Lisa's POV)
The walk home was a blur. Susan bombarded me with questions, but I had none. Alex's words echoed in my head: *part of a group*, *people with power*, *shard inside you*. What did it mean?
Streetlights passed over us one by one as we walked, the glow sliding across the pavement like slow-moving spotlights. Normally the route from school to my house felt short and familiar. Tonight it felt strange, like the world had shifted slightly out of place.
Susan kept glancing at me, waiting for answers I couldn't give.
"Okay," she said after a minute, clearly trying to stay calm, "let's start simple. That guy knew your name. Your *full* name. And he made a symbol appear on your hand."
"I know," I muttered.
"And then he *disappeared*."
"I know."
"And now you're thinking about meeting him in a park at midnight."
I sighed.
"Also aware."
Susan groaned dramatically. "Lisa, this sounds like the beginning of a horror movie."
Maybe it did.
But the hum in my chest told me something else entirely.
Something real.
We reached my place, and Susan stayed over, neither of us wanting to be alone. We huddled in my room, phones on silent.
My bedroom lamp cast a warm yellow glow across the walls while the rest of the house stayed quiet. My parents were out of town for the night, which normally meant freedom.
Tonight it just meant an empty house.
Susan sat cross-legged on my bed while I paced slowly across the carpet, replaying everything that had happened.
The glowing symbol.
The humming sound.
The strange crystal Alex carried.
And the way he had said my name.
"I'll go with you," Susan said, her voice firm.
I shook my head. "Alex said no."
Susan scoffed. "Like that matters. You're not going alone."
Her stubborn tone made me smile a little.
Even in the middle of supernatural chaos, Susan was still Susan.
I smiled, grateful. "Okay. But if I freak out..."
Susan grinned. "I'll drag you back."
We made a plan – she'd wait at the edge of Oakwood Park, just in case. As night fell, anxiety crept in. What would I find?
Time crawled.
We tried watching videos to distract ourselves, but neither of us could focus. Every few minutes I checked the clock.
10:42.
11:03.
11:28.
The later it got, the heavier the silence felt.
At 11:50 I grabbed my jacket.
Susan followed me quietly downstairs.
Midnight approached. I slipped out, Susan watching from the shadows.
Oakwood Park was dark, trees looming like giants. I felt the hum, low and pulsing. Alex appeared, like he'd been waiting.
The park was nearly empty, just the rustle of leaves and the distant buzz of insects filling the air. Moonlight filtered through the branches, casting long shadows across the grass.
And there he was.
Standing near the path like he had stepped out of the darkness itself.
"Lisa," he said, no smile. "You came."
I showed him the paper. "What's going on?"
Alex glanced around. "Follow me."
His voice was quieter tonight, more serious.
We walked deeper into the park. The hum grew louder. I felt... something building.
The deeper we went, the quieter the world became. The streetlights disappeared behind the trees, leaving only pale moonlight.
With every step, the humming in my chest grew stronger.
Like something waking up.
We stopped by an ancient-looking tree. Alex pulled out a small crystal, like the shard he'd shown me.
The tree towered above us, its twisted roots pushing through the ground like ancient fingers. Its bark looked rough and scarred, as if it had been standing here for centuries.
"Your power's tied to this," he said. "You've suppressed it, but it's growing."
Power?
My stomach twisted.
Power? What power?
The crystal glowed. I felt a jolt. Memories flashed – sparks flying from my fingers, the cafeteria freezing...
The images rushed through my mind like lightning.
The tingling in my hands.
The frozen cafeteria.
The humming sound that followed me all day.
Alex nodded. "You're a *luminae*. You channel energy. Others like you... they're looking."
Looking for me?
Fear curled in my chest.
A twig snapped.
The sharp sound cut through the silence.
Alex spun, eyes sharp. "Show yourself."
A figure emerged – tall, dark coat, piercing blue eyes...
David.
My breath caught.
"Lisa," he said, like he'd been searching.
My heart skipped. What was he doing here?
Alex tensed. "You shouldn't be here, David."
David's gaze locked onto me. "I had to see. Lisa, what's going on?"
His voice sounded worried. Confused.
Just like mine probably had earlier.
I felt trapped. "I... I don't know."
David stepped closer. "I can help you understand."
Alex moved, blocking him. "Not tonight."
The air crackled.
The hum surged...
And David vanished.
One second he was there.
The next, the space where he stood was empty.
Alex turned to me, urgent. "You need to go. Now."
The tension in his voice made my pulse spike.
I backed away, questions swirling.
"Lisa," Alex called. "Be careful. You're in danger."
I turned to run, Susan waiting...
But the shadows felt closer.