Dramaine laid it out carefully—how the flame reacted when needed. How it seemed to anticipate danger. How it amplified movement beyond what should’ve been possible.
“So what you’re saying,” Markus said slowly, “is I got superpowers?”
“Hold up,” Naomi cut in. “Am I the only one hearing how insane this sounds? Blue flames? Superpowers? Twin, please tell me you’re joking.”
“To be fair,” Isiah said quietly, flexing his fingers, “I have been feeling stronger. Faster. I thought it was just the gym. But not like this.”
Markus didn’t argue.
He stepped toward the wall.
Before anyone could stop him, he drove his fist into the concrete.
The impact cracked like a gunshot.
Everyone froze.
Markus pulled his hand back.
Spiderweb fractures spread across the cement.
“And I wasn’t even going full strength,” he said. “Isiah.”
Isiah stepped forward.
“Worst case,” he muttered, “I break my hand.”
He punched.
They barely saw it move.
But the wall split.
A long crack shot from floor to ceiling.
Silence.
“Okay…” Aisha said slowly. “So… are you gonna punch the wall or not?”
“I think he already did,” Naomi whispered. “It was just… blurry.”
Markus stared at the damage.
“He punched it,” he said. “A few times, actually.”
Dramaine exhaled.
“So now do y’all believe me?”
Markus grinned slowly. “Hard to argue with cracked concrete.”
He clapped his hands together. “Alright. Let’s grab food and figure out how we’re taking over the world.”
Laughter.
They filed out into the hallway.
Then—
Dramaine stopped.
Mid-step.
His eyes locked onto one of the doors.
He didn’t know why.
But something was wrong.
He leaned closer.
At first, he thought it was just the hum of the building.
Then he heard it.
Whispers.
Low. Rhythmic.
Chanting.
He couldn’t make out the words—but the sound pressed against his skull like pressure building behind his eyes.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Tears blurred his vision.
The same presence from his dreams.
The same malice.
Not distant anymore.
Not imagined.
It was here.
Right behind that door.
Waiting.
Naomi touched his arm. “D… what’s wrong?”
He blinked hard.
“It’s nothing,” he said quickly. “Just zoning out.”
From down the hall, Aisha called out, half-joking:
“Y’all better get away from that door. They doing voodoo in there.”
Dramaine didn’t laugh.
He stepped away slowly.
The chanting stopped.
The group exited into the warm night air.
But the feeling didn’t.
“Damn, it got dark quick,” Isiah muttered, checking his phone. “Almost 11:30. Let’s cut through the park.”
Naomi hesitated. “Isn’t it closed?”
“It’s a shortcut,” Markus shrugged.
They stepped inside.
By day, the park was loud. Alive. Now it was empty, just the sound of wind through trees.
Then—
Nothing.
The sound died.
No insects. No leaves. No air.
Dramaine felt it before he saw anything. The same presence from the hallway.
Closer.
Hungry.
He opened his mouth—
Three flames drifted between the trees.
Red.
Not blue.
His eyes burned just looking at them.
“Run—”
One vanished, and reappeared in front of Markus.
Dramaine moved.
He caught the incoming fist inches from Markus’s face.
“We haffi leave. NOW!”
Markus froze—not at the enemy.
At Dramaine.
At the fear.
Isiah didn’t hesitate.
He sprinted forward.
Markus reacted instantly—grabbing the attacker and hurling it into Isiah’s path.
Isiah planted and swung.
The crack echoed through the trees.
The body flew.
“One down,” Markus said. “Take the girls. We’ll hold them.”
“No,” Dramaine snapped. “A nuh joke dis. Dem will kill yuh.”
Markus forced a grin. “Your accent’s out. You’re scared.”
Dramaine didn’t deny it.
“Go,” Markus said quietly.
Dramaine grabbed Naomi and Aisha.
He didn’t look back.
After a few minutes, Naomi stopped. She wrapped her arms around him.
“It’s okay to be scared,” she said softly. “But our friends are fighting some weird shit back there—and we’re running.”
She pulled away, facing the danger behind them.“I’m going back. Keep Aisha safe.”
She turned and ran.
Dramaine stood frozen.
Smack.
Aisha hit him hard.
“Lock the fuck in,” she snapped through tears. “Move.”
That broke him out of his trance. He smiled and thanked her before picking her up and telling her to hold on.
He caught up to Naomi and set Aisha down.
“Five minutes,” he said. “If we’re not back—run.”
Then he ran.
Blue and red flames slammed into each other ahead, neither side giving ground.
He skidded to a stop beside his brothers, who stood back to back.
“Told you he’d come back,” Isiah said between breaths. “Took longer than I thought.”
“Yeah,” Dramaine said, steady now. “What’s the situation?”
“We keep hitting them,” Isiah said. “They keep getting back up. I broke one’s jaw— but it came back like nothing happened.”
Markus nodded. “Same assholes who jumped me earlier. But something’s off. Speed and strength but they don’t feel pain.”
Dramaine clenched his fists. “Then listen to me. Hit them with everything you’ve got. Break them so they can’t get back up. I’ll cover any of your openings.”
He stepped forward, eyes locked on the red flames.
“Stay together, and focus on offense. We end this now.”
As if welcoming the challenge, the three attackers laughed.
The one in the middle pointed at them, and the creature on the right lunged forward.
“Wait for range!” Dramaine shouted.
Dramaine locked onto the red flame. His eyes burned, but he didn’t look away. The longer he followed it, the clearer it became—he wasn’t just reacting anymore.
He was predicting.
The first red flame came in fast— but Dramaine was faster.
He caught its arm mid-strike and twisted.
Markus launched forward—
Clothesline.
Bone snapped.
The body folded.
Another red flame circled wide.
Dramaine saw it, and sprinted.
Catching it mid-lunge, he flipped it on its back.
Isiah dropped on it like thunder.
Fists blurred.
The forest shook.
Silence.
One left.
It tilted its head.
“Well look at you,” it said softly. “All grown up.”
“Your grandfather would be proud.”
Dramaine’s stomach dropped.
The creature smiled.
“We’ve finally found you.”
It moved.
Faster than the others.
It grabbed Dramaine by the skull—
And dragged him into the lake.
Dark.
Cold.
Violent.
Blows rained from every direction, forcing Dramaine to keep his guard up. But he waited for his one chance and then the strike came.
He took it to the chest, and felt something crack. But he didn’t care.
He trapped the arm between elbow and knee— And drove down.
Snap.
The creature recoiled, confused.
But Dramaine didn’t stop.
He swept its legs, and forced it under.
Punch.
Punch.
Punch.
Water churned red.
Even when it stopped moving—He kept hitting.
Only when it went limp did he let go.
He surfaced, gasping and immediately thought of his friends. He couldn’t see them clearly-but he could see their flames.
He also saw two red ones that were closing in on them. But they shouldn’t be moving, he thought. .
He tried to shout, tried to run, but his body wouldn’t let him—
Then he saw it.
A third blue flame.
Brighter.
Sharper.
Familiar.
She moved like lightning.
Two clean strikes.
Two heads separated from bodies.
Ash before impact.
Markus and Isiah stood frozen.
She turned toward Dramaine.
“Yuh lucky,” she said calmly. “Mi reach yuh fren dem before di duppy did.”
She stepped past him.
One final blade flashed.
The last red flame creeping up behind him vanished in a burst of ash.
Silence returned to the park.
She wiped her blade.
Faced them.
“Now dat done,” she said quietly,
“we need fi talk.”
