Lucien Caelum.
That was the name the silver-haired boy gave when Adrian asked, his voice barely louder than the wind rustling through the broken tower windows.
"You play beautifully," Adrian said, stepping into the moonlit room. "I didn't expect anyone to be here."
Lucien didn't look at him. "No one comes here. They're afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
Lucien finally looked at him—his eyes were a strange shade of gray, like silver touched with storm. "Of me."
Adrian blinked, unsure if he heard right. "Why would anyone be afraid of you?"
Lucien smiled, but it was the kind that didn't reach the eyes. "Because they believe I bring bad luck. That anyone who gets too close to me… disappears."
A chill ran down Adrian's spine. He wanted to laugh it off—some silly school ghost story—but Lucien wasn't joking. There was a sadness in his eyes that felt too real to ignore.
"I don't believe that," Adrian said, almost without thinking.
Lucien turned back to the piano, playing a soft, haunting melody. "You should."
---
The next morning, Silvercrest felt colder. The hallways seemed narrower, the stares sharper. Students turned away when Adrian passed. Whispers followed him like shadows.
He finally stopped two first-year students near the courtyard.
"Why does everyone talk about Lucien like that?" he asked.
The girls looked at each other.
"You really don't know?" one whispered. "He's cursed."
"Three students who got close to him—friends, maybe more—vanished. No explanation. The school never talks about it, but…" She trailed off.
"But what?"
"They say he doesn't age. He's been here for years. Always in the same year level. Always alone."
Adrian shook his head. "That's impossible."
"Then stay away from him," the other girl warned. "Before you disappear too."
---
That night, Adrian climbed the North Tower again.
He found Lucien stargazing on the edge of the rooftop, legs dangling into the night sky, arms stretched behind him.
"You came back," Lucien said without turning.
"I wanted to ask about the stars," Adrian lied. "Do you always come up here?"
Lucien patted the space beside him. "They don't lie. People do, but the stars never do. They remember everything."
Adrian sat down beside him. The air was cold, but Lucien was warm beside him.
"Do you believe in fate?" Lucien asked suddenly.
Adrian hesitated. "I don't know. Maybe. I think we meet some people for a reason."
Lucien looked at him then, and something unreadable flickered in his gaze. "I hope that's true."
Above them, a single star shot across the sky.
And Adrian made a wish.
Even if Lucien was hiding something…
Even if this school was full of secrets…
He didn't want to run away again.
Not this time.
---
To be continued.....