Morning sunlight streamed through Riverside High's windows, casting long stripes across the bustling corridor. Laughter echoed, sneakers squeaked against the polished floors, and groups of students lingered around lockers, exchanging stories about the weekend.
To everyone else, it was just another morning.
To Aiden, it was day one of proving he didn't belong.
He walked forward with steady, graceful steps, eyes forward, dark hair falling slightly over his forehead. His face revealed nothing — no nerves, no excitement, no fear. His silence only made him more noticeable.
Everywhere he passed, whispers followed like shadows.
"Look, the vampire kid…"
"He's too quiet. Creepy quiet."
"I heard his family could buy the whole school."
"Why'd they let a vampire in here?"
Aiden's hearing was far sharper than any human's. Every murmur was loud and clear, but he didn't so much as blink. Not reacting was easier than letting them see they had any power over him.
At the end of the hallway, Noah Carter leaned back against a locker surrounded by his usual group. Well-dressed, athletic, and popular, Noah carried himself like a king of the school — until Aiden showed up.
Noah narrowed his eyes as Aiden passed by. "He thinks he's too good for us. Look at that walk."
Jace Rowan — tall, pale, eyes too sharp for a human — stood quietly beside Noah. His smirk was thin. "Maybe he is too good for you," he muttered, though his tone held no admiration. It was a challenge. A test.
Aiden didn't look their way. But he felt Jace's gaze linger on him like the edge of a blade.
That gaze wasn't merely hate or jealousy.
It was recognition.
Another vampire.
But Jace didn't step forward. Not yet. He simply observed Aiden with that unsettling, knowing smirk.
Students pushed past, eager to avoid getting too close. Some stared openly at his flawless posture. Others found excuses to look away. Aiden walked through them like smoke — seen but untouchable.
Ella saw him again. Of course she did. Something about him pulled her gaze as though he carried a silent gravity. She stood near her locker with Maya Brooks beside her, pretending to focus on her books while her eyes kept darting up.
"He looks like he's from a movie," Maya whispered, watching him. "Like one of those princes cursed never to speak."
Ella hugged her notebook closer. "He doesn't seem cursed. Just… lonely."
"Ella," Maya said, turning to face her, "You don't even know him. What if those rumors —"
"They're just rumors," Ella interrupted softly. "He helped me yesterday. He didn't have to."
Maya sighed. "Just… be careful. He's probably hiding something."
Ella looked down. She already knew that. But something told her he wasn't dangerous — at least, not to her.
The bell rang, sending a rush of students toward classrooms. Aiden slipped into his homeroom, choosing the seat in the far back corner. It wasn't fear that put him there — it was instinct. Distance meant safety. It meant fewer eyes noticing the things that made him… not human.
Mr. Hartman started class, but attention kept drifting back toward Aiden. When the teacher asked Aiden to introduce himself, he simply stood — posture perfect — and gave the room a brief nod.
"Aiden Blackwell," he said calmly.
Two words.
Deep, quiet, controlled.
It was enough to silence everyone.
Noah leaned toward Jace, whispering, "He couldn't even say where he's from. Weird."
Jace didn't reply. His eyes were busy studying Aiden's face — analyzing, comparing, hunting for a flaw. For weakness.
As the class transitioned to group work, desks scraped loudly. Students moved into their familiar friend groups. Aiden remained exactly where he sat. No one dared ask him to join.
Except Riley Quinn.
Riley hovered awkwardly beside Aiden's desk, gripping his paper a little too tightly. His voice wavered. "Um… do you want to, like… be in my group?"
Silver eyes lifted slowly, calmly. Aiden studied Riley's anxious expression — the stuttering breath, trembling fingers. Fear mixed with curiosity.
Aiden gave a small nod. No words.
Riley almost fell over from relief. He scrambled to pull a chair closer, but that single nod made him feel like he had accomplished something heroic.
During the activity, Aiden wrote neatly, quietly contributing answers with precision. He didn't boast. He didn't correct unnecessarily. But his intelligence was obvious.
Noah noticed.
"Look at him," Noah muttered to Chloe Patterson, who snickered beside him. "Perfect handwriting, perfect face, perfect everything. It's annoying."
Chloe smirked. "Someone's jealous."
Noah scoffed. "No way. I just don't trust whatever he's hiding."
Jace continued his silent surveillance from two rows away, grin widening with satisfaction. Noah's jealousy made his job easier. Humans doubting vampires was exactly what Draven wanted. Chaos. Fear. Separation.
When class ended, most students rushed out before Aiden could stand. Ella lingered near the door, watching as he slipped his notebook into his bag with mechanical precision.
Their eyes met — a momentary connection — and Ella felt her cheeks grow warm. She forced herself to smile just a little.
Aiden paused… then gave a tiny nod in return.
It wasn't a smile. But to Ella, it felt like a thousand words.
—
Lunchtime came. Aiden sat alone beneath an old maple tree at the edge of the schoolyard — a place with fewer humans, fewer eyes. The shade kept him comfortable away from direct sunlight.
He didn't eat.
He didn't need to.
The lunch bag was simply a prop his father insisted on — "to blend in."
Riley spotted him from across the field and hesitated. Noah caught him looking.
"You're not seriously thinking of sitting with him, right?" Noah scoffed. "You know what he is."
Riley swallowed hard. He glanced back at Aiden… then shook his head and stayed where he was.
Aiden noticed. His jaw tightened slightly — the only sign of quiet disappointment.
Ella stepped out into the sunlight with Maya. She scanned the yard for Aiden — and found him immediately, alone under the tree like a shadow torn from the world.
"Ella," Maya warned gently, "don't—"
But Ella was already walking.
Her heart raced with each step. She wasn't brave — not usually. But loneliness was something she understood. She wouldn't let anyone sit in silence if she could help it.
She stopped a few feet away. "Do you mind if I sit here?"
Aiden looked up — expression unreadable.
A long pause.
Then slowly… he shifted to make space.
Ella sat beside him. Not too close. But not distant either.
"You don't eat lunch?" she asked softly.
Aiden glanced at the untouched food and then back at her.
"I'm not hungry," he said simply.
It was the first full sentence he had spoken to her.
Ella smiled gently. His voice wasn't cold — just… careful.
The wind swayed the tree branches above them. For a brief moment, it felt peaceful.
But peace never lasted long for Aiden.
Across the courtyard, Jace watched with growing interest. His smile was sharp, dangerous.
"She's already close to him," Jace murmured. "Draven will be thrilled."
Noah followed his gaze and frowned. "Why her? She's nobody."
Jace's gaze darkened.
"No one is 'nobody' in a war."
—
Aiden didn't know what danger lurked behind those stares.
He only knew that sitting beside Ella felt different — strange, unfamiliar… almost comforting.
It was the first thread of connection he'd had in years.
But threads are fragile.
And the wrong hands could snap them easily.