Rain tapped gently against the dorm windows that night, a quiet rhythm that did nothing to calm Luiz's racing mind. He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor, the sound of that voice from the car replaying in his head like a curse.
"Welcome back to the island, Luiz."
He didn't know if it was a warning, a greeting — or a threat.
His fake name, his forged papers — they shouldn't have been able to trace him this quickly. Unless someone already knew.
The thought gnawed at him.
Across the room, Kelvin's snoring broke the silence. The kid hadn't changed — messy desk, half-eaten noodles, headphones tangled like vines. Luiz almost smiled. For a moment, it felt like the world hadn't shifted under his feet.
But it had.
He leaned back, clutching his ribs. The pain was duller now, fading into memory, but it never let him forget. Every bruise told a story he couldn't afford to repeat.
A soft knock startled him. He turned.
The door creaked open.
Mara stood there — hoodie up, eyes cautious but steady.
"Can I come in?" she asked quietly.
Kelvin groaned in his sleep. Luiz nodded, motioning for her to keep her voice low.
She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. For a second, she just stared at him — the silence stretching until it became heavy.
"I heard you were… back," she said finally. "Didn't believe it until I saw you in class."
"Yeah," Luiz murmured. "Surprise."
"You look worse than the rumors said."
He gave a short laugh. "Guess I lived up to the story."
Mara crossed her arms. "You shouldn't have come back, Luiz. People are talking. The Valentines don't like unfinished business."
His eyes lifted sharply. "You think I don't know that?"
"I think you're pretending you're fine when you're not," she shot back. "And if they find out you're here—"
"They already did," he interrupted.
That shut her up.
"What?"
He told her about the car. The voice. The feeling of being watched.
Mara's face went pale. "You think they followed you here?"
"I don't think," he said. "I know."
She bit her lip, thinking. "Then you need to keep your head down. Lay low until—"
"No," Luiz cut in. "I didn't come back to hide. I came back to rebuild — for my brother, for myself. I'm done running."
Mara's eyes softened, but before she could reply, Kelvin stirred.
"Luiz?" he mumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes. Then he blinked. "Mara? Why are you—oh." He froze, glancing between them. "Did I interrupt something?"
Mara rolled her eyes. "Grow up, Kelvin."
Luiz smirked. "You never change."
Kelvin frowned, sitting up. "Neither do you. Everyone said you were gone for good."
"Guess I'm hard to kill."
Kelvin's expression shifted — worry flickering in his gaze. "Then be careful, man. Things aren't the same around here. Some new staff, new students — weird vibe. Feels like the school's watching us now."
Luiz's heart skipped. "What do you mean?"
Kelvin shrugged. "I don't know… just something off. Cameras where they didn't use to be. Some of the teachers act like they're reporting to someone else."
Luiz and Mara exchanged a look.
Outside, thunder rolled again, distant but deep — like the island itself was warning them.
Luiz turned to the window, the rain streaking across the glass like veins.
Somewhere beyond that storm, he knew Grandmother Valentine was already moving her pieces.
And this school — this fragile return to normalcy — might just be another board in her game.
But this time, Luiz wasn't a pawn.
He was learning how to play.