The sun had barely risen when Elena stepped out of her house. The forest stretched endlessly in every direction, shrouded in a gray mist. She pulled her sweater tighter around her, the cold biting into her skin.

She had started walking early to avoid the stares, the whispers—but mostly to clear her head. The dream from last night lingered, a shadow on her thoughts.

The mark on her wrist tingled faintly, as if alive, as if it had felt the dream, too.

******************************************

The quiet walk to school was shattered the moment she reached the edge of the woods. Kael was there, leaning against the rusted metal gate like he'd been waiting for her.

Elena froze, her pulse quickening. "What are you doing here?"

Kael tilted his head, his dark eyes studying her. "Walking to school."

"From the forest?"

His lips quirked into a grin. "Maybe I like the scenic route."

Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag. "Right. Well, don't let me keep you." She stepped past him, her heart racing.

"Wait."

The single word stopped her in her tracks. She turned, and for the first time, there was no teasing in his expression. His smile had disappeared, replaced by something darker, something dangerous.

"You shouldn't walk alone out here," he said, his voice low.

"I've been walking this way my whole life," she shot back. "I think I'll be fine."

His gaze dropped to her wrist—the faint glow of her mark just visible beneath her sleeve. "Things are different now."

The air between them crackled with tension. Elena opened her mouth to respond, but Kael stepped closer, his voice barely above a whisper.

"They're watching you, Elena. You can feel it, can't you?"

Her blood turned cold. "Who's watching me?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he stepped back, his expression unreadable. "Be careful."

And then he was gone, disappearing down the road like he'd never been there at all.

******************************************

The rest of the day was a blur of confusion and unease. Kael wasn't in any of her classes, and Elena found herself scanning the hallways for him without meaning to.

By the time lunch rolled around, she felt like she was unraveling. She sat at the far end of the cafeteria, her appetite gone.

"What's with the face?" Zoe asked, dropping into the seat across from her.

"Nothing," Elena lied.

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "Come on, you're terrible at lying. Is this about the new guy? Did he say something to you?"

Elena hesitated, her mind flashing back to the morning. She didn't want to talk about it—not when she didn't even know what it was.

"He's...weird," she finally said.

"Weird how?"

Elena shook her head. "Never mind."

Zoe leaned back in her chair, eyeing her suspiciously. "You know, for someone who's spent most of her life being called a freak, you're awfully quick to judge."

Elena shot her a glare, but before she could respond, a chill ran down her spine.

She turned her head slowly, her gaze locking onto the cafeteria doors. Kael stood there, watching her.

*********************************************

That evening, the woods were darker than usual, the trees looming like shadowy sentinels. Elena tried to shake off the feeling that someone was following her, but every rustle of leaves and snap of a twig set her nerves on edge.

When she reached the cottage, the lights inside were off. Her mom wasn't home yet.

As soon as she stepped through the door, she locked it behind her. The house felt too quiet, the silence pressing against her ears.

She went to her room and closed the door, the mark on her wrist glowing brighter now.

"What do you want from me?" she whispered, staring at it.

The mark pulsed once, like a heartbeat, and then went still.

Elena sighed and sank onto her bed, exhaustion pulling at her. But just as her eyes began to close, a sharp knock at the window startled her awake.

She froze, her breath catching in her throat.

The knock came again, louder this time. Slowly, she turned her head, her heart pounding in her chest.

Outside the window, in the darkness, stood Kael.

His expression was unreadable, his eyes gleaming like twin shards of obsidian.

"Elena," he said, his voice muffled by the glass. "Let me in."