My earliest memories are of my mother's voice. She would sit by my bed at night, her crown set aside, and read me stories of Ember Island. She spoke of its golden sands, hidden temples, and an ancient fire that never died. "One day, Hope," she would whisper, "the island will call to you. When it does, you must listen."
I was only four when she passed, leaving my father broken with grief. My mother had been queen of Ember Island, but she was more than that. She was a warrior who once battled a dark witch named Scarlet, locking her away inside an ancient black triangle said to trap evil spirits.
She named me Hope, a spark drawn from the word Ember the last light in the dark.
Morning---
The day breaks with pale sunlight spilling through my window. I rush down the stairs, schoolbag bouncing at my side.
"Good morning, Dad," I say.
My father, Jonathan, pulls me close and kisses my forehead. "Good luck, honey." His smile is tired, but warm.
The bus ride feels like every other first day after summer, chatter, laughter, nervous excitement. Then I see Selena, my best friend.
"Good morning, bestie!" she beams, waving me over. "How does it feel to be back?"
I slide into the seat beside her. "Don't be too excited, Selen. I heard we've got a new teacher this semester."
She nudges me, eyes sparkling. "You're just nervous."
The bus squeals to a stop. Students flood out, and Selena and I walk to class in our matching hoodies, drawing stares as usual.
The new teacher arrives. Tall, sharply dressed, handsome in a quiet way — he caarries himself with an authority that makes the room fall silent. "Hello, class," he says smoothly. "I'll be your new teacher. My name is Professor Anthony." His voice is calm, but his eyes linger on me longer than they should.
A Strange Question---
When the bell rings, students scramble out. "Can I have a word with you, Hope?" Professor Anthony calls.
"I'll wait outside, bestie," Selena says, slipping through the door.
I hesitate, then step toward him.
"Do you know anyone named Liora?" he asks.
The name freezes me in place. Liora. My mother's name. My throat tightens. "How… how do you know her?"
"I'd recognize that face anywhere," he says softly. "You look so much like her. She taught me almost everything I know when I was young."
Confusion stings my chest. I turn and leave, too shaken to respond.
At the doorway, a hand grabs my shoulder. Reflex takes over I twist the arm and slam the boy to the floor.
"Nilo!" I gasp. I let go immediately. "I'm sorry."
He picks himself up, scowling. "I just came to return your book. Forget it."
Selena hurries over, wide-eyed. "Hope, what was that?"
"I don't know… it just happened," I mutter, my hands still trembling.
From the classroom window, Professor Anthony watches quietly.
Shadows of Doubt---
That evening, Selena and I walk home. "You seem worried," she says.
"He knew my mother's name," I whisper.
"The professor?"
"Yes. He said she taught him."
Selena frowns. "That's not a bad thing, is it?"
"No. But my dad never told me she was a teacher."
Selena touches my arm gently. "Hope, you were only four when she passed. Maybe there's more you don't know. Ask your dad."
We part ways, and I enter my house. My father is chopping wood in the backyard. I retreat upstairs, heavy with questions.
He comes to my room. "Hey, baby. What's wrong?"
"Dad," I ask carefully, "was Mum a teacher?"
His eyes widen. "No. Why do you ask?"
"The new professor… he said she taught him everything."
For a long time, my father is silent. Then he pulls me into his chest. "Your mum was an amazing woman. If she taught him something, I wouldn't doubt it. She had wisdom enough for many lives."
The light fades from the room, but the questions burn brighter in me.
The Woman in Silver
The next morning, I wave goodbye to my father, grab an apple, and catch the bus. Selena saves me a seat.
As I glance out the window, I freeze. A woman stands on the sidewalk, staring straight at me. She wears gleaming silver armor, and a white veil flows from her helm like mist. Her eyes glow faintly, as though lit from within.
"What are you staring at?" Selena asks.
"Nothing," I say too quickly, turning away.
But the image haunts me.
At school, Professor Anthony's gaze follows me again. By lunch, I can't take it. I march to his desk.
"What exactly did my mother teach you? And how did you meet her?"
He leans back, studying me. "Sit, Hope. I met your mother twenty years ago. She was extraordinary. She taught me how to live with courage."
Before I can press further, Principal Catherine appears at the door. "A word, Professor?"
I slip away to the cafeteria, unsettled.
The Hidden Room---
After school, I follow Professor Anthony at a distance. He enters an old building at the edge of town. Inside, I find myself in a dim chamber filled with relics and ancient statues. Candles burn low, their flames flickering.
On a stone pedestal lies a photograph. My blood runs cold. It's the same woman in silver armor, the one who stared at me from the street.
Whispers stir around me faint at first, then louder. Voices calling my name.
"They are calling to you, aren't they, Hope?"
I whirl around. The woman in silver stands there, her veil shimmering as if alive.
"I saw you this morning," I manage. "Who are you?"
"I am your spirit guide," she says. Her voice is calm, but heavy with warning. "A great danger is coming, and you are the only one who can stop it."
My throat tightens. "What do you mean?"
"Hope!"
I turn. Professor Anthony is in the doorway. When I look back, the woman is gone.
"Who were you talking to?" he asks.
"Nobody," I lie, hurrying past him.
The Dream---
That night I fall asleep to the sound of rain.
Dreams take me. Screams echo across a storm-torn sky. An island burns, towers crumble, flames lick the sea. In the distance, shadowed figures destroy everything.
I hide, trembling. One man turns slowly toward me, his eyes like embers. A thunderclap cracks the sky, lightning splitting the ground.
I wake with a gasp, heart pounding. Outside my window, the storm rages on.