season 1, chapter 4

Chapter: The Storm Breaks

The rain had come out of nowhere.

Outside, the sky had turned a sickly gray, thick clouds rolling in as thunder rumbled ominously in the distance. The wind howled through the trees, whipping them back and forth like they were mere playthings of the storm. Everyone from the Star Cabin had already made their way outside, drawn by the sudden shift in the weather.

But inside, Jason and Lilly were still fast asleep.

Lilly had shifted during the night, and now, instead of lying on top of him, she had curled up beside Jason, their bodies close, her head resting on his shoulder. Jason's arm had unconsciously wrapped around her as they slept, the quiet rhythm of their breathing the only sound inside the cabin.

The storm outside intensified, the wind rattling the cabin walls, yet neither of them stirred. It wasn't until a loud, ear-piercing bang echoed through the air, shaking the entire structure, that their peaceful rest was shattered.

Lilly jerked awake, her heart racing as her eyes flew open. She was disoriented for a moment, her brain struggling to catch up with the sudden noise. Jason's arm tightened around her reflexively, his body going rigid as he woke up at the same time.

"What the hell was that?" Lilly whispered, her voice hushed with a mix of confusion and fear. She glanced at Jason, who was already sitting up, his orange eyes sharp and alert.

He didn't answer immediately, his attention drawn to the window. Rain lashed against the glass in sheets, and the wind howled so fiercely it was a wonder the cabin was still standing.

Jason threw off the blanket and stood, pulling Lilly up with him. "It's storming," he said simply, his tone steady despite the chaos outside.

Another loud bang—this time closer—shook the cabin, and Lilly's stomach dropped. The sound wasn't thunder. It was something else, something heavy and metallic, like something had crashed or been thrown violently against the building.

Lilly exchanged a worried glance with Jason, her pulse quickening. "Where is everyone?"

Jason walked to the window, squinting through the rain. He could barely make out the figures of their cabinmates, who were gathered outside near the mess hall, their faces turned toward the sky, the storm whipping their hair around wildly. But there was something odd about the way they stood—frozen, unmoving, staring.

"They're out there," Jason said, frowning. "But something's wrong."

Lilly grabbed her jacket, throwing it over her shoulders as she headed for the door. "Let's go."

The wind hit them like a wall the moment they stepped outside. It roared in their ears, pulling at their clothes as rain pelted down, soaking them in seconds. Lilly could barely keep her balance as she stumbled forward, Jason close behind her, his hand gripping her arm to keep her steady.

As they approached the others, the strange sight became clearer. Angel, Silver, Damion, Comet, and Emma were standing in a circle, their eyes fixed on the sky above. None of them seemed to notice the rain or the wind that howled around them.

"Guys!" Lilly called out, but her voice was drowned out by the storm.

She moved closer, tugging on Angel's arm, but Angel didn't react. Her eyes were wide, her face pale, as if she were in a trance.

"What's wrong with them?" Lilly yelled over the wind, panic starting to bubble in her chest.

Jason stepped forward, his jaw clenched as he surveyed the scene. His orange eyes flicked to the sky, following their gaze. That's when he saw it—a flash of something in the storm clouds, a shape that didn't belong.

"There!" Jason pointed upward, his voice barely audible over the roaring storm.

Lilly looked up, squinting against the rain. At first, all she saw was the swirling gray of the clouds, but then—there, just barely visible—a dark silhouette loomed. It was massive, like a shadow stretching across the sky, twisting and turning as the storm raged around it.

"What…what is that?" Lilly breathed, fear gripping her like a vice.

Jason shook his head, his hand tightening around her wrist. "I don't know."

The storm grew fiercer, and suddenly, without warning, another deafening bang echoed through the air. This time, the ground shook beneath their feet, and a sharp, blinding light shot down from the sky, slamming into the ground just a few feet away from the circle of campers.

Lilly stumbled back, her heart hammering in her chest. The light vanished just as quickly as it had appeared, leaving a smoldering crater where it had struck. The smell of burning earth filled the air, mixing with the cold, damp scent of the rain.

"Jason!" Lilly shouted, turning to him. But he was already moving, pulling her away from the crater and toward the others, who were still standing, still staring at the sky as if nothing had happened.

"We have to get them inside!" Jason yelled, his voice barely audible over the storm. He grabbed Angel by the arm, shaking her, but she remained unresponsive, her eyes locked on the swirling clouds above.

Lilly grabbed Silver, shaking her just as hard. "Snap out of it!" she screamed, her voice hoarse. But Silver's eyes were glassy, her body rigid.

Something was wrong. Something was terribly, terribly wrong.

Jason released Angel, his face dark with frustration. "We can't stay out here. If we don't get them inside—"

Before he could finish, another blinding flash of light erupted from the sky, slamming into the ground just a few feet away. The force knocked Lilly and Jason off their feet, sending them sprawling in the mud.

As she scrambled to her knees, Lilly's eyes darted to the sky, her heart hammering in her chest. The shadow was growing larger, darker, as if the storm itself were alive, twisting and bending toward them like it had a mind of its own.

Jason pulled her to her feet, his grip firm. "We need to move, now!"

Lilly nodded, fear gripping her throat as they fought against the storm to pull their friends from the strange trance. But as the shadow loomed closer, Lilly couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching them—something far more terrifying than the storm itself.