The Veil of Glass

The New Arrival

Three months, thirteen days and three hours ago, first day of the new semester carried the usual buzz of excitement and nerves, but today there was something extra in the air. Liora felt it as soon as she entered St. Vincent's High School. Whispers flitted through the hallways like invisible currents—a new student. Not that new students were a rare occurrence, but something about this one was different. The excitement was palpable, but Liora barely paid attention at first.

She slipped into her usual seat by the window, quietly observing the hustle of her classmates. It was easy for her to blend into the background, unnoticed. She liked it that way. Liora had a knack for reading people, for picking apart their every move and expression. Her mind was like a constant observer, cataloging all the little details of human behavior. It gave her control over situations most didn't even realize she had.

Today, though, her mind was elsewhere, distracted by the invisible tension that seemed to fill the room. She overheard snippets of conversation.

Azazel Morvane.

The new student's name seemed to hover in the air, passed from one student to another.

When lunchtime arrived, the usual chaos ensued. Students jostled for their usual spots, trays clattering, laughter filling the air. Liora, as always, took her seat in the corner, the window framing her in soft light. She picked at her food absentmindedly, keeping one eye on the room, noting the familiar faces and their predictable movements.

Then, Azazel walked in.

He didn't just enter the room—he owned it. Dressed in dark clothes that were too sharp for the casual school uniform, he moved with a quiet confidence, his gaze steady, indifferent to the curious eyes that followed him. His boots, black and polished, made the faintest sound against the floor as he walked to an empty table at the far end of the cafeteria. He didn't speak to anyone, didn't even glance around. He sat down as if he had done this a thousand times before, ignoring the entire room.

Liora's gaze followed him, curiosity stirring in her chest. There was something about the way he carried himself, detached from everything yet somehow still in control. The entire cafeteria was buzzing with low murmurs, students throwing glances at Azazel, whispering to one another. But none dared approach him.

Suddenly, a loud argument broke out on the other side of the room. A group of students had gathered around a table, one boy accusing another of cheating. The accuser's voice was rising, his face flushed with anger, drawing more and more attention. The tension built quickly, and Liora turned her attention to the scene.

Without a word, Azazel stood up. The cafeteria seemed to hold its breath as he approached the commotion. He moved slowly, with purpose, his eyes dark and unreadable. As he reached the center of the argument, he stopped, his expression blank, as though the chaos around him was beneath his notice.

The accuser looked up, clearly irritated. "What are you staring at?" he spat, his voice laced with hostility.

Azazel's face remained impassive, his gaze unyielding. He let the silence stretch uncomfortably before speaking in a voice that was almost too calm, too measured for the tension in the air.

"I suggest you quiet your mind before it betrays you."

The words seemed to ripple through the room, striking with the weight of a warning. The boy, momentarily stunned, looked as though the ground had shifted beneath him. He blinked, confused, as if not fully grasping what Azazel had meant but sensing the threat beneath it. The room stilled, and every sound seemed to fade into nothingness. There was something unnerving about the way he said it—like it wasn't just a statement.

Liora felt a shiver crawl down her spine. There was no anger in his voice, no aggression—just a quiet authority that left no room for argument. He didn't raise his voice, yet everyone heard him clearly. The boy who had been yelling seemed frozen, unable to meet Azazel's gaze for long. Slowly, the crowd began to disperse, the argument dissolving without another word spoken.

Azazel turned and walked back to his table, as if nothing had happened. The entire cafeteria remained quiet, the earlier tension replaced by a stunned silence. Liora's gaze lingered on him, her mind spinning with thoughts she couldn't quite place. She wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about the way Azazel took control of the situation with just a few words that stirred something inside her.

"What does it feel like to control someone who's always in control?"

The thought came to her unbidden, and she found herself intrigued by the idea. To have that power—to keep him in check, to see the cracks in his calm façade. Maybe then, she could finally read him the way she could everyone else. Azazel wasn't like the other students. He wasn't predictable. He wasn't easy to understand.

As these thoughts raced through her mind, she suddenly realized that Azazel's gaze had shifted. His dark eyes found hers—just for a moment—but it was enough. Liora's breath hitched, her heart skipping a beat. His eyes, cold and unreadable, bore into hers for those brief seconds, as though he knew exactly what she was thinking. Then, as quickly as it happened, he looked away, minding his own business once again, completely indifferent to the stir he had caused.

But it was in those few seconds that Liora felt something shift inside her. His gaze, those dangerous, piercing eyes, had sent a thrill through her—a thrill she couldn't explain. The way he looked at her, like he had seen her in a way no one else ever had, left her wanting more. She craved that feeling again, the rush of being seen by him, even if just for a moment.

Azazel's cold detachment only made her more determined. She had to know what lay beneath that calm exterior, to find the parts of him that no one else could see. Liora was used to observing others from a distance, but Azazel was different. For the first time, she felt the thrill of being observed in return. And it sent her spiraling into a dangerous curiosity she couldn't resist.

Liora always knew what anyone would want or say to her, that's how she was managing or should say "surviving" high school. But this new guy was something she just couldn't tell. A challenge stood before her, Azazel Morvane.