CHAPTER ONE — THE NIGHT THE SKY CRACKED
Daniel always felt like he didn't quite fit inside the ordinary world. At sixteen, he had already climbed cliffs, explored caves, crossed rivers during storms, and trekked farther into the Ravenshade Forest than any sane teenager would. People in town called him reckless. His friends called him brave. But Daniel knew the truth:
He went looking for danger because something inside him felt… different.
Like his whole life was waiting for something to begin.
Sometimes his hands sparked with faint warmth when he was angry. Sometimes the wind shifted when he whispered. Shadows paused when he stared at them too long. He told himself it was imagination, but deep down, he knew it wasn't.
He had powers—he just didn't know what kind, or why.
That night, he went hiking to clear his head. The sun was sinking behind the mountains, painting the sky with streaks of orange and purple. Ravenshade Forest was dense, old, and full of secrets. Daniel liked it that way.
He followed the narrow dirt trail until the town lights disappeared behind the trees. Crickets chirped. Leaves rustled. Everything felt normal—until it didn't.
Daniel stopped walking.
Something was strange about the silence. Instead of peaceful, it felt heavy… like someone had placed a blanket over the entire forest. The wind died. Even insects stopped making noise.
Daniel's heartbeat picked up. "Okay. That's weird."
He took one step forward when the sky above him shivered.
Not thunder.
Not lightning.
Something else entirely.
The clouds didn't flash—they split, straight across the sky like someone dragging a blade across fabric. A brilliant white crack spread open, widening until the sky looked wounded.
"What in the world…" Daniel whispered.
A low hum filled the air. The ground trembled beneath his shoes. The leaves of the tall dark trees glowed faintly with the light spilling from the sky crack. His phone buzzed in his pocket—then shut off by itself.
The air turned so cold that Daniel's breath came out in a white cloud.
Every hair on his arms stood up.
The crack widened. A flood of pale light poured down like a silent waterfall, spreading across the treetops. Daniel shielded his eyes as the brightness intensified.
Then—slowly—something stepped out of the crack.
At first, Daniel thought it was just a shadow. But then the shape moved, solidifying into a tall, human-like figure, made of swirling mist and darkness. Two glowing moonlike eyes stared down at him.
Daniel stumbled backward. His breath hitched. The energy inside him—the strange power he always felt—flared like a sudden fire. His fingertips buzzed. His ears rang. The forest seemed to tilt slightly around him.
The creature tilted its head, studying him like he was the only thing that mattered.
Then it spoke.
"Daniel," it said, its voice echoing with multiple tones at once. "You have finally awakened."
Daniel's stomach dropped. "How do you know my name?"
The creature didn't answer. It simply raised an arm, its long fingers moving through the air like it was drawing invisible symbols. The shadows around it thickened, curling like smoke.
Daniel felt fear crawl into his chest—but also something else. Something powerful. His pulse synced with a strange rhythm, like the world had a heartbeat and it was matching his.
His vision sharpened. His hearing sharpened. Even the cold air felt electric.
"What are you?" Daniel said, trying to steady his voice.
"A messenger," the creature answered. "A warning. And a witness to what you will soon become."
Another vibration rumbled beneath the forest floor. Leaves lifted off the ground as if gravity was loosening its grip. The shadows around the trees stretched unnaturally long.
"The darkness hungers for you," the creature continued. "Your power calls to it. If you do not learn to control what you carry… it will consume you."
"Consume me?" Daniel whispered.
The creature stepped closer. Its presence felt colder than the night air.
"You possess a force older than this world. A force the darkness desires. You cannot outrun it."
Daniel's heart pounded painfully. "What do you mean? What power?"
"You will know soon," the being said simply.
Behind it, the crack in the sky flickered violently. The light began to twist, spinning into a vortex. The creature turned slightly as if listening to something Daniel couldn't hear.
"The veil weakens. More will come."
Its eyes focused on Daniel again. "Prepare yourself."
And then it stepped backward—and vanished into the sky crack like smoke being sucked through a vacuum.
The crack slammed shut with a thunderous snap, plunging the forest into pitch-black darkness.
Silence.
Stillness.
Then—a deep boom from underground.
Daniel's powers surged violently. His knees buckled, and he dropped to the forest floor. He pressed his palm into the dirt, trying to steady the shaking in his body. His veins felt like they were glowing.
A strange warmth wrapped around his arms, spreading to his fingertips. He held up his hand—it was faintly glowing, pulsing like a heartbeat.
"What's happening to me?" he whispered, voice shaking.
The wind returned suddenly, rustling the leaves harshly as if warning him. The forest lights flickered. A shadow darted between the trees—fast, silent, animal-like. Daniel's breath froze.
He wasn't alone.
Something else had crossed over.
Something the messenger didn't stop.
Something that hadn't spoken… yet.
Daniel forced himself to stand, though his legs trembled. He scanned the forest, heart hammering.
The glowing pulse in his hands began to fade. The strange warmth withdrew back inside him like it wasn't ready to fully reveal itself.
The forest felt different now—darker, watching him.
Daniel swallowed hard. "Okay… something is very wrong."
The town lights glowed faintly in the distance, far beyond the treeline. For the first time in years, Daniel felt a small spark of fear about going back. What if whatever came through the sky crack followed him?
What if it was already following him?
He turned toward the faint path, forcing himself to walk. Every step felt heavier. Every shadow felt deeper. The cold air whispered through the branches like distant voices.
Daniel looked up one last time at the sky.
It looked normal. Calm. Safe.
But he knew better.
Something ancient had awakened tonight.
Something powerful had been searching for him.
And something else—silent, hungry—was hiding just beyond the trees.
The world had changed.
And Daniel's journey had just begun.