The night was eerily silent, the kind of silence that wrapped itself around the heart and squeezed tight. The full moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale silver light over Sterling College. Tension thickened the air like fog.

Aria sat on her bed, hugging a pillow close to her chest. Damon stood near the door, watching her closely.

"You shouldn’t be here tonight," he said quietly. "The full moon… it's not just a myth around here. Things change. People change. Lucien—"

"I’m not leaving," she cut him off gently. "Not tonight. Not after what happened yesterday. I can’t bear to be around anyone else right now."

Damon sighed,...