Sweat beaded on her forehead, her light blonde hair sticking to her pale skin. Kali squeezed her eyes shut, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed onto the brittle green grass. Why now? Why here? Belatedly, she heard the panicked cries as members of her House scrambled away to safety. She couldn’t blame them for being afraid.

“Nng…” she groaned,...

Tell me that you hate me;

Tell me that you wish I was gone.

We both know I betrayed your trust

So what are you waiting for?

If you are expecting an apology,

Forget it, you’re not getting it.

And I’m not going to give an excuse

Because I don’t have one.

I can see the hatred burning in your eyes,

And all the things you will never say.

If you think your silence will hurt me,

I will inform you that ...

The school held a vigil for you today.

Almost half the student body came to mourn you. It is the first time in two decades that a student was killed. Someone even brought two dozen of the unscented Walmart’s candles, costing less than a quarter each. They arranged it into a large heart with your initials slightly off-centered. The tiny flames flickered in the cold night, and each breeze threaten...

The morning rays filtered in through the window, bathing the bedroom in soft light. In the distance, the blare of a horn interrupted the tranquillity of the day. Hal opened his eyes blearily, staring up at the white ceiling. He thought he closed the blinds last night. And who was honking in a neighbor located in the middle of nowhere? There was something… off about the room. Though he knew where h...

Hold my hand and don’t let go;

I’ll be with you no matter where.

Whether it is Heaven or Hell,

Or maybe someplace else,

I’ll always be by your side.

There’s no need to be afraid

When you’re with me;

You don’t need to hide yourself

‘Cause I cherish your every flaw.

Let me kiss your tears away;

Let me love you till the end of time.

And if you break my heart, that’s okay;

I wouldn’t want it any oth...

“I’m in love,” Sheila declared one night, sitting cross-legged on Elna’s bed.

For a brief second, Elna froze. “Oh?” she questioned lightly. She grabbed her outfit for tomorrow out of her closet, brushing off the nonexistent lint from the skirt. All the while, she furiously tried to work out what to say next. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she continued. “I didn’t know you are seeing someone....

The assignment was short: kill Llryis and leave no clue behind.

Short, but difficult. I was a spy, not a killer. However, hard times called for desperate measures, and this was one of them. The Council of Selia was closing in on us, sniffing out the lower-ranked spies within the circle. It was only a matter of time before one of them would succumb to the deadly whispers of Llyris and reveal our ...

“You are disgusting and a disgrace to the entire family! I am ashamed to call you my daughter.”

The cold, steely voice of her mother echoed in Mallory’s head. Even though the conversation had been days ago, she could still hear the venom woven in those words.

And how could she forget? Even if it was the truth — and she refused to believe it was — it didn’t make it sting any less. What was wors...

Five years.

It was five years since Bree worked the courage to ask Taylor out — to which the latter agreed. And she had been so, so ecstatic. She must have gone over the dinner plan a hundred times in her head, smoothing out any possible kinks. Of course, fate was cruel, and the date was far from perfect. However, Taylor seemed to enjoy it nonetheless and had called Bree the next day to ask if s...

Let me tell you a story

Of a young boy I met two years ago.

But before I begin,

There are things you must know.

The legends are true:

There are sirens of the sea

Whose haunting melody

Lures sailors to their watery graves.

But there are also

The faeries of the forest

Whose venomous magic

Lures hikers to their early demise.

Do not be enchanted

By the vibrant hues of the leaves —

The most bril...