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The air in the cemetery was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying lilies. It was midnight, and the only light came from a few flickering streetlamps that struggled against the torrential downpour.
Gabriella was a ghost of her former self. Drenched, her school uniform clinging to her skin like a second layer of grief, she was on her knees in the mud. She wasn't just crying; she was breaking. Her sobs were muffled by the rhythmic drumming of the rain against the cold stone of Kevin's tomb.
Suddenly, the heavy pelt of rain stopped hitting her shoulders. A shadow stretched over her, and a black umbrella tilted perfectly to shield her from the storm. Gabriella turned her head slowly.
Standing there was Felix. His usual playful spark was gone, replaced by a look of deep, aching concern. Their eyes locked—hers bloodshot and stinging, his dark and steady.
The Cemetery Confession
Minutes passed. The storm began to tire, the heavy rain tapering off into a soft mist. They remained by the grave, the silence between them heavy.
"I know the pain," Felix said, his voice hesitant, cracking the quiet. "Losing someone close... to us. Don't worry, Gabriella."
Gabriella turned back to the tombstone, her eyes still rimmed with red. She let out a hollow, chilling chuckle. "I'm not crying because of that," she whispered, her tone turning ice-cold. "I'm crying because I lost again. In front of the wolves." She looked up at him, her eyes glowing with unshed tears and a sudden, sharp intensity. "Even a wolf... is acting like a sheep these days."
She stared at Kevin's photo etched into the stone. "They don't know my resilience. Once I fix my mind on something, no one can change it."
Felix stepped back, confused. "I don't understand, Gabriella."
She offered a small, ghost-like smile—the kind that didn't reach her eyes. "It's better if you don't. Anyway... thanks for being here. But why? At this hour?"
"I didn't follow you," Felix said, his voice softening as he gestured toward the other side of the path. "Today was my parents' wedding anniversary. I came to visit them."
Gabriella's eyes followed his gaze to two matching tombstones adorned with a faded photo of a smiling couple. "I'm so sorry, Felix," she murmured.
"It's okay," he replied.
"Gabriella!"
A tall figure emerged from the shadows, half-drenched and breathless. It was Han, her brother. The moment Gabriella saw him, the wall of cold resilience crumbled. She rushed into his arms, sobbing louder than before, burying her face in his soaked jacket.
"What happened?" Han asked, his voice thick with worry as he held her tight.
"You were right," she choked out against his chest. "I shouldn't have believed him."
Han's jaw tightened. Jake,you broke my other sister's heart too, he thought, his blood boiling. I won't leave you in peace for this. He gently stroked Gabriella's hair, his eyes meeting Felix's. Felix didn't say a word, but his phone screen brightened in the dark. He had already shared their GPS location to Han's phone. A silent alliance was formed in the rain.
The Dream and the Debt
Across town, in the sterile silence of her apartment, Lara was lost in a memory.
In her dream, the sun was shining through the classroom windows. She was watching Kevin study, his brow furrowed in concentration. He looked up and smiled—that bright, "Ms,Genius" smile he only gave her.
"How's the project?" he asked.
"Done," she laughed, grabbing his hand. "Come with me."
She led him to the school garden, her heart racing. She covered his eyes with her soft palms, then whispered, "Look." In front of them was a rare, shimmering flower in a ceramic pot.
"Where did you get this?" Kevin asked, breathless.
"Nothing is impossible for me," Lara replied.
In his excitement, Kevin pulled her into a deep, warm hug. Lara closed her eyes in the dream, feeling her heartbeat thundering against her ribs, savoring the warmth of his arms.
Chime.
Lara bolted upright in bed, the dream dissolving into the dark reality of her room. Her phone was glowing on the nightstand. It was a message from Ronnie.
Why aren't you replying? You're avoiding me so suddenly. What happened, Lara?
Lara's eyes wavered. A single, hot tear rolled down her cheek. She didn't type back. She couldn't.
The Vow of the Enemy
In a dark room filled with the scent of old paper and bitterness, Jake sat motionless. The only light came from his phone's lock screen: a selfie of him and Gabriella, both radiant and smiling.
His face was a mask of stone. "I loved you," he whispered to the empty room. "Even knowing you were my enemy... I believed you loved me back."
He let out a jagged, painful laugh. "But I didn't know you were so cunning. You approached me just to get your revenge on me and my friends."
He stared at her smiling face one last time. "From now on, you have to face me first. Before you reach my friends, I will demolish every plan you've made. I will be your ruin."
In a fit of sudden, violent rage, he swept his hand across the bedside table. Decorative gifts, framed photos, and mementos shattered against the floor.
Jake didn't flinch when a shard of glass sliced his palm. He watched the dark blood drip onto the floor, his eyes darkening until they looked like twin voids.
"We aren't lovers anymore," he said, his voice dropping to a deadly, quiet calm. "We're war."
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To be continued...
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