Whispers of Power

1

A sharp citrus and spice cologne announced Adrian's arrival before he did. He crushed Athena in a hug, his grin wide as the school doors.

 

"Can't... breathe," she wheezed, her voice muffled against the soft texture of his bespoke navy suit.

 

"Lighten up, sis!" Adrian beamed. "Look at you, all grown up. Practically running the school now, by the scent of it."

 

Athena chuckled, the sound tinkling like wind chimes. "We just saw each other last month, Adrian."

 

"Details, details!" he shrugged, unfazed. "But catching up on your oh-so-thrilling life as Student Council President would be nice. Though, that SOS text was dramatic, don't you think?"

 

Athena sighed, leading Adrian to the student council meeting room. There, Theo sat stiffly by the large oval table, his steaming coffee seemingly forgotten as his gaze locked on the window. Astra stood beside the window, her posture rigid, mirroring his focus on the pulsating pink eye that dominated the twilight sky.

 

Theo and Astra, demigods carved from ice, looked like they'd rather be facing a monstrous eye (well, technically, that's what they were facing) than awkward small talk. Adrian's arrival was a welcome social hurricane.

 

Adrian chuckled. "Is this some kind of celebrity meet-and-greet, or a student council meeting?"

 

Theo offered a small smile as he stood up from his seat, his towering frame contrasting with the scientist's stature. "Long time no see, Adrian." He extended a hand.

 

Astra remained by the window, offering a curt nod of acknowledgement. Then, with a tilt of her head towards a stack of photos on the table, she introduced the looming threat with a single, ominous word: "Look."

 

Adrian's grin faltered as he picked up the pictures. His eyes widened at the sight of swirling purple smoke clinging to a young woman.

 

"The... purple smoke?" he asked, a furrow appearing on his brow.

 

Astra's crimson eyes narrowed. "You know about it? That's the Blackwood girl."

 

Theo began, his voice low, "She challenged Natalia to a duel, but at one point... she wasn't in control. As if the power has a mind of its own."

 

Athena nodded solemnly. "She collapsed after Natalia, so I couldn't read her mind. But dark magic is unheard of. And sentient one…”

 

Adrian tapped his fingers rhythmically against the table, his gaze glued to the photos. "It might be connected to The Eye.”

 

Astra's eyes flickered upwards, her gaze meeting the menacing pink orb in the sky. A constant reminder of the danger lurking outside.

 

"Then take her in," Astra said flatly, her voice devoid of emotion.

 

Adrian ran a hand through his hair, worry etching lines on his face. "The Blackwood's political influence will be a problem. But... I can raise it with the Council. Maybe we can find a way."

 

Athena, the voice of reason, interjected, "Precisely. Intrusive mind reading on a Blackwood, particularly without concrete evidence, is a political minefield. Given their influential backing, an invitation to discuss this... incident seems the only course of action."

 

Astra's jaw clenched tight. "The Blackwoods aren't invincible," she growled, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Someone broke through their defenses once. Someone with no connection… unlike some of us."

 

Theo's glacial eyes, usually devoid of emotion, glinted with newfound respect. "Eydis..." he breathed.

 

Adrian raised an eyebrow, surprise flickering across his face. "Eydis?"

 

Athena sighed, exasperation lacing her voice. "Want to hear about my 'oh-so-thrilling life as Student Council President,' brother?"

 

Adrian's golden eyes gleamed with a newfound curiosity as Athena launched into a tale of an ordinary girl, once invisible, who now stood defiantly in the spotlight. He couldn't help but steal glances at Astra, whose usually stoic face seemed to hold a flicker of something... unexpected.

 

Intrigued. Adrian couldn't wait to meet this Eydis. But first, he had to deal with the Tiffany situation.

 

---

 

Tiffany winced as her perfectly manicured nails drew blood across her scalp. Useless. Useless. Useless. The word echoed in her head, a venomous serpent her father had nurtured.

 

‘Waste of space,’ his voice hissed, louder in memory than ever before. Talentless. Ungifted.

 

An inhuman voice, a slithering whisper that sent chills down her spine, mocked her from within. ‘Always the disappointment, Tiffany. Are you nothing more than a reflection of your father's wealth?’

 

A primal scream tore from Tiffany's throat, her head thrown back in a silent room. The memory of the duel assaulted her senses — blinding light, searing agony, and Astra's face, a mask of chilling indifference. Tiffany felt like a fly swatted from existence. Insignificant.

 

One. Single. Strike. A coma, a week stolen from her life. Still, the horror lingered, a constant reminder of the battle replaying in her mind's fractured landscape. Astra's crimson eyes, twin pools of soul-chilling coldness, haunted her. Power. She had it now.

 

But it wasn't enough.

 

Her gaze drifted to a crumpled letter on the floor, the invitation from the student council president. A tremor of unease snaked up her spine. Deny it? Tear it to shreds? Tiffany clenched the letter, the paper crinkling in her grasp. Natalia's smug laughter echoed in her head. Had the duel exposed the forbidden magic? The borro— No! It was hers. Hers! A dark prize bought with blood and defeat.

 

Hatred, a hot coal in her chest, burned brighter. Hatred for Astra, with her effortless power. Hatred for the Gifted who were born with the magic she craved. Hatred for them all.

 

She wanted to be them.

 

The world was rigged, an unfair game from the start. How could she, Tiffany, the heiress apparent to a billion-dollar empire, be so easily outmatched by some nobody? It wasn't fair! It wasn't FAIR!

 

But self-pity wouldn't win her revenge. Eydis, yes, Eydis was the weaker target. That freak, her smug smile a constant reminder of Tiffany’s humiliation. But time was running out… if the student council unearthed her secret.

 

She had to act. Now.

 

Except…

 

Eydis' roommate was Astra. The thought felt like a blow to the gut.

 

"How?" Tiffany gritted her teeth, knuckles white as her grip tightened on her scalp. "How can I crush them? How do I wipe that smug smirk off her face?"

 

Purple smoke materialised before her, its cruel amusement reflected in its swirling form. "Your vessel is weak, child," it purred. "But your mind… oh, your mind is quite delicious."

 

"Delicious? What does that even mean?" Tiffany spat.

 

The smoke pulsed with a perverse delight. "Surprised to find a soul so perfectly... receptive," it hissed, its voice a chorus of whispers tinged with malice.

 

“You crave power. But to truly unlock your potential..." The smoke tendrils swirled closer, a seductive warmth emanating from its inky depths.

 

"Become one with me.”

 

Tiffany's breath caught in her throat. Power, yes, she craved it more than air. But fear choked her. "You want me dead?"

 

The smoke chuckled. "Dead? No, no, your mind is far too valuable. But…" it wavered, "a sliver of humanity holds you back. Remember the firebird? Your hesitation, a leash on my true power."

 

The accusation struck a nerve. Tiffany's lips curved into a cold, calculating smile. "Hesitate? No. Merely acknowledging the… inconvenience of a public kill."

 

The smoke pulsed in satisfaction. "Let go of the last vestiges of your fragile humanity. Let me consume you entirely, and together, we will be unstoppable."

 

"And can you handle Astra then?"

 

The mist hesitated, a tremor running through its form. "One enemy at a time, child. You need to feed them to me, fuel my growth."

 

Then, with a swirling motion, the smoke condensed into a single tendril, as thin as a needle, that burrowed with a squelch into Tiffany's ear.

 

Alone in her room, Tiffany's eyes burned with a light that wasn't entirely her own. They would pay. Eydis, Astra — one by one, they would all fall. The Blackwood name would buy her the time she needed. After all, who would dare question an heiress of such lineage?

 

She was Tiffany Blackwood. This time, victory would be hers.

 

A single tear, devoid of remorse, traced a path down her cheek. This time, there would be no witnesses, no hesitation. No loose ends.

 

Her revenge would be precise, surgical. And it would begin with the one who fueled her fury the most, the infuriating know-it-all with eyes like bottomless wells.

 

Eydis would be the first domino to fall.