Oliver drove into the parking lot. Before we opened the door, soft piano notes floated to us, blending with the night air. But beneath them… something trembled. A strange tension laced the melody, like a whisper hiding between the keys—distant shouts. The silence was too sharp between sounds—a dissonance I couldn't name. My heartbeat quickened without knowing why.
We stepped into the hall—and my heart dropped.
This wasn't a dance. Not anymore. The hall had become a battlefield. A battlefield.
Some students ran for the exits. Others huddled in corners like startled deer. Whispers spread like cracks in glass:
"She floated in the air—" "It wasn't real, right?" "I saw it—there was blood—"
No one dared to tell the whole truth. As if speaking it out loud would make it real.
Eyes darted between shadow and light. They feared what they had seen—and even more, what they hadn't yet understood. A few students stood utterly still, as if the music were only inside their heads.
I scanned the chaos, looking for family, allies, or anything that felt solid.
And then I saw them by the table near the bathrooms: Sierra, speaking rapidly to Olsor and Billy. Her expression was tight, unreadable—but her eyes… her eyes were afraid.
I rushed toward them with Oliver and Abigail. When I reached them, Sierra placed her hand gently on my shoulder. Just a brief touch—quiet, almost invisible—but it lit something inside me I hadn't realized I needed.
"What happened here?" I asked, my heart still chasing my breath.
Olsor turned to me. "Your vision came true," he said, voice steady—too steady. Then he lowered his gaze, just slightly. "I'm sorry we didn't answer you. We underestimated your value."
He sighed. For a second, emotion cracked through—but he hid it with logic. "I had to erase their memories," he said. "The others. The ones who saw. As far as they know, the abduction never happened."
"You erased their memories?" My voice shook. "Just like that? You decided it didn't happen?"
The words scorched my throat. They thought it could vanish—just because they erased it?
They hadn't only ignored me. They erased what might have saved her.
"Dylan knows what happened," I said quickly. "He can read minds. He could show everyone the truth—"
But before I could finish, something pulled me inward. Stronger than questions. A force was already pulling me inward before I understood why.
My heart knew.
Jace.
"Where's Jace?" I whispered, afraid of the answer before it came.
Even before Olsor spoke, my body tensed. My shoulders locked, as if a warning light had flicked on inside my bones.
"Locked up," Olsor replied. "In the werewolf containment cell, until things stabilize."
My stomach twisted.
"It won't stabilize on its own," I said. "You can't just lock him up—he needs guidance. Now."
"You're right." He nodded. "I'll handle it."
His eyes narrowed. "We need to find the kidnapper. Imagine what happens if Jace learns what happened to his sister… it could push him over the edge."
He was already fighting there—on the edge—alone, battling what he was becoming. What was rising inside him?
I remembered the look in his eyes when he believed he could save her—that flicker of hope.
Jace couldn't hear this from anyone else. He'd never forgive himself.
Oliver stood beside me, silent. But his hand hovered near mine—close enough to catch me if I fell.
But what if he's already fallen? And what if… I'm not that far behind him.