The sports complex was almost empty at the hour.
Late afternoon light stretched across the basketball court, spilling in through the high glass windows and painting long shadows on the polished floor. The echo of a bouncing ball came from somewhere far off, followed by distant laughter that didn't belong to her or the person she was searching for.
Seraphina stood just inside the entrance, listening and watching.
Her fingers curled tightly around the strap of her bag, her pulse unsteady beneath her skin. She hadn't planned to come here. She hadn't planned anything at all but she was tired of his constant threats.
She just… couldn't go back to the dorm alone. Not after last night.
Her eyes scanned the open space again, until she saw him.
Damon stood near the far end of the court, spinning a basketball slowly against the floor. The rhythmic thud echoed in the silence, controlled, and steady.
Seraphina hesitated. This was a mistake. It had to be.
