The Handmaid’s Tale

2

image [https://i.ibb.co/9gP5RS6/toppng-com-line-dividers-png-1000x200.png]

The cafeteria was its usual chaotic self—trays clanging, forks scraping plates, and bursts of laughter. Despite the familiar noise, a chill settled on Eydis. Her hand trembled as she reached for a bite of lunch, and the fork slipped from her fingers, clattering loudly on the dining table.

"Hey, are you okay? You look awful," Colette said, her sandwich halfway to her mouth.

Eydis picked up the cutlery. “I’m fine,” she mumbled, frowning as the prickling sensation crept over her senses. Where was it coming from?

Birgit slurped her orange juice and glanced at the empty seat beside them. “Where’s Natalia? This isn't like her to skip lunch."

Colette shrugged. "Maybe stuck in class? Remember that secret lesson she wouldn't tell us about?"

Eydis's grip tightened on her fork. Gifted training. Natalia hadn't confided in them, her closest friends? Pushing herself off the chair, Eydis whirled towards the exit.

"Where are you going?" Colette called after her.

"Find Natalia," Eydis responded curtly before bolting out of the room.

As the cool autumn air met her face, the feeling of foreboding intensified. Squeezing her eyes shut, she concentrated, trying to pinpoint its source. Her head snapped towards the large building near the Chapel — the gym?

Pushing open the door, Eydis found the room deserted. But the oppressive feeling was stronger here, a dark undercurrent pulsing beneath the surface.

A voice startled her. "This area is off-limits, student."

It was one of the teachers, a woman Eydis didn't recognise. The ground trembled ever so slightly, and the darkness surged.

Eydis's amber eyes narrowed. "Take me to the source of this, now!"

The teacher bristled. "Mind your tongue, student. Detention slips are the least of your worries if you continue to disrespect a faculty member."

“Issue all the detentions you wish," Eydis drawled. She took a step forward, towering over the shorter woman. “Right after you take me to where this magic is.”

“You… you can sense it?” The teacher's facade faltered, her gaze darting nervously to the blank wall behind Eydis.

A slow smile played on the Queen’s lips. She glided towards the wall.

"STOP! That's the Sanctuary! You don’t have authorised access!" the teacher’s voice cracked.

"I don't," Eydis conceded, her gaze drawn towards an access panel tucked discreetly into the wall. "But you do."

The teacher's breath hitched, eyeing the access card in Eydis's hand that she hadn't noticed before. Where had...? Her hand fumbled for her pocket, confirming her suspicion—empty.

Seizing the distraction, Eydis swiped the card against the panel. A flash of blue light, followed by a hiss as the air pressure shifted. The previously seamless wall sliced open. Eydis swiftly vanished into the hidden passage, leaving the bewildered teacher staring at the now-closed doorway.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

----------------------------------------

Natalia's scream tore from her throat as her back slammed onto the marble floor. The fire she'd launched felt like a spitball against a fortress. It vanished completely into the swirling purple mist that surrounded Tiffany. Natalia was left breathless and terrified.

This wasn't normal Gifted power. It was something ancient, something horrifying.

"Give it up, ginger," Tiffany taunted, her blue eyes shifting into a sickly violet. "This little game's getting boring. Or are you just enjoying the humiliation?"

But she refused to succumb to fear, especially not in front of this smug bully who dared to hurt...

Eydis!

With renewed focus, Natalia summoned another torrent of fire. A searing wall of flames erupted from her outstretched palms.

"Predictable," Tiffany scoffed, raising a hand cloaked in the same mist.

But this time, something was different. The flames didn’t dissipate entirely; they slammed into the violet shield with an explosive CRACK, the air seeming to vibrate. The very foundations of the arena trembled under the impact.

The crowd drew a collective breath. They'd never witnessed such a violent duel. The once translucent shield, now shimmering with an unsettling purple glow, amplified Tiffany's laughter that bounced off the walls.

"My, my," Tiffany snarled, "even a C-Class weakling can surprise you."

The bully raised her hand, dark energy crackling around her fingertips. "But it won't be enough." she declared, unleashing a tendril of the ominous energy toward Natalia.

Natalia saw it coming, twisting her torso at the last second. The tendril grazed her arm, leaving a sizzling burn that sent fresh jolts of pain through her. Ignoring it, she changed tactics, conjuring a small but potent ball of fire directly at Tiffany’s feet.

The blonde shrieked, the sudden heat forcing her to jump back and breaking her concentration for a split second.

"Feisty," Tiffany sneered. She raised both hands, and the purple mist swirled with renewed intensity. Two tendrils of dark energy materialised, ready to strike.

Natalia stumbled to her feet, her vision swimming. She couldn't dodge again, not with her reserves depleted. The thick tendril slammed into her chest. The breath whooshed from her lungs, replaced by an agony that stole her voice.

Tears welled in her eyes, blurring the image of Tiffany smirking above her. ‘Magic,’ she thought bitterly. ‘It was supposed to be a gift, a path to something extraordinary.’

But… all she ever wanted was normalcy—a boring life filled with the simplest things: baking cookies, chasing sunsets, even a dead-end job, and maybe, someday, having a family of her own.

As Natalia’s head hit the marble ground, memories she had tried—and failed—to forget resurfaced: flames, screams, and the horrifying image of Lionel amidst the carnage.

This cursed power, she hated it with every fibre of her being.

Through blurry eyes, she saw Tiffany, manic laughter stretching her face. But the sound was muted, replaced by the pounding of her own heart and the ominous crackle of the flames that danced in her memory.

Suddenly, Tiffany's triumphant sneer twisted into raw panic. Her trembling hands shot up, as if yanked by some unseen force.

“Stop it!" she shrieked, but the swirling darkness around her writhed uncontrollably, coiling with unnatural speed toward Natalia's heart.

Natalia squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact with a choked sob. Then...

Silence.

An unnatural silence that pressed down on her eardrums, heavier than any scream.

The air itself seemed to distort for a heartbeat. Tiffany's hands remained suspended mid-air. Natalia caught a flash of silver streaking across the arena. A figure materialised between her and the looming ancient darkness.

The speed of their arrival was inhuman, a shockwave that seemed to split the very air. Disbelief washed over the stunned crowd as the newcomer, with a single, effortless swing of a… wooden sword?!, deflected the dark energy with a resounding CLANG.

"How...?" Tiffany sputtered in disbelief.

Astra, her eyes cold as ice, stood still. Then, in the stunned silence, a single word, sharp as a blade, cut through.

"Stop."

As if ripped from its puppeteer's strings, the dark energy erupted from Tiffany's mouth, launching itself towards Astra with blinding speed.

Astra met the attack head-on. Her wooden sword sliced effortlessly through the center of the dark serpent.

The effect was terrifying. Unlike before, the dark energy recoiled with a soul-shredding shriek, retracting toward Tiffany's mouth with lightning speed. She crumpled instantly.

"Enough!" Astra commanded. Her crimson eyes, burning with an unnatural fire, pinned Tiffany to the spot.

A violent shudder wracked the unconscious blonde's body. But just as Astra stepped towards her, a whimper interrupted her. It was Natalia.

Astra was beside her in a heartbeat. Checking Natalia's vitals, she turned sharply towards a teacher. "Mr. Grant, medical attention. NOW!”

Natalia felt a strange detachment from her body, the scene around her blurring as if she were watching it through a fog. As she was helped onto the stretcher, a single figure pierced the haze.

Eydis.

But where was the usual mischievous glint in her eyes? Was it… concern? An emotion Natalia had never seen directed at her.

A fragile warmth bloomed in Natalia's chest before the darkness swallowed her whole.