The morning air felt heavier than usual as Eliana walked into her first class. Her steps were slower, more uncertain, as if the weight of the previous days had wrapped around her ankles like invisible chains. Whispers echoed through the room, some accompanied by glances in her direction. She kept her head down, clutching her books tightly to her chest, trying to ignore the sting of curiosity in her classmates' eyes.
Clara waved from their usual spot and gestured for Eliana to sit. "You okay?" she asked in a low tone once Eliana settled beside her.
Eliana nodded slowly, although her expression betrayed her unease. "Yeah… just tired."
Clara gave her a long look, clearly not buying it but choosing not to push. "Vanessa's not in class today."
Eliana's heart skipped a beat. "She's not?"
"Nope. Heard from someone in her dorm that she asked for a few days off. Said she wasn't feeling well."
Eliana blinked, a mix of emotions washing over her relief, guilt, confusion. Vanessa retreating wasn't what she expected. She thought confrontation would spark more drama, more games. Not silence.
After class, Eliana stepped outside into the sunlight, letting it warm her face. She needed clarity, peace, anything to steady the storm inside her. She hadn't spoken to Zayne since that awkward hallway moment. He'd been distant, barely acknowledging her in the cafeteria and skipping their usual study group.
She considered texting him again, but her fingers hovered above the screen. What would she even say?
"Eliana!" a voice called behind her.
She turned, surprised to see Zayne jogging toward her. He looked unsure but determined, his eyes filled with something unreadable.
"Can we talk?" he asked.
Her heart thudded in her chest. "Sure."
They found a quiet bench near the fountain, away from the buzz of students. For a while, neither of them spoke. Then Zayne broke the silence.
"I've been thinking about everything... what Vanessa said, what I saw... and I just I don't know what to believe."
Eliana looked at him, her voice soft. "What did she say?"
Zayne hesitated. "She said you were playing games. That you wanted attention, not a real connection. That you weren't being honest with me."
The words hurt more than she expected, even though she had guessed as much. "And you believed her?"
"I didn't want to," Zayne admitted. "But the way things played out… the awkward tension, you avoiding me… it made me doubt."
"I wasn't avoiding you. I was confused, Zayne. She told me she wanted to help me talk to you, then acted like I was stealing you from her. I didn't know where I stood."
He looked down, rubbing the back of his neck. "I should've talked to you first. I'm sorry."
They sat in silence again, the fountain trickling gently behind them. Eliana let out a shaky breath. "I liked you, Zayne. I still do. But this whole situation… it's messy. And I don't want to be a part of some twisted game."
Zayne's expression softened. "I get it. I'm not proud of how I handled things either. But I want to make things right, if you'll let me."
Just as Eliana was about to respond, a voice interrupted them.
"Wow. This is cozy."
Both of them turned sharply to see Vanessa standing a few feet away, arms crossed and eyes dark.
Eliana stood immediately. "Vanessa."
Vanessa's lips curled into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Took some time off to reflect. But clearly, I missed all the fun."
Zayne stood as well, tension rippling through his frame. "Vanessa, this isn't what it looks like."
"Oh, I know exactly what it is," she replied coolly. "You finally got your moment, huh Eliana? Congrats."
Eliana narrowed her eyes. "Stop it. You've done enough."
Vanessa's gaze hardened. "I gave you a chance to back off, but you just couldn't help yourself. And you" she turned to Zayne"you really think she's the better choice? You don't know half of what she hides."
Eliana felt her fists clench. "If you're going to keep spreading lies, Vanessa, at least be original."
The silence that followed was loud, heavy with years of fake smiles and buried resentment. Vanessa's face twisted in something between hurt and fury. Then, without another word, she turned and walked away.
Zayne let out a breath. "That was intense."
Eliana sat back down, her legs feeling like jelly. "Yeah."
He sat beside her again, slower this time, more thoughtful.
"She's not done," Eliana said quietly. "She'll come back again. Maybe worse."
Zayne nodded. "Then let's be ready for her. Together."
The words hung between them, full of possibility but also uncertainty. Eliana wasn't sure what tomorrow would bring, but for now, she wasn't alone.
That night, she lay in bed staring at the ceiling, her phone resting on her chest. Clara had texted her, checking in and offering to grab lunch the next day. It brought a small smile to Eliana's face. One real friend at least that was something.
Her phone buzzed again. This time, it was from an unknown number.
"Be careful who you trust. Not everyone's who they seem."
Eliana's blood ran cold. Her eyes scanned the message again and again. There was no name, no indication of who sent it. But the timing was too perfect, the words too precise.
Her heart pounded as she turned the phone face down and stared into the dark. The game had just taken a darker turn.
And someone else was now watching from the shadows.
Eliana sat frozen for a moment, her thoughts spiraling around the message. The words weren't just a warning they felt like a threat cloaked in concern. She replayed the confrontation with Vanessa again in her mind, and the way she had walked away without another word. But this didn't sound like Vanessa. It was too calculated. Too… indirect.
Who else would want to warn her or scare her?
She glanced at the message again, hesitating before locking her phone. Her room, once a sanctuary, now felt unfamiliar and exposed. Clara's voice echoed in her mind from earlier: "Something about her doesn't sit right with me." But what if this wasn't about Vanessa anymore?
What if someone else had been watching all along?
She pulled the covers tighter around her and lay on her side, eyes fixed on the moonlight trickling through the curtain. Her world was shifting trust, loyalty, love all tangled in a web of lies and silence. She wasn't sure who was on her side anymore.
But one thing was clear.
She couldn't let her guard down again.
Not now. Not with someone hiding behind the shadows, waiting for her next move.
Because the real game had just begun.