EMBERS
CHAPTER 1: EMBERS
Emily Carter stood at the bottom of the stairs, her schoolbooks in her arms, when she caught the smell. It was faint at first, just a hint of something burnt. Then it hit her full-on: smoke. She dropped her books and raced up the stairs. Her heart pounded as she ran to the bathroom door. Smoke was curling out from underneath.
“Jake!” she shouted, pushing the door open. Her thirteen-year-old brother stood frozen in the middle of the room. His body flickered, almost invisible, like a ghost made of smoke. Around him, the towel rack had melted, and the mirror was fogged up from the hot shower still running. A plastic comb on the sink was half-melted, the edges black.
“I didn’t mean to,” Jake whispered, his voice shaking. “It just happened.”
Emily grabbed a towel and turned off the shower. She reached for Jake, her hands trembling. She could feel the warmth in her fingertips ; her own power reacting. She pressed her hands to his arms. “You need to breathe. Think of something calm. Remember what Dad said. You can control it.” Do not let it overpower you, Jake.
Jake closed his eyes. Slowly, the shimmer faded, and his body returned to normal. He was solid again. He looked up at her with tear-filled eyes.
Just then, heavy footsteps came thudding up the stairs. Their father, Michael Carter, appeared in the doorway. He took one look at the scene ; the scorched towel rack, the melted comb, the smoke.
His face was grim. “The Pact,” he said simply.
Emily lowered her head. She knew what it meant. Years ago, after a terrible accident, the whole family had sworn never to use their powers again. Never. Not for any reason.
But the smoke in the air told the truth. The pact had been broken. Again.
And outside their home, far across town, someone was watching.
At dinner that night, no one said much. Lisa Carter, their mother, served spaghetti and salad, but the tension was thick. Michael poked at his food, lost in thought. Emily kept glancing at Jake, who hadn’t touched his plate. The silence was heavy.
Finally, Michael cleared his throat. “We need to talk about what happened.”
Lisa nodded slowly. “We can’t ignore it anymore. The powers... they’re surfacing again. Stronger.”
Jake looked up. “Am I a monster?”
“No!” Emily said quickly, reaching for his hand. “You’re just scared. We all are.”
Michael’s jaw tightened. “This is why we made the pact. To stay safe. To stay hidden. But if they’re coming back, we need to prepare.”
Lisa stood, taking a deep breath. “Then we prepare. As a family.”
That night, while everyone slept, Emily snuck out into the backyard. She lit a single flame in her palm, watching it dance. A flicker of power. A whisper of danger.
From the shadows beyond the fence, eyes watched her. Silent. Waiting.
... To be continued
