The late afternoon sun slanted through the tall windows of Crescent High’s library, illuminating rows of books in a golden haze. The usually bustling room was quieter than usual, students lost in whispered conversations or buried in textbooks. Aria Moretti sat at a corner table, her notes spread around her like a battlefield, her mind far from the neatly written pages.
She had spent the morning navigating another class debate with Damian Cole, his presence constant in her mind. Despite his relentless challenges, she had managed to hold her ground, each exchange leaving her both exhausted and strangely exhilarated. He had a way of unraveling her defenses without even touching her—words sharp, calculated, but somehow carrying that impossible tension she still couldn’t define.
And then ther
