I made a mistake.
A big one.
Because the second I stepped into school the next morning…
Everyone was staring.
Not casually.
Not normally.
Actually staring.
"What did you do?" Amara whispered beside me, grabbing my arm like I was about to run away.
"I didn't do anything!" I whispered back, panicking.
But even I didn't believe that.
Because something had clearly changed.
And I had a feeling I knew exactly what it was.
Him.
"Wait—" Amara suddenly stopped walking.
I turned to her. "What?"
She looked at me like she had just figured something out.
"No way…"
"What?" I asked again, my heart already racing.
Her eyes widened. "Don't tell me… you didn't tell me… that he talked to you yesterday."
My silence said everything.
Her mouth dropped open.
"HE WHAT?!"
"Shhh!" I quickly covered her mouth, looking around nervously. "Lower your voice!"
But it was too late.
A few heads turned.
Whispers started.
Oh no.
Oh no no no—
"You're telling me," Amara said once I let go, her voice now barely controlled, "that he—the devil himself—stopped you and talked to you… and you didn't tell me?!"
"I was going to!" I defended quickly. "I just—didn't know how to explain it!"
"Explain it?!" she whisper-yelled. "There is nothing to explain! He does not talk to people!"
"I'm people," I muttered.
"Not to him, you're not!" she shot back.
I froze.
Because… that didn't sound wrong.
"Hey."
A voice cut in.
We both turned.
It was one of the girls from our class—Lina—standing there with a curious look on her face.
"I heard something…" she said slowly. "Is it true?"
My stomach dropped.
"Is what true?" I tried to act clueless.
"That he talked to you."
Too late.
Way too late.
"I—no—it wasn't like that—" I started, but my words tangled together.
Lina raised an eyebrow. "So he did talk to you."
"I mean—yes—but—"
Amara suddenly stepped in front of me. "Okay, why does it matter?"
Lina crossed her arms. "Because it's weird."
Weird.
Yeah.
That was one way to put it.
"He doesn't just walk up to people," she continued. "So why her?"
Her.
Not even my name.
Just… her.
I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around my bag.
"I don't know," I said quietly.
And that was the truth.
But someone else did.
Because from across the hallway…
I felt it again.
That feeling.
Like eyes on me.
Slowly—carefully—I turned my head.
And there he was.
Leaning casually against the lockers, dressed in black like always, looking completely unaffected by the chaos around him.
But his eyes…
They were on me.
Again.
My breath hitched.
"Don't look now," Amara whispered, "but he's literally staring at you."
Too late.
I was already caught.
For a moment, neither of us looked away.
Not him.
Not me.
It was like yesterday all over again.
That same tension.
That same pull.
That same dangerous feeling I couldn't explain.
Then—
He pushed himself off the locker.
And started walking toward us.
"Oh my gosh," Amara grabbed my arm tightly. "Why is he coming here?!"
"I don't know!" I whispered, panic rising fast.
People were moving out of his way.
Of course they were.
They always did.
The hallway seemed to split just for him.
And somehow…
He ended up right in front of me.
Again.
"You."
One word.
That was all it took.
My heart completely lost control.
"M-me?" I asked, even though it was obvious.
His gaze didn't leave mine.
"Yes."
Everything around us went quiet.
Too quiet.
Like everyone was watching.
Because they were.
"Walk with me."
My brain stopped working.
"…What?"
"I don't repeat myself," he said calmly.
Of course he didn't.
Why would he?
People listened the first time.
Always.
"I—" I glanced at Amara, completely helpless.
Her eyes were wide.
Shocked.
Excited.
Terrified.
All at once.
"Go," she mouthed silently.
Traitor.
I turned back to him, my heart racing like crazy.
"Okay…" I said softly.
And just like that…
I stepped into his world.
The walk was silent.
Painfully silent.
I stayed a step behind him, unsure of what to do, what to say, how to even breathe properly.
Why did he want me here?
What was this?
What did he want?
"Why were you avoiding me?"
His voice suddenly broke the silence.
I blinked. "I wasn't—"
"You were."
Straightforward.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
"I just…" I struggled to find the right words. "I didn't think you'd want to talk to me again."
That was safe.
That was honest.
Kind of.
He slowed down slightly.
Not stopping.
Just enough to notice.
"And why is that?" he asked.
Because you're dangerous.
Because everyone is scared of you.
Because I like you more than I should.
"…Because you don't talk to people," I said instead.
A pause.
Then—
"I'm talking to you."
My heart flipped.
Hard.
We stopped.
I hadn't even noticed where we were until I looked up.
It was quiet.
Empty.
Away from everyone.
Of course it was.
He turned to face me fully now.
And suddenly, everything felt too real.
Too close.
Too intense.
"Do you know who I am?" he asked.
A chill ran through me.
"Yes."
A simple answer.
But it held so much more.
Rumors.
Fear.
Secrets.
His eyes studied mine carefully.
"Then you should know better," he said quietly.
"Know better than what?"
"Than getting close to me."
My chest tightened.
But I didn't step back.
I didn't run.
I didn't look away.
Instead…
I said the one thing I probably shouldn't have.
"What if I don't want to?"
Silence.
Heavy.
Dangerous silence.
Something shifted in his expression.
Not anger.
Not surprise.
Something deeper.
Something darker.
For a second… I thought I made a mistake.
A big one.
But then—
A small, almost invisible smirk touched his lips.
And that was worse.
Way worse.
"Then that's your problem," he said.
But his eyes said something else.
Something I couldn't ignore.
Something that felt like the beginning of something I wouldn't be able to escape.
And for the first time…
It didn't feel like I was the only one in danger anymore.