SERENA’S POV
"Serena! Serena, look at me—hey—stay with me!"
Damon’s voice. Smooth, commanding, but laced with panic. I hear it cutting through the chaos in my mind like a lifeline in a storm. It echoes inside me, pulling me out of that suffocating dark place. I blink. Once. Twice. My lungs seize, then release violently as I double over, coughing hard, desperate to catch a single clean breath.
I’m back. In the hallway. My locker is cold against my back, its metal biting through my jacket. Damon grips my shoulders firmly, grounding me. His eyes dart around, sharp and alert, scanning every shadow, every corner. Always calculating, always aware.
"Serena, what the hell just happened?" Cassidy’s voice slices through the thick air like a blade. She crouches beside me, her brows drawn tight wi
