Chapter Two — Whispers in Blackville
The morning sun rouse above the mist that hung low over Blackville, painting the sleepy town in gold. It had been years since Shadow last walked these streets. The cracked sidewalks, the leaning lampposts, the faded shop signs — everything seemed trapped between past and present. A thin breeze carried the scent of wet earth and pine, stirring up memories he wasn't sure he wanted to remember.
Ethan walked beside him, a quiet shadow of his own. His twin had always been more reserved — the kind who noticed details most people missed. "Feels different, doesn't it?" Ethan said finally, his gaze sweeping over the nearly empty street.
"Yeah," Shadow replied, adjusting the strap of his backpack. "Like the town's holding its breath."
Their new house wasn't far from their old one. It stood on the edge of town, tucked near the dense Blackville woods — the kind of place local kids whispered about but never explored after dark. Their parents were still unloading boxes when Shadow decided to walk to the nearby high school alone. Ethan lingered behind, helping their mom organize the kitchen.
The hallways of Blackville High buzzed with unfamiliar faces. Conversations hushed when he passed, some students staring longer than necessary. Newcomers always drew attention here, but this felt different — sharper. Like he had stepped onto a stage where everyone already knew the script except him.
"New guy," someone whispered.
"He looks like him…" another voice trailed.
Shadow ignored them, focusing on finding his classroom. But as he turned a corner, something… shifted. The air grew cold, faintly scented with something ancient and sweet. His pulse quickened.
And then he saw her.
Selene stood at the end of the hallway, leaning lightly against a locker. Long dark hair framed her pale face, and her amber eyes glowed faintly in the sunlight streaming through the window. She wasn't just beautiful — she carried herself with a quiet, commanding grace that made people instinctively step aside.
Their eyes met.
For a second, time stretched thin. A strange familiarity tugged at the edges of Shadow's mind, like a forgotten melody he almost recognized. She tilted her head slightly, studying him with the faintest trace of a smile.
Then, just as suddenly, she turned and walked away.
---
Selene's POV
She could smell it the moment he entered the building — that blood. Familiar. Pure. His scent cut through the crowded hallways like lightning .
*Shadow.*
The name echoed through her mind like a forgotten song. She remembered a boy from her childhood — curious eyes, wild laughter, running through moonlit fields before their families were torn apart by circumstances neither of them understood. She had always known he would return to Blackville one day. What she hadn't expected was the rush of emotions that came with seeing him again.
He didn't recognize her. That much was clear. But she recognized him instantly. His blood carried the same rare undertone, a resonance that called to her instincts. And beneath it all… the quiet flicker of destiny she had been warned about.
She brushed past the lockers, hiding the tremor in her hands. This was no accident. His return marked the beginning of something the Royal Court had feared for centuries.
---
Later that evening, the town buzzed with rumors. Someone claimed to have seen strange shadows moving near the Blackville woods. Another swore they heard whispers outside their window at midnight.
Ethan was the one who noticed it first. As he stood by the living room window, he spotted figures in dark coats lingering at the edge of the forest. They vanished when he blinked, but the unease stayed.
"We're not alone here," Ethan murmured to himself.
Shadow, meanwhile, couldn't shake the image of Selene from his mind. He didn't know why, but something about her eyes made his chest tighten — not out of love, but recognition. A puzzle he couldn't solve.
---
A few days later, their paths crossed again — this time at dusk, near the woods behind the school. Shadow had followed a stray sound, thinking it was Ethan. Instead, he found Selene standing among the trees, moonlight spilling over her like a halo.
"You shouldn't wander this far at night," she said softly, her voice carrying a strange mix of warning and curiosity.
"I could say the same about you," he shot back, though his voice faltered slightly.
She smiled — not the sweet, innocent kind of smile, but one that held secrets.
"Blackville isn't as quiet as it seems."
"Wha…"
Before he could respond, a branch snapped behind them. A dark figure lunged from the shadows — something fast, furious ,and ferocious. Shadow stumbled back as Selene moved with inhuman speed, intercepting the creature midair. A flash of fangs. A guttural hiss.
In seconds, the creature was gone, leaving only silence and the pounding of Shadow's heart.
He stared at her, breathless. "Wha…What was that?"
She met his gaze steadily. "Something you're not ready to understand. Not yet."
Then she disappeared into the woods, leaving him standing alone benea
th the darkening sky — questions swirling like autumn leaves in the wind.