Aarvin barely slept that night.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Liam crashing to the floor, the class gasping in synchronized shock, and Zane Lockhart rising from his seat like a storm about to break. His own trembling fists replayed in his mind — not with pride, but with a cold, unsettling disbelief.
By morning, the very hallways of Oakridge High felt different. Heavier. As if the building itself remembered what had happened yesterday.
**Whispers With Sharp Edges**
The moment he entered the gate, conversations dipped into murmurs.
Faces turned. Eyes followed.
"He actually punched Liam."
"That's Riyan Hale's brother?"
"Maybe he's not that weak."
Aarvin gripped his backpack straps tighter, walking faster. He didn't want attention, didn't want a reputation, and he certainly didn't want to live in his brother's shadow.
But Oakridge wasn't the kind of place where you got to choose those things.
**A Changed Classroom**
When he stepped into the class, silence spread like frost.
No snickers.
No shoves.
Just quiet evaluation.
Everyone observed him the way people study a newly discovered threat — curious, calculating, cautious. He slipped into his usual window seat, the cold metal of the desk grounding him.
Liam's absent desk made the tension even sharper.
Zane Lockhart glanced at him once.
A look without expression — and yet powerful enough to send a chill down Aarvin's spine.
Aarvin didn't know what the look meant.
He wasn't sure he wanted to.
**A Message From the Wolves**
During break, he headed to refill his bottle, hoping to disappear for a moment. But as soon as the water began to fill, a shadow leaned against the wall beside him.
Zane.
Calm. Still.
Danger wrapped in silence.
Aarvin's heart thudded painfully. He turned slowly.
Zane's voice was quiet, but carried weight.
"You surprised me yesterday."
Aarvin swallowed. "I… didn't mean to fight."
"That's the issue," Zane replied, eyes steady. "Unintentional hits in Oakridge turn into intentional wars."
Aarvin looked down. His voice came out as barely a whisper.
"I'm not Riyan."
Zane tilted his head, studying him with intrigue.
"That's *exactly* why you're interesting."
And just like that, he walked away — leaving Aarvin with a knot of dread in his stomach and a thousand questions clawing at his mind.
### **The Brother Who Already Knew**
After school, Aarvin stepped out of the gate and froze.
Riyan was waiting.
Leaning against the brick wall.
Arms crossed.
Expression unreadable.
Aarvin's pulse spiked.
"Bhai… you're here?"
Riyan didn't move. "What happened yesterday?"
Aarvin's mouth went dry. "It was just a mistake. It won't happen again."
Silence stretched. Riyan's gaze was sharp enough to cut through excuses.
"There are lines you shouldn't cross in this school, Aarvin."
Aarvin stared at the ground. "I didn't want to fight."
"That doesn't matter now," Riyan said quietly. "They've noticed you. Zane. His group. Everyone."
The words landed like weights on Aarvin's chest.
Riyan stepped past him, but said one final thing — softer, almost protective:
"Stay close to people who won't let you break."
Then he was gone.
**Standing at the Edge of Something New**
Aarvin stood alone in the empty courtyard, the sun dipping low and shadows stretching long across the cracked pavement. A breeze rustled the oak tree, as if whispering a warning.
He thought of Elena's note.
Of Zane's stare.
Of Riyan's warning.
He wasn't invisible anymore.
Oakridge High had finally turned its full attention toward him.
And attention here came with consequences.
**There was no going back.**
*To be continued…*