Chapter 17: The Storm That Knows My Name
—Narrated by Eli Whitmore
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The storm didn't come with a warning. It came with a whisper.
At first, I thought it was just the wind playing tricks again—whistling through the windowpane of my dorm at the Arcane Institute. But then I heard it again, clearer this time. A voice.
"Eli... Eli Whitmore..."
I sat up in bed, my breath shallow. The voice didn't belong to anyone I knew. It was soft, ancient, and full of longing. But it said my name like it had known me forever.
Rain began to fall. Not gently. It was wild and chaotic, lashing against the windows like it was trying to break through. Thunder growled in the distance.
A storm had arrived. And I had a feeling it wasn't just any storm.
---
By morning, the entire Academy was shrouded in a strange fog. The sky remained dark, like the sun had been swallowed. Magic in the air felt warped—some spells failed, others misfired. Felix tried to light a candle with a flick of his fingers and ended up freezing it instead.
Ryker was annoyed. "This is unnatural. Magical storms aren't supposed to affect basic elemental control."
Luna, who'd been watching the sky with narrowed eyes, added, "This isn't just magic. It's memory. Something old is being stirred."
Draven folded his arms. "Something or someone."
Thorne, silent as always, looked up at the sky. Then, he turned to me. "You felt it first, didn't you?"
I nodded. "It called my name."
---
Later that day, Headmaster Alaric summoned me to the Watchtower. A place students rarely entered.
He handed me a scroll. Old, brittle parchment. The ink shimmered faintly.
"We found this in the lower vault," he said. "It surfaced just this morning. We believe it was triggered by the Vault opening. It bears your family crest."
I slowly unrolled the scroll. A star map, full of strange constellations. And right in the center, an eclipse drawn with silver and black ink. The Twin Eclipse.
Underneath, in delicate handwriting:
"When the storm speaks and the stars fall silent, seek the one whose blood mirrors thine."
I swallowed hard. "What does this mean?"
Headmaster Alaric tapped the scroll. "It means someone with your bloodline is still alive. And they may hold the key to the final gate."
---
That night, the storm worsened. We gathered in the southern courtyard, where the magical barrier was weakest. It was risky. But Thorne insisted.
"This storm isn't just weather," he said. "It's a summoning. And it's here for Eli."
He wasn't wrong.
A figure stepped out of the rain, cloaked in silver-blue robes. The lightning didn't touch them. The ground seemed to still beneath their feet.
They pulled down their hood.
A woman. Her face, pale and tired. Her eyes—icy blue.
Just like mine.
My heart raced. I took a step forward. "Who are you?"
She looked at me, trembling. "I am Seris Whitmore. Your aunt. I was thought dead... But I have lived in hiding, cursed and silenced by the Binder."
Gasps echoed behind me. Felix whispered, "Whitmore?"
Seris stepped closer. "The prophecy left out one truth. The Binder marked more than one of us. And the final gate... is not just a location. It's a test of blood."
I stared at her. So many emotions welled up in me—confusion, fear, hope.
"Why now? Why come now?"
Her expression darkened. "Because the storm is only the beginning. And the final eclipse comes sooner than we thought."
She handed me a ring. A glowing symbol pulsed in its center—one I'd seen in my visions.
Thorne stepped up beside me. "Is that the Seal of Origin?"
Seris nodded. "The first key. You must gather three. Only then will the final gate open. And only one of you will be able to step through."
I looked around at my friends. At Thorne. Luna. Felix. Ryker. Draven.
I wasn't ready to choose. I wasn't ready to face this.
But the storm had called my name. And now... there was no turning back.
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To be continued...