It was a few weeks back at the University after my sister's death, but whispers followed me everywhere I went.
Not the ghostly kind, but Human whispers that were hushed and sharp, but went quiet when I entered
I told myself it was just grief, and my classmates pitied me, but I knew better.
When I sat at my table, Elara, the quiet girl in our class, who had never spoken to me, slid beside me. She gave a smile that was too wide, too unnatural.
"You shouldn't be out alone at night!" She said softly, too softly. "Bad things lurk around the corners."
Before I could question what she meant, she took her books and left
Then came Marcus, our university star athlete, every girl's dream guy, just like Lucian, and Marcus cornered me after our final lecture
"You're wearing the pendant?" He asked, glancing at the chain peeking from my neck, "It belonged to her, didn't it? To Aurora."
My heart beat spiked. "How do you know that?"
But he only smiled dangerously and walked away, leaving with more questions
That night, I was feeling restless, so I came out of my dorm room and began walking. When I was about to head back to my room, I heard a faint chanting
Curious, I walked towards the abandoned and dilapidated Church at the far end of our university, but what I saw made my blood cold
Six Student were standing in a circle holding the flickering candles, their head bowed down
At the middle of the circle was a black book, its pages filled with eerie symbols and runes which looked exactly like hand symbols I saw in the Aurora pendant
"Elara", I whispered, recognising her, and there was Marcus too
Their words sent shivers down my spine
"Her blood sealed him."
"Her blood can bring him back to power."
"The heir must not be born, or he will awaken
My cheek tightened. Whose heir are they talking about? Who will awaken?"
The pendant in my throat began to burn into my throat as if it recognised
I stumbled backwards, my heart racing and beating fast suddenly, and something cracked underneath my shoes
The chanting stopped
Pale eyes were fixed on me, and it gleamed under the dim light
I bolted out of the church
My footsteps echoed through the night, and I could feel their whispers following me but I didn't turn back until I reached my room
Before cold hands could reach me, I slammed the door shut, breathless and heart hammering, and I convinced myself it might be my imagination
But when I looked in the mirror, I froze
Across the surface, a fog had bloom
ed, and a single word was written on the mist
"Heir"