Luna
I sat in the back of the classroom, my fingers curled around the pen, staring at the barely legible notes in my journal. The words blurred together, their meaning lost in the fog of my mind. School had resumed for me, but nothing felt the same. My mother was gone, and my father—though physically present—felt more like a shadow than the man who had once been my anchor.
Camille sat beside me, a reassuring presence, but even her company couldn't ease the weight pressing on my chest.
Whispers rippled through the room. I didn't have to strain to hear them. Silverwoods High thrived on gossip, and my sudden return after my mother's death made me the unwilling center of attention. It wasn't just the looks people gave me—it was the hushed voices in the hallways, the way conversations fell silent whenever I walked by.
Then there was Rena Trevor.
A new student. Dressed in dark, gothic attire, she was nothing like the rest of Silverwoods High's usual crowd. She was quiet, her presence unsettling, but the sharp glances she threw my way didn't go unnoticed. It was as if she had already formed an opinion about me without ever speaking to me.
"Who's the new girl?" I whispered to Camille during lunch.
Camille followed my gaze. "Rena Trevor. Just transferred. She doesn't talk much, but something about her gives me the creeps."
I agreed but said nothing. Rena's piercing stare from across the cafeteria made my skin prickle. The way she observed me, like she already knew something I didn't, was unnerving.
---
Detective Samuel
The case report lay open before me, the official ruling scrawled in black ink. Accident.
I clenched my jaw. It was a lie. I knew it. The Revenants had orchestrated the attack that took my wife's life, but proving it without exposing Luna to the truth was a delicate game I wasn't sure I could win.
A firm knock on my office door pulled me from my thoughts.
"Come in."
The door swung open, and a tall man in uniform stepped inside. Caelum Graves.
I straightened. "Didn't know you were back in Silverwoods, Graves."
He smirked. "Just transferred. Needed a change of scenery."
I leaned back, studying him. "Convenient timing."
His expression remained unreadable. "Coincidences don't exist in our line of work, Samuels."
I exhaled, rubbing my temples. We had worked together years ago, but something was different about him now—an edge he didn't have before.
"You've heard about the attack?" I asked finally.
He nodded. "I have. And I'm guessing you don't buy the 'accident' story either."
I didn't respond, but I didn't have to. His knowing look was enough.
"I want to help," he said. "But you need to tell me everything."
Trust was dangerous. But if there was anyone who might understand, it was Caelum.
---
Luna
Moving through the crowded hallways, I struggled to push past the strange familiarity lingering in my mind. The name Vesta echoed inside my head like an unfinished puzzle. My mother and father had spoken of it in hushed voices in my dream, but I had no memory of what it meant.
Distracted, I rounded a corner too quickly and slammed into someone—
Ethan Blackwell.
My books tumbled to the floor.
"Watch where—" He started, then stopped when his gaze met mine. His sharp blue eyes locked onto me, and for a second, neither of us moved. A flicker of recognition crossed his features, something raw and guarded.
I swallowed. "Sorry."
He hesitated before sighing and crouching to pick up my books. He handed them back wordlessly, his fingers brushing mine for a fleeting second. A strange jolt shot up my arm, making my breath hitch. But before I could say anything, he turned and walked away.
I watched him go, my heart pounding for reasons I couldn't explain.
---
Ethan
I should have walked away faster. Should have ignored the way my pulse quickened the moment my fingers brushed hers.
But I didn't.
Damn it.
I ran a hand through my hair as I made my way to my next class, my father's voice already echoing in my head. Stay away from that girl, Ethan. Do you hear me?
And yet, I couldn't.
---
Luna
Back in the classroom, I struggled to focus. Ms. Calder, the new history teacher, moved to the front, her voice controlled and even.
"Some texts speak of a child of dusk and moonlight," she said, her gaze sweeping over the students before briefly resting on me. "A key to something long buried."
My breath caught. The words were unfamiliar, but something in me—something deep and unspoken—stirred at the sound of them.
Something was shifting.
And I wasn't ready for what it meant.
---
Ethan
The study smelled of old wood and burning embers, but even the warmth of the fireplace did nothing to ease the tension in the room.
My father sat at the head of the table, his expression carved from stone. "You stay away from that girl, Ethan. Do you hear me?"
I clenched my jaw. "I didn't say anything about her."
"You didn't have to." His voice was low but firm. "The Revenants are after her. That's their business, not ours. You getting involved will only bring problems to this pack."
I wanted to argue, but I knew it wouldn't matter. My father had already decided—Luna Samuels was a threat, not because of who she was, but because of what she might bring with her. The Revenants weren't our fight.
Gideon scoffed from his place near the window. "Your father is right. We've worked too hard to keep our pack out of that mess. Don't let some girl drag us into it."
My fists clenched under the table. Luna wasn't just 'some girl.' But I said nothing. For now.
Gideon leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "Besides, we have bigger concerns. If Tobias wants to step down as Alpha one day, we need to ensure that the right person takes his place. And that means keeping our pack strong and united."
I met my uncle's gaze. There was something unsettling in his tone. *The right person.*
I knew exactly what Gideon meant. He'd always had ambitions beyond being Beta. He wanted control, and my father's leadership was the only thing standing in his way.
Tobias turned to me, his expression unreadable. "Your job is to focus on this pack. Not on some girl whose fate is already decided."
I nodded, but as I left the room, unease settled over me.
Because deep down, I knew this wasn't the end of the conversation.
Not with my father.
And certainly not with Gideon.