me. The evil spirit’s rage-filled shrieks rang in my ears. It hurtled toward me, its black claws dripping with venom. Malevolent energy hung heavy in the air, suffocating me. A blast of jet-black lightning sent me backward into a tree. I struggled to stand up, blocking out the pain.
Suddenly, the spirit slammed into the red-haired girl. Her skin began to melt from her face and limbs. She stared at me with her piercing green eyes, wailing, “Why?!” Her body transformed into a mist of inky black vapor that leaped into my mouth.
I screamed as the talons of disembodied arms shook me.
“Eva! Eva!” Celine shook me awake. “You’re having a nightmare.”
It was still dark out, and I was in bed in the safety of our dorm room, trembling.
“It’s okay, Eva.” She pulled me into a hug. “You’re okay.”
I shuddered, hugging her back.
She patted my shoulder. “We’re okay. Go back to sleep.”
We’re safe, I told myself. Still, an uneasy feeling lingered in the pit of my stomach as I drifted off.
The next morning, a persistent gloomy gray permeated the skies, and a biting chill clung to the air, perfectly capturing the mood of the students at Empyrean Academy, most of whom were nesting in their rooms while the more adventurous ones hid in the nooks of the library.
They were braver than I was. After witnessing the terror at the Founder’s Ball, I hadn’t dared to step out of my room for two days. It was a nightmare that I desperately hoped to never experience again, but, according to Celine, it was likely to happen again. Despite this looming darkness, the brave ones continued to venture forward with reckless courage.
The morning after the attack, each student received an email, and a letter delivered to our dorm rooms from Professor Braddock about the “incident,” as he called it. Abigail Fraser, the girl that was attacked, was still missing, which only reaffirmed my conclusion that she died. He tried to reassure us that the administration had increased campus security and urged us to remain calm but cautious and alert. We were also given the option to not attend class until we felt “reasonably comfortable in doing so.”
I certainly did not feel “reasonably comfortable in doing so.” Sleep alluded me. Every loud noise caused me to bolt up in bed and shake so violently that Celine would rush over to calm me down.
Celine was one of the brave ones. She went about her day as normal and even brought meals back to me when she could. She told me about the little memorial students had set up in front of the Assembly Hall for Abigail Fraser and the vigil they were planning for her. She said that everyone was asking about me, including Nathaniel. He’d asked if he could come to see me, but I told her to let him know that I wasn’t ready.
It was going to come back. We didn’t know what it wanted. How many more of us would die before it was over? That evil spirit didn’t come out of nowhere. She was the pretty girl sitting next to Nathaniel at the dance. Was it possible that she was an Em?
From the day I met Professor Braddock at the hospital, I’d been warned how dangerous Ems could be and the risk that our powers posed to the world, but I never allowed myself to imagine that Ems could become unhinged or maliciously choose to harm others without remorse. Sure, it happened to humans, so, of course, I knew it was possible. But until that moment, I’d never been confronted with the reality of it. Now, that reality slapped me in the face and shook me to my core.
Every time I thought about it, terror gripped my heart like a vice, squeezing so tightly that I could barely move. My body trembled, and my skin prickled with a cold sweat. The fear surging through me sat like a heavy weight on my chest, making it hard to draw my next breath.
Not only did the fear of the evil spirit attacking that poor Abigail paralyze me, but so did the shame of not being able to fight back and use my powers when they were so desperately needed. Then, seeing others who appeared to carry on so easily made me feel isolated and smaller than ever before. So, I holed myself up in my room, embarrassed that this had shaken me so deeply. I wasn’t sure if I was cut out to be at the academy—or be an Em, for that matter. The thoughts and emotions paralyzed me, leaving me unable to move forward, even to leave my dorm room.
Yet something inside me whispered that I needed to see Nathaniel. He deserved to see me. I owed him that. Nathaniel protected me. He saved my life. I should be thankful for having gotten away unscathed.
It wasn’t until that moment that I wondered what he might be going through. He’d watched that innocent girl get struck down too. His instinct to protect me with his powers seemed effortless, but the attack could have affected him too.
It could have been any of us. We were simply lucky to be alive.
How was I repaying Nathaniel by refusing to see him? What kind of life was worth living if I never left my room?
“Eva.” Celine touched my arm, forcing my attention back to the room. “Did you hear me?” she asked softly.
I shook my head. “Sorry, what did you say?”
“Everyone is asking about you, and we really want you to come hang out with us today. It’s not healthy for you to coop yourself up in here.”
“I…” I hesitated, instinctively beginning to decline as fear crept up in my mind again.
“Hey.” Celine came to the side of my bed, taking my hand in hers. “We’ll get through this together. None of us should go through this alone. We need each other. All of us.”
Her words flooded me with warmth. I had friends here, friends that I didn’t have in high school because I was too busy doing everything that I could to get accepted into a college that I wound up not going to. I wasn’t going to waste this second chance.
That evil spirit would not win. I wouldn’t let it.
I looked at Celine and nodded slowly.
“Good.” She stood up. “Nathaniel demanded proof you’re still alive. So, if you don’t come, he’s going to storm our room.”
The thought of Nathaniel storming our room made me smile. Nathaniel.
Celine waited for me to change, and we walked out of the dorm room with our arms linked to meet the others.
She led me to a freshwater lake at the edge of campus. It was a clear, deep blue pool with a small waterfall cascading into it from a higher bluff, filling the air with the sound of rushing water. A gentle breeze rustled through the trees nearby, where chirping birds perched.
Our friends sat on the large gray boulders that surrounded the water, jutting out of the earth like giants keeping vigil over the lake. Moss crept over some boulders, while others split in rough cracks and crevices. Water droplets trickled from between the rocks and into the lake, creating a soothing melody. The surface of the water sparkled, reflecting the sunlight like a liquid mirror, and rippled gently as Nathaniel occasionally threw a small pebble into the lake.
Dean spotted us first and called out, “Hey, look who experienced her first supernatural attack! Welcome to the life of the Empyreans.”
The others turned toward us as he spoke, and I threw an alarming glance at Celine.
“Don’t listen to him.” Celine patted my arm with reassurance.
I nervously lowered myself onto a boulder while Celine took a seat next to Alan. What she’d told me in our room resounded in my mind.
We’ll get through this together. We’ll get through this together.
Nathaniel’s gaze caught mine, but he didn’t come to me right away. He gave me a half-smirk as if to acknowledge me while giving me space, and I tried to smile gently back.
The others continued their conversation, but I wasn’t really up to contributing, so I just tried to take in the calmness of the water.
Seeing Nathaniel again, I realized I’d never given myself a chance to process what happened before the attack.
Nathaniel kissed me.
I smiled to myself. Honestly, if someone told me the day of the Founder’s Ball that Nathaniel and I would be kissing by the end of the night, I would have said that they were batshit crazy.
Sure, I was unequivocally fascinated by him for reasons I still could not explain, but he had barely tolerated me. In my defense, he barely tolerated anyone. This guy had snapped at me for asking questions when he was supposed to be welcoming me to the academy and couldn’t be near me for more than five minutes without scowling.
A soft warmth spread through my chest and to my cheeks, recalling the taste of his lips on mine. Nathaniel’s passion ignited a spark within me. The last thing I remembered before the screams from the dance interrupted us was feeling his hand moving up my thigh. What could have happened if it weren’t for the attack? The thought itself ignited a heat between my legs that I couldn’t ignore.
Celine began to not-so-subtly nudge her head in my direction, breaking me out of my reverie. She glared at Nathaniel as she motioned her head toward me, and he glanced at her and then at me. I continued to stare at the water, pretending like I didn’t notice, and tried to hide my smile. She was an angel, trying to take care of me once more by urging Nathaniel to come talk to me. I hadn’t even told Celine about the kiss yet. I wondered if he had told her.
As morbid as it sounded, Nathaniel and I shared a deeper connection from that night, and not just from our kiss. We both tried to help Abigail and saw what happened to her right in front of us, something I could never unsee.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Nathaniel came over and lowered himself onto the boulder next to me, close enough that his arm touched mine, but I continued to stare out into the water. He said nothing, and, for the first time, I wasn’t eager to fill the silence. His presence alone made me feel safe and calm, like a warm fire on a wintery day. I already regretted not seeing him sooner.
“Hey,” he finally said.
“Hey,” I said.
“How are you doing?” His voice was quiet and gentle.
I gazed at him, unable to find words, and simply nodded in response.
The golden flecks in the dark gray pools of his irises sparkled like stars. We looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity. He didn’t need to say anything for me to feel his comfort and understanding. I realized how much I had missed him and all that he had done for me ever since I first came to the academy.
Finally, he pulled me into his arms, and I soaked in the warmth of his body. Time stopped as I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent—an intoxicating mixture of sea salt, sandalwood, and musk with a hint of spice. Soft melodies of gentle waves brushing against rocks and the background voices of our friends drifted into my ears. Given my feelings for him, I expected to feel some degree of nervousness or excitement, but in the silence of that hug, there was only peace and contentment.
“Last night was pretty rough,” he murmured gently into my hair.
“Yeah, it was,” I whispered. I wanted to say more about everything I felt, but the words caught in my throat. Instead, I buried my face further into the safety and protection of his embrace.
He sensed my apprehension and let out a deep breath. “We don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to.” His voice was so sincere and soothing that the tension unraveled from my body.
“No, I want to talk about it.” I shook my head lightly, and he loosened his arms around me. After staring into his beautiful eyes for a few more moments, I stammered out, “I’m so sorry. I should have done more when that… thing attacked. Everything happened so fast, and I couldn’t use my powers to help. I just froze.”
Nathaniel sighed, cupping my chin in his hands. “It’s okay,” he said softly with a reassuring smile. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You found out you were an Em, what, a month ago? You’re still so new to all of this. It’ll get easier with time and practice. That’s why you’re here.”
His words comforted me, and for a moment, I found that funny. Where was the judgmental, short-tempered Nathaniel that I first met? He would have been raking me over the coals. Instead, he had done more than just save me from physical harm. Nate gave me the resolve to become stronger, faster, smarter, and more powerful so that one day I could protect myself and my friends from whatever future dangers might come our way.
“Thank you,” I said softly. “For saving my life.”
He smiled softly at my gratitude. “That night… it was going well before we were interrupted, though?” His eyes searched mine, hoping I agreed.
“Yes, it was,” I smiled knowingly at him.
My gaze drifted to him, and I caught a flicker of heat in his eyes. The kind that could set the sea alight. For a brief second, he leaned in as if he wanted to kiss me, but he caught the curious gazes of our friends and reconsidered. His eyes lingered on mine as he slowly released me from his arms before shifting back to sitting next to me. He offered an endearingly shy smile, which made my heart flutter in response.
I rested my head on his shoulder and felt his body relax under my cheek before averting my gaze back to the water.
“Celine said you were going to storm our room?” I chuckled.
“I would have.” He chuckled back.
Too spellbound to speak, all I could do was give a slight nod before returning my attention to the gentle lull of the waves. The weight of his head settled against mine, and I drew a deep breath, taking in his scent like it might be my last. We stayed like that for a few moments without words, basking in each other’s presence until he reached across the divide between us, putting his hand on top of mine, our fingers tangling together.
As the sunlight reflected off of the water’s surface, we sat with our own thoughts and feelings about what happened that night, how things turned out, and how it affected us both deeply. The silence between us was filled with understanding instead of awkwardness or embarrassment.
