The sky above the city was a pale wash of blue when Alex pushed open the doors of the school, backpack slung lazily over one shoulder. The chatter of students swelled around him—familiar, rhythmic, like background music he had long since stopped noticing. Yet, despite the normalcy, something felt… different.
Adrian's seat by the window in homeroom had been empty for nearly a week. The golden-haired transfer who had set the school ablaze with whispers and sighs was simply gone. No explanation. No goodbye. Just vanished.
Rumors twisted and spread—some claimed he'd been scouted by a European boarding school, others whispered about family drama, and a few even joked that the "vampire boy" had been called back to his coffin. None of it sat right with Alex. Adrian wasn't the type to disappear quietly. Not after how obsessed he'd been with Liam.
Alex's chest tightened at the thought, his eyes drifting automatically across the hall until they landed on Liam.
