Ravenswood Academy woke up wrong.
It wasn't loud at first. No screams. No alarms. Just a delay—teachers arriving late, students lingering outside the gates longer than usual, security radios crackling with too much static and not enough answers.
By third period, everyone knew something had happened.
Orion was halfway through his notes when Rowan's phone vibrated once, then again. Rowan didn't check it immediately. He never did when it mattered. But when he finally glanced down, the color drained from his face.
"What is it?" Orion asked quietly.
Rowan locked the screen. "Staff room. West wing."
That was all he needed to say.
They weren't allowed inside, of course.
Yellow tape blocked the corridor, fluttering faintly as uniformed officers moved in and out with grim efficiency. The staff room door stood open just enough for rumors to slip through—students craning their necks, teachers whispering behind closed lips.
"Is it true?" someone murmured. "They said it was Langley." "No, they said he didn't come home." "I heard the police—"
Orion felt the words hit him like cold water.
Thomas Langley.
Dead.
He didn't look at Rowan. He didn't need to. The tension between them had turned electric, humming with things neither of them could say out loud.
Lyra Holloway stood near the stairwell, Vivienne beside her like a shadow.
"So it's real," Lyra said softly. "They can't hide it anymore."
Vivienne's gaze was sharp, calculating. "They'll try."
As if summoned by the thought, the head of administration appeared with two officers flanking him. His voice was calm, practiced.
"There has been a… serious incident involving a member of staff," he announced. "Classes are suspended for the remainder of the day. Students are to return to their dorms immediately."
No mention of murder. No mention of blood. No mention of why the police were already inside the building.
But everyone heard the word anyway.
In a quiet corner of the courtyard, Orion finally spoke.
"They won't investigate him," he said. "They'll investigate the damage."
Rowan exhaled slowly. "Which means they'll look for someone convenient."
"Or someone loud," Orion added.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, something unspoken passed between them—relief tangled with dread, attraction knotted tightly with suspicion. Loving someone in a crime scene had a way of turning every heartbeat into a risk.
That night, the academy released a statement.
Thomas Langley was found deceased on school grounds. Authorities believe there is no immediate threat to students.
No cause of death. No timeline. No questions allowed.
But Orion noticed what they didn't say.
And so did the killer.
Somewhere in Ravenswood, evidence had been planted, messages prepared, and a second list quietly rewritten.
The silence was broken.
And it would not be the last body to do so.