The morning sun spilled through the car windows in warm golden streaks, making it almost impossible to ignore how exhausted I was. We'd been driving forever, and every mile had taken me farther away from the life I'd spent seventeen years building.
Mom turned into the cracked driveway of our new house and switched off the engine.
"This is it."
I leaned my forehead against the cool window and stared outside.
Blackthorn Valley.
The town looked... quiet. Too quiet.
Old brick buildings lined the streets, giant oak trees stretched over the roads, and every house looked like it had been standing there for a hundred years. It was pretty, I guess. The kind of place photographers loved.
The kind of place teenagers usually couldn't wait to leave.
I still couldn't believe we were here because of Grandma's estate. One phone call. One inheritance. Suddenly our entire life had been packed into cardboard boxes.
"So much for senior year," I muttered.
"What was that?" Mom asked.
"Nothing."
She climbed out before I could complain any more, already reaching into the boot for another box.
"Come on, Maya. Let's get the essentials inside before it gets dark."
I groaned and opened my door.
"It's barely afternoon."
"I know."
She didn't look at me when she answered.
"I just don't want you wandering around unfamiliar streets after sunset."
Something about the way she said it made me pause.
It wasn't the usual I'm your mother, be careful speech.
There was... something else.
Almost like she wasn't asking.
Like she already knew something I didn't.
"You've never been this worried before."
She froze for the smallest second before forcing a smile.
"I'm just being cautious."
Then she picked up another box and disappeared into the house.
I stood there alone, staring after her.
Weird.
Really weird.
---
The next morning wasn't any better.
Standing outside Blackthorn Valley High School, I suddenly forgot how breathing worked.
Being the new girl had never been on my bucket list.
The school itself didn't help.
It was built from dark stone that seemed to swallow the sunlight instead of reflecting it. Ivy crawled up the walls, and the enormous windows gave the place an almost cathedral-like feeling.
It wasn't creepy.
Just...
Heavy.
Like the building had secrets.
Students wandered through the entrance in small groups, laughing quietly, bumping shoulders, sipping coffee before class.
Then I noticed something strange.
Some of them looked...
different.
Their skin was almost glowing against the grey morning. Their movements were smooth—too smooth, somehow—as if they'd practiced every step before taking it.
I blinked.
Maybe I was just tired.
Cross-country move.
No sleep.
Too much caffeine.
Yeah.
That had to be it.
---
First period was English.
My favourite subject.
Normally.
Today?
Not so much.
"Class," the teacher announced, smiling at me with way too much enthusiasm. "We have a new student joining us today."
Twenty-five heads turned at once.
Awesome.
Exactly what I wanted.
"I'm Maya Ashford."
A few polite smiles.
One wave.
Someone yawned.
At least nobody threw paper.
"There’s one empty seat in the back."
Of course there was.
Trying not to trip over my own feet, I walked between the desks.
Then...
Something made me stop.
Not physically.
Just...
Every tiny instinct inside me suddenly screamed.
Someone was watching me.
I looked toward the back corner.
There he was.
A boy sat half-hidden beneath the shadow pouring through the tall windows.
Black hair.
Sharp jaw.
Pale skin.
And eyes...
I'd never seen eyes like that before.
Silver.
Not blue.
Not grey.
Actually silver.
Cold enough to remind me of frost on winter mornings.
He wasn't smiling.
Wasn't whispering to his friends.
Wasn't even pretending not to stare.
He just...
looked at me.
Like he'd been expecting me.
My chest tightened.
I quickly looked away and slid into my seat before my imagination could get any worse.
Focus on class, Maya.
Books.
Homework.
Normal things.
Instead, every few minutes I found myself wondering if he was still looking.
Somehow...
I knew he was.
---
By the time the bell rang, I was desperate to get out of that classroom.
Students poured into the hallway.
Lockers slammed.
Someone laughed loudly down the corridor.
For a moment everything felt normal again.
Then the temperature dropped.
Not by much.
Just enough for goosebumps to race across my arms.
Someone walked beside me.
Silently.
I turned.
Him.
"I didn't hear you."
"I know."
His voice was calm. Smooth.
Almost gentle.
Which somehow made it worse.
"You're the new girl."
I frowned.
"Last time I checked."
"The one living in the old Ashford house."
I stopped walking.
"...How do you know that?"
He kept moving as though the conversation meant nothing.
His fingertips brushed lightly across the row of lockers.
"Small town."
Then he glanced at me.
"We notice everything."
We.
The word landed harder than it should have.
Who exactly was we?
Before I could ask another question, he disappeared into the crowd.
Or maybe the crowd moved around him.
I honestly couldn't tell.
---
Lunch arrived like a reward for surviving the morning.
Unfortunately, it also meant sitting alone.
I carried my tray through the noisy cafeteria pretending I wasn't scanning every table for an empty seat.
No luck.
I picked the least depressing corner I could find.
One bite into my sandwich...
Someone dropped into the chair across from me.
"I refuse to let the new girl eat alone."
I blinked.
The girl grinned.
She had warm brown skin, a cloud of gorgeous curls, and enough confidence for at least five people.
"I'm Sienna."
She pointed dramatically at herself.
"Professional chatterbox. Part-time resident gossip. Full-time welcome committee."
I laughed before I could stop myself.
"I'm Maya."
"I know."
"Of course you do."
She shrugged.
"It's a small town."
I couldn't help smiling.
For the first time all day, someone actually felt...
normal.
Human.
"So," Sienna said, leaning forward, "important question."
"Oh no."
"Have you met any of the ridiculously hot guys yet?"
I nearly choked on my drink.
She burst out laughing.
"I'm serious! We have some absolute dreamboats around here."
Then her smile faded slightly.
"Although..."
"What?"
"They're weird."
"Weird how?"
"Exclusive."
She lowered her voice.
"They don't really mix with the rest of us."
"Who?"
"The Darkmores."
The name sounded familiar somehow.
"They're rich. Mysterious. Gorgeous. Half the girls here have had crushes on them."
"And?"
"They don't date."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
She stole one of my fries.
"Well... not normal people."
I frowned.
"There is one you'll definitely notice."
"Who?"
"Lucian."
The name hit me instantly.
Black hair.
Silver eyes.
"He looks like he could either ruin your life or make you thank him for it."
I stared.
Sienna laughed.
"You've seen him already."
"...Maybe."
"Honey, nobody talks to Lucian unless Lucian decides they're worth talking to."
She took another bite of her sandwich.
"Last year this girl tried flirting with him."
"What happened?"
"She froze."
"What?"
"I mean literally froze."
I frowned.
"Panic attack?"
"That's what everyone says."
She shrugged.
"But..."
She didn't finish.
She didn't have to.
A cold shiver slipped down my spine anyway.
---
School finally ended.
I was halfway across the parking lot when that strange feeling returned.
Like someone was standing just behind me.
I turned.
Lucian stepped out from behind a cluster of trees.
I hadn't even seen him there.
He stopped a few feet away.
Close enough for me to notice his eyes again.
Up close they looked even stranger.
Almost...
glowing.
"You should stay away from town after dark."
No hello.
No introduction.
Just that.
I folded my arms.
"Excuse me?"
"The woods near Raven's Creek."
His eyes stayed fixed on mine.
"Don't go there."
"And why exactly should I listen to you?"
"Because there are things in Blackthorn Valley that aren't safe."
His voice never changed.
It stayed calm.
Steady.
Like he wasn't trying to scare me.
He was simply stating a fact.
"For curious girls who ask too many questions."
I lifted my chin.
"Is that supposed to be a threat?"
"No."
He stepped closer.
The air between us suddenly felt colder.
He smelled like winter.
Fresh rain.
Pine trees.
And something older.
Something I couldn't explain.
"It's a warning."
He studied my face for a long moment.
"Your grandmother learned to respect the boundaries."
My stomach dropped.
"I'd hate to see you make a mistake she didn't."
Before I could ask what that meant...
He turned.
Walked away.
And within seconds the trees swallowed him completely.
I just stood there.
Heart pounding.
Trying to convince myself none of that had been as strange as it felt.
It didn't work.
---
The drive home blurred past.
The sun slowly disappeared behind the hills, painting the sky orange and deep purple.
Normally I loved sunsets.
Tonight they made the town feel... wrong.
Lucian's words kept replaying in my head.
Your grandmother learned to respect the boundaries.
What boundaries?
And why did he know anything about my grandmother?
By the time I pulled into the driveway, my head hurt from thinking.
I carried the last box inside and set it on the dining room table.
One corner had split open.
Old books spilled out.
A faded photo.
A small wooden jewellery box.
And an envelope.
My name was written across the front in my grandmother's handwriting.
My pulse quickened.
I carefully opened it.
The paper inside was old and brittle.
Before I could read more than the first three words, the page suddenly cracked down the middle and tore apart in my hands.
Three words remained.
If you've met Lucian...
