The dim light of an overcast morning seeped through the cracks in the blinds, casting pale streaks across the cluttered dining table of the Carter household. Noah Carter sat hunched over his untouched plate of toast, absently spinning his fork in a circle. The quiet chaos of the morning buzzed around him, but he barely noticed.
"Noah! How many times do I have to call you?" Dana Carter's voice cut through the noise, her tone sharp with exasperation. She stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, her curly brown hair tied back in a fraying bun.
"I'm going," Noah mumbled, shoving the plate aside.
"Yeah, sure you are," said his foster brother, Jake, as he walked into the kitchen, tossing a basketball in the air. "Late to everything, as usual."
Jake's cocky smirk was framed by a face that seemed designed to irritate Noah. His sandy blond hair was perfectly tousled, and his broad shoulders filled the doorway. Everything about him screamed effortless charm, the kind that got him exactly what he wanted without trying.
"Lay off, Jake," said Emma, their foster sister, without looking up from her phone. She sat cross-legged on the counter, her dyed pink hair a bright contrast to the drab kitchen. "You're not exactly the model student yourself."
Jake shrugged, flashing a grin at her. "Hey, at least I don't fail every math test I take."
Noah's fists clenched under the table, but he didn't respond.
"That's enough!" Dana snapped, glaring at them both. "Jake, grab your stuff. Noah, eat something before you leave."
"I'm not hungry," Noah muttered, grabbing his backpack and heading for the door.
---
The chill of the morning air hit Noah as he stepped outside. His breath fogged in the cold, but he barely felt it. His mind was too busy replaying Jake's comment over and over.
At the curb, an old motorcycle sputtered to life. Ryder, Noah's best friend, sat astride it, wearing his signature leather jacket and a grin that could charm a snake.
"Hey, slowpoke! Get on before I leave without you," Ryder called, his voice light and teasing.
Noah climbed on behind him, the roar of the engine drowning out his thoughts.
"You look like you're about to face a firing squad," Ryder said as they sped down the street.
"It's nothing," Noah lied.
Ryder glanced back at him. "Right. And I'm the mayor of Crestwood."
"Just drop it, okay?"
Ryder sighed but didn't push further. "Fine. But you're coming to the bonfire tonight, right? Everyone's going to be there."
Noah hesitated. "I don't know. Dana's already on my case about school."
"Dude, you can't let her control your entire life. Come on, it's just one night. You need this."
Noah wanted to argue, but Ryder's optimism was infectious.
"Fine," he said finally. "But if I get grounded, I'm blaming you."
Ryder grinned. "Deal."
---
School passed in a blur of droning teachers and half-hearted conversations. Noah kept his head down, avoiding Jake and his crew of loud, obnoxious friends. He sat alone at lunch, picking at his food and trying to shake the nagging feeling that something wasn't right.
It wasn't just school. For weeks, Noah had been having strange dreams—flashes of blood and fire, shadowy figures whispering his name. He couldn't make sense of them, but they left him waking in a cold sweat every night.
He hadn't told anyone. What would he even say? That he felt like a stranger in his own skin? That sometimes he looked in the mirror and didn't recognize himself?
No one would understand.
---
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, Noah was ready to leave the day behind. He slipped out of the house while Dana was on the phone, leaving a hastily written note on his bed in case she came looking for him.
The bonfire at the edge of Blackwood Forest was already in full swing when he and Ryder arrived. Music blared from a portable speaker, and the smell of smoke and cheap beer filled the air.
Ryder immediately launched into the crowd, greeting everyone like they were old friends. Noah stayed back, leaning against a tree and watching from the sidelines.
"Not much of a party guy, huh?" a girl's voice said from beside him.
Noah turned to see a dark-haired girl with sharp features and a mischievous smile. Her green eyes sparkled in the firelight.
"I guess not," Noah admitted.
"I'm Ivy," she said, holding out a hand.
"Noah."
She studied him for a moment, then grinned. "You don't seem like the type to hang out with Ryder."
"I could say the same about you," Noah replied, surprising himself.
Ivy laughed, a light, musical sound. "Touché."
But before Noah could say more, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He turned toward the forest, where the shadows seemed to shift unnaturally.
"You okay?" Ivy asked, her smile fading.
"I need to check something," Noah said, stepping away from the firelight.
The woods were eerily quiet, the distant laughter and music fading into the background. Noah wandered deeper, his heart pounding for reasons he couldn't explain.
Then he heard it—a voice, low and sharp, calling his name.
"Noah Carter."
He froze, his breath catching in his throat. "Who's there?"
Two figures stepped out of the darkness. Their pale faces were illuminated by the faint glow of the moon, and their crimson eyes gleamed with malice.
"You don't remember us," one of them said, his voice smooth and mocking. "But we've been waiting for you."
Panic surged through Noah, but his body wouldn't move. The second figure raised a hand, chanting in a strange, guttural language. A sharp, burning pain spread through Noah's chest, and he collapsed to his knees.
As his vision darkened, he saw the faintest flicker of light radiating from his hands—a light that felt both foreign and familiar.
"Welcome back, brother," the first figure whispered before everything went black.