By the next morning, the excitement had turned contagious. Even the professors seemed amused by the chaos — ending classes early so committees could finish the last-minute work.
Shyla arrived early, arms full of decorations, determined to lose herself in it all.
"Try not to break anything today," Maya teased.
"No promises," Shyla grinned.
But her smile faltered when she caught sight of a familiar figure across the courtyard — tall, still, standing in the sunlight like he didn't belong there.
Ash.
He was watching her. Not with the same intensity as before — there was distance now, a hollow in his expression. But the moment their eyes met, something flickered — a spark she couldn't name.
Before she could move, before she could even wave, he turned and walked away.
The locket went ice-cold.
"That's your last warning, Shyla," Leo said quietly. "Stay away from him tomorrow."
Her throat tightened. "You think I'm scared?"
"No. I think you should be."
The words lingered long after Leo fell silent.
And when Shyla looked toward the path where Ash had disappeared, the world seemed just a little darker — as if the sun itself had dimmed to listen.
But the darkness didn't last long.
By afternoon, campus chatter had shifted — a new name rippling through the hallways like rumor caught in wind.
Nickolas Alaric.
Even the way people said it carried weight — reverent, curious, almost enchanted. Posters for the ball were suddenly less about colors and themes, and more about him.
"He's coming tomorrow," Maya said breathlessly, dropping into the chair beside Shyla. "Nickolas Alaric. You know — the Nickolas. From the Alaric family? He's on the board, owns half the campus donations, probably breathes gold or something."
Shyla blinked. "And why exactly are we talking about this guy like he's a celebrity?"
Maya rolled her eyes. "Because he is. And because rumor says he's attending this year's ball — personally. Apparently, there's some kind of convention happening in the city, and he agreed to come for one night."
"So?"
"So," Maya leaned closer, grinning, "he's coming to find his mate. Every senior girl on campus has been practicing their smiles since morning."
Shyla laughed despite herself. "That's ridiculous."
"Maybe," Maya said, shrugging. "But you should've seen the dean's face. Even the staff are trying to look younger."
Shyla shook her head, but something about the name stuck with her. Nickolas. It sounded… old... Powerful... Familiar, somehow— though she couldn't remember why. "I have heard this name before... I think" she thought to herself.
As she packed up for the day, the locket pulsed faintly again, its tone sharper this time.
"You'll see him tomorrow," Leo said, voice low and steady. "And when you do — remember what I told you."
She frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"Nickolas Alaric isn't here for a dance," Leo murmured. "He's here for you."
Shyla froze.
But before she could speak, the light within the locket dimmed to nothing — as if Leo had already said more than he was allowed to.
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Outside her room, thunder rolled faintly over the horizon again. The storm gathered quietly beyond the city, its low rumble almost lost beneath the evening noise. Shyla closed her notebook, trying to ignore the strange pulse from the locket that hadn't stopped since Leo's last words.
Nickolas Alaric. She didn't know why the name felt heavy — like a door she hadn't meant to open.
And somewhere across the city, someone else felt it too.
Ash stood at the edge of an abandoned bridge, the rain slicing through the night like glass. The city lights shimmered in the water below, fractured and restless. He hadn't fed in days — not since he saw her last. The restraint burned like fire beneath his skin.
He'd tried to stay away. He'd promised himself he would.
But even distance couldn't stop the pull — that faint thread that tied him to Shyla's heartbeat.
He knew she was safe for now. The locket — Leo — wouldn't let anything near her. But the sudden shift in the air tonight, the whisper of a name carried through the city's veins, changed everything.
Nickolas.
Ash closed his eyes, the name echoing through his mind like a curse. The hunger twisted in his chest, laced with something darker.
"So… he's coming," he murmured, his voice low. "After all these years."
The wind stirred, carrying the faint scent of rain and old power — a presence he'd once known too well.
Nickolas Alaric. Ancient blood. Secondborn of the old line. Does his brother even know?And if the rumors were true — he wasn't just coming to the city. He was coming for her.
Ash's jaw tightened. A memory surfaced — Leo's words centuries ago.
"If Alaric ever finds her, the balance will return."
He opened his eyes; the storm reflected in them — dark and wild. Now he finally understood why Leo had bound himself to the locket. Why he had stayed close all these years.
"She's the key," Ash whispered, the truth cutting deeper than he expected. "And he knows it."
The rain fell harder, soaking through his coat, but he didn't move. His hand clenched at his side, glowing faintly red — power simmering beneath the restraint.
He turned toward the city, eyes narrowing.
"Stay away from her, Nickolas. She's not yours to find. She doesn't belong to you."
A flash of lightning split the clouds, illuminating his face for an instant — sharp, furious, and heartbreakingly human.
Then he was gone, swallowed by the storm.
And far away, in her quiet room, Shyla's locket pulsed once — too hard, too fast — as though something ancient had stirred awake.