Stars collide

Bound by Fate

Kiana’s pov

Construction workers and emergency workers had already swarmed into my school and by lunchtime they had patched up the hole in the cafeteria caused by the car crash and cleaned up the debris. The boy driving, thank God, hadn’t been hurt, but he had been moved to the hospital to get monitored. I was glad we could eat in the cafeteria, it was hot outside, I had music class, and it was all the way to the other side of campus. I’d met Lisa halfway. She had gym that afternoon. We were walking back to the main building past the parking lot, and I spotted him again, and her. I didn’t know how long I’d stopped to stare, Lisa snapped her fingers in front of my face, startling me. “Hello? Earth to Kiana! What are you staring at?”

I blinked, pretending to refocus. “Nothing. Just… some new people, I guess.”

Lisa turned, following my gaze at the pair by the motorbike. Her lips curved into a sly smile. “Oh, them? Yeah, I heard about the guy. His name’s Damian, and the girl’s Isa. He’s some bad-boy transfer from up north.” She dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Apparently, he’s already gotten into a fight with Josh Turner in gym class. And you know Josh doesn’t back down from anyone.”

I glanced back at Rylan. He leaned against his bike, completely at ease, like nothing could touch him. The girl beside him—isa , if the whispers I’d overheard were right—nudged him playfully, drawing another laugh from him.

Lisa continued her gossip marathon, but her words blurred together. I was too distracted by the way Talia moved—graceful, almost predatory, like she owned every step she took. There was something primal about her, something that made the hairs on my arms rise.

“Earth to Kiana again,” Lisa huffed. “What is with you today?”

“Sorry,” I muttered, tearing my gaze away. “I’m just… distracted.”

Lisa rolled her eyes but didn’t push further, dragging me toward the school. But even as we walked away, I couldn’t shake the pull I felt towards them, like I’d stumbled onto a secret I wasn’t supposed to know.

I contemplated telling her he was the one who saved me, but I decided not to. Somehow, I felt it was something to keep to myself.

The day passed in a haze. I couldn’t stop thinking about Damian and isa—their quiet confidence, the way the air seemed to shift around them. It wasn’t until lunch I saw them again.

We make our way to our usual spot, which used to be us and some cheerleaders and jocks. Their usual chatter welcomes us. Today I’m really not in the mood. I don't join in their conversation.

The strange boy and the girl were there too. They sat at a table in the far corner of the cafeteria alone. It wasn’t just their looks that kept people at bay—there was an energy around them, an almost tangible force that made them unapproachable.

“They’re weird, right?” Lisa said, popping a grape into her mouth. “Like, too cool for school but in a freaky way.”

I nodded absentmindedly, but I couldn’t help but watch as Rylan leaned closer to Talia, his lips moving in a low murmur. Whatever he said made her smirk, sharp and knowing. Was she his girlfriend? They seemed inseparable.

The lunchroom suddenly felt smaller, like the walls were closing in. I needed air.

“I’m gonna grab some water,” I told Lisa, not waiting for her reply.

I made my way toward the vending machines outside the cafeteria, the noise of the lunchroom fading behind me. But as I reached the machines, I froze.

Damian was there.

He leaned against the wall, his leather jacket slung over one shoulder, a casual smirk on his lips. It was like he’d been waiting for me.

“You’re Kiana, right?” he said, his voice smooth and deliberate.

I hesitated, caught off guard. “Yeah… how do you know that?”

His smirk deepened. “Well, you’re not miss popular for nothing, right ? People talk.”

I narrowed my eyes. “People talk about you too.”

“Let me guess,” he said, crossing his arms. “The bad-boy transfer who starts fights for fun?”

“That’s about right.”

He chuckled, the sound rich and unsettling. “Don’t believe everything you hear, Kiana.”

The way he said my name sent a shiver down my spine. “And what should I believe?”

He stepped closer, his gaze piercing. For a moment, the playful smirk vanished, replaced by something darker, something dangerous.

“Sometimes it’s better not to know,” he said, his voice low. “Curiosity can get you into trouble.”

Before I could respond, he walked away, leaving me standing there with more questions than answers.

That night, I dreamed of wolves.

They moved through the forest like shadows, their eyes glowing in the darkness. I could hear their growls, low and guttural, vibrating through my chest. One wolf, larger than the rest, stepped forward. Its fur was black as night, its eyes an unnatural shade of gold.

It stared at me, unblinking, as if it knew me. As if it were waiting for me.

I woke up with a start, my heart racing. For a moment, I thought I could still hear the growling, faint and distant, but when I strained my ears, there was only silence.

Something was happening. Something strange and terrifying.

And I had a feeling Damian and isa were at the center of it.