GALES OF DESTINY

ZOEY

My head banged hard again, The relentless banging had been going on for days, leaving me disoriented.

Often,the throbbing in my head is accompanied by unsettling flashes. It's always the flashes of humans turning into monsters.

The flashes invaded my mind distorting the once familiar human features into monstrous figures. Their eyes always turn an eerie dark black, and their faces became bloodied. It was like a horrifying nightmare that kept replaying in my waking hours.

I tried my best to shake off the disturbing images, but they persisted, haunting me day after day. The frustration and fear grew as I couldn't pinpoint the cause or find any relief.

"Argh"

I yelped out. Okay this is getting worse

And then, in a sudden and overwhelming moment, the flashes came again, forcing my eyes to close involuntarily. Through the haze, a scene unfolded- It was a couple engrossed in their tender moments within what seemed to be a living room. But everything changed in an instant. Their forms shifted and changed into something monstrous

This is the same thing I've been experiencing,eyes turning pitch black with a bloodied face.

My gaze landed on a picture frame hanging on the wall. It was a snapshot of the couple and a girl who bore a striking resemblance to me. Realization hit me like a thunderbolt. The flashes sharpened and everything became clearer. This was my living room and they are my parents. The flashes were revealing a twisted reality that I couldn't escape.

The details of the living room became clearer in my mind's eye-the familiar furniture, the warm lighting, the cherished memories infused in every corner.

My heart raced, fear took root within me. I needed to get home immediately. The mysterious flashes were something I never wanted to confront. But the fact that my parents were involved made it scarier.

Turning swiftly,I retraced my steps. I was on my way to a friend's place before this unsettling incident. I sprinted home, pushing my body against its limits as fear intensified.

Arriving at my house, I opened the door cautiously. The room lay silent, giving off an eerie feeling as if it were devoid of any presence.

"Mom?"

I called out,my voice trembling with both fear and hope as I cautiously walked through the room.

The silence was oppressive yielding no response. My heart sank realizing something was definitely wrong.

"Dad?"

I called again, hoping for an answer, but the silence persisted. The fear within me intensified.

A sound suddenly emerged breaking the silence . It started as a muffled noise, barely audible but quickly transformed into a low growl. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end

"Dad? Mom? Is anyone there?"

I called out, my voice trembling with fear as I traced my steps towards the source of the sound. The closer I got, the louder it became, sending chills down my spine.

The sound led me to my room

As I stood outside my room, my instincts screamed at me to run away, to escape from whatever horror awaited me inside. But something compelled me to push open the door, my hands trembled with a mix of curiosity and dread.

The sight that greeted me was beyond shocking, beyond anything I could have imagined. My parents, their once familiar faces now twisted and disfigured, stared back at me with dark, black eyes. Bloodied wounds marked their features, and their growls filled the room, drowning out my own racing heartbeat.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I called out to them, their names trembling on my lips. But they seemed oblivious to my presence, consumed by whatever had transformed them into these monstrous beings.

Confusion and terror gripped me as I took hesitant steps towards them.

My mom turned her gaze upon me, clutching a picture of me in her hand. It was a haunting sight, seeing her so unrecognizable, her voice barely a whisper as she struggled to speak.

"What... what happened to you?" I yelled, my voice filled with a mix of anguish and desperation. But there was no coherent answer, only the relentless growling and the haunting darkness in their eyes.

Suddenly, they charged towards me, their growls growing louder and more menacing. Instinctively, I began to retreat, counting my steps backward, pleading for them to stop. But their intentions were clear as they lunged at me, teeth bared, ready to sink into my flesh.

"Stop!"

I screamed, my voice filled with a mixture of fear and defiance. And in that moment, the atmosphere responded with a violent force. Winds whipped around me, throwing my parents away, shaking the very foundations of the room. The air was filled with the sound of shattering glass and the chaos of the supernatural.

I couldn't grasp the reality of what had just transpired.

Just then,I caught the sight of my parents lying motionless.

I trembled as I walk up to them.

"Mom?"

I called out gently clasping my hands around hers.

"Wake up, please"

Tears welled up on my cheeks.

I turned to my dad,he was laying lifeless. But then, I noticed something unsettling-.a deep bite mark marred his neck. It was as if something unearthly had sunk its teeth into him.

An immediate sense of dread compelled me to check my mom's neck, and to my horror, she bore the same mark.

What the hell is this?

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**PHOENIX ACADEMY**

In a dark room, the pale crescent moon cast its silvery glow and gave some dimming light through the partially opened windows.

The wind was getting heavier and the occupant could feel it.

Standing there was Caden- looking unnerving as ever.

Having a view of his shadow from the wall,he looked just like a huge beast

But staring at his face directly,it contrasted with what the shadow depicted in the dim light.

Just then,he heard a knock

With a wave of his hand, he made the door swing open, revealing an old man standing before him. The old man held an herbal bag and leaned on a walking stick, bowing with elation.

"Greetings"

The old man exclaimed, though he received no response. He was accustomed to Caden's stoic demeanor, so he continued with his news.

"We've found her"

The old man revealed, his words gripping Caden's attention.

"We've found another chosen one"

He concluded, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and reverence.

"Fetch her right away"

Caden ordered with an authoritative tone, his command echoing through the room.

I sat there in shock,my room now a scene of destruction. Numbness enveloped me and I couldn't summon tears to match the devastation before me.

Silently,I sat there watching my lifeless parents. The weight of the moment hanging heavily in the air

Questions filled my mind.

What's with the mark on their neck? Could that be the reason for the transformation?

But one thing was confusing. When I screamed earlier, there was a sudden storm in the air, and I felt this surge of power within me. The storm destroyed everything.

Something definitely was wrong with me. Something really was

Just then,I heard a faint sound of movements in the house. Footsteps approached growing louder and my survival instincts stepped in immediately. I picked up a glass shard from my broken mirror and hid behind my door

The footsteps were closer and it wasn't just a person,I could discern fron the varying sounds.

Once they reached my door,the footsteps ceased.

"She's in here"

A voice whispered.

And immediately,the door swung opened revealing a young lady around my age and a much older guy

"Who are you?"

I screamed pointing the shard of glass towards them but their focused was more on my damaged room

"So much destruction in he..."

The girl began but her words trailed off as her gaze shifted to my lifeless parents.

She started moving towards them but I stepped in her way

"Don't"

I warned, holding the glass shard defensively.

Ignoring my plea, she forcefully pushed me aside, and I stumbled, my head hits the edge of a broken piece of furniture.

"F*ck"

I muffled under my breath,as I watched her stride purposefully toward my lifeless parents. She moved close to them and the first thing she did was to examine their neck.

"Eden, they got bitten,"

She declared, drawing the attention of the other guy who had been silent all along

Her revelation fueled my curiosity.

"Bitten? Bitten by what?"

I questioned, finally managing to stand up from my fall.

"Bitten by the dark ones,"

The guy answered, his voice carrying a weight of solemnity.

"Dark ones? Who are those?"

I pressed on,my curiosity more piqued

"You ask a lot of questions, girl. Nice fight, by the way. You've made way to a good start. Now, let's get going,"

The girl responded, her tone a strange mix of nonchalance and urgency.

"Wait, what? Going whe..."

Before I could finish my sentence, an overwhelming darkness enveloped me. The world around me blurred, and a sense of weightlessness overcame me. My eyelids grew heavy and they shut involuntarily.

**PHOENIX ACADEMY**

My face slowly open to an unfamiliar room. Confusion clouded my thoughts as I tried to piece together the fragments of my memory.

The two strangers in my house...

"Right,they are behind this"

I muttered to myself.

Blinking away the remnants of drowsiness, I realized I wasn't alone

The dim light revealed two girls, their penetrating gaze fixed upon me in the dimly lit room.

"She's awake"

One of them proclaimed.

"Where am I?"

I inquired the words escaping as a whisper in the quiet room

"You're in the Phoenix Academy"

The girl replied.

"Phoenix what?" I interrogated, my confusion escalating.

"You know, she'll explain better"

She said, pointing to a middle-aged woman who just entered the room.

"Welcome to the Phoenix Academy, Zoey"

She greeted, smiling sweetly at me.

"What on earth is the Phoenix Academy?"

I retorted, my frustration totally obvious

"I don't wanna be here, just take me back home"

I added and then,the memories of my parents' death flooded in.

"So...you killed your parents?"

The other girl finally spoke and her statement made me dumbfounded

Wtf,did she just read my mind?

"Alright Zoey, let's go. I'll explain everything to you"

The woman said.

"You should because I genuinely don't understand a damn thing."

I rose from the bed, following the woman out of the room.

After walking through the passage for a while,we finally got to an open space. My eyes widened in awe as I took in the sight before me. The buildings stood tall and majestic,it was more like I've entered a new world.

I looked around and noticed a bustling crowd of girls and boys, each engrossed in their own activities. Curiosity sparked within me and I wondered if they mysteriously find themselves here as we

But amidst the crowd, one sight stole my attention completely.

A girl, seemingly ordinary in appearance, was manipulating objects with her hands using telekinesis.

My jaw dropped in disbelief. I had only read about such powers in books or seen them in movies, never imagining they could truly exist.

We continued walking until she led me to a door, which swung open to reveal a room that resembled a hospital.

"What am I doing here? Just take me home" I

I pleaded .

Instead, she approached me with a syringe in hand.

What are you doing? Don't touch me"

I examined stepping back in fear.

"Unless you want your constant headache back,don't calm your nerves"

She replied sternly, proceeding to inject me.

"Damn"

I winced and she withdrew the syringe once she was done.

"Have a seat"

She said to me pointing towards a chair lying across the room.

I settled to the chair and she began revealing the truth about Phoenix academy

"Over the past few days, you might have noticed some changes in yourself-constant dreadful flashes. I'm sorry to inform you that what killed your parents wasn't a natural occurrence. The wind that swept in at that moment was a result of your scream"

She explained deepening my confusion

"This academy exists to fight against the dark ones and to protect humanity from the darkness. You're a chosen one. Everyone here is. You have to discover your powers first, and then the training begins."

"The dark ones? The stranger in my room earlier said the same thing

I muttered, still trying to wrap my head around the idea.

"Its the term we use for those influenced by the dark powers"

She clarified.

"Your parents,the were bitten by the dark ones. The sudden craving for human blood was because of the bit"

She explained.

My parents getting bitten by the dark ones

All the flashes I've been getting about human turning into monsters

It all makes sense now.

"The dark ones spread their influence through bite. The academy is a beacon of hope against this darkness, training the chosen ones to defend humanity from the cursed"

She emphasized further

I sat there, trying to absorb the reality unfolding before me. The existence of cursed ones, a hidden academy, and my role as a chosen one felt like pieces of an extraordinary puzzle.

"Now, we're done here. You can go back to your room. You'll no longer get the headaches"

She reassured me.

"My room?" I asked, a hint of uncertainty clouding my expression.

"Yes, your room. That was your room, and those two girls are your roommates"

She explained

"You can find your way back, right?" she asked.

I nodded a yes even though I wasn't so sure about it.

"Take care, Zoey. I know this must have been so hard for you. You'll adjust, I promise. And sorry about your parents"

She said with genuine sympathy.

"And here's a book; it'll help you understand everything better"

She handed me a book and with that, I left the room.

I walked through the passage, my mind was buzzing with thoughts-the tragic death of my parents, the existence of the "dark ones" and the fact that I'm "chosen" to fight against them.

I wouldn't have believed in any of these if it weren't happening to me.

I snapped out of my thoughts and just then, I realized I was in an unfamiliar place. It was like nothing I had seen before; . I turned back, hoping to retrace my steps, but the environment became increasingly strange with each step.

Just then, I saw two guys walking towards my direction.

"Heyy" I called out to them waving my hands to grab that attention.

"Erm...I'm kind of lost. I can't find my way back to my house"

I explained, the confusion clearly obvious in my voice.

They both exchanged a very mean look, and one of the guys stepped closer.

"I can help you with that, or I can just take you to my room instead," he uttered, reaching out to touch my hair.

"Stop!" I exclaimed, pulling away.

Ignoring my protests, he attempted to caress my hair again.

"Stop!" I yelled, holding back his hand.

Just then,a strange event unfolded, the guy's eyes turned an intense shade of blue, and he immediately dropped to his knees.

"What can I do for you, ma'am?" he asked, bowing in submission.

Utter confusion enveloped me.

"She's a confessor!" the other guy screamed, hastily retreating from me.

"What the heck is happening?" I muttered to myself trying to make sense of it all but the mention of a confessor only deepened my confusion

In no time, we were surrounded by a bunch of people. It was obviously the other guy's doing.

"So, she's a confessor?"

"I can't believe we have another one in this academy. I heard she's a newbie"

"Evelyn must be boiling right now"

"Finally, someone to put that girl in her place"

The whispers from the crowd lingered on.

Feeling the need to escape the overwhelming situation, I made a quick decision to leave the scene. To my surprise, the guy who had been on his knees followed me.

Frustration took over as I turned to him

"Can you not follow me, please!!?" I exclaimed.

The hurt in his eyes was evident as he replied

"Okay, ma'am."

I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt, but my overwhelming emotions overshadowed any sympathy I had in that moment. All I wanted was to distant myself from the chaos and find some clarity.

I walked briskly, my mind racing with questions and confusion. The weight of gazes followed every step I took, and the echoes of whispers lingered in the air, creating an unsettling atmosphere.

As I approached an open space, the environment gradually became clearer and I spotted my 'supposed' room.

With a deep breath, I stepped inside. The two girls in the room shifted their gaze toward me.

"Hi, we weren't able to introduce ourselves earlier because of those really weird vibes of yours" one of them spoke.

"I'm Lucy," she introduced herself.

"Zoey," I replied.

The other girl remained silent, not uttering a word.

"She's Stella, and she's not the kind of person that talks. I've been so stuck living with her. I'm so glad you're here now. Finally, someone to talk to," Lucy exclaimed with genuine enthusiasm.

I could only manage a smile in response. It appeared that neither of them was aware of my status as a "confessor", or so they claimed.

"Okay, I'll be going out now. We'll catch up later, uh. Bye," Lucy chirped excitedly before leaving the room.

"Bye," I replied, watching her exit.

So... Now I'm stuck with the "weirdo".

I settled into my bed and decided to read the book the lady gave me earlier.

"PHOENIX ACADEMY" was inscribed on the book cover. Opening it, I found a world hidden behind the ordinary.

The story spoke of a mystical artifact with dark powers-the shadow veil.

The wardens existed to guard it from exposure to the earth and faced a moment when another group wanted it. There was a clash, and the shadow veil broke into two. One piece went to the group, and the other disappeared.

As the story went on, the wardens split since there was nothing to guard again.

The group went ahead to form an empire and it was led by a man named Damien. The dark ones emerged as Damien exposed people to the shadow veil. They changed-eyes turning black, faces bloody. A hunger drove them to bite and spread the darkness.

Weeks ago, I'd have dismissed it as pure fiction but now, within the walls of Phoenix, reality and fantasy intertwined

I continued flipping through the pages,my curiosity grew with each word. Then,I came across a section entailing "The leader of Phoenix academy"

The existence of a leader here was something I hadn't anticipated.

Caden held the position due to his unique abilities- possessing nearly all the powers of the special ones. He's been leading the academy since he was 18

"Wow"

I silently gasped

I turned to the next page and discovered the list of powers that could be possessed by the special ones

Telekinesis, telepathy,shape shifting, healing,fire manipulation and wind manipulation-which I identified as the power I exerted in my house.

Interesting

But then,I noticed something was missing. The word "confessor" wasn't listed among the abilities

"Because there's only been one confessor in this whole academy. The power is rare"

Stella suddenly explained, snapping me out of my thoughts

Did she just read my mind? Well,she did it earlier so I wasn't entirely surprised

"Are you a confessor?"

She asked

"They claimed I am"

I replied, meeting her intense gaze that carried a hint of fear.

"Confessors are dangerous,"

She abruptly responded.

"They have the power to control people's actions. The confessed person feels compelled to follow the confessor's desires, and it continues until the confessor decides to release their hold."

Her explanation sent a shiver down my spine. The realization of possessing such power began to sink in

The guy's sudden politeness, dropping to his knees,it all makes sense now

."You mentioned there's only been one confessor in this whole academy?"

I inquired

."Yes, she's Evelyn. You don't want to cross paths with her. She's a b*tch, and everyone fears her to avoid being confessed," Stella replied, her tone revealing the severity of the situation.

"Oops, that's crazy," I muttered

Silence stepped in

For some moments,I actually forgot she isn't the words kind of person

"So,you read minds?"

I asked,attempting to engage her in conversation.

"Yes yes," she simply replied

"This place is total hell, and it's more suffocating for people like us,"

She declared

"People like us?" I questioned

"Get ready to be avoided like the plague. A single touch of yours on a person can change their entire lives. Do you really think people will want to be with you?"

Her words hit hard

"Right" I simply muttered

I closed the book and laid back in my bed,the reality of my newfound powers and the challenges ahead settled.