Trying to decide what’s right

As I went to my first classroom where students were seated in their seats. The teacher looks at me with one hand on her hips as her other hand holds a stack of paper.

Then she said, "You are late. If you don't have a pass, then you will need to go to the office."

I nodded my head as I gave the pass to her.

She stared at me suspiciously before looking at the pass closely.

She looks at me disdainfully as she tells me, "Since you have a pass, you can go to your assigned seat now. I was about to pass out the tests. Don't be late next time."

I watched her quietly, then went into my seat.

---

Yesterday night-

Dawn's fingers brushed the potion, and in an instant, her home materialized in her mind. Alex and I stood by, witnessing her form blur and dissolve, enveloped in a shroud of inky smoke. The air thickened as she vanished, the darkness swallowing her whole.

Turning to me, Alex inquired, "Who was that girl? She's unfamiliar to me."

"She doesn't belong to this school," I replied, my voice low.

Alex acknowledged this with a nod, revealing her intent to leave, having finished her tasks. Fatigue etched across her features, her wild hair secured in a haphazard ponytail. I urged her to rest, suggesting a few days off if needed.

She smiled softly, shaking her head, before retrieving her purse from the table. As she departed, I felt the pull of Lucas's office, knowing our discussion lingered in the shadows.

Upon entering, I found Lucas pouring tequila into a delicate wine glass. He caught sight of me and I settled into the chair he had just vacated.

"Hey, that was my seat. Choose another," he chided, shaking his head.

With a weary grin, I replied, "Too late. This chair is mine now; you can find another."

He chuckled, taking his place behind the desk. Sipping his drink, he leaned forward, curiosity glinting in his eyes. "What's the story with the dhampir and the siren? What are your plans for them?"

I pondered his question, the weight of uncertainty heavy in the air. "To be honest, I'm not sure. We should keep a watchful eye. Dawn seems harmless enough, but change lurks in the shadows.

Encountering a dhampir is rare; they face trials at birth and are often shunned for their gifts. She deserves a place where she can connect with others like her.

As for the siren, I'm at a loss. When I found him in the woods, he was wild, almost primal. I had to sedate him. What to do with him remains a mystery." Lucas nodded, absorbing my words, the atmosphere thick with unspoken thoughts.

He then remarked, "Jonathan, I trust you know what you're doing. Encountering both a dhampir and a siren seems oddly orchestrated."

I nodded in agreement and explained that I would need a witch to fabricate some test results and contact Dawn's mother, allowing Dawn to join us here.

I picked up a cup from the table and poured myself some tequila. As I took a sip, the bitterness made my face contort; I rarely indulge in alcohol, but I find it necessary during stressful times.

Just before Lucas exited the room, his words caught my attention: "I sense that things are about to get complicated. I might be overthinking it, but the presence of a siren and a dhampir at this school feels like an unsettling coincidence, and I can't shake the feeling that something significant is on the horizon. Nothing will remain the same.

My instincts have served me well over the years, and when I have a bad feeling, it usually proves accurate. Peace is seldom enduring."

After finishing my drink, I stepped outside and watched as Lucas got into his car and drove away.

As I delved into the existence of the dhampir and encountered the siren in the woods, the oracles' prophecy from sixteen years ago echoed in my mind,

"Every ending is merely a new beginning. The child of darkness returns to where it all started,

Unaware of the lurking peril nearby. The descendant of Kammapa aims to annihilate all forms of life.

If she remains in slumber, the child of darkness risks losing everything, Just as she did before.

On her second journey, she reunites with her siren in the woods.

Though they have crossed paths before, their memories have faded with time.

The siren is in search of its lost kin,

But when it finds them, the kin is shattered in spirit and body.

The siren weeps and seeks retribution.

Death approaches,

Yet death has been vanquished.

Together, the child of darkness and her siren recall their forgotten history.

The world will once again tremble at her presence.

Consumed by hatred and chaos, the child of darkness risks losing her way.

Her siren must appeal to her humanity,

Or they will face total annihilation once more. Only through their unity can they confront the primordial being that has risen again."