The next day felt... normal.
Too normal.
Which made it worse.
Raya sat in her usual seat, pretending to read, pretending nothing had happened.
But her mind kept replaying it.
"If I did it would ruin everything"!!..
She shut the book harder than necessary.
"Okay" Chloe said, sliding into the seat across from her. "You're either possessed or overthinking. Which one?"
Raya didn't look up. "Neither."
A lie.
Before Chloe could push further-
A lie.
The classroom door opened.
And suddenly-
Everyone went quiet.
Not normal quiet.
The kind of quiet that meant something.
A group walked in.
Confident.
Unbothered.
Cloie mumble, they look so cool and look at the guy wearing glasses is so hwatttttt 🤏
At the front was a tall guy, hands in his pockets, scanning the room like he owned it.
Behind him-a girl with sharp eyes and an unreadable expression.
And another-leaning back, already bored.
Chloe leaned forward slightly. "New transfers"??
Raya didn't care.
Didn't even look-
Until-
"Well this place just got interesting "
The voice wasn't familiar.
But the tone was.
Raya's head lifted.
And for the first time-
She looked at them.
The guy at the front smirked slightly, his gaze moving across the room... before landing on her.
Not soft.
Not curious.
Calculated.
"Your Rachel raya right"?!
That caught attention.
Chloe frowned immediately. "And you are?....
He ignored her.
Of course he did.
His focus stayed on Raya.
Heyyy my name is kael
A pause.
Then-
"I've heard about you"
Raya's eyes narrowed slightly.
"From who?" she asked, calm-but sharp.
Kael's smirk deepened.
"From someone who doesn't like losing"
That_
That felt sooo different
Then alaric enter
Who glanced at kael
There eyes met
It looked like they are going to kill each other
There one stare was why to scaryy
Tension.
Instant.
Real.
Then the girl beside Kael stepped forward, crossing her arms.
"Ignore him he likes to be annoying "
Her eyes moved to Raya.
"Hey I'm nyra"
Unlike Kael-
She didn't smirk.
Didn't play games.
She just... watched.
Like she was already figuring Raya out.
The third one dropped ...to a chair casually.
"And I'm marina kurt. I don't care about any of this."
Chloe leaned toward Raya, whispering, "I don't like them."
"Noted," Raya muttered.
Kael chuckled under his breath.
"You should be careful raya"
Her gaze snapped back to him.
"Why?" she challenged.
He tilted his head slightly.
Then-
"Because things around you are about to get... complicated."
Raya's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You sound like a warning I didn't ask for."
Kael's lips curved, like he enjoyed that.
Before he could reply-
The teacher's voice cut through the room.
"Alright, since you three are already here-why don't you introduce yourselves properly."
A few students straightened.
All eyes shifted.
Kael didn't look at the teacher.
He was still looking at raya.
"Kael." His voice was calm, but his gaze didn't move. "That's all you need to know."
A few whispers spread.
Raya frowned.
"Confident for no reason," she muttered.
But then
The girl spoke next. Short. Cold. No extra words.
She didn't look at anyone for long.
And then-
The last one steppedThe last one stepped forward.
"Marlina Kurt."
There was a small smile on her lips, like she was holding back a joke.
"Don't worry, I'm the normal one."
A few students chuckled
Even Raya's expression shifted-just slightly.
Marlina noticed.
Of course she did.
And then-
Silence.
Because something changed.
Raya felt it before she saw it.
She turned her head-
Alaric.
Leaning back in his chair, jaw tight, eyes locked on one person
Kael
Kael noticed.
Slowly-deliberately-he leaned a little closer to Raya.
Not enough to touch.
But enough to mean something.
"You always this quiet... or just around me?"
Raya blinked, caught off guard for half a second.
I just don't like strangers."
Kael's smirk deepened.
"That can change."
A chair slammed.