A couple of hours passed as they drove through the dark, Cian glanced into the rearview mirror, the sound of rain pattering against the car filling the silence. “You okay back there, Sam?”

“Yeah,” she replied softly, her gaze fixed out the window, watching her reflection flicker in the glass.

Cian turned his attention back to the road and turned on some music, hoping to ease the tension. Still, unease gnawed at him, like a shadow trailing their car. The sensation was familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.

Logan tightened his grip on his knees, his eyes flicking between Cian and the dark woods surrounding them. His cheeks flushed a shade of red as he smiled faintly, then looked away, staring into the void outside.. 

“I can’t believe everything is gone,” Cian said quietly, his voice almost lost in the hum of the engine.

“Yeah,” Logan replied, his tone steady. “But at least we made it out. That’s what matters.”

Cian nodded, but Sam’s voice cut through the quiet. “It feels like this didn’t just happen. Like something—someone—started it all.” Her words carried a tremor of fear, and her fingers fidgeted with the strap of her backpack.

“ you know my mom said stories about a creature that had many names some say it was  The Eclipsed other say it was The Revenant Swarm… They’ve hunted for centuries.”

Cian furrowed his brow. “Hunted what?”

“Bloodworths,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “They weren’t always like this. Five hundred years ago, they were normal kids, just like us.”

Logan frowned. “So… they don’t work for the Ashthornes?”

“...okay let me finish the story it will answer that questions’ said Sam with a hint of annoyed 

“It is said that it was in the summer when a war broke out between two powerful families,” Sam began, her voice soft yet heavy with emotion. “At first, it was distant, just whispers of battles far from their small town. But soon, the fighting crept closer—so close that it consumed their lives.”

Cian glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “What happened?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“One night, chaos broke loose,” Sam continued. “The town was set ablaze. Screams filled the air, and fire devoured everything in sight. The seven—Emily Graves, Theo Dusk, Lila Thorncroft, Gideon Vale, Ava Blackwell, Colin Wraith, and Nora Hollow—were just children. Their parents tried to save them, but in the panic, they got separated. The parents told them to run, to hide in the woods, and to wait until it was safe. But safe never came.”

Logan leaned forward, his brows furrowed. “What happened to them?”

Sam hesitated, her voice trembling as she spoke. “Emily… she couldn’t just wait. She needed to find her mother. She left the group and went back into the town, hoping—praying—that her family was still alive. But what she found…” Sam’s voice faltered, and she swallowed hard. “She saw her mother, kneeling in the square, surrounded by flames. And then… her head… was cut off.”

Cian gasped softly, his chest tightening. “No…”

“She screamed,” Sam said, tears glistening in her eyes. “But the sound gave her away. A man on a horse spotted her and gave chase. She ran as fast as she could, her lungs filled with smoke, her feet stumbling over burning debris. Somehow, she escaped, but… they say her mind broke that night. That she’s still searching for her mother, hoping—believing—that she’ll find her alive.”

Silence filled the car for a moment, broken only by the sound of the rain hitting the roof.

“And the others?” Logan asked, his voice low.

“When the fighting stopped, the others came out of hiding,” she continued, her tone heavy with sorrow. “They searched through the ashes of the town, calling for their families. But there was nothing. Everyone they loved was gone. They were the only survivors. Just children, left to wander a broken world.”

“That’s awful,” Logan murmured, his voice thick with emotion.

Cian’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “But why do they hunt the Bloodworths? So much ” he asked, his tone tinged with frustration.

He sighed. “The man who burned the town and killed Emily’s mother… he was a Bloodworth. It’s one of the family’s darkest regrets, something no one can justify. This was long before Chaos magic was discovered. Some say he was consumed by its influence without even knowing. Others say he was greedy, power-hungry, and his mind long corrupted .”

Cian’s gaze dropped to the dashboard, his shoulders slumping. “What if… what if that happens to me? What if I can’t control the chaos magic? What if I… hurt people?” His voice cracked, and a tear slid down his cheek. “What if I destroy everything?”

His breathing quickened, and he gripped the wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.

“Cian,” Sam said firmly, leaning forward from the backseat. She placed her hand on his shoulder and stared directly into his eyes. “That’s never going to happen. Do you hear me? Never. You’re not him. You’re not greedy or cruel. You’re good. You care too much to let that happen.”

Logan reached out, placing his hand over Cian’s on the wheel. “She’s right. You’re not alone in this. We’re here. We won’t let you face this on your own.”

Cian blinked rapidly, trying to push back the wave of panic crashing over him. Sam’s words, Logan’s steady hand—together, they pulled him back. He exhaled shakily, nodding as he whispered, “Okay. Okay.”

The rain outside began to ease, but inside the car, the storm in Cian’s heart slowly began to settle.

Soon, bright lights flooded the road, illuminating the path as if it were midday. In reality, it was just past 1 a.m. Cian pulled the car into the airport parking lot and killed the engine. The group stepped out into the chilly night air, exchanging confused glances.

“This is it,” Cian muttered, slinging his backpack over one shoulder.

The group began rifling through their bags, the sound of zippers breaking the silence. “Wait,” Cian said, his voice sharper now. “Do you guys have your passports? Oh, and don’t worry about tickets—I grabbed them at the gas station earlier.”

Logan and Sam exchanged quick looks before digging into their bags. Sam found hers tucked away in a hidden pocket, while Logan checked every compartment before pulling his from the front pocket with a sheepish grin.

“Got it,” Logan said.

“Alright. Now let’s go—and maybe grab some phone chargers while we’re at it,” Cian suggested, glancing at his dead phone.

“YEAHHH!” Sam chimed, her voice echoing in the stillness.

The airport doors slid open with a faint beep, and they stepped into a cavernous terminal. The roof stretched high above them, adorned with a glittering chandelier that cast fractured rainbows onto the floor. Despite its grandeur, the space was eerily empty, like a deserted shopping mall long after closing. The air was frigid, biting through their jackets.

“Why is it so cold in here?” Cian muttered, rubbing his hands together.

“Right?” Sam agreed, pulling her hoodie tighter around her. “It’s like we walked into a freezer.”

Logan, ever the optimist, grinned. “Well, at least we’re getting closer. When’s our flight?”

Cian sighed. “My phone’s dead. Let’s find a charger first.”

The three wandered through the terminal, the sound of their footsteps magnified by the emptiness. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, Logan’s voice broke the silence.

“LOOK!” he yelled, pointing toward a charging station near a cluster of empty seats.

They hurried over, and Cian plugged in his phone. The screen lit up with a faint glow, climbing slowly to 5% as he scrambled to check their flight details. His shoulders sagged in relief. “We’ve got thirty minutes,” he said, the tension melting from his voice. “Let’s check in.”

Logan approached, his eyes softening as he watched Cian fumble with his phone. “See? We’re fine,” he said, grabbing Cian’s arms and pulling him close. “Relax.”

Cian’s cheeks flushed as Logan laughed softly. “Oh, uh… yeah. Let’s go check in,” Cian stammered, shaking himself free and hurrying toward the counter.

Sam jogged to catch up, her giggle barely suppressed. “I feel like the third wheel here,” she teased under her breath.

“What was that?” Cian asked, glancing over his shoulder.

“Nothing! Nothing at all,” Sam said quickly, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

As they walked toward the check-in counter, a low rumble vibrated through the airport floor. The chandelier above swayed gently, the shimmering rainbows scattering chaotically across the polished tiles.

“Did you feel that?” Sam asked, her voice sharp, her gaze darting around the empty terminal.

“Yeah,” Logan muttered, stepping protectively closer to Cian. “What the hell was that?”

Before Cian could respond, another tremor shook the ground beneath them. His heart raced as the cold, sterile air seemed to grow heavier, pressing down on his chest. He staggered, his vision blurring.

“Cian?” Logan’s voice sounded distant, muffled, like it was coming from underwater.

Suddenly, the world shifted. The fluorescent lights flickered, and the airport around him dissolved into a familiar, warm glow. He blinked, and there they were—his parents. His mother stood beside his father, both of them smiling softly. They looked untouched, unharmed, as if nothing had ever happened.

“Mom? Dad?” Cian whispered, his voice trembling.

“Cian,” his mother said, her voice warm and soothing, just as he remembered. She extended her hand toward him, but something about her movement was... off. Her smile faltered for a split second, her eyes flickering with something darker—something wrong.

“Come to us, sweetheart,” she said, her tone saccharine yet unnervingly hollow.

Cian’s feet refused to move. The warmth of the vision began to twist, the edges darkening, as if shadows were creeping in. His father’s figure flickered like a glitching image, his once kind eyes now empty and lifeless.

“Cian!” Logan’s voice cut through the illusion, snapping him back to reality. He gasped, his knees buckling as he clung to the counter for support.

“Hey, hey!” Logan grabbed his arm, steadying him. “What happened?”

Cian’s chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath. He glanced around the airport—still cold, empty, and eerily quiet. His parents were gone.

“I… I saw them,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “My parents. They were here.”

Sam’s hand landed on his shoulder, grounding him. “It wasn’t real, Cian. It’s just your mind messing with you.”

“No,” he said firmly, shaking his head. “It wasn’t just in my head. I felt them. Something’s here, and it’s playing with me.”

The air seemed to grow colder, the shadows stretching unnaturally long as if the airport itself were alive, watching them. The ground gave one last subtle tremor before falling silent.

“We need to get out of here,” Sam said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Logan nodded, his grip on Cian’s arm tightening. “We’ll figure it out later. Right now, we get on that plane.”

Cian clenched his jaw, his heart still pounding. Whatever was happening, it wasn’t just paranoia. And deep down, he knew—this was only the beginning.