E.Y.E.S: FRACTURED DESTINY
Arc 1: Sync of Destiny
Morning had barely started, but the heat already felt like it was eleven in the damn morning.
The sun was being a little bitch.
And then there was...
The smell of sweaty kids pretending to be innocent for the school assembly.
At the school gate, which was still relatively empty, stood a lone figure.
Alone.
Silent.
But her aura?
ABSOLUTELY DEADLY.
Evana.
Vice president of the student council.
The scariest girl in school after the list of sins you've committed as a kid.
Pastel-colored hair tied into twin tails like some loli anime character, even though her personality was closer to a street thug who'd just lost a bet.
A black beanie covered part of her head.
Oversized glasses hid half her face, but those sharp eyes could still stab straight through your soul.
Her steps were slow. Her white Converse sneakers were already dirty.
Her uniform was neat, with a red ribbon pinned to her chest.
And her pride?
BIG ENOUGH TO HAVE ITS OWN ZIP CODE.
Evana stood motionless, one hand tucked into her hoodie pocket.
The other...
Was holding a student council baton.
Nobody knew what it was for.
But usually?
It was for knocking some dumbass on the head when they tried sneaking away instead of attending the morning assembly.
Her eyes swept across every corner of the school.
Her expression was blank. Unmoving.
Terrifying.
"...Five more minutes," she murmured.
Her voice?
Calm.
But anyone who heard it immediately felt the sudden urge to repent for every shitty thing they'd ever done.
"If they don't show up..." She exhaled slowly. "...I'm collecting their shinbones."
A smile appeared on her face.
Thin.
Impossible to tell whether she was happy...
Or had just murdered the last remaining shred of her humanity.
Suddenly...
Footsteps.
Two silhouettes approached from down the street, slowly getting closer to the school gate.
Krish.
Srada.
Krish walked casually.
His denim jacket hung half-open.
A tool bag dangled from one shoulder.
His slicked-back hair was just messy enough to look intentional.
His expression?
Couldn't give less of a damn.
As if the entire world could explode right this second and he'd still be wondering what he should eat for lunch.
Srada followed behind him.
Her face was scrunched up like she'd just been kidnapped by a tiny demon.
She was still traumatized from riding that cursed motorcycle whose exhaust fumes had made her lungs want a refund.
Krish stopped in front of Evana.
Their eyes met.
Silence.
No wind. No sound.
Just the sound of crickets.
KRIIIIINGGGG!!
The crickets had a damn phone alarm.
Krish didn't give a shit. He glanced at Srada instead.
Then he grabbed her hand.
Srada blinked.
"Hey! What the hell?!"
But he didn't let go.
Her cheeks turned a faint shade of red.
Her heart, meanwhile, was screaming:
HOLY SHIT, HE'S HOLDING MY HAND?!
Evana tilted her head slightly, looking down at their joined hands.
One eyebrow rose.
"...Sweet."
Her voice was flat.
But her eyes?
Absolutely mocking them.
Srada's eyes widened.
SHIT! SHE SAW THAT!
Krish remained completely unfazed.
His expression practically said, What's your problem, Van?
And right at that moment...
A TERRIFYING PRESENCE EMERGED FROM BEHIND EVANA.
Heavy footsteps.
CLICK. CLICK. CLICK.
Every heel strike sounded like it was about to crack the Earth in half.
Terra.
The student council president.
Beautiful.
Brutal.
A creamy-blonde bob framed her face.
Her skin was flawless.
Golden bracelets jingled around her wrist every time she moved, producing the unmistakable sound effect of rich-people money.
Her pride?
As tall as Mount Fuji.
Hell, even Fuji felt insecure standing next to her.
She walked slowly.
Her gaze was sharp.
Her expression cold and elegant, with just the slightest hint of a smile—the kind that made boys immediately reconsider their career plans and wonder if they could become a clothesline in her backyard.
"Krish."
She said only his name.
One word.
Yet her aura was so cold it felt like someone had dragged the entire room to the North Pole.
Krish turned his head slightly.
"Hmm?"
Cool.
Relaxed.
He wasn't even smoking, but he already had the vibe of a guy casually puffing on a Marlboro beside a rice field.
Terra approached him.
She looked him up and down.
Her eyes remained fixed on him.
Then she turned toward Srada.
"You. Get to the field. The assembly's about to start."
Her voice was cold and firm—the kind of upperclassman tone that made you start walking before your brain even had time to process the command.
Then she looked back at Krish.
"...And you. Stop loitering around the gate like some homeless bum if you don't even go to this school. You're blocking the entrance."
Srada was still pouting, but a tiny shiver ran through her.
She glanced at Terra, whose icy aura was practically freezing the air around them.
But Krish?
Still didn't give a damn.
A few seconds passed.
For some reason, everyone went quiet.
Then Krish smirked slightly.
"What? You guys spacing out? Waiting for me or something?"
OH, HE DID NOT.
Terra's cheeks turned red.
For exactly one blink.
Then her usual cold expression returned.
"Don't flatter yourself."
The standard response.
But her steps wobbled just a little.
Krish slowly released Srada's hand and gently nudged her toward the school gate.
"Come on, shorty. Get inside. I gotta go before Ms. Markonah gets pissed waiting for her fan."
Srada nodded, still pouting, and walked into the school alone, leaving Krish behind as he turned back toward his motorcycle.
Evana remained silent.
She watched their backs as the two headed in opposite directions.
Her eyes gleamed faintly.
She adjusted her glasses.
"Time to HUNT."
Evana began walking slowly, spinning the baton around her fingers like a weapon designed to make someone's head spontaneously regret existing.
Her eyes swept through every corner of the hallway.
Her breathing was steady, but every little puff of air from her nose carried the energy of someone determined to kill every last one of your past sins.
"...They're here," she whispered, glancing from side to side.
Her Converse sneakers scraped against the floor.
Scritch. Scritch.
It sounded like the theme song of a horror movie.
She slowly pulled open a classroom door.
"Assalamu alaikum..."
Her voice was gentle.
But it was the kind of gentle voice your mom used right before announcing that SOMEONE WAS ABOUT TO HAVE A REALLY BAD DAY.
BANG!
She kicked the door open.
The classroom was empty.
There was only one slightly ajar chair.
And two pairs of hole-ridden sandals.
The sour stench of expired cheese drifted through the air like the nostalgic aroma of school-related sins.
Evana closed her eyes for a moment.
"They actually think they can escape?"
She tilted her neck.
CRACK. CRACK.
Her neck sounded like an old wooden door that desperately needed maintenance.
"Just you wait..."
She continued down the hallway.
Behind a wall, THREE BORED LITTLE IDIOTS were hiding.
Their faces were pale.
One was picking his nose.
One was crying.
And the last had already accepted his fate like a guy about to get circumcised for the second time.
"Dude... holy shit... IT'S EVANA! WE SHOULD RUN!"
"SHUT UP! YOUR BREATHING'S TOO LOUD!"
"THAT AIN'T ME, BRO!"
"THEN WHO THE HELL IS IT? A GHOST?!"
"Uh... I think it's..."
Turns out, that heavy breathing...
Was already right behind them.
EVANA WAS PEEKING THROUGH THE VENTILATION WINDOW.
Her eyes were sharp.
Her teeth seemed to be grinding against each other like someone was sanding them down with sandpaper.
Okay, not literally.
But the vibes were there.
"Oh? What are you boys doing here?"
Her voice sounded like a school counselor about to read your report card.
Except every single grade was a record of your sins.
They immediately screamed in unison.
"WE'RE SORRY, SENPAI! WE WERE TOTALLY GOING TO THE ASSEMBLY! WE WERE JUST HIDING FOR A SECOND BECAUSE... BECAUSE... WE WERE TRYING TO GET RID OF A BAT!!!"
"A BAT?! THIS IS A HALLWAY, NOT A CAVE!!!"
"SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU IDIOT!!!"
Evana inhaled.
Slowly.
A little morning exercise.
Her baton rose.
BONK!
One kid somehow ended up stuck on the roof.
CRASH!
Another face-planted into a trash can.
CLONK!
The last one vanished into thin air.
Nobody knew where the hell he went.
Evana continued walking.
Searching for her next target.
She was approaching the back hallway now.
A place that might as well have been a restricted combat zone.
It was where students usually escaped to when they wanted to skip class and head to the internet café.
Or...
Where Krishna liked to hide.
Evana stopped in a corner.
She crouched down.
Sunlight reflected off her eyes.
She nudged her glasses upward.
"Krishna... Krishna..."
A thin smile crept across her face.
"My little stray cat..."
Her voice was quiet, but filled with vengeance.
"We're basically Tom and Jerry at this point. Except when I catch you, I'm not gonna bite you..."
She raised the baton and kissed its tip.
"...I'm gonna beat you so badly you'll be waiting for your mom to show up with a hammer."
The sun climbed higher.
The school field was packed with students standing in neat rows.
Well, pretending to stand in neat rows.
Some had their elbows pressed against their friends' mouths.
Others were quietly flicking pebbles at the shoes of the people in front of them.
A few stood perfectly still, their eyes darting around like chicken thieves waiting for the right opportunity.
At the front of the girls' line, everyone seemed relatively well-behaved.
Some were fighting to stay awake.
Others were already gossiping in their group chats.
But there was ONE GIRL who stood out.
She stood at the very front of the girls' line.
Back straight.
White-and-gray school uniform, with a red ribbon that was actually neat.
Not that fake-ass kind of neat where you just tuck everything in and pray nobody notices.
Her long brown hair was tied halfway up, the color soft and warm like Starbucks caramel.
Her skin was as delicate-looking as morning dew.
And her face...
Oh, her face.
The very definition of "the daughter-in-law every mom at a neighborhood gathering dreams of."
She was the girl with the HALF-BUN.
Her name?
SHHHHH...
Not yet.
Let you guys scratch your heads and maybe a wall or two trying to figure it out.
She stood quietly.
But her eyes?
They were moving.
Searching.
Looking for someone.
Her gaze swept across the boys' line.
She inspected them one by one like a barcode scanner at an Indomaret convenience store.
Where is he...?
Her clear eyes kept searching.
Searching for KRISHNA.
Who, for the record, was VERY different from Krish, who was currently standing near the front of the boys' line, looking effortlessly handsome and completely unbothered while—
The half-bun girl glanced to her right, toward the boys.
And all she found was...
Hamada picking his ear.
Ucup playing some chicken-ninja game on his phone.
Bradon pretending to pay attention to the ceremony when he was actually half-asleep.
Tadashi chewing on a pen like he was suffering from a nutritional deficiency.
And Adit smacking a mosquito before flicking its corpse onto Bradon's shoe.
"...Huh? Why... isn't he here?" she murmured.
Her eyelashes fluttered slightly.
Suddenly, someone gently tapped her shoulder from behind.
Srada.
Still radiating the energy of someone suffering from a severe, chronic case of being pissed off.
"Hey."
Srada leaned in a little.
"What's up with you?"
Her voice sounded like she'd been holding back the urge to smack someone upside the head, but was still trying to be polite.
By Srada's standards, anyway.
The half-bun girl flinched slightly.
Her cheeks turned pink.
Yep.
A delicate blush appeared on her face, like she'd just gotten some blush applied.
Except she hadn't.
"N-Nothing," she said softly.
She sneaked another glance toward the boys' line.
And there...
He was still nowhere to be found.
The half-bun girl fell silent for a moment.
Then her inner monologue kicked in.
Oh, God... WHERE THE HELL IS THAT GUY?!
He's usually the loudest idiot during assembly!
Everyone else stands quietly, but he starts doing backflips!
Everyone else sings the national anthem, and he starts singing the Ultraman theme song!
She took a deep breath.
Wait a second...
Don't tell me...
DON'T TELL ME HE ACTUALLY RAN AWAY?!
Her eyes widened slightly.
Her imagination began running wild.
WHAT IF HE DISGUISED HIMSELF AS THE FLAGPOLE?!
She turned toward the flagpole.
Nobody was there.
Just a metal pole.
But her brain was still going full speed.
WHAT IF HE JOINED THE FLAG-RAISING SQUAD AND DISGUISED HIMSELF AS A CEREMONIAL GUARD?!
She glanced toward the student flag-raising team.
Still no Krishna.
Srada was standing behind her, watching suspiciously.
"...You're looking for Krishna, aren't you?"
Her voice was calm.
But her face?
She looked like a gossip-page admin who'd just discovered the juiciest scandal of the year.
She was waiting for an answer she could screenshot.
The half-bun girl immediately panicked.
"H-Huh? No! Of course not!"
Her cheeks turned even redder.
At this point, she looked like a strawberry that had been drowned in Marjan syrup.
Her inner monologue exploded.
FUCK! SHE CAUGHT ME!!!
SHOULD I MAKE UP AN EXCUSE?! SHOULD I FAINT RIGHT HERE?!
She coughed awkwardly.
"...Hehe. It's hot today, isn't it?"
Srada gave her a thin grin.
"It's barely seven in the morning."
Her inner monologue kept going.
Stay calm. I need to stay calm.
Stop thinking about him! You're gonna give yourself away!
If she finds out, she's gonna roast me alive!
And then...
Srada casually dropped the bomb.
"Hey. You like him, don't you?"
Her tone was relaxed.
But the question went straight through her bones.
The half-bun girl froze.
Her blood rushed all the way to the top of her head.
"Huh? N-No! Seriously! What are you talking about?!"
She forced a stiff smile.
Her inner monologue went nuclear.
SHE GOT ME!!! THAT LITTLE—!!!
Meanwhile, while everyone else was lining up for the morning assembly...
At Krish and Krishna's house?
Silence.
Peace.
Tranquility...
BUT THE KIND THAT MAKES YOU SUSPICIOUS.
Inside Krishna's bedroom...
The lights were barely on.
The curtains were closed.
The air conditioner was running.
The room was cool.
Not angelically cool.
More like a little demon enjoying his vacation.
Krishna...
Was still dead asleep, stuck to his bed like a gecko glued to a bedsheet.
He hugged his bolster tightly, his legs wrapped around it.
His mouth hung open.
Drool dripped from the corner of his lips.
Peaceful...
Yet deeply disturbing.
A faint smile played across his face.
A sinister smile.
His left hand...
Was gently stroking the surface of his bolster.
His lips moved in a whisper.
"Srada... don't go anywhere, okay...? I'll protect you..."
His voice was soft.
Gentle.
But CREEPY AS HELL.
Then...
He kissed the bolster.
"Mmm... smells nice... like gasoline mixed with jasmine flowers..."
And at that exact moment...
At school...
Srada was standing on the assembly field.
Suddenly...
She got CHILLS.
Her pout reached maximum power.
Then—
BRRRRRRR!!!
Every hair on her body stood on end.
She muttered under her breath.
"...Uh, why do I suddenly feel like some tiny demon just spat on me?"
Back at home...
Krishna...
Was still wearing that devilish smile.
His hips wiggled a little.
Nobody knew why.
And suddenly...
Something fell from the bedroom ceiling.
Plop!
Soft.
Warm.
Slightly slippery.
It landed right on his cheek.
Krishna, still half-asleep, mumbled:
"Hmm...? What's this?"
He gently felt it with his fingers.
"Damn, that's soft..."
He pulled it a little.
"Wait... why does it smell weird?"
He brought it toward his nose.
SNNNNIIIIFFFFF.
His eyes snapped open.
"OH, MY GOD! GECKO SHIT!!!"
He immediately screamed like a cow being slaughtered with a spoon.
"HOLY SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!"
He flung the biological weapon toward the door.
It hit the wall instead.
Leaving a mark.
A stain so disgusting that even the paint seemed ready to throw in the towel.
Krishna leaped out of bed.
He was breathing like he'd just run a marathon.
His face looked like someone who'd just taken a deep breath from a diesel truck's exhaust pipe.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS THING?!"
He wiped his face with his sleeve.
Which was a terrible idea, considering the sleeve was already covered in his own drool.
In the living room, however, the world continued to function as usual.
Takashima sat on the couch.
Barefoot.
His sarong rolled up around his legs.
His feet rested on the coffee table.
A cup of coffee occupied his right hand.
A cigarette sat in his left.
He smoked while watching a soap opera at an unnecessarily high volume.
Its title?
LOVE WITH A PORCUPINE.
Takashima took a slow sip of coffee.
Smoke curled above his head like a storm cloud.
Krishna emerged from his bedroom...
Still gasping for air.
He staggered past Takashima.
Then dragged himself toward the bathroom.
One hand pressed against his forehead.
Water splashed everywhere.
Krishna practically threw himself into the bathtub.
He scrubbed his face.
Applied soap with all the precision of a drunk raccoon.
Used shampoo with absolutely no regard for human dignity.
He scooped water with a dipper like he was watering a flowerpot.
At one point, he gently slammed his head against the bathroom tiles.
Finally, Krishna emerged from the bathroom.
Soaking wet.
A towel hung around his neck.
His steps dragged across the floor.
He shuffled into the living room.
"Uncle... what time is it?" he asked, his voice rough and sleepy.
Takashima glanced at him.
"Seven twenty."
Completely relaxed.
Krishna rubbed his chin.
His lips immediately curled into a pout.
"Shit... I'm late again."
He turned around to head back to his bedroom.
Then Takashima casually spoke up.
"Oh, right. Srada came by earlier."
His tone was flat.
Krishna froze.
Slowly, he turned his head.
"...HUH? WHO?"
His eyes bulged.
Takashima raised an eyebrow.
"Srada. She came over."
He took another sip of coffee.
Smoke drifted upward.
That little sluuuurp sounded like the soundtrack to Krishna's impending doom.
Krishna stared at him.
"SRADA WAS HERE?!"
He paused.
Then something clicked.
"HOLY SHIIIIIT!!!"
He bolted back into his bedroom.
Inside...
Krishna was gasping for air.
His eyes were still wide open, like a busted neon sign.
"THE BOOK! SRADA'S BOOK!!!"
He immediately tore through his study desk.
Test papers flew everywhere.
There was even an old exam cheat sheet scribbled on a Relaxa candy wrapper.
"WHERE THE HELL DID I PUT THAT BOOK?!"
He searched everywhere.
He even checked under his bed.
His inner monologue exploded.
FUCK! IT'S BEEN A WHOLE WEEK AND I STILL HAVEN'T RETURNED IT!!!
AND I ONLY BORROWED IT TO TAKE NOTES! I DIDN'T EVEN OPEN THE DAMN THING!!!
Krishna scratched his head furiously.
He was about two seconds away from rolling around on the floor.
But eventually...
He gave up.
"Whatever. I'll deal with it later. I'll just use the classic excuse... the book got eaten by Uncle Takashima."
He nodded to himself.
"Perfect. Bulletproof."
Meanwhile, somewhere inside his brain:
YOU'RE SO SCREWED, YOU ABSOLUTE MORON.
A little while later, Krishna emerged from his bedroom.
He was wearing his full school uniform...
Except he'd skipped one button at the top.
His tie was crooked.
His pants were still half-wet.
His socks didn't even match.
He'd thrown on whatever jacket he could find.
His sling bag had a split seam along the side.
He walked into the living room.
Takashima glanced at him.
"Ready?"
Krishna nodded lazily.
"Mhm."
Takashima reached behind a sofa cushion.
He pulled out some loose change from a spot patched up with leftover Alteco glue.
Then he handed Krishna two thousand rupiah.
No envelope.
No ceremonial blessing.
Just a wrinkled old hand and a worn-out bill.
Krishna stared at the money.
For a long time.
Silently.
He didn't even take it.
His eyes narrowed.
"...Are you seriously giving me THIS much?"
Takashima remained completely relaxed.
"For snacks."
Krishna glanced at the two-thousand-rupiah bill again.
No mistake.
It really did say two thousand.
Not two million.
Not twenty thousand.
Two thousand.
T-W-O T-H-O-U-S-A-N-D.
Krishna's inner monologue:
ARE MY EYES BROKEN, OR IS THIS REALLY TWO GRAND?!
Krishna rubbed his chest dramatically.
"This won't even cover Ucup's snacks!"
Smoke drifted upward again.
For some reason, it almost looked like it was spelling out:
GET A DAMN JOB.
Krishna bit his lip.
Then slapped his forehead.
"Okay, but where's my angkot fare?!"
Takashima fell silent.
His eyes narrowed.
"...Right."
"Listen," Takashima said.
He looked Krishna straight in the eyes.
"You're not gonna head straight to the internet café, are you?"
A tiny smile appeared on his face.
Krishna immediately held his breath.
His eyes widened.
"No! NO, UNCLE! I SWEAR!"
He took a step forward.
One hand pressed against his chest.
"I'M NOT GOING TO THE INTERNET CAFÉ! SERIOUSLY! I'M A GOOD KID, UNCLE!"
He put on his most pitiful expression.
The same face he usually used to beg for a discount on pentol from the street vendor down the alley.
His pupils widened.
His eyebrows drooped.
His lips formed a desperate little smile.
Takashima said nothing.
He looked Krishna up and down.
From his head...
All the way to those mismatched socks.
His internal monologue was simple.
Disgusting. That little con artist.
Krishna doubled down.
"Uncle, PLEASE! I'M ALREADY LATE! YOU WANT ME TO WALK ALL THE WAY THERE?! WHAT IF MY LEGS TURN INTO TURKEY LEGS?! ARE YOU GONNA TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT?!"
He bent forward, his bag dangling from one hand while he awkwardly spread his legs for dramatic effect.
"LOOK! I'M ALREADY LATE! THE ASSEMBLY MIGHT BE OVER BY THE TIME I GET THERE! THEN EVERYONE'S GONNA THINK I'M A DAMN HOMELESS GUY!"
Takashima remained silent.
He took another sip of coffee.
Then bit down on the cigarette between his lips.
Finally, he spoke in a low voice.
"If I give you the money, will you promise me something?"
His eyes glinted faintly.
Krishna nodded rapidly.
"I PROMISE! I SWEAR! I'M A GOOD, WELL-BEHAVED KID! I'M GOING STRAIGHT TO SCHOOL, STRAIGHT TO THE ASSEMBLY, AND STRAIGHT BACK HOME! NO DETOURS! NO INTERNET CAFÉS! AND I'M DEFINITELY NOT PLAYING WITH ASEP!"
He let out an awkward laugh.
Takashima took a deep breath.
A VERY long one.
Long enough to last two whole years.
Long enough for a mosquito to bite Krishna's ear three times.
Finally...
Takashima handed him fifteen thousand rupiah.
Krishna caught the money with both hands.
"You're full of excuses, you know that?" Takashima muttered.
His eyes peeked through the cigarette smoke.
Krishna immediately took Takashima's hand and pressed it to his forehead in a respectful greeting.
He bowed so low his head almost kissed the floor tiles.
"YES, SIR! I'M A DEVOTED NEPHEW! I'M GOING TO SCHOOL! STRAIGHT THERE!!!"
Krishna walked out of the house.
Casual steps.
Shoulders raised.
Bag swinging back and forth.
Nostrils flaring.
His wallet now held two bills' worth of money:
Fifteen thousand rupiah...
Plus the original two thousand.
His heart was at peace.
His smile was wide.
BUT...
Deep inside...
A tiny voice whispered:
Maybe I'll stop by the internet café for a bit once I'm done. Just to mess with Asep.
Krishna grinned to himself.
He stepped outside, walking casually with his sling bag hanging diagonally across his body.
His feet dragged along the pavement.
His eyes were still half-asleep.
But his mood?
Fantastic.
Uncle Takashima trusted him now.
Suddenly, Takashima called out from inside the house.
"HEY! YOU DIDN'T EVEN SAY ASSALAMU ALAIKUM!"
Krishna turned halfway around.
He flashed his most innocent smile.
"WA ALAIKUM ASSALAM, UNCLE! SORRY, I FORGOT!"
He then slipped toward the roadside.
Time to catch an angkot.
He checked the clock on his phone.
THE DEADLINE OF DOOM WAS APPROACHING.
"Shit, I'm gonna be late."
He looked around, squinting as dust got into his eyes.
In the distance, a green angkot appeared.
Slowly.
Moving like a cat that had just slammed into a frying pan.
Krishna took off running.
Quick footsteps.
His bag bouncing violently against his back.
"HEYYYY! WAIT UP, DAMMIT!!!"
He threw his arm into the air.
His feet skidded slightly.
"BRO, CAN YOU STOP FOR A SECOND?!"
But the driver didn't give a damn.
He barely touched the gas.
Krishna ran even harder.
He was panting like crazy when he suddenly veered past some bushes by the roadside.
Something caught the corner of his left eye.
A strange movement.
Slowly...
He heard something.
He couldn't quite make it out.
But...
His eyes snapped toward the source.
The bushes.
Thick.
Overgrown.
There was a tiny gap between the leaves.
And inside it...
A PAIR OF EYES.
GLOWING.
BLUE.
COLD.
PIERCING.
They didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Didn't even twitch.
One thing was certain.
THAT SHIT WAS NOT NORMAL.
Krishna immediately picked up the pace.
But those eyes kept following him.
Still.
Expressionless.
Watching him through the leaves.
Their blue glow was almost blinding.
Krishna was practically running on fumes by the time he finally caught up with the angkot.
He grabbed the door.
"BRO! STOP! I'M GETTING IN!"
The driver glanced at him.
"What's the rush, kid? You being chased by the tax authorities or something?"
Krishna flashed a crooked grin.
"Nah... just being chased by a deadline."
His chest rose and fell rapidly.
His eyes darted toward the window.
The bushes.
They were empty.
Nobody was there anymore.
But...
He could still feel it.
Something was watching him.
Krishna sat silently.
His shoulders rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath.
Holy shit... what the hell was that?
It looked like... eyes.
He forced a nervous grin.
Outside...
The blue eyes were still there.
Still watching.
Still locked onto Krishna.
Silent.
TO BE CONTINUED...
But don't worry, our relationship isn't what's getting left hanging. 😜
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