What Are You

Selene's POV

"Selene!" Lily's voice cut through the afternoon air as I walked toward the parking lot, her footsteps pounding against the pavement behind me.

I stopped and turned, watching her catch her breath. She looked pale, almost sickly under the harsh sunlight.

"Hey," she panted, her eyes searching my face desperately. "You wouldn't talk to me in class, you haven't answered any of my text messages…"

"What exactly should I say? Thank you for burning my hand?" The words came out sharper than I intended, but I didn't care. I was in pain for few days because of her.

Lily's face crumpled. "We both know that was an accident."

"Do we?" I let my gaze pierce through hers, watching as she flinched. "Was it really?"

"Of course! Why would I hurt you on purpose?" Her voice cracked, could sense a little uncertainty in her tone.

"That's what I keep wondering too." I crossed my arms, studying her face for any tell-tale sign of deception.

"Look, Selene, you're being paranoid right now. I'm sorry about your hand, I really am, but I won't stand here and take these accusations." Her voice grew stronger and defensive.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. I shook my head, angry and sad "Here I was, thinking you were my best friend."

"I thought the same about you," she whispered, tears threatening to spill. I wouldn't fall for that anymore

I turned and walked away without saying another word. Until she's ready to be sincere, I don't want her around.

"Fine! We're over!" she called after me, her voice echoing across the parking lot.

I didn't look back.

Near the shuttle stop, I spotted Drey leaning against a lamppost, his expression soft with concern. When he saw me approaching, he straightened. He wants t with his friends?

"Hey," he said gently.

"Hey." I managed a small smile.

"Are you okay?" His dark eyes searched my face with genuine worry.

I shook my head, letting out a heavy sigh. "Everything's just… boring." That was true to an extent, but not the real reason I felt so drained. The only thing that had felt alive lately was my encounters with Dr. Lucian, the rush of adrenaline when I was near him, the way he looked like he'd stepped straight out of the dark romance novels I read. I found myself thinking about him more than I should, and now, about his intense amber eyes and the way his gaze kiills ne everytime.

"Your hand, how are you feeling?"

Oh. I raised my hand to examine it, realizing I'd forgotten about the pain entirely in the last few minutes.

"It's healing fast," Drey said, surprised

"What?" I stared at it, confused. The wound had been much wider before, now it was barely obvious.

"Looks like you have some serious healing powers. Your skin must regenerate incredibly quickly."

I guess so. Still, I thought, the injury definitely wasn't like this few hours ago.

"I think I just need a cape now," I said with a weak attempt at humor.

Drey chuckled. "Yeahh" his smile was genuine but he also seemed tired

"The party tomorrow should be fun, by the way. You're still coming, right?"

"Yeah." My smile became more genuine. Maybe at the party, I'd finally feel something real with Drey. Maybe we'd end up making out, and maybe more. The thought sent a small thrill through me.

"I'll see you later then." He flashed me that easy smile of his and walked away.

I watched him go, feeling a pang of something like sadness. As I turned toward the shuttle, a sudden movement in the forest caught my eye. It looked like a powerful wind had swept through the trees, but the air around me was completely still.

My pulse quickened. That was definitely strange, and despite every rational part of my brain screaming at me to get on that shuttle, my curiosity won. I'd always been drawn to horror movies, to the thrill of the unknown. This felt like stepping into one.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I found myself walking toward the forest's edge.

As I walked through the forest, I looked around while trying to follow the wind which was almost impossible. Sunlight filtered through the canopy in strange patterns, and the air grew thick with strange energy. Then I heard low and angry voices..

I crept forward, careful to keep my footsteps silent on the forest floor. My heart hammered against my ribs as I ducked behind a massive oak tree.

There, I saw two men stood in a clearing, both dressed in black, both impossibly attractive in a way. One was Dr. Lucian, was shocked to see it was him. His usually composed demeanor completely shattered. His hands were clenched into fists, his face twisted with rage, and his eyes, felt like they were glowing a brilliant, terrifying red.

The other man was a stranger, tall and imposing in a long dark coat. He had similar features to Dr. Lucian, the same sharp jawline, the same dark hair, but his eyes were ice blue and held a cruel amusement

I was too far away to make out their words, but their body language gave out a lot. This wasn't just a little fight, this was a battle. They moved with inhuman speed and strength, trading blows that would have knocked out a normal person. The stranger landed a vicious punch that sent Dr. Lucian staggering backward.

I pressed my hand over my mouth to stifle a gasp. What were they? What could make two people fight with such savage intensity?

I leaned closer, desperate to understand, and that's when Dr. Lucian's burning red gaze found mine through the trees.

"Professor Lucian" I whispered

Time seemed to stop. Those glowing eyes, I'd seen them before. In the parking lot, did he do that?

His eyes widened in shock, the red fading back to their natural amber. The stranger followed his gaze and turned toward me, a slow, predatory smile spreading across his handsome face.

Before I could even think to run, he was there beside me, moving faster than humanly possible. His cold fingers wrapped around my throat.

"Ha ha." His laugh was like broken glass. "Perfect timing, isn't it?"

"Let her go, Damian. This is between you and me." Dr. Lucian's voice came out as a roar

The man, Damian, tightened his grip slightly. I could feel my pulse racing against his fingers. "You know what I want, Lucian. Accept the deal, or she disappears forever. You have three seconds to decide."

"One…"

My vision started to blur at the edges. Dr. Lucian's face was a mask of anguish and fury.

"Two…"

"Alright! Deal!" Dr. Lucian threw his hands up in surrender,

Damian released me so suddenly that I collapsed to the forest floor, gasping and shaking. I could still feel the phantom pressure of his fingers around my throat. How thrilling.

"Pathetic," Damian chuckled, his voice already sounding distant. When I looked up, he was gone, like he never had been here.

Dr. Lucian rushed toward me, his hands reaching out to help me up. "Are you okay?"

"Don't!" I scrambled backward, my voice hoarse. "Don't touch me!"

He froze, his hands dropping to his sides. The look in his eyes was pure anguish. "Selene, Let me explain. Let's talk, somewhere else, somewhere safe."

"So you can do something to me and make me forget again?" The words tumbled out, fueled by fear and anger.

"What?" He looked genuinely confused.

"The parking lot! I've seen you before, seen your eyes like that. But I can't remember clearly. You did something to me?" My voice rose with each word. "What are you? What are you both? Werewolves?" That's supposed to be just a fairytale!

He didn't say a word but just stared at me, composed.

Selene—" he walked closer

I took another step back, my heart racing so fast I thought it might burst. "I…"

The world exploded in pain and darkness.