The stares burned hotter today. Elena Dusk could feel them pressing against her back as she stepped into the school hallway. Conversations dipped into murmurs, then silence, before erupting into hushed laughter. It was always the same—she entered, and the world around her fractured into whispers about the cursed girl.

Her sweater sleeve brushed against the glowing mark on her wrist, a faint silver light pulsing like it had a mind of its own. She tugged the fabric down, willing it to disappear.

"Elena the freak," someone muttered as she passed.

She didn't stop. Years of enduring their taunts had taught her not to. She fixed her gaze on the floor tiles, cracked and yellowed from age, and kept moving. The bell rang, sharp and loud, her only salvation.

---

By lunch, the cafeteria was a battleground. Elena sat at the farthest table, an island surrounded by empty chairs. She pushed her tray away, the greasy smell of mystery meat turning her stomach. Across the room, her classmates huddled in tight circles, talking, laughing—alive in a way she could only dream of.

"Elena."

She glanced up. Zoe dropped into the seat across from her, her red curls bouncing as she slung her bag onto the table.

"You're late," Elena said, her voice flat.

"Yeah, well, I had to deal with Mrs. Price lecturing me about 'responsibility.'" Zoe rolled her eyes. "Anyway, guess what I heard?"

Elena raised an eyebrow but didn't answer. Zoe didn't need much encouragement to spill.

"There's a new guy starting tomorrow," Zoe said, leaning in conspiratorially. "And rumor has it, he's hot. Like, actually hot—not Duskwood's version of hot, which is basically just 'has all his teeth.'"

Elena shook her head. "I'm sure he'll leave before the week's over. Nobody stays here unless they have no other choice."

Zoe smirked. "Maybe he's as miserable as the rest of us, and this place feels like home."

Elena didn't laugh. She knew better. The town didn't welcome outsiders—it swallowed them whole.

---

That evening, the woods felt alive as Elena walked home, the towering trees whispering secrets in the wind. Her mark glowed brighter now, reacting to the unease crawling under her skin.

She took the long way home, avoiding the main road and its prying eyes. The path wound deeper into the forest, where the air was heavy with the scent of pine and damp earth.

A branch snapped behind her.

She froze, her pulse quickening.

"Hello?" Her voice barely broke the silence.

Nothing.

The woods stared back at her, silent and dark. She turned and kept walking, her pace quickening, her hands trembling at her sides.

By the time she reached the small, rundown cottage she called home, the sky had darkened, and her nerves were frayed.

---

Inside, the house was quiet, her mother's absence weighing heavier than usual. Elena tossed her bag onto the couch and headed straight for her room.

The mark on her wrist pulsed again as she closed the door behind her. She yanked up her sleeve, staring at it in the dim light. The glow seemed brighter than ever, more insistent.

"What do you want from me?" she whispered.

It gave no answer, only flickering faintly like it was alive.

As she sank onto her bed, exhaustion creeping over her, her thoughts turned back to Zoe's words. A new student. Someone who didn't know her, didn't fear her.

Her mark flared suddenly, a sharp burst of light that made her flinch. She scrambled to cover it, her heart pounding.

Somewhere outside, a shadow moved through the trees, watching, waiting.