The next morning at Blackmoore Academy, Luna felt like she was walking on a cloud made of nerves and excitement—mostly nerves. After all, Riven Hale had officially infiltrated her chaotic little world, and somehow, she was already kind of glad about it.
She breezed into class, earphones hanging around her neck, hair messier than usual because who cared? She was the chaotic queen, after all.
But then, there he was—Riven, sitting exactly where she left him, calm as ever, like a statue carved out of midnight.
"Hey," he said softly when he saw her. His voice was low and somehow comforting, like a secret you wanted to keep forever.
Luna smiled, suddenly aware of how loud the classroom seemed—the chatter, the clatter of pencils, even the ticking clock. "Hey," she replied, trying to sound casual.
Their eyes met, and for a second, everything froze.
"Did you finish the reading?" Riven asked, flipping open his book with practiced ease.
Luna shook her head. "I'm more of a 'read the last page first and hope for the best' kind of girl."
He raised an eyebrow, amused. "Risky."
She grinned. "That's me."
The bell rang, and they started working on the assignment together. Luna was surprised at how natural it felt—like they were two halves of some weird, broken puzzle.
Between quoting her favorite vampire books and teasing him about his indoor-sports obsession, Luna found herself laughing more than she had in weeks.
Later that day, at lunch, Luna's usual group was buzzing with gossip. But she barely heard a word. Instead, her attention kept drifting back to Riven, who had unexpectedly joined her and sat with the casual ease of someone who belonged.
"You two look like you've known each other forever," teased Maya, her best friend, elbowing Luna sharply.
Luna rolled her eyes but felt her cheeks heat up. "Shut up. We've only known each other for like, three days."
Maya smirked. "Uh-huh. Sure."
Riven caught Luna's eye and gave her a small, almost shy smile that made her heart skip again.
That afternoon, Luna spotted Riven walking toward the indoor gym. Her curiosity piqued, she followed.
Inside, he was already warming up, moving with the fluid grace of someone born to the court. The other students watched in awe, but Riven's eyes searched only for Luna.
"You coming?" he asked.
Luna hesitated. Sports were not her thing. But something about his invitation felt like an adventure.
She nodded.
For the first time, she stepped onto the polished wooden floor, her sneakers squeaking awkwardly. Riven coached her patiently, his voice calm and encouraging.
"Relax your shoulders. Here, like this."
He adjusted her stance, and for a moment, their hands brushed.
Luna's breath hitched.
After practice, Riven walked her to the gates. The sun was setting, painting the sky with orange and pink hues.
"So," Luna began, "you ever get tired of being the mysterious new guy?"
Riven chuckled softly. "Maybe. But it has its perks."
"Like what?"
He glanced at her, eyes glittering with something unreadable. "Like meeting someone who makes it all worthwhile."
Luna's heart pounded.
As he turned to leave, Luna called out, "Hey, Riven?"
He stopped, looking back.
"Thanks—for everything."
His smile was all the answer she needed.
Back at home, Riven sat quietly, his thoughts drifting to a small framed photo on his desk—a picture of him and Elara, his little sister. He traced her smiling face and whispered, "I hope she likes her new friend."
Because deep down, Riven knew Luna was more than just a chaotic girl. She was something precious.