PROM NIGHT SECRETS

The air on campus was electric. Ravenwood University wasn’t just preparing for a welcome party anymore—it was gearing up for its first official college prom, an event notorious for glamour, jealousy, and disaster in equal measure.

Lila Harper stared at her reflection in the dorm mirror, adjusting the straps of her crimson dress. Her roommate, Harper—ever the social strategist—hovered behind her, fussing over hair and makeup.

“You have to make an entrance,” Harper insisted. “Ravenwood isn’t forgiving. Tonight, everyone sees you. Everyone judges you. And tonight, Cade Mercer… well, he’s watching more than just the dance floor.”

Lila sighed. “I don’t know if I’m ready for all that.”

Harper smirked. “You don’t have a choice. Survival isn’t optional here.”

As they descended to the main hall, the scene took Lila’s breath away. Crystal chandeliers reflected a thousand tiny sparks of light, the scent of perfume and cologne mingled with champagne, and the chatter of students buzzed like electric current. Groups of bad girls and boys roamed the floor, eyes scanning for rivals, friends, and potential drama.

And, of course, Cade Mercer was there.

Leaning against the balcony railing, he looked unbothered—yet magnetic as ever. Black shirt, dark jeans, hair perfectly tousled, eyes that seemed to pierce straight through the crowd. Lila felt her stomach twist in ways she couldn’t name. Part fear, part curiosity, part something dangerous she didn’t want to admit.

“You see what I mean?” Harper whispered, tugging her toward the floor. “He’s a storm. Stay close, stay smart.”

The first dances were ceremonial, polite—enough to show off outfits and status. But Lila couldn’t shake the feeling that eyes were following her. Not just Cade’s, but others—people whispering, smirking, judging.

Then the music shifted. Slow, sultry, and deliberate. Lila’s heart raced when Cade stepped closer, his smirk teasing, his presence magnetic.

“You shouldn’t be here alone,” he murmured, extending a hand.

Lila hesitated. “I—um…”

“Trust me,” he said, his voice low enough that only she could hear. “It’s safer with me.”

Her pulse quickened. Something about his words was reassuring… and terrifying. She took his hand, and he guided her to the dance floor, weaving through the crowd with effortless dominance.

For a few moments, it felt normal. Music, lights, laughter—an illusion of peace.

Then the whispers began.

“You’re dancing with him?” someone hissed from the balcony.

“Careful. That’s trouble.”

“They say he’s dating three girls already.”

Before Lila could process, a drink tipped over nearby, splashing onto the floor. In the chaos, a figure slipped, and the glass shattered. Cade’s eyes narrowed, scanning the crowd like a predator.

Lila felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning, she saw Mara Sinclair, a notorious bad girl known for scheming her way through Ravenwood’s social ladder.

“Cute dress,” Mara said with a fake smile. “But careful. Not everything here is as fun as it looks.”

Before Lila could answer, Harper tugged her away. “Don’t engage,” she warned. “She’s testing you.”

And then the music stopped abruptly. Lights flickered. Gasps spread through the crowd. A voice over the speakers cut in, distorted, cold:

“Welcome to Chaos College. Secrets will be revealed tonight. Some of you won’t leave unscathed.”

The crowd froze. Students exchanged nervous glances, whispers turning into murmurs of fear and confusion.

Cade’s grip on Lila’s hand tightened ever so slightly. “I told you… danger doesn’t stay hidden here.”

Panic surged. Someone screamed—someone laughed. The music returned, but the tension didn’t fade. Lila realized that the warnings, the notes, the whispers—they weren’t exaggeration. Ravenwood thrived on secrets and betrayal.

Later that night, a small group of girls—including Lila and Harper—gathered for their traditional post-prom sleepover ritual in the dorm lounge. The lights were dim, the air thick with perfume and unspoken tension.

“Tonight was… intense,” Harper admitted, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “And we’re not even halfway through. Someone’s going to strike soon, mark my words.”

Lila’s thoughts went back to the earlier video, the whispers, the sense of being watched. She couldn’t shake the idea that someone—perhaps even more than one—was orchestrating this chaos.

Then her phone buzzed. A message, anonymous as always:

“Prom night is just the beginning. Someone close to you is not who they seem.”

Her stomach turned. Lila glanced around the room. Everyone seemed innocent, chatting and laughing—but the seed of doubt had been planted. Anyone could be a traitor. Anyone could be the one behind the warnings.

Harper noticed her expression. “What is it?”

Lila hesitated, then showed her the message. Harper’s face hardened. “See? This is why we don’t trust easily. Someone wants to play us against each other.”

A sudden crash echoed from the dorm hallway. Both girls froze. Another sound followed—soft footsteps, deliberate and slow. The lounge door creaked open.

A shadow slipped inside. Lila’s heart pounded. She couldn’t see the face clearly, but the presence was unmistakable: intentional, menacing, calculated.

“Looking for something?” the voice whispered.

Before she could react, the figure vanished as quickly as it appeared.

The girls exchanged terrified glances. Lila felt the weight of the anonymous messages, the warnings, and Cade’s dark warnings pressing down. Ravenwood wasn’t just a school. It was a battlefield. And tonight, the war had begun.

By the time Lila tried to calm her racing heart, her phone buzzed again. Another video. Another proof.

This time, the footage was of her dorm room during the sleepover. The camera had been placed in the lounge, capturing every whispered word, every secret shared.

Harper gasped. “They’re inside the building… maybe watching us right now.”

Lila’s blood ran cold. Someone was closer than she thought. Someone knew exactly what they were doing.

She glanced at her reflection in the window, lights of the city shimmering behind her. She looked calm, composed—but inside, fear and adrenaline collided.

She knew one thing with absolute certainty: the chaos wasn’t stopping. It was escalating. And she was at the center of it.