Shadowbound

05

Mom’s voice trembled, but she kept trying to stay calm for me.

“Baby… you need to go and be in a safe place. Be ready for anything. Worst things can happen. Remember everything we taught you. And remember… we lo—”

She never finished the sentence.

Something—someone—snatched them away so fast the world blurred. One second they were there. The next, they were being dragged into the darkness.

All I could see was their bloodied faces.

All I could hear was their screams.

“NOOOOOOO!”

I shot up in bed, panting, drenched in sweat, my heart pounding as if it wanted to escape my chest. For a moment I didn’t even know where I was.

“What… what the hell was that?” I whispered, my voice shaking.

It took minutes before my breathing slowed. I wiped my forehead, my hands trembling uncontrollably. When I checked the time, it was 4:30 a.m.

There was no going back to sleep. Not after that. Not after seeing that nightmare as clearly as if it were real.

The dream haunted me—felt too close, too sharp, too much like a warning.

A tear slipped down my cheek.

Then another.

And soon, I couldn’t stop them.

I reached for my phone with unsteady fingers and opened the last photo I had taken with my parents.

A shaky whisper left me.

“I really miss you both… 😢 I wish I was there the night the accident happened. Why did you leave me alone? Why did you leave me like this?”

I broke.

I cried until my chest hurt, until my head throbbed, until the alarm rang through the room, reminding me I didn’t get to fall apart today. Not on my first day. Not here.

Dragging myself to the bathroom, I took a long shower, letting the water wash away the tears but not the ache.

I put on a black top, olive-green pants, and the lightest makeup possible—just enough to hide the puffiness from crying all night.

The walk to school was only ten minutes, but every step felt heavy. Today was my first day at Beacon Hills High, and even though I didn’t want to go, the nightmare kept echoing in my mind. Maybe being around people would distract me. Maybe it would keep me from drowning in memories.

I stopped at the front gate.

A deep breath in.

“Come on, Adi… everything is going to be fine. You’re stronger than you think.”

With that small push, I stepped inside.

The office procedures were already done—my uncle had made sure of that—so everything went smoothly.

The principal greeted me with a warm smile.

“Miss Lauvelle, welcome to Beacon Hills High. Let me take you to your classroom. I’ve also appointed a student to show you around during the free period. You’ll receive your timetable and locker before second period. And make sure to submit your extracurricular form by the end of the week.”

I nodded politely. “Thank you.”

He entered the classroom, excused himself to the teacher, and introduced me.

“Students, this is our new student, Miss Adira Lauvelle. I hope you all give her a warm welcome.”

Dozens of eyes turned to me.

My stomach tightened.

My palms felt cold.

This… this wasn’t me. I never got anxious like this before.

I took a breath, forced a simple smile, and sat where the teacher directed.

The lesson dragged for forty-five minutes, and when the bell finally rang, I exhaled in relief.

As I was about to leave, a girl walked straight toward me with a friendly smile.

“Hey! It’s Adira, right? I’m Hayden.” She extended her hand.

“Yes. Hi. Nice to meet you.” I shook her hand, smiling back.

“Nice to meet you too! I’m supposed to give you your tour. We have a free period third period, so we can do it then.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Come on,” she said brightly, grabbing my hand. “Let me introduce you to my friends.”

We headed to the lab for the next class where she introduced me to Liam and Mason. Both of them seemed genuinely kind. After class, Hayden and Liam gave me a full tour—hallways, cafeteria, gym, the whole place. Hayden even told me some of the local history of Beacon Hills… which was strangely intense but fascinating.

And for the first time since I woke up screaming…

I felt a little less alone.