Kansas Calling

Early morning. A pale light spreads across the mountain ridge. Maari is still rubbing sleep from her eyes when her phone buzzes—once, twice, then a third time. It's the young seer. A thousand miles away but his voice sounds like he's in the next room.

“Maari,” he breathes. “I had a dream. Elira’s eyes… they turned black. I saw Duke standing there, frozen. She said if he didn’t obey her, she’d cut him off. Her words were like poison.”

Maari sits up, heart pounding. “What else did you see?”

He hesitates, then continues. “She was wearing white. But it was stained. Like she’d dipped it in gold, trying to make it look pure.”

Maari is silent for a long moment. “You’re not the first to see her like that,” she says softly.

The boy swallows. “What do I do?”

“You just did it,” Maari replies. “You warned me.”

Outside, wind rustles the pine branches. Maari stands and looks toward the valley, toward the shadow Elira is casting from afar. The truth is beginning to rise.