Chapter Two – The Halls of Greybrooke
The bell rang, a shrill sound that echoed through Greybrooke High's crowded hallways. Marcus adjusted the strap of his backpack and tried to disappear into the flow of students, but it was useless. Everyone had already noticed him—the new kid with sharp eyes and a quiet confidence that didn't belong in a sleepy town like this.
He slipped into his locker row and caught a glimpse of Elara leaning against the wall nearby, chatting with a group of girls who laughed too loudly. Even here, she commanded attention without trying. Marcus shook his head. Some things never change.
"Hey, new kid," a voice called from across the hallway. Marcus turned to see a girl with a mop of chestnut hair and mischievous green eyes grinning at him. "I'm Lyra. You look… different."
"Different how?" Marcus asked, his voice neutral, though he felt the faint pull of curiosity.
Lyra tilted her head, studying him as though trying to decode a puzzle. "I don't know… like you're hiding something. Are you… dangerous?"
Marcus smirked faintly, feeling a thrill at the word. "Depends on your definition of dangerous."
Her laugh was soft but bold, and she leaned closer. "Good. I like bold."
Before he could reply, the bell rang again, signaling the start of class. Marcus followed the swarm of students to their first period—History. As he took a seat, he noticed the boy across from him scribbling strange symbols in a notebook. He glanced up once and froze. Those were the hunters.
Already here?
Meanwhile, Elara had found her own way to stir curiosity—and trouble. In the cafeteria, she leaned back in her chair, a small smirk playing on her lips as she watched a group of boys try to impress her. One dared to lean in too close, and she let her eyes flash—just long enough to make him stumble backward, heart racing.
Selene, meanwhile, had been watching quietly from the nurse's office window. She'd been tipped off by whispers among the staff that something unusual was in town. Greybrooke High was no ordinary school.
As the day wore on, Marcus felt the familiar hunger tug at him, the subtle craving he had to suppress. Focus, he reminded himself. Blend in. Survive.
But with Lyra's curious gaze, Elara's recklessness, and hunters already circling, blending in was going to be far harder than he thought.
And somewhere in the shadows of the school, eyes followed every move the Kael family made.