The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was the ceiling.
White , Plain,Safe.
Not a forest.
Not darkness.
Not men chasing me through the trees.
I let out a shaky breath and buried my face in the pillow.
A nightmare.
It had to be.
People didn't spend their first night at university running for their lives.
I laughed quietly at myself.
"Get it together, Stacy."
Sunlight spilled through the curtains, warming the tiny dorm room I'd moved into yesterday. Across from me, towers of unpacked boxes stood beside my roommate's perfectly organized side of the room.
Lucky her.
Mine looked like a tornado had decided to major in interior design.
A loud knock rattled the door.
"You're awake, right?" a cheerful voice called.
"I might be."
The door swung open before I could say anything else.
A girl with curly black hair and bright amber eyes leaned against the frame with a grin.
"You've got exactly thirty-five minutes before orientation."
I blinked.
"...Who are you?"
She gasped dramatically.
"You forgot me already? We've been roommates for almost twelve hours."
"I was unconscious for eight of those."
She laughed.
"Fair point. I'm Maya."
"Stacy."
"I know."
She walked over and tossed me a folded university hoodie.
"Hurry. Unless you want the dean's first impression of you to be someone who got expelled before classes even started."
"I don't think that's possible."
"You'd be surprised."
Twenty minutes later, we crossed the center courtyard.
Blackwood University looked even larger in daylight.
Stone buildings climbed into the sky, covered in ivy that seemed older than the country itself.
Students filled every path.
Some dragged suitcases.
Some laughed with new friends.
Others looked just as lost as I felt.
If someone had told me yesterday that I'd be standing here after... everything... I'd have laughed in their face.
I slowed near the edge of the courtyard.
Without thinking, my eyes drifted toward the forest behind the campus walls.
The trees looked peaceful.
Ordinary.
Nothing about them hinted that only hours ago I had been running through them, terrified.
A chill crept down my spine.
"Stacy?"
Maya waved a hand in front of my face.
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
"You don't sound convincing."
"I'm just tired."
She studied me for a second before nodding.
"If you say so."
The auditorium was already packed.
Hundreds of freshmen squeezed into rows of seats.
Conversations echoed through the room until a microphone screeched.
Everyone groaned.
A tall man in a charcoal suit stepped onto the stage.
"Good morning, students."
The room gradually fell silent.
"Welcome to Blackwood University."
The dean gave the usual speech about excellence, opportunity, and responsibility.
I tried listening.
Really.
But my thoughts kept wandering back to the previous night.
The footsteps behind me.
The voices.
The feeling that someone had been watching me long before I ever entered the woods.
Then the dean's tone changed.
"There is one additional matter."
The room quieted instantly.
"Due to an incident that occurred on campus last night, several areas will remain temporarily restricted."
A murmur spread across the auditorium.
"Students are reminded that entering restricted areas without authorization is strictly prohibited."
Someone behind me whispered,
"What happened?"
"No idea."
"Probably construction."
The dean ignored the comments.
"If anyone witnessed unusual activity, you are expected to report it immediately."
My stomach tightened.
Last night...
So it wasn't a dream.
It happened.
Every terrifying second of it.
Instinctively, I looked around the room.
Most students appeared bored.
Some were scrolling through their phones.
Others didn't seem concerned at all.
Then my gaze landed on him.
Near the back row.
Dark hair.
Straight posture.
Expression unreadable.
Lucien Ashford.
He wasn't talking.
He wasn't looking at the stage.
His sharp gray eyes were fixed on something far beyond everyone else.
Almost...
Like he already knew exactly what the dean was talking about.
For a strange moment, he turned.
Our eyes met.
Time seemed to stop.
A sudden warmth spread through my chest.
Not painful.
Not pleasant.
Just...
Different.
Lucien frowned.
Only slightly.
Then he looked away as though nothing had happened.
I stared after him.
Why did it feel like I'd known him before today?
"Stacy."
Maya nudged my shoulder.
"The speech's over."
I blinked.
Students were already standing.
The auditorium buzzed with conversation again.
Had I really been staring that long?
Outside, the crowd flowed in every direction.
I adjusted the strap of my backpack and followed Maya toward the library.
"Come on," she said. "I want to find our classes before tomorrow."
I nodded absentmindedly.
As we reached the library entrance, someone brushed past me.
My shoulder collided with theirs.
Books slipped from my arms.
"Oh!"
Paper scattered across the marble floor.
"Sorry," I muttered, kneeling quickly.
Another hand reached for the nearest notebook at the exact same time.
Long fingers.
Steady.
Calm.
I looked up.
Lucien.
Neither of us spoke.
He picked up the last notebook and held it out to me.
Our fingers brushed.
Another strange pulse rushed through my body.
This time, Lucien felt it too.
His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
"Thank you," I whispered.
He watched me for one long second.
Then, in a quiet voice, he said,
"Be careful where you go."
I frowned.
"What?"
But he had already stepped past me.
Within moments, he disappeared into the endless shelves of the library.
I stood frozen, my notebook clutched against my chest.
Maya frowned.
"Do you know him?"
I kept staring in the direction he'd gone.
"...No."
But somehow...
It felt like the beginning of something neither of us could escape.