CHAPTER 4.
Mr. Thompson slammed the door shut, the deadbolt snapping into place with a metallic click. He spun around, his face a mask of terror. "Nikole, there's big trouble," he gasped, his voice ragged. "The Evernight... they found us."
Nikole shot out of her chair, her heart hammering against her ribs. "How come? How did they find us? " Her voice was a sharp chirp, laced with panic. She lunged for Mr. Thompson's shirt, her fingers digging into the fabric.
Across the room, Kelvin sat frozen, a forgotten book slumping in his lap. His eyes darted between the frantic adults, confusion clouding his countenance.
Nikole's grip tightened on Mr. Thompson's shirt for a moment before she whirled on her son. Her voice, a storm brewing, lashed out. "Kelvin!"
She grabbed his shirt, her fingers leaving white indents in the worn fabric. "Why did you do this? Didn't your father warn you? Now look at what you've done! You have no idea what you've unleashed!"
Kelvin's face crumpled. "Do what, Mom? I don't..." He stammered his voice barely a whisper. " I don't understand…What's happening?".
Nikole's eyes welled up, a fresh wave of fear washed over her. Frustration tinged her voice as she spoke, her words clipped. "The party, Kelvin! Your father warned you to stay away. But you never listen, do you? Now we all have to pay the price!"
Within minutes, a storm began to rage around the house. The wind howled like a banshee, rattling the windows and shaking the very floorboards beneath their feet. Debris lashed against the walls with a sickening thud.
Thompson clutched his shirt, the fabric twisting in his white-knuckled grip. "They're here," he rasped, his voice barely audible over the storm's fury. "I knew it..."
Nikole sank to the floor, her back against the wall for support. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring the storm's violence outside. A choked sob escaped her lips. "Our worst nightmare," she whispered.
A deafening crack split the air, followed by a crumbling crash. A section of the wall gave way, showering them in dust and debris. Through the gaping hole, they glimpsed a shadowy figure.
"Thompson!" boomed a thundering voice from outside, echoing through the ruined room. "Bring him out now!".
Mr. Thompson scrambled to a dusty shelf, his movements desperate under the oppressive silence that had descended after the booming voice. He took out an old wooden box, its hinges creaking. Relief flickered across his face as he retrieved a long intricately woven cloth.
"What is it?" Nikole whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart. She reached out, her trembling fingers brushing the soft fabric.
Thompson's voice was hoarse as he spoke, his words laden with urgency. "A Seraph's Veil," he rasped, pointing to the woven fabric in Nikole's trembling hands. "My father gave it to me. It... it hides us from the Evernight." He gestured frantically towards the basement door. "Nikole, take the kids down there, now!"
Nikole's eyes darted between the cloth and the gaping hole in the wall. Fear, raw and primal, clawed at her throat. "And what about you?" she choked out, the question a desperate plea.
Thompson's jaw clenched tight. He met her gaze, a flicker of steely resolve replacing the terror. "Don't worry about me, Nikole. Just take the children. Go. Now!" His voice boomed, a contrast to his trembling hands.
Nikole knew arguing was useless. She squeezed the Seraph's Veil, Grabbing Michelle, who whimpered softly, she hurried towards Kelvin. Together, they stumbled down the creaking basement stairs, leaving Thompson to face the darkness that had breached their home.
Thompson lunged for the shelf once more, a desperate glint flickering in his terror-stricken eyes. This time, his hand emerged clutching a long, ornately carved staff crackling with otherworldly purple energy – the Celestine Blaze Wand, a relic whispered about in hushed tones. With a snarl, he slammed the staff against the floor.
The air crackled. Tendrils of fire erupted from the staff's tip, snaking outwards towards the gaping hole. "They erupted into raging flames, forming a protective barrier around the building.". The storm outside shrieked in protest, momentarily held at bay by the fire.
A voice, laden with malice, boomed from beyond the wall. "You think fire can stop us, Thompson? You'll pay dearly for this!"
But Thompson ignored the threat, his face etched with grim determination. He fueled the blaze with every ounce of his remaining strength, the flames dancing higher as the storm outside dwindled to an eerie silence. Exhaustion gnawed at him, his vision blurring as he let the staff clatter to the floor.
A moment of relief washed over him, shattered in an instant. A dark figure shot past the barrier, and Thompson turned to find the Celestine Blaze Wand gone from where he had dropped it.
"So clever, Thompson," the unseen voice taunted, a cold menace in its tone. "But your defiance has consequences. Hand over your son, and perhaps we'll show some mercy."
A primal snarl ripped from Thompson's throat. "Never! Take me instead, you cowards!" He lunged towards the broken wall, a desperate gamble for escape.
A cold laugh filled the room. "Fine then," the voice said, sounding like it was making fun of him. "Whoever wants to save themselves the most will get punished."
An invisible hand grabbed Thompson super tight, squeezing the air out of him. He screamed, but then everything went dark. His clothes ripped off, and he was drawn out of the building, his voice echoing into the dark.
****
As the hours stretched on in the stifling confines of the basement, Michelle's worry for her father grew unbearable.
"Mom," she blurted out, her voice tight, "I can't just sit here. I gotta see if Dad's alright."
Nikole, pale in the faint light, grabbed Michelle's hand. "Hold on, wait," she said, her voice urgent. "We don't know what's going on up there. We need to be careful." Her eyes, wide with fear, locked with Michelle's.
Ignoring Nikole's warning, she rose from her seat, determination etched on her face.
Before she could take a step, Nikole's hand shot out, delivering a sharp slap to the back of Michelle's neck. "Sit down!" she commanded, her voice laced with anger. "Do you have any idea how dangerous the Evernight is?"
Defeated, Michelle slumped to the floor, her face clouded with frustration. But Nikole wasn't ready to give up. She gestured for Michelle and Kelvin to sit up and pay close attention. "Listen carefully," she said, her tone serious. "What I'm about to tell you would change your reality right now, and you might never hear anything like it again."
Taking a deep breath, Nikole began her tale: "Two hundred years ago, there were two brothers who ruled different lands. They found a special cup called the Nightshade Chalice, rumored to give whoever owned it incredible power and eternal life, jealousy tore the brothers apart, leading to a fierce battle over the chalice".
"The Nightshade Chalice was made from ancient gods' bones and filled with blood from many sacrifices," Nikole continued, making sure they understood . "Their father gave the chalice to Alaric, which made his brother Leopold very jealous. Leopold wanted the chalice for himself, so he attacked Alaric's kingdom during a lunar eclipse."
As Nikole kept talking, Kelvin and Michelle started to feel a bit bored. They yawned a few times, and their eyes looked droopy, like they were struggling to stay awake. But Nikole noticed and stopped for a moment. She knew she had to make the story more interesting to keep their attention. "Wait," she said, sounding urgent, "this part is really important. You need to hear it."
"The chalice can only be used by someone special, called the son of light, who guards a hidden realm with a secret seer. For two hundred years, the chalice has been dormant, its dark power sealed away by the seer's magic."
"And you, Kelvin…" Nikole declared, her gaze piercing. "You are that Son of Light. They've come for you, to unlock the chalice's power stolen centuries ago by the Evernight."
As Nikole spoke of Kelvin being the Son of Light, his expression darkened, as if he'd been waiting for those very words.
Morning broke with the cock's crow, rousing them from their fitful sleep. Determined to find Thompson, they ascended the stairs, hope mingled with dread in their hearts. But as they searched the house, their fears were realized: Thompson was nowhere to be found, only his blood-stained clothes left behind.
Nikole's cry echoed through the empty house, a lament for her lost husband. "Thompson!" she screamed, the anguish in her voice reverberating off the walls.