~Sara's POV~
It started with a headache.
A dull, persistent one that sat behind my eyes all morning, refusing to leave. By the time the fourth period began, the words on the board blurred together, and the classroom felt too loud, too bright.
I pressed my fingers against my temple and tried to breathe.
Just get through the class, I told myself.
But my body had other plans.
When the bell rang, I stood up too fast—and the room tilted.
Strong hands caught my arm before I could fall.
"Hey."
His voice.
Low. Steady.
Necole.
I froze, half from embarrassment, half from the way his touch grounded me instantly. My heart stumbled, then raced.
"I—I'm fine," I said quickly, though my legs disagreed.
He didn't let go.
"You don't look fine."
I glanced around. The class was almost empty. Mira and Evan were already gone, thankfully.
"I just need some air," I murmured.
He studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Come on."
Not a question.
A decision.
~Necole's POV~
She was lying.
Badly.
Her skin was pale, her breathing shallow, and the way she swayed told me everything I needed to know. Humans were fragile like that—pushing themselves until they broke.
I guided her toward the corridor, keeping my grip firm but careful. Her pulse fluttered under my fingers, fast and uneven.
Too fast.
I frowned.
There was something… off.
Not illness. Not fear.
Something deeper.
She leaned against the wall, eyes closed, and for a moment, I saw it—a faint shimmer in the air around her. So brief it could have been imagined.
But I never imagined things like that.
Impossible, I told myself.
And yet… my chest tightened.
~Sara's POV~
The hallway was quiet, sunlight pouring in through the windows. I slid down to sit on the floor, my head resting against the cool wall.
"Sorry," I whispered. "I didn't mean to make it awkward."
He crouched in front of me, keeping just enough distance to be respectful—but close enough that I felt safe.
"You didn't," he said.
Silence followed.
Not uncomfortable.
Not empty.
Just… there.
"I don't usually feel like this," I admitted softly. "It's just been one of those days."
He watched me carefully. "You push yourself too much."
I laughed weakly. "You sound like you know me."
"I notice things," he replied.
That made my heart skip.
~Necole's POV~
I shouldn't have stayed.
Every instinct screamed to leave, to disappear before I crossed another line. But she looked so small sitting there, arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to hold the world together.
I felt it again—that pull.
That dangerous, human urge to protect.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small bottle of water, holding it out to her.
"Drink."
She looked surprised. Then smiled.
That smile.
It hit me harder than anything else.
"Thank you," she said, fingers brushing mine as she took the bottle.
The air shifted.
Subtle.
Wrong.
For a split second, the world around us dimmed, like shadows leaning in.
I stood up abruptly.
"We should get you to the nurse."
She nodded, confused by my sudden distance.
~Sara's POV~
He was different now.
More guarded. More distant.
As we walked, I noticed his jaw clenched, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
"Did I do something wrong?" I asked quietly.
He stopped.
Turned to face me.
"No," he said immediately. Too quickly. "You didn't."
Something passed through his eyes then—fear? Regret?
Or something else entirely?
"I'm just… not good at this," he added.
At what?
Caring?
I smiled gently. "That's okay. Neither am I."
For a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something. Like words were fighting their way to the surface.
But then footsteps echoed down the hall.
And the moment was gone.
~Necole's POV (Ending)~
As she walked ahead, unaware of how close she had come to the truth, I exhaled slowly.
She felt it too.
That disturbance.
That pull.
Which meant one thing.
Her presence wasn't accidental.
And if she stayed near me any longer…
the secret I had buried so deeply wouldn't stay hidden.
Not from her.
Not for long.