The figure stood in the dim light, their cloak billowing around them like a shadow, hiding most of their features. Zayne's heart raced, and his grip tightened on his sword as the figure's voice echoed through the quiet night.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything…" the figure said again, the tone cold and distant. "But we need to talk."
Zayne felt his pulse quicken. He couldn't shake the feeling that he knew this person—or at least, their presence felt familiar, like a haunting memory he couldn't quite place. Malo stood at his side, his posture tense, his eyes never leaving the stranger.
"Who are you?" Zayne's voice was firm, but there was an underlying tremor of fear and confusion. He couldn't tell if this was another student, a professor, or someone entirely different.
The figure slowly lowered their hood, revealing sharp features—pale skin, piercing green eyes, and dark hair that hung loosely around their face. Zayne's breath caught in his throat. He had seen this person before. In his dreams. In the flashes of memory that haunted him. The face of someone he thought was lost forever.
"Do you remember me, Zayne?" the figure asked, a soft smile curling at the corner of their lips.
Zayne stepped back, the weight of the sword at his side suddenly feeling too heavy. His mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of his past, the scattered memories of that night.
"No…" Zayne whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. "It can't be…"
The figure's smile faltered, and their eyes softened. "It's me. Your sister."
Zayne's world seemed to stop. His sister? The memories of his family were a blur, lost in the chaos of that night. He had never been told anything about a sibling. No one had ever mentioned a sister, not even his grandmother, who had raised him after the tragedy.
"You… You're my sister?" Zayne's voice cracked, his heart pounding in his chest. "But I— I don't remember you."
The figure nodded slowly, her gaze never leaving Zayne's face. "I know. It's been a long time. But I've been watching over you, waiting for the right moment to find you again."
Malo's gaze flicked between the two of them, his hands still resting on the hilt of his sword. "What's going on here?" he asked, his voice low, yet laced with caution.
Zayne didn't take his eyes off the mysterious woman. His mind was spinning with questions, but the most pressing one was why she had kept herself hidden for so long. Why had she never come for him before?
"Why now?" Zayne finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Why didn't you find me sooner?"
The woman's expression hardened, the warmth in her eyes replaced by a shadow of sadness. "I couldn't. The same people who killed our parents—they made sure I couldn't get to you. I've been running, hiding, trying to stay one step ahead. And now… now they're here, watching you, waiting for the right moment to strike."
Zayne's stomach churned. The night his parents were killed had been shrouded in darkness, and the more he learned, the more twisted it became. He had always known that something didn't add up, but hearing his sister speak made everything feel even more real, more dangerous.
"You've been watching me?" Zayne asked, his voice low, a mix of hurt and confusion. "Why? What do you want?"
"I want to protect you," she replied, her voice steady despite the emotion simmering beneath the surface. "I want to make sure you're ready for what's coming. You're not just a student here, Zayne. You're part of something bigger—something connected to your parents' legacy. Mystic Heights Academy is more than a place to learn magic. It's a battleground. And you… You've been chosen."
Zayne's mind reeled from her words. Chosen? His parents' legacy? He had never felt more out of place in his life. He had come to the academy for answers, but now it seemed like the questions were multiplying faster than he could handle.
"But why me?" Zayne demanded. "Why am I chosen for this?"
His sister stepped closer, her eyes dark with unspoken truths. "Because you have their blood in you. Your parents were powerful. They were part of an ancient order that fought to keep this world safe from the forces that would tear it apart. And now that they're gone, their enemies are coming for what they left behind."
Zayne's heart sank as the weight of her words settled in. He had always known that his parents weren't just ordinary people, but the truth of their involvement in something so grand, so dangerous, was overwhelming.
Malo cleared his throat, his voice sharp. "So, what are you saying? That Zayne's supposed to pick up where they left off?"
His sister's gaze shifted toward him, her eyes filled with regret. "It's not that simple. Zayne has his own path to walk. But if he wants to survive, if he wants to honor their memory, he'll need to learn the truth. The academy, Mystic Heights—it's not just a school. It's a sanctuary. A place where the order once hid their secrets. And now, those secrets are waking up."
Zayne's mind raced with the implications. The academy was connected to his parents' legacy? To the very order they had belonged to? What did that mean for him? What did he have to do now?
His sister seemed to sense his confusion and offered a reassuring smile, though it was tinged with sorrow. "I'll explain everything, Zayne. But we have to move quickly. There are others here—students, teachers—who are part of a larger network. And some of them… they're not your allies."
Malo stepped forward, his expression hardening. "And what do you want us to do? Just follow you into the unknown?"
Zayne looked at his sister, then back at Malo, his chest tightening with the weight of the decision before him. "I don't know what to believe anymore. But if there's a chance to get answers, to finally understand what happened to my parents…" Zayne's voice trailed off, uncertainty clouding his thoughts.
His sister nodded, sensing his hesitation. "You don't have to decide everything right now. But you need to trust me, Zayne. This academy, this place—it's where the answers lie."