Elliot Gray never stood out.
Not in a tragic, "forgotten hero" kind of way—he was just an ordinary 20-year-old college student, going through life one lecture at a time. He wasn't particularly smart, nor exceptionally strong. He had no grand ambitions, no secret past, and certainly no hidden power waiting to be awakened. If life were a novel, he would be nothing more than a background character.
And honestly? He was fine with that.
His routine was simple: wake up, go to class, work a shift at the bookstore, come home, and repeat. It wasn't exciting, but it was stable. Predictable. Safe.
At least, until everything changed.
It started with a dream.
Elliot found himself in a vast, moonlit field. The grass swayed gently, whispering secrets only the wind could understand. In the middle of the field stood an ancient-looking pedestal, and on it lay a silver pendant, faintly glowing under the pale light of the moon.
Something about it felt… familiar.
As he reached out, a voice—soft yet commanding—echoed in his mind.
"Find me."
The moment his fingers brushed against the pendant, a blinding light erupted, consuming everything.
Then—
He woke up.
Heart pounding, Elliot sat up in bed. His room looked the same—messy desk, unfinished assignments, and a pile of laundry he'd been avoiding for days. Everything was normal.
Except for the cold, metallic weight in his hand.
He slowly opened his palm.
There, resting in his hand, was the same silver pendant from his dream.
Elliot stared at the pendant in his palm.
His mind scrambled for a logical explanation—maybe he had picked it up somewhere and forgotten? Maybe he sleepwalked to a pawn shop in the middle of the night? Maybe… aliens?
No, that was stupid.
Carefully, he examined the object. It was a simple silver pendant, smooth to the touch, with a strange symbol etched into its surface—something between an eye and a crescent moon. Despite its ordinary appearance, a faint warmth radiated from it, as if it were alive.
He had definitely never seen it before.
A shiver ran down his spine.
"Find me."
The voice from his dream echoed in his mind again, clearer this time. It wasn't just a random memory—it felt like a command.
Elliot exhaled sharply and shook his head. "Nope. I'm not dealing with this. I have an exam in three days. My brain does not have time for supernatural nonsense."
Without another thought, he tossed the pendant onto his nightstand and buried himself under his blanket.
Maybe if he ignored it, it would go away.
---
The next morning, Elliot woke up to the sound of his alarm screaming at him. He groggily reached out to turn it off—
And froze.
The pendant was in his hand.
His heart jumped to his throat.
He was sure he had left it on the nightstand. There was no way he had picked it up in his sleep. No way.
Slowly, cautiously, he placed it back onto the nightstand. He waited. Stared at it.
It didn't move.
Elliot sighed in relief. "Okay. Just my imagination."
Shaking off the lingering unease, he got out of bed, got dressed, and grabbed his bag. "I'll figure this out later. I have class."
He opened the door.
And the pendant was suddenly in his pocket.
Elliot screamed.
Elliot yanked the pendant out of his pocket like it was a cursed artifact.
"What the hell?!"
His hands were shaking. He had not put it there. He was sure of it. He even checked his pockets before leaving the room!
Taking a deep breath, he tried to think rationally. Maybe he was sleep-deprived. Maybe he had absentmindedly grabbed it without realizing.
Yeah. That had to be it.
With forced calm, he walked back into his room, placed the pendant on his desk, and took a picture of it with his phone. Evidence. Now, if it magically showed up somewhere else, he'd know for sure he wasn't losing his mind.
Satisfied, he turned to leave—
And the moment his back was turned, the familiar cold weight reappeared in his pocket.
Elliot didn't even scream this time. He just stood there, gripping the bridge of his nose, mentally done with whatever supernatural nonsense was happening.
"…Okay. Cool. This is my life now."
---
Despite his best efforts, Elliot couldn't get rid of the pendant.
He tried leaving it at home. It always reappeared in his pocket.
He tried throwing it in the trash. Same result.
He even chucked it out the window at one point—only to find it neatly placed on his desk when he got back.
At some point, he gave up.
"Fine. Stay with me. See if I care," he muttered, shoving it back into his pocket.
The pendant, unsurprisingly, didn't respond.
---
That evening, Elliot was at his usual part-time job at the bookstore. It was a quiet shift—barely any customers, just the sound of light rain tapping against the windows.
He leaned on the counter, flipping through a random novel. His mind kept drifting back to the pendant in his pocket.
What was it? Why did it keep following him? And why did it feel… strangely warm?
Before he could spiral into another round of overthinking, the bell above the door chimed.
Elliot glanced up.
A girl had just walked in.
She had long silver hair, sharp violet eyes, and an air of quiet confidence. She didn't look around or browse the shelves. She just walked straight to the counter—straight to him.
Elliot blinked. "Uh… can I help you?"
The girl tilted her head slightly, her gaze locking onto his.
Then she spoke.
"You have something that doesn't belong to you."
Elliot felt his blood run cold.
She knew.
Elliot's grip tightened on the book he was holding.
"…Sorry, what?" he asked, forcing a nervous chuckle. "You sure you got the right guy?"
The girl didn't answer immediately. She just stared—not in a casual way, but in the kind of way that made Elliot feel like she was peeling back his skin and looking inside him.
Then, she extended her hand. "Give me the pendant."
Elliot's heart nearly stopped.
He took an instinctive step back. "I… I don't know what you're talking about."
The girl sighed, as if expecting that response. "Lying won't help you. The pendant chose you. That means you're involved now—whether you like it or not."
Involved? In what?!
Elliot wanted to protest, to ask what the hell she was talking about, but before he could, the pendant in his pocket suddenly burned against his skin.
A sharp pain shot through his leg. He yelped and jumped, fumbling to pull it out. The moment it hit the counter, the pendant started to glow faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat.
The girl's gaze flickered to it, then back to him.
"So you really are its chosen keeper…" she murmured.
Elliot stared at her, then at the pendant, then back at her.
What. The. Hell. Was. Happening?
"Okay, hold on," Elliot said, raising both hands. "Let's back up a second. Chosen keeper? Involved in what? And who even are you?"
The girl hesitated for the first time. Then, with a reluctant sigh, she said:
"Evelyn Sinclair."
Elliot blinked. "…Cool. That tells me nothing."
Evelyn ignored his sarcasm. Instead, she tapped the pendant with her finger, causing it to glow even brighter.
"This pendant is a key," she said. "And a dangerous one at that. If it chose you, then you're already marked. There's no running from this now."
Elliot stared at her. Then at the pendant. Then at her again.
Finally, he exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. "You know what? Sure. Fine. Let's say I believe you. What exactly am I marked for? Some secret cult? An ancient prophecy? A reality TV show where I die if my ratings drop?"
Evelyn didn't laugh.
Instead, she met his gaze and said five words that sent a chill down his spine.
"They will come for you."
Elliot swallowed. "…Who's 'they'?"
Before Evelyn could answer, the bookstore lights flickered.
Then—
The windows shattered.
A gust of freezing wind howled through the store as the temperature plummeted. Outside, the rain had stopped. The street, once busy with passing cars and pedestrians, was now silent.
Too silent.
Elliot turned toward the broken window—
And saw them.
Figures cloaked in shadows stood motionless outside, their glowing red eyes locked onto him.
Then, in unison, they stepped forward.
Elliot's stomach dropped.
Oh, hell no.