The music hit before they even stepped inside. Bass, loud and Unrelenting.
It pulsed through the walls, through the ground, through her chest.
Seraphina paused at the entrance, fingers tightening slightly around the small purse in her hand. She wore the elegant red dress Emily had given her earlier. The dress was inches above her knees. clinging unto her skin and revealing her curves in the right areas. Seraphina had wanted to change it earlier but Emily insisted it looked good on her.
Lights flashed in quick bursts- purple, blue, red- cutting through the dark like sharp blades. Laughter spilled out, mixed with voices and clinking glasses.
Everything felt like too much for Seraphina.
"This is it," Emily said, grinning as she grabbed Seraphina's wrist and pulled her in.
Seraphina stumbled slightly as the noise swallowed her whole. Bodies moved everywhere—dancing, swaying, laughing too loudly. The air smelled like alcohol, different kinds of cologne and something heavier.
Her eyes moved—instinctively, searching for where she could sit.
Then she saw him
Damon stood across the room, leaning still against a wall, his gaze fixed on her, even though Ciara was there, dancing and swaying her body all over his face.
Her breath caught. She looked away quickly.
He's here, damn!
"You look tense, Relax," Emily said, dragging her toward the bar. "You need a drink."
"No, I don't," Seraphina said.
Emily ignored her response and ordered. Two glasses slid across the counter. Emily handed her one and just as she was about to take it…
"Seraphina Vale."
The voice came from behind her, smooth and familiar.
She turned. Lucien Volkov stood there, a slow smile curving his lips.
Her chest tightened. Maybe i needed a drink afterall
She poured the drink into her mouth and shut her eyes as it burned her throat. She finally exhaled and turned to face Lucien who is now beside her.
"Lucien," she said, cautious.
He leaned slightly closer, not touching, but close enough to feel intentional. "Didn't expect to see you here."
"I could say the same," she replied, loud enough for him to hear.
His gaze lingered on her face, unreadable. "You look…different tonight."
Seraphina didn't respond, because something about him felt off. It always does.
When she glanced up, Damon was still looking, but his face had hardened, his stare colder this time.
Lucien followed her gaze and smiled.
"Ah," he murmured. "So that's where your attention keeps drifting."
Seraphina stepped back slightly. "I'm just here for the party."
Lucien's smile didn't fade. "Of course you are."
****
Time blurred. Music, laughter.,movement. But nothing stayed light for long, because Lucien stayed.
Not hovering, not forcing, just…there. Close enough to be noticed.
And every time Seraphina shifted, every time she tried to move away- he followed, effortlessly.
He even escorted her to the rest room once, like it meant nothing.
"You're tense," he said at one point, handing her a drink she didn't remember asking for.
"I'm fine." Seraphina replied.
"Doesn't look like it." Lucein pressed on
"I said I'm fine." Seraphina snapped.
His eyes flickered, amused. "You're a terrible liar."
Her grip tightened around the glass.
Across the room, Damon hadn't moved and his gaze hadn't left them either.
"Truth or dare!" The shout broke through the tension.
People gathered quickly, laughter spilling as they formed a circle on the floor
Seraphina barely had time to react before Lucien pulled her down to sit and sat beside her, too close.
The game started. Voices rose, secrets spilled, Dares escalated.
And then–the bottle spun, slowed and stopped right in front of her.
A chorus of laughter followed. Seraphina's stomach dropped.
"Truth or dare?" someone asked.
"Truth," she said quietly.
The circle leaned in. But before anyone else could speak, Lucien did. His voice cut through the noise, calm and intentional. "Tell us a secret," he said, his eyes locking onto hers. "Something you've been hiding."
The world seemed to still. Seraphina froze. Her heart slammed against her chest.
No…Her mind flooded instantly.
That night, the blood, the gun, Damon…
Her breath caught. She looked up, Damon was no longer leaning. He was standing straighter now, watching.
His shoulder looked tense even with both hands tucked into his pocket. There was tension in him now.
Lucien didn't look away from her, "Everyone has one," he added softly.
Her fingers tightened around her glass. She couldn't speak.
Seraphina lifted the glass and drank, all of it. The burn was harsh this time.
The circle erupted in laughter.
But not Lucien. He watched her carefully.
Damon's jaw tightened.
****
The party didn't feel the same after that. It felt heavier.
Lucien stayed close a while longer before disappearing into the crowd like he had never been there.
Emily was gone too, lost somewhere in her own world.
And Damon? She didn't see him standing again. He disappeared and so did Ciara.
Seraphina left early. The night air hit her, cool and quiet. She breathed, then started walking.
The campus was darker now and too quiet.
A sound echoed behind her. Her steps slowed, the sound slowed too. Her heart skipped.
No…
She picked up her pace, the sound followed, closer with every step she takes. Her breathing quickened. She turned but saw nothing, just trees but the feeling of being followed didn't leave. She picks up her pace, running with every little strength left in her.
By the time she reached her dorm, her hands were shaking. She unlocked the door and pushed the door open. The room was quiet and empty "Emily?"
She got no response. Her eyes shifted and landed on the table.
Something was there. A paper, and a knife.
Her stomach dropped, she moved closer slowly.
The paper was stained, with something red and thick. Blood, maybe.
Her fingers trembled as she picked it up. "I know what you saw. I am watching you" , was written boldly on the paper.
Her breath hitched.
The knife lay beside it.
Seraphina dropped the paper like it burned her. Her chest tightened violently.
"No…" Her hands shook as she grabbed it again, crumpling it fast. The knife, she wrapped it without looking and threw it out the window, far away into the school yard. She quickly got a lighter from the kitchen and set the paper ablaze.
Her movements were rushed and panicked, like time was running out.
Outside the window, Lucien stood behind a tree, a smile plastered across his face.