Sophia stood frozen in front of the mirror, gripping the edges of the sink as she stared at herself. The golden strands in her hair were brighter now, the auburn color shimmering under the bathroom light. But it wasn't just her hair.
Her eyes.
The warm brown she had always known was fading, replaced by something unnatural—an otherworldly shade of violet, deep and haunting.
She blinked. No. This wasn't real.
She squeezed her eyes shut, willing the color to go away. But when she opened them again, the change had intensified. Her irises glowed, as if the very essence of something ancient stirred beneath her skin.
A knock on the bathroom door jolted her.
"Sophia? You okay?" Ann's voice.
"I—" Sophia cleared her throat. "Yeah, just fixing my hair."
Lies.
She had no idea what was happening to her.
After a long pause, Ann sighed. "Well, hurry up! You don't want to be late for first period."
Sophia let out a shaky breath. "Right."
Her hands trembled as she reached for her concealer, dabbing it under her eyes, desperate to look normal.
But deep down, she knew—normal was slipping away.
---
By the time she got to class, the whispers had started.
"She looks... different."
"Did she do something to her hair?"
"Her eyes—are they glowing?"
Sophia felt the stares, the weight of something changing.
And then, as she took her seat, she felt another gaze. Stronger. Unrelenting.
Lucian.
He sat at the back of the room, his piercing silver eyes locked onto her. But unlike the others, he didn't look confused.
He looked like he had been expecting this.