The ballroom glittered with gold and silver, chandeliers casting warm light over the crowd of elegantly dressed students. Music pulsed through the speakers, a slow, dreamy melody wrapping around the couples dancing beneath the glow. Sophia stood in the center of it all, her red satin gown hugging her curves like it was made for her.
She had always been beautiful, always turned heads, but tonight… tonight was different.
"Sophia," Ryan murmured, his hands resting on her waist as they swayed. "You're breathtaking."
His voice was soft, but there was something else in his gaze—something darker, hungrier. He had always admired her, but tonight, it was as if he was seeing her for the first time.
Sophia smiled, tilting her head slightly. "You always say that."
Ryan chuckled. "Because it's always true."
She should have felt happy. Prom night was meant to be magical. And it was, in a way—but not because of Ryan. No, something deeper, something unexplainable, was stirring inside her.
A sudden wave of heat crawled up her spine. Her vision blurred, and the world spun for a moment. She gripped Ryan's shoulder tightly.
"Hey, are you okay?" His voice was full of concern.
"I—yeah, I think so. Just a little dizzy."
But as she lifted her gaze, her breath caught in her throat.
Across the ballroom, in the mirrored walls, she saw herself.
Only, it wasn't her.
Her long auburn hair shimmered, streaks of glowing gold weaving through it like fire. Her emerald green eyes, usually deep and dark, now flickered with streaks of silver.
She blinked. The reflection did not change.
Panic surged in her chest.
"Sophia?" Ryan's voice pulled her back, but she barely heard him.
She took a shaky step back, bumping into another student. The lights above her seemed too bright, the music too loud. Her skin burned, tingled—every nerve in her body on high alert.
This wasn't normal. This wasn't possible.
She turned abruptly, her heart hammering. She needed air. She needed to escape.
Murmured voices followed her as she pushed through the crowd, past students who threw curious glances her way. Whispers trailed after her—something about how she looked different, how she was glowing.
Glowing.
No. No, this had to be a trick of the lights.
Gasping, she shoved the ballroom doors open and stumbled outside into the cool night air. She barely made it a few steps before her knees gave out.
A sharp pain shot through her chest, like fire licking through her veins. She clutched her body, her breath coming in ragged pants.
And then, she felt it.
A presence.
Watching. Waiting.
And for the first time in her life, Sophia knew—something was coming for her.