Sophia barely made it through the rest of the school day.
Every time she blinked, she swore she saw him—lurking in the corners, watching her with those piercing dark eyes. But the moment she turned, he was gone, like a ghost slipping through her reality.
By the time the final bell rang, her nerves were raw.
"Sophia, are you even listening?" Ann waved a hand in front of her face.
"Huh?" She blinked.
Her best friend huffed. "You've been in another world all day. Ryan's been asking about you."
Sophia sighed. She knew Ryan was worried, but how could she explain what was happening to her? How could she put into words the way her body reacted to Lucian, the way his presence wrapped around her like an unspoken promise?
Ann nudged her playfully. "Are you keeping secrets from me?"
Before Sophia could answer, the air shifted.
A dark presence. A low hum of something ancient and powerful.
She turned sharply.
Lucian stood across the parking lot, leaning against a sleek black motorcycle. Arms crossed, gaze locked onto her like she was the only thing that mattered.
Ann followed her stare. "Who is that?"
"I don't know," Sophia whispered, but it was a lie.
She didn't know his name, his past, or why he had appeared in her life.
But deep inside, she knew him.
Lucian lifted his chin slightly, an invitation.
Her feet moved before she could stop herself.
Each step felt like crossing into something irreversible.
"Sophia!" Ann called, but her voice was distant.
Lucian's lips curved. "You came."
She swallowed. "Who are you?"
He reached out, fingers brushing against her wrist.
The world around them dimmed.
"Yours," he murmured, voice like a dark promise.
Sophia's breath caught.
Because deep down, she knew it was the truth.