The silence between them was louder than any midnight breeze.
Kia stared at Ashwin's mark — the mirror image of hers. Together, they looked like a full star. Whole. Complete.
"You knew this… the whole time?" she whispered.
Ashwin nodded. "I didn't know it was you till the chemistry lab incident. When I saw your mark— I knew."
She took a shaky breath. "Why didn't you say anything?"
He looked at her, gaze softer than she had ever seen. "Because it's dangerous, Kia. We're not just connected… we're being watched."
That made her heart skip a beat.
"By who?"
But he didn't answer. Instead, he changed the subject. "Remember that truth or dare game at Siya's party?"
Kia blinked. "Yeah… You bailed."
He chuckled. "Because I was dared to kiss someone I had a crush on."
His eyes locked with hers. "And I didn't want to make it a game."
Kia's cheeks burned. "So… you had a crush on…?"
"You," he said simply. No hesitation.
For a second, the whole world paused. Just her, him, the mark, the night sky — and a truth that had waited too long.
"But," he added, "this isn't just about feelings. There's more to our marks. People… like us… they either vanish or get hunted."
"Hunted?" Kia's voice cracked.
Ashwin leaned in, lowering his voice. "We need to find out what this all means. Together. You in?"
Kia looked at him, scared but… oddly excited.
"Yeah. I'm in."
As they sat side by side on his bike under the stars, Kia realized — her life was no longer about grades, gossip, and classes.
It was about secrets. Power. And a boy whose truth matched hers.