005

Lucien

Lucien stood in the strange space, looking around at everything and nothing. The ground under his feet wasn't really there - it was like walking on water and air at the same time. Everything was quiet, but not in a normal way. It was the kind of quiet that made your skin crawl.

Shadows moved around him like they had minds of their own, dancing at the edges of this dream-world. Lucien stood in the middle of it all, his silver-white hair giving off a soft glow in the weird light. His face was calm, but there was something else there too - something hard to read.

He looked out into the fog that seemed to go on forever. A tiny smirk pulled at his mouth, but his cold eyes stayed the same.

"So," he said quietly, his voice smooth like honey, "I wonder if I scared her off already?"

His words just hung there in the air before the silence swallowed them up. He turned his head a little, like he was listening for someone to answer him, but nobody did.

For a second, his smirk went away and he looked almost thoughtful. He let out a slow breath, his sharp eyes scanning the moving shadows. "No," he said softly, like he was talking to himself. "She seems stronger than that. Curious, too. I could see it in her eyes."

A hint of amusement crossed his face as he stepped forward. He moved like a cat stalking its prey. The fog seemed to move out of his way, like it was afraid to touch him.

"I wonder," he said in a teasing voice, "if she'll ever come back here."

The thought seemed to make him happy. He let out a quiet laugh that sounded almost like music in the stillness.

His eyes glowed faintly as he turned around, making the fog swirl behind him. "We'll see," he said to nobody, sounding pretty sure of himself. "She'll be back."

Then he walked into the fog and disappeared, leaving only the echo of his laugh behind.

Scarlett

When Scarlett woke up, she felt... happy? It was weird. She wasn't used to not feeling that heavy feeling in her chest every morning.

She stretched and sat up in bed, watching the morning light fill her room. She smiled, thinking about that silly cartoon Liam told her to watch. It wasn't anything special really, but it made her laugh - like, actually laugh. She couldn't remember the last time that happened.

She got out of bed and got ready pretty fast. For once, she didn't look so tired when she looked in the mirror.

The front door slammed downstairs, making her jump. She heard her dad stumble in, probably drunk again. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she saw him - red face, smelling like beer, barely standing up straight.

"Really, Jack? This early?" Her mom's voice was sharp as she crossed her arms.

"Don't start," he slurred, falling onto the couch like a sack of potatoes.

Scarlett sighed but tried not to let it get to her. She grabbed her bag and left, feeling the cool morning air hit her face as she walked outside.

She walked slower when she got to Liam's street. She wasn't sure why, but she really wanted to see him today. At least now she had something to talk about.

She almost gave up, but then she spotted him up ahead. He was just walking along, his bag hanging off one shoulder. Her heart did this weird little jump thing, and she almost turned around, but he saw her first.

"Scarlett!" he yelled, smiling as he waited for her.

She stopped for a second, then made herself walk over. "Hey," she said, feeling shy.

Liam's smile got bigger. "You look... happier today."

Scarlett gave him a small smile back. "Yeah, I guess."

They walked for a bit before she suddenly said, "I watched that cartoon."

Liam turned to look at her, surprised. "For real? Panda Quest?"

She nodded. "It was actually pretty funny. You know that part where the panda tries to climb the tree but falls in the mud? I couldn't stop laughing."

Liam laughed too, and it sounded nice - real, you know? "That part's the best! I didn't think you'd actually watch it."

Scarlett shrugged, feeling more comfortable. "Well, you seemed to really like it."

They kept talking until they got to where they had to split up. Liam stopped for a second, then asked, "Hey, wanna walk home together after school? If you want to, I mean."

Scarlett blinked, surprised. "Oh, um, sure. Yeah, that'd be cool."

Liam smiled and gave her a piece of paper with his number on it. "Text me when you're done with school. I'll wait for you."

She took it and held it tight. "Okay."

They went their separate ways, and Scarlett couldn't help feeling a little excited as she headed to school.