The Night Everything Changed
It was a night like any other. The sky was covered with thick clouds, and the air had that uncomfortable heaviness that precedes storms, although it never actually rained.
We were at the ÓBroin family's main mansion. That night, the adults had gathered in the council room located in the east wing: my father, Konor; my uncles Dmitri and Vladimir; and some trusted members of the family.
Daniel, Orla, Eleonor, and I were in one of the rooms we always used to play and entertain ourselves when the adults were meeting.
We were talking in hushed tones while we waited to be sent to bed.
Eleonor was restless. She paced back and forth with her arms crossed, as if something was bothering her from within.
"Something's not right," she said suddenly.
"You always say that," Orla replied, but Eleonor didn't answer. She simply stared at the door to the main hall, frowning. I also felt that tightness in my chest, although I couldn't explain it.
Suddenly, an employee shouted:
"The seal is glowing!"
Then came the chaos.
The magical alarms went off at the same time as the mansion's defenses.
The ground vibrated beneath our feet, and an explosion shook one of the rooms where the family's treasures were kept.
Before we could react, an instructor appeared and yelled at us to run to our rooms.
But we couldn't get very far.
Suddenly, creatures shrouded in shadows invaded the hallway. They weren't just monsters; they were Claimoors.
They moved intelligently, attacking quickly, breaking specific points in the walls. Daniel and Orla reacted instantly and ran to protect me. Eleonor, without hesitation, stepped forward, summoning a barrier that protected us for seconds that seemed like an eternity.
I... I was paralyzed.
That's when I saw my father. My father appeared, covered in blood, but still standing. His gaze met mine, and for a moment, I felt relief. I wanted to run to him, but I didn't have time.
One of those creatures pierced him with one of its tentacles before he could defend himself.
"Nooooo!" I screamed with all my might. His body fell to the ground.
Almost simultaneously, an explosion shook the east wing of the mansion, and the monsters that were attacking us began to disappear before our eyes.
Eleanor ran towards the east wing; we knew her parents must be there. I stayed, hugging my father's body, screaming for someone to help him. Daniel immediately ran after Eleanor, and Orla, in tears, was shouting at the top of her lungs:
"Mom! Dad! Where are you?"