A Close Call

The air in the abandoned warehouse crackled with an energy that wasn't mine, not entirely. It was the hum of their technology, a low thrumming that vibrated in my bones, a sound I was starting to recognize with a sickening dread. Flicker, beside me, was practically vibrating too, her small hands clenched into fists. “They’re here, Anya,” she whispered, her voice barely audible above the distant city sounds filtering through the broken windows.

I nodded, my gaze sweeping across the cavernous space. Dust motes danced in the slivers of moonlight, illuminating overturned crates and forgotten machinery. Elias had brought us here, a place he assured us was safe, a forgotten corner of the city where the Overseer’s reach supposedly didn’t extend. He was wrong. Or perhaps, he’d anticipated this, a test of our growing bond, our developing powers.

“How many?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. The star on my forehead felt hot, a beacon that pulsed with my fear.