The first thing Elena noticed when she entered the school the next morning was the silence. It was unnatural—unnerving, even. The usual chaos of slammed lockers and overlapping conversations had been replaced by a low hum of anticipation.
She followed the stares of her classmates to the far end of the hallway, where a boy leaned casually against the wall.
He didn't belong here. That much was obvious.
He was tall, with dark hair that fell just over his eyes, and a sharpness to his features that made him look like he'd stepped out of another world. His black leather jacket and confident smirk added to the aura of someone who knew exactly how much attention he commanded.
"Who's that?" Elena whispered to Zoe, who had appeared beside her.
"That," Zoe said, her eyes wide, "is the new guy. Kael. And he's already broken the record for most heads turned in a single day."
Elena rolled her eyes, but her stomach churned as Kael's gaze swept over the crowd—and stopped on her.
His eyes, impossibly dark and piercing, locked onto hers. The hallway seemed to tilt, the noise of the world fading into a low buzz.
Then he smiled, slow and deliberate, like he knew something she didn't.
**********************************************
By the time Elena made it to first period, Kael was already seated at the back of the classroom.
Great, she thought. Just my luck.
Her usual seat—second row, near the window—was taken, forcing her to sit closer to the back. Closer to him.
As she slid into the chair, she felt his eyes on her. The sensation was like a weight pressing against her skin, heavy and impossible to ignore.
"Hey."
She jumped at the sound of his voice, low and smooth. She turned to find him leaning forward, his chin resting on his hand.
"You're Elena, right?"
Her throat tightened. "How do you know my name?"
His smile widened. "Lucky guess."
She didn't buy it. There was something about the way he said her name, like it wasn't new to him. Like he'd been saying it in his head long before they'd met.
**********************************************
The rest of the day passed in a blur of whispers and stolen glances. Everywhere Elena went, Kael seemed to follow—not directly, but close enough to keep her nerves on edge.
By lunch, Zoe had cornered her at their usual table, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Okay, spill. Did he talk to you? What did he say?"
Elena frowned, poking at her sandwich. "He asked my name."
Zoe's eyes widened. "That's it? You're the most interesting thing that's happened to this town since Old Man Carter's goat escaped the fair last year, and he only asked your name?"
"I'm not interesting," Elena muttered. "I'm cursed, remember?"
"Cursed is just another word for interesting."
Elena didn't respond. Across the cafeteria, Kael sat alone, his attention fixed on her. She looked away quickly, but the feeling lingered—the sense that he knew something about her that no one else did.
**********************************************
That night, Elena dreamed of fire.
She stood in a vast, burning forest, the flames licking at her skin but never consuming her. Her mark glowed brighter than ever, its silver light cutting through the darkness.
A figure emerged from the flames, tall and shadowed. She couldn't see his face, but she knew, deep in her bones, that it was him.
"Who are you?" she asked, her voice trembling.
His answer came in a whisper, carried on the wind.
"I'm the end of your world."
She woke with a start, her heart hammering in her chest. The room was dark, but the mark on her wrist glowed faintly, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
Outside her window, the wind howled through the trees, and somewhere in the distance, she thought she heard footsteps.