Flames and Starlight
EIGHTEEN

Peter paced back and forth in his living room as he tried to reach his parents. It’d been announced an hour ago that lockdown was back on at full force and everyone was to stay inside their homes or whatever location they were in. There were attacks occurring all over Raven City and he was trying to make sure all of his loved ones were okay.

He’d been trying to contact his parents but got no response. He was worried sick about them and knew something had to have happened for them not to call or text him. He wanted to go out and look for them but Guardians were posted all over the apartment building and he’d already tried to leave three times. They’d stopped him each time and if they caught him trying to leave again he’d be thrown in a cell. The only reason why he was complying was because the last thing anyone needed was him in jail.

After the millionth time trying to reach them, he threw his phone on the couch, growling in frustration. He ran his hand through his hair in agitation. He wanted to be out there looking for them instead of being caged in here.

He opened the front door again and saw that one of the Guardians was right outside as though she knew he’d try to leave again.

“One more time and I’m cuffing you,” she growled at him. He closed the door in her face.

He tried to calm himself down, tried to tell himself that letting his temper get the best of him, and not make any impulsive decisions. That’s what got him in trouble numerous times in the past.

He thought of Michael and the thought of his parents sharing his brother’s fate had him sick with dread. He thought of the night they got the news Micahel had died and how his best friend was ripped away from him.

He thought of the way he’d been treating his parents and felt immense guilt. He now knew how they felt, worrying about him. He felt guilty for being cruel to his parents when all they’d been doing was watch out for him. He thought of the way he’d take off without telling them or not bothering to let them know if he was okay or not.

He picked his phone up and tried his mother again. He nearly fell over from relief when she picked up.

“Peter? Are you okay?” she asked over the line.

“I’m fine - are you okay? I’ve been trying to reach you for an hour!”

“Yes. Your dad and I are at work. They have the building locked down. Sorry, I didn’t call back. Our phones were dead and we needed to charge them.”

“I’m so glad to hear your voice. I was so worried about you. I’m really sorry about the way I’ve been to you and Dad lately -”

“It’s okay, honey. I know we’ve been overbearing lately. Just stay inside and be safe, okay? We’ll try to get home as soon as possible and until then, don’t leave. I have to go but I will call when I can.”

“Okay. Love you, Mom.”

“I love you too, Pete.”

She hung up and he exhaled in relief. He tried calling Hannah, Ruben, and Laura. He couldn’t get a hold of Hannah but Ruben and Laura texted him and said they were fine and were at Laura’s family’s house. He asked them if they heard from Hannah and they said no. He was worried about her and hoped she was okay. Thoughts of what could be happening to his friends, Hannah, and his parents were driving him crazy.

He groaned when he saw his phone battery was almost dead and plugged it into the charger. It was late and he knew he should get some rest but was too anxious to sleep.

He turned on the TV to watch the news channel, hoping to get any updates. He wanted to know when everyone could get home safely and when everything could get back.

He froze at what was on the screen. Instead of the usual TV program, there was something else.

A tall sorcerer stood on the screen, wearing a long, black robe, in the background was a building on fire. The sorcerer didn’t have his hood drawn back but Peter instinctively knew it was the hooded figure.

The man had long black hair and a beard that grew on the lower half of his face. But it was his eyes that got Peter’s attention. They were a murky yellow with black pupils in the center.

Peter felt the air leave his lungs. Eyes like that meant Dark Magic. Powerful Dark Magic.

The sorcerer’s face also caused alarm bells to go off in his head. The sorcerer looked familiar as though at one point he’d seen him. He couldn’t remember where but he knew he’d seen him somewhere.

“Hello, supernaturals of the Eternal World,” the sorcerer said and his voice was so strange. It was as though it echoed repeatedly. “It had been a long time since we’d seen each other. About a hundred years. If those who’d been around to have seen me the first time, hello again. To those who’ve never seen me before, hello. My name is Kane Moonblood.”

No.

Peter felt his jaw drop, unable to believe what he just heard. His mind rushed back to when he was in Supernatural History class. He remembered them doing a unit on the deadliest war in the Eternal World’s history that was caused by Kane Moonblood, the most infamous figure in history.

He’d completely surrendered his soul to Dark Magic and had the power to raise the dead, something that was outlawed. He’d created undead armies that had taken over and wiped out millions of supernaturals when he’d gone to war. The war lasted a year but it was deadly and terrible and a horrible part of their history.

It’d taken Queen Janice to take him down once and for all. She’d killed him with her magic and turned him into nothing but mere ashes. She restored the Eternal World back to peace.

Kane Moonblood should’ve been nothing more than a terrible, distant memory. How the hell was he back?

Kane grinned mockingly into the TV. “I wanted to greet everyone after being gone for over one hundred years. I know you all must have a lot of questions so I will answer them for you. No, I am not an imposter. Yes, this is all real. Yes, another war is coming. Yes, I am working with someone. No, I will not tell you who. And finally, yes, you are all going to die. So, I hope that answers your questions for now. Take care.”

The TV screen went blank.

Peter stumbled backward until the back of his legs hit the couch and he fell down on it, staring at the TV in complete shock. A million incoherent thoughts were racing through his mind.

“Holy fuck,” he muttered.

He functioned on autopilot as he walked across the room to grab his phone to check on his parents again. He was in the middle of dialing his mother’s number when the door splintered open. He cursed and dropped his phone.

Three shapeshifters with glowing green eyes stood in the doorway. Peter’s eyes widened when he realized they were possessed. They snarled at Peter and rushed at him with obvious intentions of attacking him.

“Shit!” he yelled and ran to the balcony.

The possessed shapeshifters were close behind him and he almost didn’t jump off the balcony on time. He shifted into a peregrine falcon in midair and took off.

He soared through the air as fast as he could. He looked behind him and saw that the possessed shapeshifters had gone back inside and, fortunately, weren’t following him.

He looked down and the sight below him made his blood run cold.

The war had begun.