Chapter 2 The pull of the forest

My first day at Black Hollow High was exactly as terrible as I'd expected. Small towns meant everyone knew everyone, and the new girl was prime gossip material. I endured curious stares, whispered conversations, and well-meaning teachers who spoke to me in hushed, sympathetic tones.

"So sorry about your mother, dear," Mrs. Patterson, my English teacher, had murmured while handing me my schedule. "Such a tragedy. You let us know if you need anything."

By lunch, I was ready to hide in the library forever. Instead, I found myself walking toward the cafeteria, my stomach growling despite my lack of appetite. That's when I saw him.

He sat alone at a corner table, dark hair falling across his forehead as he stared out the window. Even from across the room, I could feel the intensity radiating from him-like standing too close to a flame. He was beautiful in a way that seemed almost dangerous, all sharp angles and shadows.

"That's Luca Thorn," said a voice beside me. I turned to find a petite blonde girl with kind eyes and a friendly smile. "I'm Emma, by the way. You're the new girl, right? Aria?"

I nodded, still distracted by the boy in the corner. "What's his story?"

Emma's expression shifted, becoming more guarded. "Luca's... complicated. His family owns most of the land around here, including those woods behind your house. They keep to themselves mostly." She paused, then added quietly, "People say strange things about the Thorns. That they're not quite... normal."

Before I could ask what she meant, Luca's head turned our direction. His eyes met mine across the crowded cafeteria, and the world seemed to stop. They were the color of winter storms-gray with flecks of silver that seemed to glow in the fluorescent lighting.

And they were familiar. Too familiar.

My breath caught as recognition slammed into me. Those were the eyes I'd seen watching me from the forest.

Luca's gaze held mine for what felt like an eternity, something unreadable flickering across his features. Then he stood abruptly, grabbed his untouched lunch, and walked out of the cafeteria without looking back.

"Told you," Emma muttered. "Complicated."

That afternoon, I couldn't concentrate on anything. My teachers' voices became background noise as I replayed that moment over and over. Those eyes. That recognition. The way something inside me had responded to his presence like a compass finding true north.

When the final bell rang, I didn't head home. Instead, I found myself drawn to the edge of the school parking lot, where the forest began. The trees seemed to whisper my name, promising answers to questions I didn't know how to ask.

I stepped onto the narrow path that disappeared into the shadows.

The deeper I walked, the quieter the world became. No birds sang here. No insects buzzed. Even my footsteps seemed muffled by the thick carpet of fallen leaves. But I wasn't afraid. If anything, I felt more at peace than I had since Mom died.

That's when I heard the growl.