The fun died too quickly.
One second, everything was loud and chaotic, Jax and Mishell going at each other like it was their full-time job while the others watched, laughing.Then all of a sudden— Mishell felt it.
A sharp premonition hits her chest, it was cold, sharp and felt totally wrong.
She turned so fast it almost looked like a reflex, eyes locking onto the stage where the crew was still setting up lights and cables. For a second—She saw something, not clearly enough but there were movement up there, the atmosphere near one the hanging lights felt wrong, like it shifted.
Then like magic it all disappeared, everything looked normal again. So normal one coyld hardly suspect a thing.
"There's something there," She whispered.
Corelia didn't even hesitate and responded immediately "I felt it too."
They didn't even look at each other, they knew instantly something was up.
"Alright, five minutes to stage!" Mr. Lee called out.
Groans followed immediately.
"Already?" Jeremy complained.
"Let's just get this over with," Foxy muttered.
Jax stretched, rolling his neck before glancing at Mishell, she wasn't looking at him. Of course she wasn't, her eyes were fixed somewhere else.
Still, unmoving like she was trying to capture something.
"This isn't over." He told her anyway, pointing slightly.
Mishell barely blinked. "You're still talking?"
Jeremy laughed as he made his way to the stage, Jax clicked his tongue and walked off too. She was really getting on his nerves, no one has ever spoken to him in that manner before never, she is rude, outspoken, not easily impressed
which is rare among ladies, every single thing about her confused him.
Before getting on stage he glanced back one more time at her, she still hadn't moved and was staring intensively at something on stage. He traced her gaze and noticed she was staring at the light, without thinking too much about it he joined the others on stage.
The music started, loud enough to shake the entire school. Cameras rolled, lights snapped on, students were screaming at the top of their voice. It felt like a concert and just like that, the Q4 switched on.
Jax moved like he was born for it—the energy, confidence, just a little too aware of himself. Jeremy matched him with chaos, Foxy smooth as ever, Vic sharp and controlled.
Everyone else got pulled into it, the crew, students even Lydia.
"Oh my God, I am watching my favorite idol perform in person," she screamed, taking out her phone to livestream.
Corelia and Mishell hardly moved or respond, their eyes were still on the light.
"You think It's still there?". Corelia asked.
"I can't see anything from here". Mishell replied.
" Maybe we are just being paranoid". Corelia was just trying to make sense of the situation but Mishell clearly wasn't convinced.
Just as they were about to look away, a soft sound creaked almost nothing compared to the loud music playing but Mishell heard it. Corelia did too.
Their heads tilted up at the same time.
"I don't think we are being paranoid".
Corelia nodded in agreement.
The sound creaked again, a little bit louder this time.
"It's that one," Mishell said.
"I see it."
Another sound came in shortly after, this time like metal shifting— felt like something was loosening it from above and still no one noticed.
The director was yelling about angles, the camera crew were all focused and the boys kept dancing and singing.
Vic stepped out of formation—Right on cue and in that exact moment, the bolt snapped.
Time slowed.
The light tilted.
Then dropped.
Fast.
Straight down, It was heading for Vic.
But he moved unknownily, just enough step to avoid the disaster but suddenly—
Jax was right underneath it.
Mishell saw it and without thinking she ran, so fast one could hardly detect her movement. Pushing through the edge of the set and just as the light came crashing down— She shoved Jax hard in the chest and they both went down.
They rolled across the floor, limbs tangling, breath knocked out of both of them. Before anyone could say anything
CRASH.
The light slammed into the ground where Jax had been standing, the sound shook everything. Screams followed instantly.
"OH MY GOD!"
"CUT! CUT!!"
"IS HE OKAY?!"
Jax didn't hear any of it at first.
His ears were ringing, his chest hurt, even his brain was still catching up to the fact that— he should've been dead.
Then he realized— Someone was on top of him.
He blinked twice and realized she saved him, Mishell. She was so close to his face, too close infact, closer than she'd ever been. Her hand still gripping his shirt like she hadn't let go, her breathing uneven.
He stared at her shocked and surprised, alot of question crossed his mind. Even if he was in danger she would be the last person he would have thought of that would actually save him.
"You...."
Mishell wasn't even looking at him, she was looking up at where the light hung before it fell then gasp after clearly seeing the cause of the accident. Before she could react Jax held her waist, she looked down at him and noticed he was staring at her head, he saw it, blood, just a little at her hairline.
His expression shifted instantly.
"Hey—wait—"
She followed his gaze, touched her head and saw the blood.
Just like that—Her face changed, shut down like a door slamming closed. She pulled away from him quickly and stood up.
"I'm fine," she said too fast and flat.
Corelia was already beside her.
"We need to go."
Mishell nodded without looking back, they walked off. Just like that.
"Jax!" Jeremy reached him first. "Are you okay?!"
"Bro, that almost killed you!" Foxy helped him sit up.
Vic stood close to him, frowning at the broken light. "What kind of mistake is this? Not screwing the light properly?". He yelled.
Jax barely responded, his eyes were still on Mishell.
"She was bleeding." He said.
Jeremy blinked. "Mishell? Where is she?".
Jax didn't answer.
Behind them, the crew scrambled.
"Rigging failure!"
"Who checked that light?!"
"Everyone step back!"
Voices everywhere. Panic, confusion but none of it mattered to Mishell and Corelia. They stopped once they were far enough from the noise.
"That wasn't an accident," Mishell said.
Corelia shook her head. "No."
They both turned slightly, looking back at the stage. Mishell exhaled slowly.
"…It's a Ruin Wraith."
Corelia's expression darkened.
"A ruin wraith? How is that even possible".
Ruin Wraith– a creature that never attack directly. It waits, twist things and make accidents happen. Once it marks someone it would stop at nothing until that person was gone then feed on their soul.
"More reason we have to find Araxie's scales, taking off her scales has attracted more dangerous creatures to feed on her magic, that's why the other day you were attacked by a noctyra". Mishell explained.
"But right now we have to get rid of that ruin wraith". Corelia said looking worried.
Mishell's gaze drifted back to the stage, to the Q4. Then Jax
Corelia followed her line of sight.
"It was going for Vic," she said quietly.
Mishell didn't answer immediately.
Her mind replayed everything, the timing, the movement and shift.
"…No," she said finally.
Corelia frowned. "What?"
Mishell's eyes stayed on the stage.
"It changed,It was supposed to hit Vic…"
Her jaw tightened slightly. "…but it almost killed Jax."
"So who did it mark?".Corelia asked.
They both went silent, their gaze shifting between Jax and Vic. It was hard to tell who the victim was, they didn't know.
And what was worse than not knowning was, the ruin wraith was still out there, watching and preparing it's next attack.