Lena sat frozen, the note still clutched between her fingers.
"You're already marked."
The words burned into her mind, ink bleeding into her thoughts like venom.
Her breath was shallow, her chest rising and falling too fast.
Who?
Who had written this?
Her fingers curled into a fist, crumpling the paper as she tried to steady herself.
She forced herself to glance around.
The classroom looked normal—students chatting, laughter buzzing, pens scribbling against notebooks.
But beneath the hum of ordinary life, Lena felt it.
The weight of unseen eyes.
And then—
A hand brushed her shoulder.
Lena flinched.
She turned—
Riven.
His silver-blue eyes locked onto hers, sharp with something dangerous.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," he muttered.
Lena swallowed. "Maybe I have."
---
A Silent Warning
At lunch, Lena sat at the farthest table, her fingers tracing the edge of the crumpled note.
She had read it over and over—hoping the meaning would change.
It didn't.
Kian dropped into the seat across from her, stealing a fry from her untouched plate.
His eyes flicked to the paper in her hand.
"Let me guess," he drawled. "Another love letter?"
Lena shot him a glare. "Not exactly."
He raised a brow, chewing slowly. "Then what?"
She hesitated.
Kian wasn't exactly trustworthy.
But he wasn't ignorant either.
Instead of answering, she slid the note across the table.
He picked it up, scanning the words with mild interest—until something shifted in his gaze.
Lena saw it.
That flicker of recognition.
"You know something," she accused.
Kian set the note down, tapping his fingers against the table.
"Maybe," he admitted. "Maybe not."
Lena clenched her jaw. "Stop playing games, Kian."
He exhaled, leaning back in his chair. "Fine. You want the truth?"
She nodded.
He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"You really don't."
Lena's stomach dropped.
---
The Mirror Lies
That evening, Lena stood in front of her mirror again.
She didn't want to.
But she had to.
She had to prove—to herself—that it was all in her head.
The note. The whispers. The reflection that wasn't hers.
She exhaled slowly.
One step forward.
Another.
Until she was staring into her own eyes.
Just her.
Nothing else.
No flickering shadows. No twisting smiles.
Lena let out a shaky breath—
Then—
A shadow moved.
Not behind her.
Inside the mirror.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
She didn't move.
But her reflection did.
It lifted its hand—slowly, delicately.
Fingers curling in a way she hadn't moved.
A sharp, cold whisper slithered into her ears.
"You can't run, Lena."
Lena stumbled back, gasping.
The reflection didn't.
It just smiled.
And then—
It shattered.
---
A Fractured Reality
Lena awoke to knocking.
She shot upright in bed, sweat clinging to her skin.
The dream.
No.
Not a dream.
A warning.
The knocking continued.
Lena hesitated before pushing herself out of bed, her feet hitting the cold floor.
She cracked the door open.
Riven stood there.
His silver-blue eyes were darker than usual, stormy with something she couldn't place.
"Riven?" she whispered.
He exhaled, jaw tight. "We need to talk."
Lena swallowed. "About what?"
He hesitated.
Then, finally, he said—
"About what's coming for you."
---