Beyond Mortals

The air was still thick with unease as Alex, Nate, and Leannah walked through the busy streets, blending into the Halloween crowd. Kids in costumes ran past them, laughing, and porch lights flickered with carved pumpkins on doorsteps.

Alex couldn't shake the feeling of Morath's presence. His words kept ringing in his mind. The Dark Master is watching.

Leannah walked ahead, scanning the area. Nate, oblivious to the tension, adjusted his makeshift superhero cape. "Alright, so are we doing matching costumes or what? Because I'm thinking we'd kill it as a trio of vampire hunters."

Alex sighed. "You just want an excuse to carry a fake sword."

"Duh."

Leannah finally spoke. "This celebration—it is meant to honor the dead, correct?"

"Sort of," Alex said. "It's more about candy and dressing up these days."

Leannah nodded slowly. "Strange customs."

Before Alex could respond, his wrist tingled—his ring felt warmer than before. Something was off.

Scene 2: The Shadows Stir

They entered a costume shop, packed with last-minute shoppers. The shelves were lined with masks, capes, and props. As Nate got distracted trying on a werewolf mask, Alex pulled Leannah aside.

"That guy—Morath," he said in a hushed voice. "You knew him."

Leannah hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. He was once a great warrior… long before your time. Before he swore loyalty to the Dark Master."

Alex blinked. "Wait. Before my time? What does that mean?"

Nate, still wearing the werewolf mask, popped up beside them. "Yeah, what are we talking here? A few decades? A century?"

Leannah hesitated, then sighed. "I am over one hundred years old."

Alex and Nate both froze.

Then, in unison:

"The heck?!"

Alex gawked. "You—you mean like a hundred hundred? You don't even look twenty!"

Leannah crossed her arms. "Time does not affect me as it does mortals."

Nate removed the werewolf mask. "Hold on. So while we're out here worrying about pop quizzes and video games, you've been around since… what? The early 1900s?!"

Leannah raised an eyebrow. "Earlier."

Alex ran a hand through his hair. "Okay. Yeah. That's—yeah. That's a lot."

Nate whistled. "Man, you could've seen, like… everything. Have you met any historical figures? Fought in wars? Time-traveled?"

Leannah sighed. "We do not have time for this."

Alex shook his head. "We're coming back to this later."

Just then, the lights in the store flickered. A chill ran down his spine.

A whisper echoed through the air. He is watching.

Alex turned sharply, but there was nothing—just shelves of costumes and kids laughing. But deep down, he knew something was out there.

Scene 3: A Glimpse into the Past

After buying their costumes, they stepped back onto the street, only to find the town… quieter. The laughter had faded, and an unnatural mist rolled in.

Leannah tensed. "Something is wrong."

Then, for just a moment, Alex saw it—shadowy figures moving at the edge of the fog. And then—

A flash. A memory not his own.

A battlefield. A younger Morath, standing alongside warriors in shining armor. A war raging between light and darkness. And in the center of it all—

Alex gasped and stumbled back as the vision ended.

Leannah steadied him. "What did you see?"

Alex panted. "I—I don't know. But Morath… he wasn't always like this. He was a hero once."

Leannah's expression darkened. "That was long ago."

As the mist began to clear, the town returned to normal—kids trick-or-treating, porch lights flickering. As if nothing had happened.

But Alex knew better.

The past was reaching out to him. And whatever was coming… he wasn't ready for it.

To Be Continued…