The awaking of the shadows

I always thought I was normal—well, as normal as any teenager could be. School sucked, homework was a nightmare, and dealing with my best friend Aunika's never-ending conspiracy theories about ancient civilizations was just part of my daily routine.

But normal? Yeah, that ended the moment the streetlights started flickering whenever I walked under them.

At first, I shrugged it off. Faulty wiring. A coincidence. Maybe the universe just had it out for me. But then the school library's automatic doors refused to open—until I muttered something under my breath that sounded suspiciously like ancient Egyptian.

And then came the dreams.

Endless corridors lined with glowing hieroglyphs. Whispering voices I couldn't understand. A giant ibis staring at me like it knew all my secrets. Every morning, I woke up with a splitting headache and the unsettling feeling that I was forgetting something important.

Then Monday happened.

I was walking home when the shadows behind me stretched in a way that wasn't normal. The air turned cold. My breath hitched.

I turned around—and immediately wished I hadn't.

Because standing there, blocking the sidewalk, was something straight out of a nightmare. A jackal-headed warrior, its golden eyes gleaming, gripping a curved blade in one clawed hand.

It stared at me. I stared back.

Then it growled, raising its weapon.

I did the only logical thing. I turned and ran.