Last night sent ripples through the town, unseen but deeply felt. The streets carried an eerie hush, as though holding their breath. School, however, wore a mask of normalcy. Hallways buzzed, lockers slammed, and laughter floated through the air, trying to drown out the lingering tension.
I walked to class, my mind still tangled in the chaos from the night before. The imagery in the woods, it was surreal like something out of a dream, or more accurately, a nightmare that refused to fade in the sun.
I kept replaying it over and over in my head: the snapping bones, the fur sliding back into his skin, It didn't feel real… but it was, I know what I saw.
At school, here I was again, same spot, same routine. I slid into my seat, keeping my head down, arms crossed on my desk like a shield. My thoughts churned. How am I supposed to keep going like this? Why is everything suddenly unraveling?
Lifting my head, my eyes scanned the room. Zack was there sitting with a few other students, his gaze unfocused. A wave of longing washed over me. I wanted to walk over, to talk to him, ask him if he was okay, if we were okay. But something in his demeanor told me it wasn't the right time. Maybe it never would be.
The bell rang, and class began. Moments later, Sam walked in and sat down next to me.
"Hey, you missed a lot last night"
He smiled cradling one hand awkwardly against his chest. His palm had a deep, angry gash, dried blood flaking off the edges.
"Hey... are you okay?" I asked softly when I noticed it.
He gave a small nod, but it was stiff. Abrupt. "Why not go to the clinic?" I offered, concern lacing my tone.
"I'm fine, Terra," he snapped. His voice was sharp, defensive, unlike Sam. It stung. I blinked, taken aback. What was that? He had never been rude to me before. Something was definitely off.
After class, I made my way to the cafeteria, and just outside the double doors, I bumped into Summer and Eska. They fell into step beside me, the air between us dense with unspoken tension.
"So," Summer began, her voice low and cautious, "you're really back. I figured Pink was just trying to… drown herself in drama."
I gave a half-hearted smirk. "Yeah, nice to see you too."
Eska folded her arms, narrowing her eyes. "How are you even surviving under the same roof as her?"
"She's been ignoring me," I said flatly. "Didn't even say hello this morning. Why are you guys suddenly concerned?"
"Look," Summer said, glancing down, "we kind of misunderstood everything."
"Jesse confessed," Eska added, "Turns out… he was at fault. Pink should've been calm, but…"
"It made it worse," I sighed.
"Big time," Summer muttered. She leaned in closer. "Jesse told her… that he's in love with you."
"What?" I almost choked on air.
"Yeah," Eska nodded. "Shocked all of us. Pink didn't take it well."
My stomach dropped. No wonder she'd been avoiding me.
"This is bad," I murmured. "This is really, really bad."
We grabbed lunch quickly before the line could build up. My mind was already spinning with what I had to do next.
We sat at our usual spot in the café as silence settled around us.
I stirred my drink with a straw, watching the chocolate drizzle swirl like a storm before finally speaking.
"Did you guys notice anything strange about Sam today?"
Summer blinked. "Erm… who's Sam?"
"The nerdy guy. White, blue eyes, square glasses, straight A's," I said, listing. "Ring a bell?"
"The one you always hang out with? And that nerd girl?" Eska added. "Yeah, I remember. What about him?"
"He's acting weird. He's got bruises, not your usual kind of injury, I'd say."
I spotted him in the far corner of the café, sitting alone with one hand placed on his injured arm. I nodded toward him. "There."
"Oh, that guy," Summer said. "He helped me with my physics project last semester."
"What's up with his hands?" Eska asked, squinting. "Not the kind of guy I'd expect to get into a fight."
"I don't know. When I asked about it, he got… hostile. He's always been so nice. What changed?"
"Maybe he got attacked by a wolf last night?" Summer suggested, swirling her yogurt with a plastic spoon. "That seems logical… right?"
The table went quiet.
The usual morning buzz of the cafeteria faded into the background. For a moment, the only sound was the soft clink of Summer's spoon tapping the edge of her glass cup.
I leaned forward, lowering my voice to a whisper. "That reminds me… I think Mr. Henzel is the Alpha."
Their heads all snapped toward me.
"What?" Summer blinked.
"Why's that?" Eska leaned in, eyes narrowing.
I glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear, then exhaled. "Okay, listen. Last night, after leaving Genora's place… I took the trail behind the school to get back to the hostel. I heard something, something weird and I followed it. And I saw… I saw a man half-transformed. Like mid-way between wolf and human."
Their eyes widened.
"He was struggling, growling, fighting himself. His bones were literally cracking as he shifted back. I thought he was a rogue or something, until… until his face came into the light." I hesitated, then whispered, "It was Mr. Henzel."
Summer covered her mouth. "You're kidding."
"I wish I was," I said.
"Wow," Summer whispered. "No wonder he's so authoritative. I always tremble a little when he speaks."
"Exactly," Eska muttered.
We all sat there, silent. The noise of the cafeteria returned slowly, as if the rest of the world was catching up again.
...
After lunch, I made my way to the basketball court. My heart pounded with every step. I shoved open the double doors with a loud thud, the echo cutting through the gym and halting their practice.
Jesse was mid-drill with Daniel, trying to mimic some flashy crossover that didn't quite land.
"Yo, Jesse," Daniel called, glancing at me with a grin. "Your girl's here."
"Fuck you, Dan," I snapped, not even blinking.
Daniel snickered and jogged off to the bleachers, hands raised in surrender, giving us space. Jesse looked up, brows lifting as he jogged toward me, sweat dripping down his temple, his shirt clinging to his chest. His abs pressed through the fabric like an afterthought, annoyingly perfect but I wasn't here for the view.
"Hey, Terra," he said casually, brushing sweat-damp hair from his face. "What's up?"
I crossed my arms. "I heard you finally outed yourself."
He gave a slight nod, trying to read my expression. "Took me long enough, huh?"
"Took me getting suspended for you to finally get the balls?"
His jaw twitched. "Aren't you at least a little grateful I cleared the air?"
"Grateful?" I scoffed. "You made everything worse. You told Pink you're in love with me?"
"Yep."
My voice rose, barely controlled. "Dude, you barely even looked at me."
"I'm looking now, aren't I?" he replied, a crooked smirk tugging at his lips.
"You trying to ruin me or something? I don't remember doing anything to deserve this."
His smirk faltered. "I'm not trying to ruin you, Terra. I just… I meant what I said."
I shook my head, anger fizzing in my chest. "This is insane. Whatever string you're pulling, cut it. My life's already a disaster because of you. Go flirt with someone else."
I turned to leave, my footsteps loud against the polished floor, but then, his hand closed around my wrist.
"Let go," I warned, my voice dangerously low.
He hesitated, his grip loosening, then he let go. Without another word, I stormed out of the gym.
As the doors swung shut behind me, a chill slithered down my spine. I saw Rivon standing few meters from where I stood smiling. She gave a slow, eerie wave and then… she vanished.
Meanwhile, Sam was heading toward the library after lunch, books cradled in his arms, when Eska's voice cut through the hallway.
"Hey, Sam."
He barely had time to turn before she grabbed his wrist and yanked him into the janitor's closet.
"Whoa, Eska?" he yelped, twisting in her grip.
"Surprised you know my name," she said, locking the door behind them.
Sam blinked, adjusting his glasses. "I should be the surprised one. We've never even talked."
"Maybe today's a special occasion." Her tone was casual, but her eyes weren't.
"What do you want?" he asked, voice tight.
She pointed to the bandaged cut peeking through his sleeve. "Where'd you get that wound?"
"Skateboard accident," he said too quickly, eyes darting to the wall.
"You skateboard?" Her brows rose. "Didn't peg you for the daredevil type. I thought reading was your only sport."
"I do a lot of things you don't know," he said, voice clipped.
"You and I both know that wound's too deep for a fall," she said, stepping closer. "Don't lie to me."
Sam opened his mouth, hesitated. His breath caught then he looked down at his hands like they didn't belong to him, like he'd only just noticed how shaky they were.
"Why do you care?" he muttered. "Thought I was invisible to you all."
Eska didn't flinch. "Guess that's what made you interesting."
He let out a breath, somewhere between bitter and hollow.
"Well, this?" he raised his hand, flexing the fingers that had barely stopped trembling "This is my problem. And I suggest you stay out of it, like you always do."
He pushed past her and walked out, leaving Eska alone in the dusty shadows of the closet, staring at the door long after it clicked shut.
Back in the hallway, I headed toward my locker, my gaze fixed on the ground until I saw her. Pink. Laughing with Clary and Zack. Her head tilted back, hair catching the light like nothing was wrong in her world. Her eyes met mine for a heartbeat but she didn't flinch. No recognition. No emotion.
Just ice.
Zack was there. Maybe I should walk over, maybe we needed to talk but no, not now.
I waved slightly but he didn't wave back. Instead, he looked away, expression tight. His sadness was visible, etched into his brow. Pink caught the exchange, and her smile fell. Her eyes darkened. She hissed under her breath and stormed past me without a word.
Inside the locker room, Summer was already changed into her cheer uniform. She looked… different. Her shoulders slumped and her gaze vacant.
"You okay?" I asked, adjusting my bag.
She hesitated, staring at the floor. "I haven't heard from my sister in days."
"Regina?" I asked carefully.
She looked up sharply, her eyes narrowing. "Why do you say her name like that?"
I paused, unsure how to answer.
"She's still my sister," she said, voice trembling. "I don't care how evil she's gotten. She's still flesh and blood."
"I'm sorry," I said quickly. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm sure she's okay. Maybe she and Nemus are just… planning something big."
"That's exactly what worries me." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Regina always texts back. Even when she was doing her worst, she never went this silent."
I swallowed. "You think something happened?"
"I feel it," she said firmly. "Something's wrong."
A long silence stretched between us.
"I think something's happening, Terra," she said again, more quietly. "Something big."
I placed a hand gently on her shoulder but didn't say anything because deep down, I agreed.
Nemus had vanished, no attacks, no threats just a calm before the storm.
What are they up to?