The Whispers of Arcanum
Chapter 3 - “The Council of Shadows”

The group of friends sat around the living room, discussing their next move. Maya sat cross-legged on the floor, her brow furrowed in concentration. Nico was hunched over his laptop, typing furiously. Phoenix was perched on the arm of the couch, her eyes scanning the room warily. Eden sat with her hands folded in her lap, her face calm and serene. Tempest was pacing back and forth, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides. And Orion was leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest, his gaze fixed on the door.

“We need to figure out how to take down the enemy- well- government,” Tempest said, breaking the tense silence. “They’re the ones behind all of this. They’re the ones who are spreading lies and fear about us.”

“But how do we do that?” Maya asked, her voice tinged with frustration. “We’re just a small group of people with powers. They have an entire army.”

“We have to start somewhere,” Eden said softly. “We have to take small steps and work our way up. Maybe we could start by reaching out to other people like us, people who are being persecuted for their powers.”

Nico dashed his head up from his laptop. “I might be able to help with that,” he said. “I’ve been tracking news reports and social media posts about people with powers. I think I can replace some leads.”

Phoenix nodded in agreement. “We also need to make sure we’re ready for anything,” she added to the list. “We can’t afford to be caught off guard.”

Orion pushed himself off the wall. “I’ll work on some combat training for everyone,” he said. “We need to be able to defend ourselves if things get ugly.”

Tempest let out a sigh of relief. “Okay,” she said. “I feel a bit better now. At least we have a plan.”

As the group continued to discuss their next moves, they didn’t notice the figure lurking outside the window. It was an agent, dressed in all black and armed with a gun. He had been watching the group for days, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

Suddenly, the window shattered, sending glass flying in all directions. The group jumped to their feet, thinking they were ready for a fight. The government agent burst into the room, firing his gun wildly.

“Get down!” Orion shouted, tackling Eden to the ground. The others scattered, dodging bullets as they tried to make their way to safety.

Maya reached out a hand, summoning a gust of wind that knocked the agent off his feet. Phoenix transformed into a bird and swooped down, raking her talons across the agent’s face. Tempest unleashed a bolt of lightning that struck the agent square in the chest.The room was filled with the sound of gunfire and the crackling of electricity. The air was thick with smoke and the scent of burnt flesh. When the dust settled, the government agent lay dead on the ground.

The group looked around at each other, panting and covered in sweat. They had survived their first attack, but they knew that this was only the beginning. The storm was gathering, and they had to be ready for whatever came next even though they were in shock. They didn’t expect death to be the outcome. Now they knew exactly what they were in for— at least so far they did.