It was my first day at my rented house, but I barely slept that night. The events in the forest replayed in my mind like a broken record—Van's glowing hands, the creature's guttural growl, and the strange weight of his words. Dangerous forces. Not entirely human. Protecting the gateway.
My life had gone from mundane to extraordinary in a few days, and I had no idea what to make of it.
The morning brought little relief. The town of Springey had a way of feeling both quaint and suffocating, its charm masking something much darker beneath the surface.
I walked to work at the library, my thoughts still swirling. Claire, the only friend I got in town, was already there when I arrived.
"You look like you didn't sleep," she said, raising an eyebrow as she pushed her glasses up her nose.
"Let me guess—late-night reading binge?"
I hesitated, debating whether to tell her the truth. But then, I let it slip.
"Something like that," I muttered, avoiding her gaze.
Claire studied me for a moment, then shrugged.
"Well, I need you to help me find these."
She handed me a paper.
List of books.
Grateful for the excuse to escape the conversation, I quickly started the search.
I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. Every creak of the floorboards and rustle of paper made my skin prickle. I told myself I was being paranoid, but deep down, I knew better.
By the time my shift ended, I was itching to get out of the library. The sun was setting as I stepped outside, casting long shadows across the cobblestone streets.
For a moment, I considered going straight back home , locking my doors, and pretending none of this was happening. But the pull I'd felt the night before was still there, stronger than ever.
Instead of heading home, I found myself walking toward the forest again. The air grew colder with every step, and the familiar sense of unease settled over me. I paused at the edge of the trees, my heart pounding.
"Back so soon?"
The voice made me jump, and I turned to see Van leaning casually against a tree, his golden eyes glinting in the fading light. He looked even more otherworldly in the twilight, his dark coat blending into the shadows.
"I—" I started, then stopped, unsure what to say.
"I don't know why I'm here."
He straightened, his expression serious.
"You feel it, don't you? The pull."
I nodded, surprised by how easily he understood.
"What is it?"
"It's the gateway," he said, his voice low.
"It's connected to you, whether you like it or not. That's why you came to Springey."
I frowned, his words raising more questions than answers.
"I didn't come here by choice. I was ordered to move here."
"Got transferred, I know." Van said.
Van tilted his head, studying me with an intensity that made my skin tingle.
"Maybe that's what you were told. But nothing about your life is coincidence, Amber."
The way he said my name sent a shiver down my spine.
"You keep saying that, like you know more about me than I do."
"Because I do," he said simply.
"But now's not the time for explanations."
"Why not?" I demanded, frustration bubbling to the surface.
"You keep dropping cryptic hints and expecting me to just go along with it. I deserve to know the truth."
Van sighed, running a hand through his unruly hair.
"You're right. You do. But the truth is complicated, and once you know it, there's no going back."
I hesitated, torn between my curiosity and the growing sense of dread in my chest.
"Then start with the gateway. What is it?"
"It's a barrier," he said, his tone grave.
"A divide between this world and another. A world filled with things you can't even begin to imagine. The gateway keeps them out—or at least, it's supposed to."
I swallowed hard.
"And the creature last night? The Shade?"
"It was trying to break through," he said.
"There are others like it. Worse ones."
"And you're supposed to stop them?"
He nodded.
"That's my job."
"Why me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Why am I connected to this?"
Van hesitated, his gaze dropping to the ground.
"Because the gateway isn't just a barrier. It's alive, in a way. And it chose you."
"Choose me for what?"
"To be its guardian."
The weight of his words hit me like a punch to the gut.
"Guardian? I can't even parallel park without panicking, and you're telling me I'm supposed to protect some magical gateway?"
A faint smile tugged at Van's lips.
"You're stronger than you think, Amber. You just don't know it yet."
Before I could respond, a sharp crack echoed through the trees. Van's expression darkened, and he stepped in front of me, his body tense.
"They've found us," he muttered.
"Who?" I asked, my heart racing.
"Stay close," he said, his voice low and commanding.
The shadows around us seemed to come alive, twisting and writhing as more figures emerged from the darkness. They were humanoid in shape but grotesque, with jagged limbs and glowing red eyes.
Van's hands began to glow again, the golden light illuminating the clearing.
"Remember what I said, Amber. You're stronger than you think."
As the creatures closed in, I felt something stir deep within me—something powerful and ancient. I didn't know what it was, but I knew one thing for certain: my life would never be the same.
The air was heavy with tension, every nerve in my body screaming at me to run, but my feet stayed rooted to the ground. The creatures emerged fully from the shadows, their twisted forms unnaturally contorted, their glowing red eyes locked onto us. They moved with an unnatural grace, circling us like predators stalking their prey.
Van stepped forward, his glowing hands raised, and I saw the faint shimmer of a barrier forming around us. The creatures hissed and snarled as they pressed against it, testing its strength.
"Amber," Van said, his voice steady despite the chaos around us.
"Stay behind me."
I nodded, my hands trembling as I clutched the edges of my coat. But as the creatures continued to press against the barrier, a strange sensation washed over me. It was like a current of energy coursing through my veins, hot and insistent. My fear began to give way to something else—something primal and powerful.
One of the creatures lunged, slamming into the barrier with a deafening crack. The force of the impact sent a ripple through the air, and Van gritted his teeth as he reinforced the barrier with a sweep of his glowing hand.
"They're stronger tonight," he muttered, mostly to himself.
"What are they?" I asked, my voice shaking.
"Servants of the darkness," he replied, his golden eyes never leaving the creatures.
"Shades are the foot soldiers, but these... these are something worse. Shadows of what they once were."
The barrier flickered, and Van swore under his breath.
"This won't hold for long."
"What do we do?" I asked, panic creeping back into my voice.
Van turned to me, his expression grim.
"You have to trust me."
Before I could ask what he meant, he reached out and placed his glowing hand over mine. The warmth of his touch sent a jolt of energy through me, and the strange sensation I'd been feeling intensified. It was like a dam breaking, and suddenly, I was overwhelmed by a surge of power that wasn't mine—or maybe it was.
The creatures howled as the barrier shattered, and Van stepped back, positioning himself in front of me. But before they could attack, the energy within me erupted. A blinding light burst from my hands, forcing the creatures to recoil.
"What—what's happening?" I gasped, staring at my glowing hands in disbelief.
Van glanced at me, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
"You're waking up."
The creatures hesitated, their snarls turning to uneasy growls as they eyed the light. Van took advantage of their hesitation, moving with lightning speed to strike at the nearest one. His golden energy sliced through the creature, and it dissolved into smoke with a pained screech.
I stood frozen, unsure of what to do. The light in my hands flickered, responding to my fear. One of the creatures lunged at me, and instinct took over. I raised my hands, and a beam of light shot forward, hitting the creature square in the chest. It disintegrated instantly.
Van glanced over his shoulder, a mixture of pride and urgency in his eyes.
"Good. Now keep going!"
The remaining creatures snarled and lunged at us in unison. Van moved with a precision that was almost hypnotic, his glowing energy cutting through them like a blade. I followed his lead, the light in my hands growing stronger with each attack. The creatures fell one by one until the clearing was silent once more.
The energy within me slowly faded, leaving me breathless and trembling. I sank to the ground, my hands still faintly glowing.
"What... what was that?" I whispered.
Van knelt beside me, his golden eyes softening.
"That was you, Amber. The real you."
I shook my head, my mind racing.
"No, this can't be real. I'm just... I'm just a girl who works at a library. I don't even know how to park properly!"
Van chuckled softly, the sound strangely comforting.
"And yet, you just saved both our lives."
"No. You're the one who did it...you've awakened me? what if -" I stopped, still confused.
"What am I?"
I looked at him, searching for answers in his enigmatic gaze.
"You're the Guardian," he said simply.
"Chosen by the gateway to protect this world from the darkness. The power you felt tonight—that's just the beginning."
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding.
"I don't want this. I didn't ask for any of this."
"None of us do," Van said, his voice quiet but firm.
"But it's not about what we want. It's about what we're meant to do."
I stared at the ground, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts. How could I go back to my normal life after this? How could I pretend everything was fine when I'd just fought off monsters with glowing hands?
Van stood, holding out a hand to help me up.
"Come on. We need to get you somewhere safe."
I hesitated before taking his hand, his warmth grounding me. As we walked back toward town, I couldn't shake the feeling that my life had been irrevocably changed. I didn't know what the future held, but one thing was certain: I wasn't the same person I'd been when I walked into that forest.
And somehow, I knew I never would be again.