By morning, word of Lena's disappearance had spread through every corner of Blackwood Academy. Fear clung to the hallways, thick and suffocating. Students walked in tight groups, whispering theories, eyes darting toward every shadow.
Elara kept her head down, clutching her books as though they could shield her. She had seen Damian's eyes on her again and again, sharp and questioning, but she avoided him. She couldn't afford to let anyone too close. Not when the whispers grew louder by the hour.
That afternoon, during history class, the event happened.
It began with a sound—a low groan that seemed to rattle the walls themselves. Students exchanged nervous glances. Then, without warning, the classroom lights flickered violently before cutting out entirely.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Gasps erupted. Someone screamed. The sound of desks scraping echoed in the confusion. And then—
The lights returned.
But they weren't alone.
Across the chalkboard, in thick, dripping crimson, words had appeared:
SHE BELONGS TO US.
A collective cry tore through the room. Several students bolted for the door, others collapsed into panicked sobs. The teacher stood frozen, chalk slipping from trembling fingers.
Elara's stomach lurched. Her throat closed. Because even before she smelled the metallic tang in the air, she knew—it wasn't paint.
It was blood.
And the whispers inside her mind laughed and cheered. "Soon… soon…"
The chaos in the classroom blurred around him. Students shrieked, teachers barked orders, but Damian's eyes went only to Elara.
She hadn't screamed. She hadn't moved. She just sat there, pale and rigid, her eyes locked on the blood-soaked words like she was reading something only she could understand.
And for a moment—a brief, shattering moment—Damian swore he saw her lips moving silently, echoing the whispers he thought he heard too.
When the teachers finally ushered everyone out, Damian stayed close behind her. He couldn't shake the certainty building in his chest.
Elara Winters wasn't just another student.
She was at the center of this nightmare.