The Ash And The Flame

POV: Maren.

Something was terribly wrong.

I stood frozen in the middle of the bustling campus quad, my boots rooted to the pavement. The morning sun beat down from a clear sky, but I felt no warmth. The air pressed down on my shoulders, heavy and thick with static electricity. Hundreds of college students streamed past me in a chaotic river. They called out to each other, sharing jokes, holding