The king of everything

Chapter fourteen- The Connection

The days that followed Marcus's death were a blur. The atmosphere in the dorm was heavy, and no one could shake the feeling that something was very, very wrong. Students were on edge, whispers of Marcus's mysterious death hanging in the air like a dark cloud. Even the smallest sound—a creaking door, the flicker of a light—had everyone jumping, their nerves wound tight.

But for me, it was worse. The knowledge of what was happening weighed on me like a curse. I couldn't tell anyone the full truth—how could I explain that a demon was stalking us, claiming lives to restore its power? How could I even bring up the myth without sounding insane? Sam knew, of course, but we were at a loss. The sacred flame was our only hope, and yet, we had no idea how to find it.

And then there was Hope.

She hadn't stopped worrying about me since that first encounter in class. Every time we crossed paths, I could see the concern etched on her face, her eyes searching mine as if she could sense the storm brewing inside me. I tried to act normal, but I wasn't fooling anyone, least of all her. I felt off, constantly on edge, haunted by sleepless nights filled with nightmares and whispers in the dark.

One afternoon, after class, Hope finally confronted me. I was walking across campus, heading toward the library to do more research on the myth, when I heard her call my name.

"Aaron!" Her voice was soft, but it carried over the chatter of students leaving for the day.

I turned to see her jogging up to me, her brow furrowed with concern. Even in her worry, she looked radiant, the afternoon sun casting a golden glow on her hair.

"Hey," I said, trying to sound casual, but my voice came out flat.

She tilted her head, studying me carefully. "You've been avoiding me," she said bluntly, no accusation in her tone—just fact.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "It's not that, Hope. I've just had a lot going on."

"More than just classes, I'm guessing." She didn't blink, didn't look away. "You haven't been yourself. And I'm not the only one who's noticed."

There was something in her voice that made me pause. I wanted to tell her everything—about the demon, the myth, Marcus's death—but the words caught in my throat. How could I drag her into this? How could I make her part of the nightmare I was living?

But Hope wasn't one to let things go easily. She took a step closer, her eyes searching mine. "Aaron, you don't have to handle this alone. I can help. I want to help."

Before I could respond, a voice called out from behind us. "Aaron!"

I turned to see Sam jogging over, looking slightly out of breath. He stopped next to us, nodding at Hope before looking at me.

"Hey, I've been trying to find you. I think I might've figured something out about that sacred flame thing." He glanced at Hope again, his expression cautious. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt."

Hope raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Sacred flame?"

Sam shot me a look, silently asking if I was okay with her knowing. I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Hope was already too deep in this to leave her out now.

"Hope, this is Sam, my roommate," I said, gesturing to him. "Sam, this is Hope. I've... told her a bit about what's going on."

Sam's eyes widened slightly, and he gave a small, tight smile. "Nice to meet you. I guess Aaron's told you we've got some weird stuff going on in the dorm."

Hope nodded, crossing her arms. "He hasn't told me much yet, but I've noticed something's been off since... well, since Marcus."

Her voice softened as she said his name, and I could tell she was still processing his death like the rest of us. But she wasn't just shaken—she was determined, too.

"Look," I said, rubbing my forehead. "There's a lot going on, and it's dangerous. I didn't want to pull you into this, Hope."

She looked at me sharply, her eyes narrowing. "Too late for that. If something's happening to people in the dorm, I'm already involved. I'm not going to stand by and watch while you two face whatever this is alone."

Sam glanced at me, and I could tell he was impressed by her resolve. He nodded slowly, as if coming to a decision.

"Okay," he said, exhaling. "I guess we're all in this together now. Aaron's right—something dangerous is happening, and it's got to do with this... this thing that's been haunting the dorm."

Hope's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't flinch. She was listening, really listening.

"We've been looking into it," Sam continued. "And it's connected to an old myth about a fallen angel—a demon—who was stripped of its power centuries ago. But now, it's trying to come back, and it needs three souls to fully regain its strength. Marcus was the first."

Hope's face paled, but she didn't interrupt. She looked at me, as if waiting for me to confirm what Sam was saying.

"It's real, Hope," I said quietly. "I've seen it. And... it's already claimed one life. We think it's after two more."

There was a moment of silence as she processed what we were saying. Her eyes darkened, her jaw clenched.

"So what do we do?" she asked, her voice steady. "How do we stop it?"

"We've been trying to figure that out," Sam replied. "There's something in the myth about a 'sacred flame'—some kind of light that can banish the demon before it finishes claiming the three souls. But we don't know what the sacred flame is yet or how to find it."

Hope's brow furrowed in thought. "A sacred flame... Could it be symbolic? Maybe something tied to faith or a ritual?"

Sam and I exchanged glances. It was a possibility we hadn't considered.

"Maybe," I said slowly. "But the myth is vague. It talks about a light that can burn away the darkness, something pure."

Hope looked at me, her eyes softening. "You can't give up, Aaron. Whatever this is, we'll figure it out. You're not alone in this."

I felt a warmth in her words, a flicker of hope that had been missing for days. It wasn't much, but it was enough to steady me, enough to remind me that we still had a chance—if we could just find that flame.

"We'll keep searching," I said, my voice firm. "And we'll find a way to stop it before it claims another life."

Hope nodded, and for the first time in a while, I felt like maybe, just maybe, we had a fighting chance.