"Whispers Of Magic"

Kael’s heart hammered as the shadow behind him stirred into something more — a figure cloaked in darkness, eyes gleaming like cold stars. But before fear could root him to the spot, a soft voice echoed inside his mind. “Trust the light within.”

The glowing hand from the clock tower wasn’t gone. It hovered near his palm, warm and alive, pulsing with an energy that felt both ancient and urgent. Kael reached out instinctively and the light merged with him, filling every inch of his being with a strange calm.

The stranger stepped forward, revealing an old man whose face was lined with secrets. “You carry the Hope Flame,” the man said quietly. “A magic that humans forgot — but it is our last chance to heal this broken world.”

Kael’s world spun. Hope — a magic? It seemed impossible, yet undeniable. He had always thought magic was fantasy, but now it was his reality, his burden.

“Why me?” Kael whispered.

“Because, when the world is darkest, only those who have lost everything can ignite the brightest flame,” the man replied.

A sudden crack split the air. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and the town’s long-hidden darkness began to stir — awakened by Kael’s light.

The boy who believed in nothing now held the fate of Grey Hollow in his hands.