The bus ride was supposed to be fun a quick history excursion to Hollow's Edge, a centuries-old town famous for its gothic architecture and forgotten legends.
But sitting here, surrounded by chattering classmates and the smell of rain on asphalt,
I felt unease.
Kaelen sat alone near the back, hood up, earbuds in, the world shut out. He hadn't said a single word to anyone since we boarded. Not even to me.
Not after what I'd seen in the lab.
Mira leaned across the aisle. "He's doing that mysterious loner thing again."
I rolled my eyes. "He's always doing that."
"Yeah, but this time it's worse. Maybe he's secretly a vampire."
I forced a laugh. "You watch too many shows."
But even joking about it made my stomach tighten. I hadn't told Mira what I'd seen that cut on Kaelen's hand healing faster than humanly possible. I didn't even believe it myself.
Outside, the scenery changed tall pines, mist curling low across the ground, the kind of forest that swallowed sound. The air seemed to hum, heavy and electric.
The bus slowed, tires crunching on gravel. Our teacher's voice rose over the chatter.
"Everyone, grab your bags. We'll meet in front of the Old Hollow Museum in ten minutes."
As everyone stood, I glanced back toward Kaelen.
He was already up, slinging his backpack over one shoulder.
He didn't look at me.
He just stepped off the bus, disappearing into the mist.
The town of Hollow's Edge felt like it belonged to another century.
Cobblestone streets, crooked lampposts, and houses that leaned too close together as if whispering secrets behind your back. The air carried the scent of old wood and rain, and every sound seemed to echo longer than it should.
Our teacher, Mrs. Callen, clapped her hands once to get our attention.
"Alright, everyone! You'll be working in pairs for this next task. Each group will explore one section of the old district and collect notes about the town's history and architecture. Keep your phones on there's barely any signal here, so don't wander too far."
Mira elbowed me. "You picking Kaelen again?"
I gave her a look. "Someone has to. He's not exactly the type to volunteer."
She smirked. "You sure it's not because you want to?"
I ignored her, already walking toward the edge of the crowd where Kaelen stood, hands in his pockets, eyes on the fog-draped church at the end of the street.
"Hey," I said, trying to sound casual. "Guess we're partners again."
He didn't even turn. Just a slight nod.
No words. No expression.
"Right," I muttered. "You're really selling the teamwork vibe here."
We were assigned the northern path the part of Hollow's Edge that led toward the forest. The air grew colder the farther we walked. The others' voices faded until it was just us and the crunch of gravel beneath our shoes.
I tried again.
Is this your thing? The whole mysterious silence act?"
Nothing.
"Okay, cool. Just ignore me. Great communication."
Still nothing.
Finally, I stopped walking, folding my arms. "You know what? Forget it. I'll just finish the stupid task myself."
I turned down another path, one lined with moss-covered statues and a half-collapsed stone wall. The fog thickened fast, curling around the ruins like fingers.
I hadn't meant to wander this far.
The trail had vanished behind me, swallowed by fog and twisted roots. I'd been searching alone for the marker stones, half frustrated, half trying not to think about how Kaelen had been ignoring me since.
He barely looked at me during the briefing. Didn't even answer when I asked what section he wanted to search. Just silence cold and sharp enough to sting.
So I walked off. Fine. Let him brood alone.
But the ground here was slick with moss, the slope steeper than it looked. My boot slid, and before I could catch myself, I was tumbling branches clawing at my arms, air ripped from my lungs until I hit the bottom with a hard, breath-stealing thud.
Pain flared through my ankle. I tried to move and hissed as it twisted beneath me.
"Serenya!"
I froze. His voice rough, breathless cut through the forest.
Kaelen burst through the trees above, eyes wide, chest heaving. When he saw me, something wild flashed across his face fear, anger, and something else I couldn't name.
"Don't move," he growled, already climbing down.
He landed beside me, silent but fast, every motion fluid and sure. The scent of pine and rain clung to him as he crouched at my side.
"You're hurt."
"I'm fine," I muttered, though my ankle throbbed like fire.
He brushed his fingers lightly along my calf. "You could've broken something."
I swallowed, heart hammering. "Didn't know you cared."
His jaw tightened. "Don't joke about that."
"Then why are you ignoring me?" The words slipped out before I could stop them. "Did I do something?"
Kaelen froze just for a second then looked away, eyes darkening. "It's not you," he said quietly, almost to himself.
"What does that even mean?" I whispered. But he didn't answer.
Instead, he slid an arm behind my back, another beneath my knees.
"Kaelen"
"Save your breath."
He lifted me easily, muscles tense beneath my hands. His heartbeat thudded against my shoulder — fast, uneven. I felt the tremor in his chest, the warmth of him radiating through my skin.
But then something changed.
His breathing hitched; his pulse spiked. I looked up his eyes were different. Darker, with gold flecks glowing faintly beneath the dim light.
"Kaelen," I whispered, "what's wrong?"
He said nothing, jaw locked, moving faster like he needed to get away from something.
When we reached the top of the slope, he set me down beneath the cedar's shade. His hand lingered at my waist, fingers trembling just slightly.
"You should really stop getting into trouble," he murmured.
But I wasn't fooled by the calm in his tone.
Because when I looked up again, the gold in his eyes was still there faint, flickering like something inside him was fighting to break free.