a sense of inevitability. The past was coming back to claim him, and he wasn't sure if he was ready for what lay ahead.
The figure raised its hand, and with it, the wind stirred, the golden moon symbol gleaming brighter than before.
"This is your path now," the figure said. "What you do next will determine everything. Will you follow in your father's footsteps, or will you choose your own destiny?"
And then, with those final words, everything went silent.
Selwyn stood frozen, every instinct screaming for him to run, but he couldn't move. His father's past was about to be revealed, and the truth was more terrifying than anything he had imagined.