Aria’s POV)

The fifth lecture of the day dragged on like a punishment. The classroom buzzed with the scratch of pens, the click of laptop keys, the occasional cough that echoed far too loudly. I sat near the window,trying to avoid contact with my friends,pretending to focus on the professor’s voice as he droned about pharmacology dosages, but the words barely sank into my ears. They slid over me like it was meaningless, because all I could hear was  myself.

Or rather, what was happening inside my body.

It had started in the middle of the lecture, subtle at first a tingling in my fingertips, a restlessness in my legs. I tried to shake it off. Not enough sleep, too much coffee. But the feeling grew sharper, buzzing like electricity just under my skin. 

I could feel my bones ripping out of my skin , as if my skin was just a protective shield.

My nails throbbed as though they wanted to stretch again. My ears caught whispers I shouldn’t have been able to hear the clicking of a pen three rows back, the low hiss of air through the old vents, even the scrape of shoes outside the hall and worst of all was heartbeats.

Too much. Everything was too much.

I rubbed my temples, praying no one noticed. If I kept my head down, if I just held myself together, maybe I could make it through.

But then the burn started.

It seared up my arms, hot and invasive, curling into my chest. My breath hitched. I pressed my palms against my thighs, gripping so hard my knuckles whitened. I couldn’t stay. If I stayed, something worse would happen.

“Aria? You okay?” my best friend Sofia whispered, leaning closer. Her brow furrowed in concern.

I forced a smile, or at least something close to one. “Yeah. Just a mild headache. Long shift last night.” My voice wobbled, too thin, but she seemed to buy it.

The professor’s words blurred, my pulse pounding louder than his voice. I couldn’t sit here another second.

I shoved my notebook closed and stood. The scrape of my chair drew eyes. Heat crawled up my neck. I muttered, “Sorry, not feeling well,” and stumbled out before anyone could question me further.

The corridor was mercifully empty. I pressed my back to the wall, closing my eyes. My claws itched to break free again—I could feel them pressing under my nails, eager, insistent. My ears tingled, buzzing like it has been shocked.

Not here. Not now. Hold it together, Aria.

I hurried toward the back stairwell, where fewer people went between classes. I almost made it before I heard my name.

“Aria!”

I froze. Luka.

I’d noticed him lately , more than I noticed. He’d started showing up around me more often, sitting closer in lectures, offering to walk me to class. He had this careless charm, the kind that made everyone laugh, but his blue eyes sharpened whenever they landed on me. I didn’t know what to do with that attention. And right now, I couldn’t afford it.

He jogged up beside me, grinning. “Skipping class already? That’s not like you.”

I laughed, brittle. “Headache. I just need some air.”

But even as I spoke, the burning surged. My nails stretched, sharp edges scraping against my palm as I curled my fists tight. I turned my face away, terrified he’d see what was happening to my eyes.

“Hey.” Luka’s voice softened, concerned about replacing his teasing. He tilted his head, trying to catch my gaze. “You don’t look good. Do you want me to walk you”

“No!” The word came out too fast, too sharp. His brows shot up.

I forced my voice lower. “I just need space now, okay? Please.”

His smile faltered. “Aria…”

That was when it happened.

The edges of my ears prickled, stretching in a way no human ears should. My hearing sharpened, and suddenly I could hear his heartbeat thudding strong and steady, smell the faint citrus of his cologne. Panic surged. If he looked closely enough, he’d see.

I turned away, pressing my hands to my head, hiding my face behind a curtain of hair. My claws dug into my scalp before I realized what I was doing.

“Aria what the hell? Your eyes…”

“I said I’m fine!” I snapped, louder than I meant. My voice cracked through the hall, raw and desperate. Luka flinched.

For a heartbeat, silence stretched between us. His eyes searched mine, suspicious, worried. I could almost see the questions forming on his lips, questions I couldn’t possibly answer.

If I stayed, he’d see too much. If I stay too long I will get unwanted attention and i dont want my friends to know this either . I will blow up  my chance of being normal, the fragile lie I’d built for myself.

So I ran.

I shoved past him, bolting for the stairwell before he could grab my arm. My heart slammed in my chest as I pounded down the steps, every muscle screaming with the urge to sprint, to get away.

By the time I burst out into the open air, my hands were shaking uncontrollably. The claws receded, my ears settling back, but the memory of them burned in me.

I hugged myself, trembling. I couldn’t go back inside. Couldn’t risk another slip. If Luka had seen even a glimpse.

No. I couldn’t think about that.

All I could do was go home. Hide. Wait this out before I hurt someone or worse before someone found out what I was becoming.

The city felt too loud, too bright as I hurried down the street, avoiding every pair of eyes. My friends texted , Luka would have questions, but I shoved it all aside. None of it mattered. Not when the shadows seemed to lean toward me again. 

And then I remember what the voice in my dream had said earlier.

And deep down, beneath the fear, a colder truth gnawed at me:

This wasn’t stopping.

It was only the beginning..