Deep within the labyrinthine tunnels of the Hellmouth, the Master addressed his minions with a chilling prophecy. His voice, filled with dark authority, echoed through the cavernous space as he read from the Writings of Aurelius:
"And there will be a time of crisis, of worlds hanging in the balance. And in this time shall come the Anointed, the Master's great warrior. And the Slayer will not know him, will not stop him, and he will lead her into hell. As it is written, so it shall be. Five will die, and from their ashes, the Anointed One shall rise. The Brethren of Aurelius shall greet him and usher him to his immortal destiny."
The Master's minions listened in rapt silence, their loyalty unwavering. The prophecy was clear: a new warrior would soon rise, one destined to lead the Slayer into hell.
At Sunnydale High, Cyrus Knight observed Buffy Summers from a distance. Over the past few weeks, he had grown closer to Buffy and her friends, Willow and Xander. They had faced several supernatural threats together, and Cyrus had become an integral part of their team.
Today, however, Buffy seemed distracted. Cyrus noticed her eyes constantly drifting towards a sensitive-looking boy named Owen. It didn't take long for Cyrus to figure out that Buffy had a crush on him.
As they sat in the cafeteria, Buffy's focus was entirely on impressing Owen with her newfound interest in poetry. Cyrus shared a look with Willow and Xander, both of whom seemed mildly amused by Buffy's uncharacteristic behavior.
"Isn't it cute how she's trying so hard?" Willow whispered.
Xander rolled his eyes. "Yeah, if by cute you mean totally embarrassing."
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Cyrus chuckled but kept his thoughts to himself. He knew how important it was for Buffy to experience normal teenage moments, even if they were fleeting.
To Cyrus's surprise, Owen seemed genuinely interested in Buffy. He asked her out on a date to The Bronze that very evening. Buffy's face lit up with excitement, and Cyrus couldn't help but feel happy for her.
However, their joy was short-lived. Later that day, Giles called an urgent meeting in the library. He had found a symbol on a ring they discovered in the cemetery, which led him to an ominous prophecy about the Anointed One rising that night.
Giles was adamant that they needed to be on high alert. "Buffy, this is serious. The prophecy indicates that the Anointed One will rise tonight, and we cannot afford to ignore it."
Buffy protested, eager to go on her date with Owen, but Giles's determination won out. They spent hours sitting on graves, waiting for a vampire to rise. None did, however, and though Giles was certain that his calculations were correct, he finally called their stakeless stake-out quits.
Buffy rushed to The Bronze, only to see Owen dancing with Cordelia. Crushed, she left without trying to talk to him.
Meanwhile, in a van on the way to Sunnydale, a young boy talked to a man, who stood up and began to lecture the other passengers on God's judgment, quoting prophecies. Suddenly, a vampire walked in front of the van, causing it to crash. Another vampire swarm the wreck, attacking the passengers, including the religious man.
The next morning, Owen asked Buffy out on another date that night and even gave her a pocket-watch so that she wouldn't miss it this time. Buffy jumped at the opportunity while Xander was left to stew in his jealousy.
When evening came, Giles showed up at Buffy's house, waving a newspaper that showed five people died when the van crashed, among them the suspected murderer Andrew Borba, the man who was quoting prophecies. Buffy insisted on going to The Bronze, though, so Giles decided to check the Sunnydale Funeral Home himself.
Cyrus, sensing the importance of the situation, decided to follow Giles. He met up with Giles at the funeral home, where they found the place eerily quiet.
Suddenly, vampires attacked. They were there to retrieve the Anointed One. Cyrus and Giles fought them off as best as they could, but they were soon outnumbered and trapped in a room. Giles tried to barricade the door, but it was clear that they needed help.