Ava's Point of View
The crowd was still buzzing behind me, but I tuned it out. My footsteps echoed down the hallway, steadier than my pulse.
I didn't want anyone to see how shaken I really was—not even Kai. Especially not Kai.
That look on his face… he wasn't just surprised. He was questioning me, like he didn't recognize me at all. And maybe he shouldn't. Maybe I don't recognize myself anymore.
Ever since that night in the alley, something's been different. At first, I thought it was just adrenaline, the way my body reacted under danger. But then it happened again… and again. Each time, it felt easier, stronger, like my body wasn't mine anymore but something more.
And it scared me.
Because I know deep down—whatever this is, it didn't start with me.
I stopped, leaning against the cold locker, forcing my breath to slow. My mind flashed back to that night: the way the shadows bent around Kai, the fear in his eyes as if he was fighting not just the men attacking me, but himself. That wasn't human. And neither was what I just did in front of everyone.
Kai and I… we're connected. I don't know how, but I can feel it.
He keeps running from me, pretending nothing happened. But the more he pushes me away, the more certain I am—he's hiding something, and I need to know what it is.
I glanced over my shoulder one last time. He was still standing there, lost in thought, like the world around him had disappeared. For a moment, I wondered if he could hear my heartbeat from across the hall.
"Keep your secrets then," I whispered under my breath. "But sooner or later, Kai… you won't be the only one."
And with that, I walked on, pretending like I wasn't falling apart inside.
Because the truth was, I wasn't just afraid of what he was hiding.
I was terrified of what I was becoming.
Kai's Point of View
The hallway slowly emptied, but I stayed frozen, staring at the spot where Ava had stood.
That wasn't normal. No matter how strong she looked, no high schooler could throw someone like that without even trying. She didn't hesitate, either—it was like she knew exactly what she was capable of.
I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to calm the heat that had rushed to my face earlier. This isn't the same Ava I knew… She's stronger now. Way stronger.
For the first time in weeks, a thought crossed my mind that made me uneasy. Maybe… maybe I'm not the only one with a secret.
"Don't be stupid," the voice cut in, smooth and venomous. "You think that strength makes her trustworthy? You think power makes her safe?"
I clenched my fists. "She saved me. She didn't have to."
"She didn't save you," it hissed. "She saved herself. Betrayal doesn't come dressed as an enemy, Kai. It comes wearing the face of a friend."
The words echoed, digging deep into my skull. Betrayal. Consequences. Those were the things it kept warning me about.
But I couldn't shake the image of Ava stepping forward, fearless against those bullies. She wasn't lying when she said she was trying to save me. I felt it. I saw it.
"Then what consequences?" I muttered under my breath. My voice sounded small, even to me.
Silence answered first. Then, almost like a whisper behind the walls of my mind:
"The kind you won't survive."
I swallowed hard, the air in my lungs suddenly heavy. My reflection in the nearby glass locker stared back at me, pale and uncertain. For a second, I thought I saw something else in my eyes—something darker flickering.
I forced myself to look away, but one thought kept circling in my mind like a curse I couldn't escape:
If Ava's hiding something too… then how long before one of us breaks?