Elena barely slept that night.
Rain had stopped hours ago, but the sound of it still echoed in her head. She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her phone, rereading the last message Raven sent.
Stay inside tomorrow. Please.
He never said please.
That alone made her uneasy.
The next day at school felt… wrong. Too quiet. Too normal.
Elena clutched her books tighter as she walked through the hallway. Students laughed, lockers slammed, teachers shouted reminders about assignments. It was the same routine she used to find comfort in, but now it felt fragile — like glass that could shatter any second.
Her best friend, Mia, waved at her from across the hall.
"Elena! You look exhausted. Did you even sleep?"
Elena forced a small smile. "I'm fine. Just studying late."
Mia narrowed her eyes. "You've been saying that a lot lately."
Before Elena could respond, her phone buzzed in her pocket. Unknown number.
Her stomach dropped.
"You ignored the warning. Now it's your turn to understand consequences."
Elena froze mid-step.
"What's wrong?" Mia asked.
"Nothing," Elena said quickly, locking her phone. "I just… forgot something. I'll be back."
She hated lying, but dragging Mia into this wasn't an option.
Elena headed toward the empty science wing, her pulse pounding in her ears. The hallway lights flickered slightly, and the distant echo of footsteps made her nerves spike.
"Smart girl," a familiar voice said.
Marco stepped out from the shadows near the lab doors, slow clapping echoing against the tiled walls. He looked calm, almost amused, which made him even more terrifying.
"You're braver than I expected," he said.
Elena swallowed but held her ground. "What do you want?"
Marco tilted his head, studying her like she was a puzzle piece he couldn't quite place.
"I want Raven to break," he said simply. "And you… are how I do that."
Her chest tightened, but she refused to show fear.
"You think threatening me will scare him?" she asked. "You don't know him."
Marco smiled, but there was no warmth in it.
"Oh, I know him very well. He protects what he loves. And when he can't… he falls apart."
The word loves hit her harder than she expected.
Footsteps suddenly thundered down the hallway.
Raven.
His voice cut through the air. "Step away from her, Marco."
Marco chuckled, stepping back slightly but not leaving. "Right on time."
Raven moved closer, his entire body tense, eyes locked onto Marco like he was seconds away from snapping.
"You touch her," Raven said quietly, "and I swear—"
"You'll what?" Marco interrupted. "Start a war? You're already halfway there."
Elena stepped forward before Raven could answer.
"Stop," she said firmly.
Both boys looked at her, surprised.
"I'm not some prize you fight over," she continued, her voice shaking but steady enough. "If you have a problem, settle it without dragging innocent people into it."
Marco raised an eyebrow. "Innocent? You walked into this world yourself."
"Maybe," she said, "but I'm not afraid of it."
Silence stretched between them.
Marco studied her for a long moment, then laughed softly.
"You really are different, Elena."
He turned his attention back to Raven.
"This isn't over. Next time, you won't arrive fast enough."
With that, he walked down the hallway, disappearing around the corner like a shadow fading.
Raven grabbed Elena's shoulders the second Marco was gone.
"What were you thinking?" he snapped, his voice rough with panic. "Meeting him alone? Do you realize how dangerous that was?"
"I didn't meet him," she shot back. "He came to me!"
"You should've told me about the message!"
"I didn't want you to lose control!" she yelled.
The words hung heavy between them.
Raven stepped back like she'd slapped him.
"I'm trying to protect you," he said, quieter now.
"I know," she said softly. "But you can't lock me away every time something bad happens."
His jaw clenched. "You don't understand how this ends."
"Then explain it to me!" she pleaded. "Stop deciding things for both of us."
For a moment, Raven said nothing. His shoulders rose and fell as he struggled to steady his breathing.
"I've lost people before," he finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I won't lose you too."
Elena's anger melted instantly.
"You're not going to," she said gently. "But you have to trust me to stand beside you… not behind you."
Raven looked at her like he was fighting a battle inside his own head. Slowly, he reached for her hand, gripping it tightly.
"You're the only person who's ever made me scared to fail," he admitted.
She squeezed his hand back. "Then don't fail. We'll figure it out together."
The bell rang loudly, breaking the moment. Students began flooding the hallway again, unaware of how close danger had been.
Raven glanced around, then leaned closer to her.
"Marco's planning something bigger," he said quietly. "I can feel it."
Elena nodded. "Then we prepare."
He studied her face, searching for hesitation, fear, doubt.
He found none.
And for the first time, Raven realized the truth he'd been avoiding—
Elena wasn't just part of his world anymore.
She was about to change it.
To be continued…