The silver crown

Lila Everhart had never believed in the supernatural. As far as she was concerned, magic was just a fairy tale for children—and she'd long outgrown that phase. A senior at Blackthorn High, she had bigger things to worry about, like graduating with honors, surviving her classes, and avoiding her arch-nemesis, Zane Blackwood. Zane was the guy who made it his life's mission to annoy her. Tall, dark-haired, and ridiculously good-looking, he spent most of their classes either making snide comments or messing with her. She hated the way he always seemed to be in her space, even though he was never actually "around." Like today, when he was sitting a few desks away, yet somehow managed to toss a crumpled piece of paper at her head. "You think you're smarter than everyone, Everhart?" His voice echoed across the room, full of that arrogant confidence she couldn't stand. Lila spun around, her eyes narrowing. "You're not funny, Zane." "Maybe not," he smirked, "but you sure are easy to mess with." She shot back a sarcastic smile. "Some people just don't know how to leave people alone, do they?" The bell rang, and they both grabbed their things, walking out of the classroom into the crowded hallway. Lila’s heart was still racing from the interaction, but she refused to show it. Zane was always like this. But today felt different. It wasn’t just his usual teasing—it was almost as if there was something... unsettling about him. She couldn’t explain it, but she had this strange feeling that something was going to change. As she turned a corner, she collided with someone—hard. "Watch where you're going, i***t!" Lila snapped, looking up, but the words caught in her throat. Zane stood there, looking almost... shocked. For the first time, his usual cocky grin was missing, replaced by something more intense in his eyes. Before she could say anything else, a strange, electric sensation shot through the air. Her hands tingled, and there was a sudden weight in her chest. A feeling she couldn’t understand. She backed away, eyes wide. Zane wasn’t reacting to this feeling at all, but Lila couldn’t shake the sensation that something bigger was happening. "What's your problem today?" she demanded, trying to push through the odd, almost magical tension hanging in the air. Zane didn’t answer. Instead, he glanced around like he was looking for something. Lila watched him carefully. His usual arrogance had turned to something... darker. "Stay away from me," she muttered, turning on her heel. But as she walked away, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was about to happen. Something that tied her to Zane more deeply than she could ever imagine. And when she glanced back, she saw him staring after her—not with the usual disdain, but with a look that suggested... fear?