Chasing Midnight Secrets

Amara Cole stepped out of the cab, her suitcase wobbling behind her like a nervous pet. Hillcrest University towered before her-grand, ancient, and full of things she couldn't name. Shadows hung in the corners of the campus like secrets waiting to be told.

She adjusted her hoodie, pulling it lower over her eyes. Attention wasn't something she liked. Not since... well, not since everything changed.

She had come here to escape, to start over. Blending in would be easy.

At least, that's what she thought.

"Hey," a voice cut through the quiet.

She turned, startled.

A guy leaned against a pillar just a few feet away, watching her with the kind of smirk only someone too sure of himself could wear. His hair was tousled, his posture lazy-but his eyes...

Dark. Sharp. Midnight.

Like he saw too much.

"You always look at people like they're ghosts?" he asked, voice laced with amusement.

Amara blinked. "I-I wasn't..."

He stepped forward, the grin never quite reaching his eyes. "Relax. I'm just messing with you."

He offered a hand. "Lucian Blake."

Her fingers hovered for a moment before she shook it. "Amara."

"Pretty name," he said. "New here?"

She nodded. "Transfer."

He gave a short nod. "Be careful."

She frowned. "Of what?"

His smirk faded slightly, something darker flickering behind his gaze. "Of who you trust."

Before she could reply, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd of students like he hadn't just thrown her off balance.

Amara stood still, suitcase in hand, pulse thudding in her ears.

Midnight eyes and unspoken words.

Something told her this semester was going to be anything but normal.