Chapter 2: The boy with no reflection
492 Words
The rest of the school day passed in a blur.
Every time Elena turned a corner, she caught glimpses of Lucien.
In history, he sat in the back of the classroom, never taking notes yet answering every question correctly.
In literature, he finished reading an entire novel before anyone else had reached the second chapter.
At lunch...
He sat alone.
No food.
No drink.
Just silence.
It was strange.
Even stranger was the way everyone avoided his table.
Everyone... except Elena.
She grabbed her tray before her new friend, Mara Nightshade, caught her arm.
"Don't."
Elena frowned.
"Why?"
"Trust me."
"I just want to introduce myself."
"That's exactly why you shouldn't."
Ignoring the warning, Elena walked across the cafeteria.
The room grew quieter with every step.
Lucien looked up as she stopped across from him.
"Mind if I sit?"
His silver eyes locked onto hers.
"No."
"I wasn't really asking."
She smiled and sat anyway.
For a brief moment, something almost like amusement crossed his face.
"You're new," he said.
"I figured that was obvious."
"You should stay away from me."
Elena laughed softly.
"That's a strange way to start a conversation."
"I'm serious."
"Why?"
Lucien stared at her for a long moment.
"Because people close to me don't stay alive."
The words were so calm that they sent a chill down her spine.
Before she could respond, the lunch bell rang.
Lucien stood and disappeared into the crowd.
Leaving Elena with more questions than answers.
───
School ended beneath dark clouds.
As Elena walked home through Raven Hollow's forest path, she felt it.
Someone was following her.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Leaves shifted behind her.
She turned.
Nothing.
Just trees.
She kept walking.
Again.
Crunch.
This time the sound was closer.
Her heartbeat quickened.
"Hello?"
Silence.
Then...
A low growl echoed through the woods.
A pair of glowing red eyes appeared between the trees.
Another pair.
Then another.
Three enormous wolf-like creatures stepped from the shadows.
Their teeth gleamed like knives.
Elena stumbled backward.
"Oh... no..."
One of the beasts lunged.
She screamed.
Before it reached her—
A dark figure dropped from the trees.
Lucien.
He landed effortlessly between Elena and the creatures.
His eyes were no longer silver.
They glowed crimson.
Sharp fangs slid from beneath his lips.
The creatures froze.
Lucien's voice was cold.
"Leave."
The wolves snarled.
The largest charged.
In a flash too fast for Elena to follow, Lucien caught the beast by the throat and hurled it into a tree with incredible force.
The other two backed away.
Within seconds, all three vanished into the forest.
Silence returned.
Lucien slowly turned toward Elena.
His eyes widened.
She had seen everything.
His glowing eyes.
His fangs.
His impossible strength.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Finally, Elena whispered the only words that made sense.
"You're... a vampire."
Lucien closed his eyes.
"...Yes."
He looked at her with quiet sadness.
"And now... nothing will ever be the same."
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