When the first bell ripped through Hawthorne Academy the following morning, Aria kept sensing Lucien's hand on her neck - not because it hurt, yet because the warmth stuck around well after he'd walked off down the hall last night. Nobody had ever stared at her that way - like he noticed every scar, every hidden truth, each broken bit she'd shoved deep beneath layers of getting by.
Still… he craved something extra.
She stayed awake. Hardly ever closed her eyes. Through the dark hours, his voice kept coming back - what he'd said
"You ran from something. I want to know why."
Aria entered the yard, figuring fresh air might help shake off the fog. Teens between sixteen and twenty-four packed the space - one group joking around, another acting like nothing hurt beneath the surface. This wasn't just any school - it favored cash like it was nobility, while heartache slipped through cracks in expensive coats.
Hawthorne seemed put together at first glance - yet chaos brewed just below.
A guy bumped her arm hard.
"Watch out," she said sharply, tossing her dark brown hair back. That was Serena Black - leader of the crew, top name at school by her own rules.
Aria stayed quiet. Fighting pointless battles took strength she just didn't have.
But Serena paused. Her gaze sharpened. "You're the girl Lucien Hale talked to yesterday."
Ah. Word got around quick.
Aria kept walking.
Serena called after her, "You're new. You probably don't understand how things work here. So let me help you: stay away from him."
Aria's pace dropped, nearly without meaning to.
Serena smirked. "Lucien doesn't… like people. He uses them. Ruins them. If he looked at you—trust me, it's not a good thing."
The odd part? Serena's voice had fear in it.
Not jealous.
Not angry.
Scared.
Aria stayed quiet - yet her pulse faltered. As Serena walked off, shoes tapping, Aria stood still in a group that now seemed overly noisy, glaring, edgy.
She headed to her locker then pulled it open -
—and froze.
Inside, tucked among her books, sat a black envelope. Not a name in sight. Nothing written on the front either. Only a tiny silver mark pressed into the flap - something like a snake curled tight.
Her stomach dropped.
She'd noticed this sign earlier.
Years ago.
One evening she tried hard to erase from her mind.
Shaking fingers reached for the paper inside her pocket.
Just four words filled the page within.
"I know who you are."
The corridor smeared into motion. Then she snapped the metal door closed - stepped back, gasping. Her chest heaved with each uneven inhale.
No.
No. No. No.
Not again.
Not here.
She never meant for her history to catch up. Yet that mark... it was tied to those she'd run from - folks you don't just walk away from. Folks who wipe you out if you dare.
Footsteps got closer - steady, not rushing. One after another, slow but sure.
Lucien.
Of course.
He slouched by the locker beside hers, hands folded, almost like he'd timed it just to catch her response. The jacket of his school outfit gapped wide, knot loose, giving off a vibe that rules didn't apply to him - yet everyone else should fall in line.
His voice was low. "Who sent that to you?"
Aria jammed the envelope in her coat - "Just trash."
"Liar."
Her breath caught.
He spoke quiet - almost sure, like fingers lightly holding her hidden thoughts.
Lucien leaned closer, his head dipping near her ear. "Don't make me ask again. I saw your face. Whoever wrote that—they got under your skin."
Aria stiffened. "Stay out of my business."
Lucien's jaw ticked once. "I don't want to be in your business."
A pause.
"Your business pulled me in."
That… actually felt scarier.
Lucien Hale wasn't dragged into it - nope, he picked his path while wiping out the rest.
"Look," Aria whispered, "I can handle it."
"No, you can't."
Lucien's eyes darkened. "Someone threatened you. Don't challenge my intelligence by pretending you're fine."
Students strolled by, eyes fixed on him. A few murmured under their breath - yet Lucien paid no mind.
He took her wrist - lightly, yet strong enough so she couldn't slip free - as he led her to the rear stairs, the ones nobody used.
Aria tripped forward behind him. "Leave me alone!"
"No."
"Lucien—!"
He paused once they got to a little platform past the music room. Light slipped in through grimy glass, highlighting the thin mark on his face.
He let go of her - after a long pause.
Yet his gaze stayed hard.
"Tell me what that symbol means," he said.
"It doesn't matter."
"It matters if you're in danger."
Aria ran fingers into her hair - her tone split like glass. "Since when does this matter to you?"
Lucien moved ahead once more - though cautious now, like he was nearing a delicate thing.
"I don't care about many things," he murmured. "But you walked into this school like you're being hunted. And I can't ignore that."
Aria swallowed hard.
He wasn't wrong.
She didn't say a word - but that was enough for him.
"Who is after you?" Lucien asked. "A person? A group? An ex? A debt? A family problem?" His voice thinned into something coarse. "If someone touched you—"
"No one touched me."
Lucien let out a quick breath - glad, yet burning inside.
She looked away. "This is my past. Not yours."
He moved in a bit, so close their foreheads nearly brushed. "Don't need every detail of your past."
A breath.
"Just tell me what I need to protect you from."
That term - "protect" - punched her deeper than the warning.
No one ever stood by Aria - she was always on her own.
She moved her head side to side, eyes burning with wetness. "There's no way you're keeping me safe from those people."
His gaze turned sharp, like a storm about to break. "Just see what I do."
"Lucien—"
He grabbed her chin gently, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Aria, I don't know what you're running from yet…" His voice dipped lower. "But they'll have to kill me before they touch you."
Her breath shattered.
No one spoke that way.
Not at school.
Not in everyday situations.
Only in nightmares.
Maybe dark versions of old stories.
She pushed his hand off her face, overwhelmed. "Don't say things like that. You don't know me."
Lucien looked at her, quiet for a beat - some flicker crossed his face, hard to name. Then silence again.
"Then let me."
Aria's chest squeezed tight, hurting bad.
Yet right when she started to answer -
Footsteps bounced along the hall.
Each one tensed up right away - suddenly still.
A moment later, a well-known voice - full of quiet laughter - rang out:
"Well, well… the great Lucien Hale hiding in a stairwell with the new girl."
Aria turned.
A kid lounged against the rail - tall frame, messy black hair. Grinning like he meant chaos. Not just trouble - like trouble had shown up.
Lucien stiffened, his stance turning rigid, edged with rage.
The new guy raised a tiny dark envelope - just like the one tucked in Aria's coat.
"Looking for this?" he asked.
Aria felt a chill down her spine.
Lucien's voice dropped into deadly quiet. "Damian… what the hell are you playing at?"
Damian smiled, eyes sliding to Aria. "Just returning something that belongs to her."
He let the envelope fall by her toes.
After that, he said a few words - each one real quiet.
"Your past finally found you."
Aria's heartbeat stopped.
Lucien stepped right in front, blocking Damian from her by standing firm - his frame set tight against the threat. His move came fast, almost without thought, placing himself where danger might strike instead of her.
"Leave," Lucien warned.
Damian's grin widened. "Or what? You'll hurt me? You can't even face your own father, Lucien."
The pressure broke sharp - just like steel giving way.
Lucien lunged.
Aria yanked his arm, voice shaky. "Wait - Lucien - don't go!"
Damian laughed once, cruel and soft, before walking away. "This is only the beginning, Aria. You can't hide forever."
Once he was gone, Lucien faced her - his breath heavy, his gaze sharp.
Aria," his words came out rough, like anger held back by a thread.
"Tell me the truth. Now."
And she realized…
If she kept quiet, maybe he wouldn't make it through the storm ahead.