The fire alarm blared again.
Students poured into the hallways like a wave of confusion and chaos, shouting over the siren's shrill cry. And right in the middle of it, laughing with that signature mischievous glint in her eyes, stood Aria Moonstone - sleeves rolled up, a streak of silver glitter somehow in her hair, and a half-burned Bunsen tube in her hand.
"Aria! what wrong with you" Mrs. Turner screamed over the noise, clutching a clipboard like a sword. "What did you do this time?"
Aria blinked innocently, though the corner of her mouth twitched with a smirk.
"I didn't fucking do anything. The experiment did something. I was just... encouraging it."
Mrs. Turner looked ready to combust herself.
"Encouraging it? You nearly set off the sprinklers!"
Aria shrugged, her brown eyes sparkling with mischief. "Technically, that's a safety feature. I'm helping test the school's emergency system."
Around her, students snickered. Some clapped. Someone even yelled, "Moonstone for president!" before being shushed by a furious janitor waving a mop.
Aria's best friend, Lila, appeared beside her, trying hard not to laugh.
"You're insane," she whispered.
"Creative, my dear" Aria corrected proudly. "There's a difference."
It wasn't like she meant to cause trouble - it just followed her like a shadow. Fire drills, broken speakers, mysterious glitter explosions - she didn't plan them. They just... happened.
"Detention," Mrs. Turner declared, scribbling furiously on a pink slip. "Three days, starting today. And maybe-just maybe-think before mixing magnesium with glitter next time."
Aria gasped, mock offended. "That's discrimination against sparkle chemistry."
Lila snorted, and the teacher's glare could've melted glass.
---
By the time the chaos settled, Aria was sprawled across the grass outside, backpack under her head, watching the clouds drift by.
She stretched her arms lazily, the sunlight warm against her skin. There was something peaceful about ignoring the world's expectations. No one expected much from her - she wasn't the smartest or most athletic or most well-behaved - and she liked it that way.
"Hey," Lila said, plopping beside her. "You know Mrs. Turner's gonna make your life hell now, right?"
"She already does," Aria replied, smirking. "It's mutual."
Lila chuckled, shaking her head. "One day, your chaos is gonna bite you."
"Let it try," Aria said, stretching again. "I bite back, and bite harder"
But even as she laughed, a strange chill ran down her spine. The kind that came without warning, like the air itself had turned its head to watch her. She sat up slowly, scanning the treeline behind the school.
The woods swayed softly. Nothing moved - and yet she could feel something.
Something wild.
It wasn't the first time. Lately, she'd been catching scents that didn't belong - like pine after rain, or smoke without fire. Sometimes she'd hear whispers when the night was too still. And animals - stray dogs, birds, even foxes - would just... stare at her.
"You okay?" Lila asked, noticing her sudden stillness.
Aria blinked and forced a smile. "Yeah, just... thought I saw something."
She didn't mention the faint sound she'd heard - a low, haunting growl, so distant it could've been her imagination.
---
That night, Aria dreamed of the moon.
It was closer than it should be, glowing red like molten gold. The forest below shimmered silver, leaves whispering her name.
Aria.
Her bare feet sank into wet earth as she wandered forward, following the voice. The air was alive - thick with power and music she couldn't understand.
Then, from the shadows, two glowing amber eyes appeared. A massive wolf stepped into view - tall, powerful, beautiful. Its fur was black as night, its gaze burning with recognition.
Aria froze, heart thudding.
"Who are you?" she whispered.
The wolf didn't speak. It just looked at her, like it already knew her deepest secrets. Then, suddenly, it bowed its head - as if greeting a queen.
And when she reached out to touch it-
She woke up.
Gasping, tangled in her sheets, heart racing. The moonlight spilling through her window painted her skin silver, her hands trembling as if they still held the memory of fur and warmth.
"What the hell..." she muttered.
The clock read 3:03 a.m.
For a long time, she just sat there, listening to the soft hum of the night. Then, faintly, she heard it again - a howl in the distance. Low, mournful, and too close to be just a dog.
---
Elsewhere - deep in the Blackthorn woods.
Alpha Kael Blackthorn stood still as stone, his sharp senses locked on the wind.
There - that scent again.
It cut through the forest like electricity, warm and sweet and maddeningly familiar. His wolf stirred, growling softly inside him.
Mate.
Kael's hands clenched. It had been years - years of searching, years of waiting. The Moon Goddess had promised him a Luna unlike any other. But this scent... it was strange. Too pure. Too human.
He inhaled again.
Not pack-born. Not turned. And yet... it carried the wild pull of destiny.
"Alpha," came the voice of his Beta, Loren, breaking the silence. "You found something?"
Kael didn't answer immediately. His golden eyes narrowed toward the distant lights of the human town.
"She's here," he said at last, voice low and certain. "The Moon's chosen one."
Loren frowned. "In a human town?"
Kael's jaw flexed. "Apparently."
He turned, already walking. The forest seemed to bow around him, the wind carrying his command.
"Prepare the scouts," he ordered. "No one makes a move until I say so. I'll find her myself."
"Alpha," Loren called after him, "if she's human, she might not even know what she is."
Kael's voice was cold steel.
"She'll know soon enough."
---
Back at school - the next day.
"Aria Moonstone!"
Mrs. Turner's voice again. And this time, she sounded like she was ready to summon demons.
Aria looked up from her desk. "Yes, Mrs. T?"
"Principal's office. Now."
"Oh, come on, what did I-"
The teacher just pointed to the door.
Sighing dramatically, Aria grabbed her bag. "You know, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone."
"Not likely," Mrs. Turner muttered.
As she walked down the hallway, she noticed something odd - a new security guard near the entrance. Tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in black. His gaze followed her, too sharp, too knowing.
"Creepy," she whispered under her breath.
The closer she got, the stronger the weird feeling in her chest became - like static under her skin. Her pulse quickened, and for a second, she swore she heard her heartbeat echo louder than normal.
When she glanced back, the man was gone.
---
In the principal's office, she expected the usual lecture. But instead, she found a stranger sitting there - tall, dressed in black, eyes like burning amber.
For a moment, she forgot how to breathe.
The man stood, his presence heavy and commanding. "Aria Moonstone?"
"Uh... yeah?" she said slowly. "Who's asking?"
He studied her like she was both a puzzle and a threat.
"My name is Kael," he said simply. "I've been looking for you."
She blinked. "Okay... that's not creepy at all."
"I mean you no harm," he continued calmly, but his eyes never softened. "You are... not what you think you are."
"Is this some kind of prank?" she asked, crossing her arms. "Because I swear, if Lila's behind this-"
Kael stepped closer. Too close. The air seemed to hum around him, and for the first time, Aria felt a strange warmth spread through her - not fear, but something else. Recognition.
Her heart pounded.
What was wrong with her?
Kael's gaze softened just slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"You can feel it too, can't you?"
She hesitated. "Feel what?"
"The pull," he said. "The bond."
Aria laughed nervously. "Okay, look, Mr. Weird-and-Mysterious, I don't know what-"
Before she could finish, her vision flickered. For a split second, everything in the room glowed - faint silver outlines tracing the walls, the man, even her own hands.
"What... the..."
Kael's eyes widened. His wolf howled in recognition.
There she is.
The air thickened with energy, her pulse racing, every cell in her body screaming something ancient.
Then, just as suddenly, it stopped. The lights flickered back to normal.
Aria stumbled back, gasping. "What the hell was that?"
Kael exhaled, his expression unreadable. "Your awakening has begun."
"My what?"
But before he could answer, the principal burst through the door, oblivious. "Aria! Why is the power flickering again?"
Kael was gone.
Just... gone.
Vanished like smoke, leaving behind only the faint scent of pine and rain.
Aria stared at the spot where he'd been, heart hammering.
"This school is cursed," she muttered.
---
That night, the dreams came again.
The moon. The forest. The black wolf.
Only this time, when it bowed to her, she bowed back. And when she opened her eyes, there was a golden mark glowing faintly on her wrist - a crescent moon.
She touched it, half expecting it to fade.
It didn't.
And somewhere in the distance, Kael's voice echoed through the trees:
"You can't hide from what you are,My Luna."