Episode 2: Eclipse Academy
Tara's eyes fluttered open to a soft, unfamiliar glow. The bed beneath her was not her own. The ceiling above her was made of dark wood, carved with swirling symbols that pulsed faintly with silver light. Panic bloomed in her chest.
She sat up abruptly.
A girl stood at the foot of her bed, watching her silently.
Tara's breath caught in her throat. The girl looked exactly like her—same dark eyes, same angular face, same scar under the left eyebrow. For a moment, it was as if she were staring into a mirror.
"Who are you?" the girl asked, her voice steady, but her brows drawn in confusion.
Tara swallowed. Her heart pounded like a drum in her ears. "I... I'm Tara. Who are you?"
The girl paused, then answered, "I'm Nadia."
They stared at each other, tension thick in the air. Then Nadia turned sharply and gestured to the door.
"Come with me," she said.
Tara hesitated. Her instincts screamed at her to run, but curiosity and fear glued her to the spot. Slowly, she slid out of bed and followed.
Outside the room, the world opened up into a breathtaking expanse. Towers of silver and obsidian pierced the sky. Trees shimmered with blue-green leaves, and students walked across floating platforms and wide marble paths. Some glided effortlessly through the air. Others summoned fire in the palms of their hands or bent streams of water around their bodies in elegant arcs.
The air was alive—buzzing with a kind of energy she had never felt before.
"Welcome to Eclipse Academy," Nadia said as they walked. "Here, we learn how to control our superpowers."
Superpowers?
Tara blinked rapidly, her mind racing. This wasn't her world. She didn't belong here.
But for now, she nodded. "Oh… right. That's… cool."
They passed a training arena where boys sparred with swords. Their movements were fluid, almost inhuman. Blades clashed with bursts of light. Muscles rippled. These weren't just students—they were warriors.
"They're training," Nadia explained, her tone casual. "They're physically very strong."
She turned and gave Tara a look that sent a shiver down her spine.
"I'm sure you have powers too. That's why you're here."
Tara stopped for a moment, her lips parting slightly. Then she forced a smile, masking her panic.
"Yeah… of course."
Just then, a voice cut through the air—deep and commanding.
"Really?"
Tara's entire body stiffened. She turned slowly.
A man stood just a few feet away. He was tall, his body lean but powerful, dressed in dark grey with a silver crest pinned to his chest. His eyes locked onto her like a predator sizing up prey—intense, unreadable.
Nadia straightened. "Tara, meet Mr. Rayan. He's one of our teachers."
Mr. Rayan didn't smile. He folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head slightly.
"Hi, Tara. How's your mother?"
Tara's stomach twisted. Her throat went dry.
"How do you know about my mother?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Mr. Rayan's lips curled into a slow, deliberate smirk.
"Oh, Tara… I know more than you think."
His eyes gleamed with something dark, something secret.
"You have her eyes."
A chill ran down Tara's spine. He wasn't guessing. He knew. But what did he know?
Before she could press further, Mr. Rayan straightened and turned away, his tone suddenly casual—almost mocking.
"Nadia, take her to your room."
Still shaken, Tara followed Nadia across a stone bridge into a tall tower. The walls shimmered faintly with protective runes. Nadia led her down a corridor lined with wooden doors until they reached one near the end.
Inside, the room was simple: three beds, three desks, and one girl arranging books on a shelf.
Tara stepped inside. The girl turned around.
Tara's breath caught.
"Lily…" she whispered.
The girl's eyes widened.
"How did you get here?" she asked.
Tara's world stopped.
It was her. Her best friend. Her only friend. The girl who had shared secrets with her, laughed with her, cried with her. The girl who had sworn she'd never hide anything from her.
Yet here she was. In this strange, impossible place.
The silence between them stretched, heavy with questions neither of them could voice.
Tara's chest tightened, memories flashing behind her eyes like lightning.
The birthday gifts. The late-night calls. The comfort of knowing someone was always there.
Was it all a lie?
Her hands trembled.
Lily lied to me all these years…
(Episode 2 Ends.)