Eyes in the fog
Episode 41: "Eyes in the Fog"
The fog rolled in thick by morning—unnaturally cold, clinging to windows like it had a mind of its own. Shadowbound Academy's halls echoed quieter than usual, as though even sound feared to linger.
Kael stood by the window of Lana's dorm room, shirtless, sweat still glistening from training. His eyes were locked on the edge of the woods.
Lana came up behind him, arms sliding around his waist. "You didn't sleep."
"Couldn't," he muttered. "Something is watching. Not just us. Everyone."
Her cheek rested on his back. "The wards are still holding. Whatever's out there is waiting. But we won't wait forever."
He turned, pulled her into his arms. Their lips met—soft, slow—but full of dread and fire. They kissed like warriors before battle.
A sharp knock broke the moment.
It was Rhea. "Guys, we've got a situation. Two students are missing. And the storm's not stopping."
---
Scene Cut: Assembly Hall
Principal Draeven stood before a half-empty crowd of students. His voice trembled slightly beneath his usual thunderous tone. "Effective immediately, all students must remain indoors after sundown. Group movement only. Wards are being strengthened around the perimeter."
Felix leaned over to Tunde and whispered, "So basically, we're grounded by supernatural forces now."
Tunde whispered back, "Great. First cursed pasta, now mandatory fear lockdown. Peak high school experience."
But Kael wasn't laughing. His gaze swept the room—students were scared. And worse, he could sense the pulse in the air. Magic was stirring. Something had slipped past the wards.
---
Later That Night – Woods Behind the Academy
Despite the warning, a student named Mira snuck out to search for her missing sister. She didn't get far.
A thick fog surrounded her almost immediately. Voices whispered her name. The trees swayed, though there was no wind.
Then came the growl.
She turned—too late.
From the dark fog, it emerged.
A demon, gaunt and tall with no face—just a mouth where eyes should be. Its claws dragged across the earth, its body surrounded by flies that buzzed with arcane symbols.
Mira screamed.
Then silence.
---
Scene Cut – Kael's Team, the Next Morning
Kael led the group through the fog, weapons drawn. Felix carried a portable light rune. Rhea had a new enchantment she had been working on all night—a protective spell that could reflect lesser curses.
Tunde, of course, was carrying a broom. "I couldn't find my wand. This'll do."
Lana side-eyed him. "Unless you're planning to sweep the demon to death—"
He cut in, "Don't underestimate household weaponry, woman."
Suddenly, Rhea gasped.
Ahead of them, Mira's necklace lay on the ground—charred, twisted. The grass around it blackened in a perfect circle.
"She's gone," Kael muttered.
"No," Lana said. "She's taken. There's a difference."
---
Scene Cut – The Witch Queen's Lair
Deep within the Ashen Hollow, Mira hung suspended in black vines, her eyes wide with terror. Before her stood the Witch Queen and the faceless demon, now whispering her name backwards.
"She is the key," the Queen murmured. "The final piece for the Omen Gate."
The cauldron nearby began to boil—showing visions of Kael's team inching closer.
"They will come," the demon gurgled in a voice made of broken echoes.
"And we will welcome them," the Queen smiled darkly, "with gifts of horror."
---
Back at the Academy – Training Grounds
The team began sparring harder than ever. They weren't training to win. They were training to survive.
Kael clashed swords with Lana, their movements fluid, fast, locked in near-perfect rhythm.
Felix had grown stronger too—his swordplay was now laced with quick-thinking spellwork.
Tunde… well, Tunde got thrown into a bush by Rhea.
"Hey!" he yelled, leaves in his hair. "That was an illegal magical toss!"
Rhea smirked. "You said surprise me."
"You didn't need to summon a windstorm!"
Kael laughed for the first time in days.
But then his laugh stopped. He felt it—a sharp pain in his chest.
The sky crackled.
Lana rushed to him. "What is it?"
Kael's eyes went distant. "The Witch Queen. She's preparing something. Big. I saw it in a flash—like an omen."
Rhea held up her spellbook. "Then it's time we take the fight to her. Before the Omen Gate is opened."
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Final Scene: Preparing for the Next Move
That night, the team gathered underground—beneath the academy where ancient maps and scrolls were kept.
Felix rolled out an old parchment. "This is it. The Hollow. But the terrain shifts. The place moves like a living thing."
Kael nodded. "We'll have to go in blind."
Lana drew her blade. "Then we blind it first."
Tunde opened his book upside-down. "Do demons get scared of terrible singing? Because I've been told I'm dangerous."
Everyone turned.
He grinned. "What? I'm the morale boost."
They all chuckled—but the laughter was hollow.
Because they knew—when dawn came—they'd march straight into the Witch Queen's realm. And not all of them might return.