Saturday nights in Prinston were always loud. Kara and Natalie were downtown, sitting in a small café, talking about university assignments, or rather, Natalie was talking, while Kara, distracted, stared out the window.
"You're miles away," Natalie complained, nudging her arm. "Still thinking about that girl?"
Kara sighed. "It's not like I want to."
"Well," Natalie teased, flashing a mischievous smile, "maybe if she sees you with someone else, she'll finally come around."
It was nearly midnight when they decided to head back to campus. The fastest way was through a quieter street lined with old buildings. Natalie walked ahead, chatting about some random story, when the sound of hurried footsteps echoed behind them.
Kara turned, and saw two men approaching fast. One of them grabbed Natalie's arm and pulled her into a narrow alley.
"Hey!" Kara shouted, running after them.
But before she could reach them, something blurred past her, so fast the gust of air nearly knocked her off balance. A crimson silhouette.
In the blink of an eye, Alice was standing between Natalie and the two men.
The first man was slammed against the wall with enough force to make him let out a strangled cry. The second lunged at her, but Alice moved like she knew what he was going to do before he did, dodging effortlessly and taking him down with a swift, precise strike.
It all happened so fast that Kara could barely process it. The only sounds left were the ragged breaths of the attackers and Kara's own pounding heartbeat.
Alice turned to Natalie, her voice calm but firm.
"Go home. Now."
Natalie, pale and shaking, nodded and ran without looking back.
Kara took a hesitant step forward, still in shock.
"Alice… how did you —?"
"It doesn't matter," Alice cut her off, her voice carrying a quiet authority that made Kara freeze.
"What matters is that you're both safe."
Kara glanced at the men on the ground. One of them tried to get up, but Alice only looked at him, and he froze, as if his body refused to move.
"Go, Kara," she said without breaking eye contact. "I'll take care of the rest."
"And you?" Kara asked softly.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Alice's lips.
"Don't worry about me."
Kara hesitated, then slowly backed away. As she turned the corner, she glanced over her shoulder, and saw Alice vanish into the darkness of the alley, as if she'd been swallowed by the shadows themselves.
When Kara finally reached the dorm, Natalie was already there, still shaken.
"Kara…" she whispered, her voice trembling. "That girl… she's not normal."
Kara didn't answer. She just stared at the floor, her mind spinning.
Because deep down, she knew Natalie was right.
And more than ever, Kara needed to find out who Alice really was.