The next morning, Sia hurried into the school building. Her steps were quick, her bag swaying on her shoulder. But after only a few steps inside, she immediately slowed down.
Several students were standing in groups in the hallway.
They were laughing.
Some covered their mouths while giggling, others leaned toward their friend's phone screens. A few whispered to each other with strange expressions. Somewhere between amused and cautious.
Sia immediately felt uneasy.
"What is that?" someone was heard saying with a small laugh.
Sia swallowed and continued walking down the hallway. It didn't take long before she saw three familiar figures.
Garin, Lira, and Arven.
They stood slightly to the side, staring at a phone screen in Arven's hand. There was no laughter. Garin's face was tense, Lira looked gloomy, and Arven… cold.
Sia approached slowly. "What are you looking at?"
Arven looked up. For a moment he glanced at Sia's face, then without saying anything, turned the phone screen toward her.
That video.
Sia's hand immediately clenched.
"This…" her voice caught.
Garin let out a rough sigh. "It's already spread everywhere."
"Just this morning," Lira added softly. "Some class groups."
Sia didn't watch it until the end. She already knew what was in it. Her heart pounded hard, her ears ringing.
"Rania…" she murmured.
Without saying anything else, Sia turned around and ran.
"Sia!" Garin called out in surprise. "Wait!"
"Don't-!" Lira's voice was heard, but it was too late.
Sia's steps didn't slow down. She moved through the hallway, her eyes searching. Her chest tightened, her breathing becoming uneven.
On the other side of the hallway, three girls stood close together.
Giselle, Kayra, and Reina.
Sia passed them without even looking.
Reina narrowed her eyes. "That's her, right?"
Kayra glanced briefly. "The one who stood in the middle of the hallway a few days ago."
Reina chuckled softly. "Figures. Running around like she's important."
"I heard her name is Elysia," Kayra said casually. "The new student."
Reina scoffed. "Fitting. Weird."
Giselle didn't laugh.
She stared toward the hallway where Sia had disappeared. Her lips moved softly.
"…Elysia."
Kayra turned her head. "What?"
Giselle didn't answer right away. Her brows knit slightly, her gaze filled with curiosity.
"It's nothing," she said quietly.
She continued looking in that direction for a few more seconds before finally turning away.
Meanwhile, at the end of another hallway, Sia's steps grew faster.
But suddenly, she stopped.
Near a row of lockers, Rania stood while pulling a book from her bag. Her shoulders were slightly hunched, her movements hurried, as if she wanted to finish quickly and leave.
Several students walking past glanced at her.
Some laughed softly while covering their mouths.
Some whispered while pointing at their phone screens.
Others looked at her with disgust before simply walking away.
Sia took a deep breath. Her chest felt tight, but this time it wasn't because of pain.
She stepped closer.
Carefully, Sia gently touched Rania's shoulder.
"Ran-"
Rania flinched hard.
"-!" She turned around quickly, her face pale, her eyes wide with fear. Her hands reflexively clutched her bag against her chest.
When she realized who was standing in front of her, Rania froze.
"Oh…" her voice was small. "You…"
Sia frowned slightly, worry clearly visible on her face. "Are you okay?"
Rania quickly lowered her head. "I… I'm fine."
Her tone wasn't convincing at all.
Sia opened her mouth, about to say something. Anything. When heavy footsteps sounded behind them.
"Really?"
That voice made the air around them feel colder.
Liam.
He stood a few steps away, his face irritated, his jaw tight. His gaze sharpened when he saw Sia standing too close to Rania.
"So now everyone suddenly wants to pretend they care?" he said mockingly.
Sia stiffened.
Rania unconsciously stepped back.
Without thinking, Sia stepped forward and stood directly in front of Rania, her body blocking Liam's view.
"What do you want?" Sia asked, her voice trembling but firm. "She didn't do anything."
Liam let out a small laugh. "Wow. First time someone's stepping in."
He stepped closer. "You're the new kid, right? Don't act like some hero."
"Leave," Sia said shortly.
Liam narrowed his eyes. "Or what?"
Before the situation escalated-
"Sia."
Garin's hand quickly grabbed Sia's arm.
"Sia, don't," he said quietly but firmly.
Now Garin stood in front of Sia, his body leaning slightly forward. His expression was no longer cheerful like usual. His gaze was fixed straight on Liam.
"That's enough," Garin said. "Find trouble somewhere else."
Liam was about to step forward again, but he stopped when he saw Garin's face showing not the slightest hint of a smile.
A few seconds passed in tense silence.
"Coward," Liam muttered finally, though it was unclear who he meant. He glanced briefly at Rania before turning away.
Garin didn't wait any longer. He pulled Sia away from there.
"Let's go," he said quickly. "Now."
Sia glanced back once more toward Rania.
Rania stood where she was, hugging her bag tightly, her eyes empty. But when their gazes met, Rania looked slightly surprised… as if she didn't expect someone to stand in front of her.
Then Garin pulled Sia farther away, leading her out of the hallway.
"Why were you so reckless?" Garin whispered irritably. "I told you later-"
"I couldn't stay silent," Sia cut in softly.
Garin fell silent and didn't say anything else, focusing on leading Sia away.
***
Night had fully fallen when Sia stepped into the kitchen. The small lamp above the sink glowed dimly, just enough to light the quiet room. Her stomach rumbled slightly, or maybe it was just a sudden craving.
Ice cream.
Sia opened her mouth to yawn, then stopped.
On top of the refrigerator, sitting casually with one leg swinging, Asher was enjoying ice cream.
Her ice cream.
"…ASH-!"
"Hm?" Asher glanced at her casually while licking his spoon. "Oh. You."
Sia froze for a few seconds before her face turned red with anger. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Asher shrugged. "Eating."
"That… that's my ice cream!"
Sia walked up to the refrigerator, opened the door roughly, and stared at the freezer compartment that was now empty.
Completely empty.
"…ARE YOU SERIOUS?"
Asher leaned forward slightly. "Serious. It tastes pretty good. The sweetness is just right."
Sia turned to glare at him. "Since when can ghosts eat human food, huh?!"
Asher snorted softly. "Please. Don't compare me with cheap ghosts that can only flicker lights or sit in dark corners."
He grinned slightly. "I'm a premium ghost."
Sia gripped the refrigerator handle. "I don't care if you're premium, deluxe, or limited edition. That was mine!"
Asher looked at her for a moment, then smiled slightly. "You look cuter when you're angry."
"That's not a compliment."
Sia let out a rough sigh. "I should've kicked you out from the beginning."
Asher's smile faded slightly, but only for a moment. "Unfortunately, it's not that simple."
Sia clicked her tongue. She closed the refrigerator, then turned toward her room. A few minutes later, she came out again with a jacket already on.
"I'm buying another one," she muttered irritably.
Just as her hand reached the door handle, Asher's relaxed voice came from behind her.
"Don't worry. I'll guard the house."
Sia turned quickly. "Without even feeling guilty?"
Asher lifted the almost empty ice cream cup. "You should be proud. Your ice cream was worth stealing."
"Annoying," Sia muttered.
She opened the door and walked out, closing it a bit hard.
Inside the house, the sound of Sia's footsteps faded away.
Asher chuckled softly, almost like a murmur. He finished the rest of the ice cream, then placed the empty cup beside him.
His smile disappeared.
His expression turned blank. His gaze sharpened, no longer playful.
Slowly, the color of his eyes shifted. Deep red, cold, and full of warning.
Asher stared at the door Sia had just closed.
"I told you already," he murmured softly.
"Don't interfere."
The air in the kitchen felt heavier.
***
Sia stood at the cashier, placing a tub of ice cream on the counter.
"The total is twenty-nine thousand five hundred," the cashier said briefly.
Sia nodded and handed over the money. "Here."
"Thank you."
"Yeah."
She put the ice cream into a plastic bag, then stepped outside. The night air felt colder than before. The street was relatively quiet, with only the occasional motorcycle passing by.
Sia chose to walk through a narrow alley.
A shortcut she usually took to reach her boarding house faster. The housing lights illuminated the alley unevenly, creating long shadows on the worn walls.
Her steps stopped for a moment.
For some reason, she felt uneasy.
Before she could turn-
Thud!
Sia's vision spun. Her head felt struck by something hard. Her body lost balance, then everything went dark.
***
Her head felt heavy.
Sia winced as her consciousness slowly returned. Her vision was blurry, her ears ringing. She tried to move her hands, but couldn't.
"…Huh?"
Her awareness sharpened when she realized her wrists were tied to the back of a chair. Her legs couldn't move freely either. The room was dim, smelling of dust and old wood. Metal shelves stood around her, filled with unused items.
A warehouse.
The door in front of her opened.
Someone stepped in casually.
"Finally awake."
Sia's blood ran cold.
Liam.
Behind him stood four others, familiar faces.
They were his friends.
Their expressions weren't joking. Some wore crooked smiles, others simply stared with blank eyes.
"Relax," Liam continued as he walked closer. "We just want to talk."
Sia swallowed. "Untie me."
Liam laughed shortly. "Still giving orders?"
He stopped right in front of Sia, bending slightly so their faces were level. "Do you know what I hate the most?"
Sia didn't answer.
"People who act like heroes," Liam said coldly. "Especially someone who just arrived but thinks they're the most righteous."
Suddenly his hand grabbed Sia's hair and yanked her head back. Sia was forced to look up, her breath catching.
"How does it feel?" Liam whispered. "Daring to stand in front of me this morning?"
Sia groaned softly, trying to endure the pain. "I… just-"
Slap.
The blow sent her head jerking to the side. Her vision sparkled again.
"Don't answer before I finish talking," Liam said flatly.
He walked around Sia, as if examining damaged goods. "You think just because you stood in front of her once, everything's going to change?"
One of his friends laughed quietly. "She's pretty brave."
Liam stopped again in front of Sia.
"I just want you to remember one thing."
He leaned closer.
"Rania's business isn't your business."
Sia slowly lifted her face, looking at him with trembling but defiant eyes.
"If everyone stays silent… then of course nothing will ever change."
The room suddenly fell silent.
Liam's smile disappeared.
"Oh," he said quietly.
"Then you haven't learned your lesson."
Outside the warehouse, the night continued as usual. No one knew what was happening inside.