The school hallways buzzed louder than usual the next morning, like a hive spilling over with restless bees. Nyra kept her head low as she slipped through the crowd, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag. The echoes of yesterday's near-slip still clung to her like a shadow—heat rising in her veins, her senses too sharp, her heart racing as though it belonged to something other than human.
She had managed to pull herself back at the last second. Barely.
And though no one seemed to notice, Nyra couldn't shake the feeling that someone's eyes had lingered too long. Watching. Waiting.
"Nyra!"
The familiar voice rang like a bell above the chatter. Tessa leaned casually against the row of lockers, waving her arm high as though she wanted the entire hallway to notice. Her long brown hair gleamed under the fluorescent lights, catching golden highlights when she tilted her head. She was striking without trying, her amber eyes sharp yet warm, the kind of person whose presence filled space effortlessly.
"You look like you didn't sleep," Tessa teased, her lips curving into a grin that softened almost instantly with concern.
Before Nyra could answer, another voice joined them, quieter but no less clear.
"Good morning."
Aisha stood beside Tessa, her school-issued navy hijab tucked neatly around her face, setting off the smooth glow of her brown skin. Her almond-shaped eyes were framed by thick lashes, carrying a softness that seemed to invite trust. She had only been in their school for a short while, but already, Nyra found herself drawn to her quiet strength.
"Morning," Nyra managed, mustering a small smile as she adjusted her grip on her bag.
The three of them fell into step, moving toward their first class of the day. To anyone watching, they looked like any other group of friends—laughing softly, trading glances, weaving through the tide of students. But inside, Nyra felt far from ordinary.
Every sound seemed magnified. The slam of a locker down the hall was like a cannon blast in her ears. The smell of cafeteria food from two floors below twisted her stomach, sharp and metallic, like iron. And every heartbeat—not just her own—echoed in her head, an orchestra she had no control over.
She swallowed hard, forcing her attention back to the voices beside her.
"Did you hear?" Tessa whispered as they slipped into their classroom. "Someone broke a window in the music room last night. The janitor swears it was an animal, but… doesn't that sound suspicious to you?"
Aisha frowned, settling neatly into her seat. "Animals don't just wander into locked schools. Unless…" She hesitated, lowering her voice. "Unless someone let it in."
Tessa's eyes lit with intrigue. "Exactly! Or maybe it wasn't an animal at all. What if it was a person?"
Nyra stiffened, her knuckles tightening against her desk. A faint memory flickered—the sharp urge that had clawed at her chest the night before, the wild impulse to break free, to run, to feed. She had shut herself away in her room, trembling until the wave passed, but what if…
No. It couldn't be connected. Could it?
She forced a laugh, hoping it didn't sound too forced. "Or maybe some student was just trying to sneak in for practice and broke the glass. Doesn't have to be a horror story."
Tessa grinned, leaning closer. "Says the girl who looks like she's seen a ghost all morning. Spill, Nyra. You're hiding something."
Heat rushed to her face. She shook her head quickly, strands of her black hair brushing against her cheek. "I'm just tired. That's all."
But inside, she knew it wasn't just fatigue. Something was changing.
---
The first period dragged, each tick of the clock stretching thin as Nyra tried to keep her focus. Her vision sharpened at random moments—the chalk dust floating in the air, the tiny scratch on the teacher's cuff, the flicker of light bouncing off Aisha's pen. It was too much, too detailed, too sharp.
When the bell finally rang, she shot up too quickly, almost dizzy from the release.
In the hallway, Tessa slung her arm over Nyra's shoulders. "Hey, you sure you're okay? You've been zoning out a lot lately. Don't think I haven't noticed."
Nyra wanted to shrug it off, but Tessa's gaze was too direct, too piercing. For a split second, Nyra wondered what it would be like if Tessa really knew—if she saw the fire licking beneath Nyra's skin, the darkness curling tighter every day.
Instead, she forced a smile. "I'll be fine."
---
Lunchtime brought some relief. The cafeteria buzzed with gossip as students gathered in clusters. Nyra, Tessa, and Aisha found their usual spot near the window.
Aisha set her tray down carefully before adjusting her hijab with graceful ease. "The food smells strange today," she murmured, wrinkling her nose.
Nyra froze. To her, it smelled worse than strange. The scent of cooked meat was drowned out by something else—an undertone of rawness, sharp and sweet, like blood. Her stomach clenched painfully, a gnawing hunger rising from deep inside.
She gripped her fork tightly, willing herself to stay calm.
"You're pale again," Aisha observed gently, tilting her head. "Maybe you should see the nurse."
Tessa nudged her with her elbow, teasing but not unkind. "Or maybe she just needs to actually eat instead of picking at her food like a bird."
Nyra forced a bite, the taste ash in her mouth. She chewed slowly, swallowing against the burning urge to gag.
Control. I have to control it.
---
The day blurred on. Nyra felt herself slipping between moments of clarity and waves of intensity she could barely withstand. By the final bell, her head throbbed, and her body felt foreign, as though it didn't belong to her anymore.
As the halls emptied, she lingered by her locker, waiting for the crowd to thin. Tessa had already rushed off for an after-school club, but Aisha stayed behind, her presence calm as always.
"You don't have to wait for me," Nyra said quietly.
Aisha smiled softly. "Maybe I want to."
Something in her tone made Nyra glance up. There was no judgment in Aisha's gaze, only patience, like she could see more than Nyra wanted to show.
For the first time all day, Nyra felt a flicker of relief. Maybe she wasn't as alone in this as she thought.
But then, as she closed her locker, a strange sound reached her ears—faint, almost inaudible, but sharp enough to cut through the noise of the world.
A heartbeat.
Not hers. Not Aisha's.
Someone else was nearby. Watching.
And this time, Nyra wasn't sure if she could pretend she hadn't noticed.