A peaceful hallway in Brookstone High, students walk with books in hand. Hazel walks beside Stella, animatedly chatting as they approach the library. Stella, in contrast, listens quietly, occasionally smiling.
Hazel (grinning):
"I still can't believe you crushed that math problem yesterday. Total genius move."
Stella (modestly):
"I just... like numbers. They make sense."
Inside the library: warm lighting, shelves full of books, and the soft hush of pages turning. Hazel and Stella walk toward the science section.
Hazel:
"Come on, we've got a science project to do. I'll grab the physics books—you get the biology."
Stella heads toward another aisle, scanning the shelf. Her eyes land on a familiar title: "The Universe in Your Hands." Her heart skips—her favorite book. But someone else is already holding it.
Her eyes slowly trace up from the book to the person holding it—Alex.
"Of course... him."
Alex stands there, holding the book casually, unaware of her presence at first. He's leaned slightly against the shelf, his black hair tousled, blue eyes flicking lazily across the pages. The light hits his face just right—carefree, distant, breathtaking.
"He looked... unreal. Like he didn't belong in this world at all. A fallen star that never stopped glowing."
Alex suddenly looks up. Their eyes lock. Silence stretches.
Alex (softly):
"You like this one too?"
Stella, caught off guard, nods shyly.
Stella:
"It's… my favorite."
He offers her the book. Their fingers brush briefly, and Stella's breath catches. His touch is gentle, warm—yet his gaze unreadable.
Alex:
"Keep it. I've read it a thousand times."
Stella watches as he walks away, the silence he leaves behind louder than anything else. Hazel appears behind her with two books in hand, smirking.
Hazel (teasing):
"Wow. Someone's got an admirer."
Stella (blushing):
"It's not like that…"
Late evening. Stella walks home alone through a quiet street. The wind picks up, rustling her hair. The city feels a bit colder now, the shadows darker.
"I wasn't scared. I've walked home alone before. But tonight… something felt different."
She turns into a narrower alley, trying to take a shortcut. Her footsteps echo. Then—voices.
"Well, what do we have here?"
A group of gangsters block her path. Rough-looking, older, sneering. One of them steps forward, smirking.
"You lost, sweetheart?"
Stella backs up, clutching her bag, panic rising in her throat.
Stella (thinking):
"Not now. Not like this."
Just as one of the gangsters reaches for her—
???:
"She's not yours to touch."
From the shadows, a figure steps forward. It's Alex. His expression is stone cold, his eyes blazing. He walks between Stella and the gang without hesitation.
"It was him. Like a storm wrapped in silk. I'd never seen anyone look so calm... and so dangerous."
Panel 6:
Alex swiftly disarms the first thug with a strike to the arm. The others hesitate—he's fast, unflinching, eyes dark with warning.
"Let's get outta here."
The gang scrambles away, and silence falls. Stella's legs finally give way. Alex catches her, holding her close.
Stella (trembling):
"Why... why are you here?"
Alex (softly):
"You looked like you needed someone."
Alex kneels down beside her, wraps his coat gently around her shoulders. She's shivering. He pulls her closer, lifting her effortlessly into his arms in a princess carry. Her heart pounds.
"It was unreal. Like being inside a dream I never dared to have."
He walks toward his matte black motorcycle parked near the street. The city lights reflect off his silver helmet. He places her carefully on the seat behind him.
"Hold on tight."
They ride through the night, the city blurring around them. Stella's arms wrapped around him, her head resting on his back, feeling safe for the first time in days.
"The world could've fallen apart right then, and I wouldn't have noticed. I was exactly where I was meant to be."
They stop outside her home. Stella climbs off the bike, still wrapped in his coat. She turns to him, unsure what to say.
Stella (softly):
"Thank you…"
Alex:
"Next time, don't walk alone."
He turns to leave but pauses, glancing back. His expression softens just slightly, almost like a secret only she could see.
"You're stronger than you think, Stella."
He rides off, disappearing into the night. Stella stands at the doorway, her hand holding his coat to her chest, heart racing.
"That night, something changed. I saw the real Alex—wild, dangerous… and utterly unforgettable. And I knew I was falling."