Marked by the unknown

The lights flickered around the room. The ground trembled as if something deep beneath the earth was ready to erupt.

Then—

Stillness.

The library returned to a semblance of calm, as if nothing had happened. As if it had all been an illusion.

I gasped, scanning the room. Books lay scattered across the floor, chairs toppled over, and students groaned as they pulled themselves up.

"What just happened?" someone shouted in the distance.

"Was that an earthquake?"

I steadied myself, my heart hammering into my chest. Lidia was staring at me, her expression unreadable, as if trying to process what had just occurred.

"Lidia?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

She jolted out of her stupor, then without a word, grabbed my arm. "Let's go."

"Wait—what?"

Before I could protest, she pulled me along, weaving through the disoriented students and making a beeline for the exit.

I caught glimpses of people helping others to their feet, some shaken but otherwise unharmed.

The emergency alarm blared overhead, a voice instructing students to gather at the designated emergency area.

As we left the chaos of the library behind, Lidia led me into an empty classroom nearby. The sudden silence was a stark contrast to the commotion we had just escaped.

She shut the door behind us and turned towards me, her eyes sharp with urgency.

"You need to tell me everything," she said. "When did it start? What exactly did you do before that mark appeared?"

I swallowed. "I—I don't know! I followed this weird tug that seems to always be calling me and the next… it was like it became a part of me." I hesitated before adding, "You were looking for it, weren't you?"

Her jaw tightened. "Yes. I've been looking for it since coming here. Its something I was tasked to secure, I just don't know how I've been unable to find it until now, it was right under my nose."

I frowned, So—

She glanced away, evading my eyes . "That's not important right now. What matters is that you keep it hidden. The book—whatever it's doing to you—it's unpredictable. I need to report what happened."

"You're not making any sense," I said, frustration creeping into my voice. "What's so special about this book? Why me?"

Lidia took a slow breath. Then, without warning, she raised her hand.

A faint shimmer spread across her fingertips, twisting and shifting like ink suspended in water. In the blink of an eye, the air around her warped, and the light bent unnaturally, casting eerie shadows against the walls. The room pulsed with energy, something I could feel deep in my bones.

My breath hitched. "That's—"

"I have secrets of my own, Ethan," she said, letting the magic fade. "Secrets I'm not exactly proud of."

Before I could respond, a sharp knock rattled the door.

"Students, please head to the emergency assembly area," an office staff member called. "And keep whatever… activities you were doing off campus grounds."

Lidia groaned under her breath. "Great. Just what we need."

We exchanged a look before reluctantly stepping outside, blending into the wave of students moving toward the emergency area.

***********************************

Outside, students were gathered in clusters, whispering and throwing uneasy glances back at the school building. Teachers were shouting over the crowd, trying to maintain order.

As I scanned the crowd, a familiar voice called out.

"Ethan! Ethan, over here!"

I turned to see Mike standing off to the side—right next to the red-haired girl from earlier. Deidre.

'Had he actually done it? Had he really managed to talk to her?'

I made my way over, Lidia following close behind. The moment I reached over, Mike shook his head, his face still pale. "Dude. That was insane. What the hell even happened in there?"

Deidre turned to Mike, her voice tinged with concern. "Well, that was certainly unexpected. Just a little shake, right?" Mike shook his head, his face still pale. "Yeah, almost scared me to death. I mean, what if it happens again?"

I nodded in agreement, still trying to find my voice.

I stared at the building that was supposed to be my fresh start.

"Earthquake," I repeated, my gaze flickering to Lidia.

She was watching me, her eyes filled with a concern she couldn't quite mask.

I knew, with certainty, that it wasn't an earthquake. It was something else—something connected to whatever Lidia was hiding.

The air around us felt stifled with unspoken words, secrets pressing against our shoulders like a weight.

Deidre, seemingly oblivious, continued to chatter with Mike, her voice a distant murmur against the growing dread in my chest.

Then, without warning, a wave of dizziness washed over me. I stumbled, and Mike's arm shot out just in time to catch me.

Are you okay, man? You look white as a ghost."

*************************************

Meanwhile Far away from the Library.

The air was thick and stagnant, heavy with the scent of damp stone and dust. A faint pulse echoed from the grail.

The only light coming from the grail's waters, which shimmered with an eerie, internal glow that danced across the chamber's walls. The stone beneath the cloaked figure's feet was cold and slick, and the air held a metallic scent.

The figure let out a slow, weary sigh.

"Another failure," he murmured, his voice heavy with disappointment.

"This will make things a bit difficult."