[Malach]
The news came late in the afternoon. Orvell found Malach in the study, sorting through a few notebooks he had decided to bring with him. The attendant's expression was unusually tense, and his steps were quicker than usual.
"Your parents called again," Orvell said. "They want you to move immediately. Preparations are underway as we speak."
Malach blinked. "Immediately? Why?"
"They said it is safer for you at the new residence. They told me not to worry about what will happen shortly. That was all they said."
The words sent a ripple of unease through him. He had been half convinced that the sudden relocation had something to do with his magical ability. Hearing that it did not gave him a brief sense of relief. But the mention of safety, combined with the idea that something was about to happen, settled heavily in his chest.
"What did they mean by that?" Malach asked quietly.
Orvell shook his head. "I do not know. They did not elaborate."
Outside the room, footsteps and voices echoed loudly. The usually calm estate felt chaotic. Attendants hurried through the halls with boxes, bags, and crates, their movements sharp with urgency. Furniture was being covered. Art was being taken down. Lockboxes were being sealed.
Malach stepped into the hallway and watched the hurried bustle.
Ellor approached him with a clipboard in hand. "We will be ready to leave soon. Most of the essential items are being loaded now. Your belongings are already in the transport vehicles."
Malach nodded slowly. "I will head out shortly."
Before leaving, he walked through the foyer where several long-serving staff members stood waiting. They would remain behind to maintain the estate until further notice. Malach offered each of them a small nod.
"Kelsey," he said quietly to the housekeeper. She gave him a warm, motherly smile that did little to calm the tension in his chest.
"You take care now," she said.
Malach returned her smile, though it did not quite reach his eyes.
He walked the length of the driveway, passing through the gardens where trimmed hedges and pale stone lanterns lined the path. Night had settled early, painting everything in muted blue. The air was cool. Still. Heavy in a way he could not name.
Several vehicles waited at the end of the driveway. Four sleek black cars for him and the staff and two trucks filled with crates and sealed containers. Orvell stood beside the car, speaking quietly with a driver. Ellor and two other attendants finished securing the last of the items.
Malach climbed into the back seat. Orvell entered the front passenger side. The driver adjusted the mirror, offered a polite nod, and started the engine.
They pulled onto the road, the estate shrinking behind them.
Malach watched the trees pass by in blurred silhouettes as he spoke.
"Orvell. What exactly are we bringing with us? I saw the trucks were nearly full."
Orvell cleared his throat. "Your parents wanted a number of items transferred to the new residence. Many of the family's important possessions. Precious metals, artwork, confidential documents, estate deeds, account records. There is also some practical equipment and a collection of ..."
He stopped suddenly.
At first, Malach thought Orvell had simply lost his train of thought. Then he looked up.
The sky had changed.
Evening had settled fully, yet something felt wrong. The moon hung bright and clear, but everything else had vanished, no stars, no distant lights. The sky was a smooth, empty dome of darkness, as if someone had wiped the heavens clean.
The car jerked slightly as the driver reacted. Orvell pressed a hand against the dashboard.
"What is that?" the driver whispered.
Orvell's breathing turned shallow. He looked through the windshield, his face tightening with a seriousness Malach had rarely seen.
"That is not normal," Orvell said quietly.
Malach leaned closer to the window, his hand touching the cold glass. "Is it some kind of atmospheric phenomenon?"
"No," Orvell replied. "It is not."
They drove in silence for several seconds. The empty sky loomed above them, oppressive in its stillness. Malach felt something coil in the pit of his stomach, a quiet instinct telling him that this was not a simple anomaly.
"Should we stop the car?" the driver asked.
Orvell hesitated. He turned to look at Malach, as if checking whether he was frightened, and then spoke with deliberate calm.
"Keep driving. We don't know what this is, but it's safer to stay in motion"
Malach could hear the tension beneath the calm tone.
He swallowed. "Do you think this has to do with what my parents mentioned? The thing that is supposed to happen soon?"
Orvell did not answer immediately.
"I do not know," he said at last. "But whatever this is, it is not something ordinary people can explain. I want you to stay close to me once we arrive at the residence. Until we understand what is going on, do not stray far."
The driver reduced speed, the engine humming softly as the convoy moved through the dimly lit road. The trucks behind them followed at a cautious distance.
Malach kept his eyes on the sky, unease growing with each passing moment.
Something had changed tonight.Something far beyond a family's relocation.
And the moon, solitary, seemed to watch them in absolute silence.