I lingered by the door longer than I should have, just staring at my enemy...—scratch that, my worst enemy—lounging on our small window couch like he paid the mortgage.

  He had a coffee cup in his hand, and Mia was sitting across from him with a look of absolute serenity. It was nauseating.

  ?His eyes locked onto mine. Without a word, he set the cup down and stood up, smoothing his sleeve with a practised, casual grace.

  ?“It was nice talking to you, Mia,” he said. I actually had to blink twice to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating. The politeness was terrifying.

  ?“What are you doing here?” I stepped forward before I could stop myself, physically blocking his path.

  ?“I mean no harm,” he said softly. The 'civilised human' act was laid on thick for Mia’s sake, but it made my skin crawl. I knew exactly what lived under that mask.

  ?“Hana, don’t be rude,” Mia cautioned. She gave me that specific side-glance—the one that promised a very long, very painful conversation once he was gone, and I stiffened.

  ?Clearly, he hadn’t mentioned the car incident. I could maybe tolerate his presence for exactly ten more seconds if it meant I didn’t have to explain yet another catastrophe.

  Maybe he was even here to black mail me!

  ?“Walk him out,” Mia commanded.

  ?I hesitated, searching for all the reasons not to. on catching another warning look from her, I pivoted on my heel to lead him to the door. on the way, i considered dragging him out just to be sure he won't return.

  The second we hit the porch, the air turned cold. I spun around, my finger nearly touching his chest.

  ?“Don’t ever come back here,” I said, my voice low and flat. “Stay away from my mother.”

  ?“Easy,” he said, raising his hands in a mock surrender. He never did anything head-on; he was a trap-setter. I’d learned that the hard way.

  ?“You already got me suspended. What else do you want?”

  ?“Actually,” he leaned in slightly, “that’s why I’m here.”

  ?My heart did a nervous little skip. “What?”

  ?“I want to be friends.”

  ?I let out a dry, jagged laugh. “Friends? With you? Not in this lifetime... What’s in it for you?”

  ?“You,” he said simply.

  ?“Me?”

  ?“You’re interesting, Hana. You’ve got more fire than anyone else in this pathetic village. when they see an impulsive girl, i see fearless. i get you more than anyone..”

  ?“I don’t give a damn what you ‘get,’” I retorted. “Just leave and don't come back.”

  “You could choose to be with me or remain my nemesis, either way I win. I’ll get a lot of fun playing with you as you’re forced to attend therapy or you could stay with me and no one will dare look down on you.”

  I knew he was right, he would win. By competing with him I only get to be sent to a doctor. But admitting that to his face would horribly

  hurt my ego.

  “Sort yourself.” I spat out.

  ?“When you’re tired of believing what they say about you... and you realise you don’t actually need ‘fixing,’ come find me.”

  ? I would rather rot in the office for eternity than stand on his side of any line. He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a murmur near my ear.

  ?“By the way? That slap was hot.”

  ?Before I could tell him to rot in hell, a sharp crack echoed from the tree line.

  ?The bushes at the edge of the yard thrashed. A deep, guttural growl vibrated through the porch boards, sinking straight into my marrow. Jaden didn’t even flinch.

  ?“Stay here,” he muttered.

  ?“Don’t,” I grabbed his arm instinctively. “Go back inside. That’s most probably a wolf.”

  ?He scoffed, shaking me off. “There are no wolves in this village.”

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  ?“Jaden, don’t be an idiot,” I hissed.

  ?He ignored me, walking towards the shadows with a terrifying amount of confidence—like he expected the bushes to apologise for

  interrupting him.

  The bushes erupted, and a massive shape lunged into the moonlight.

  ?It was the same one from weeks ago. Pale fur, eyes like blue fire. Even through the sheer terror, I could admit it was beautiful. Jaden

  stopped dead. He didn’t move a muscle, staring at the beast as if they were sharing a private joke.

  ?The wolf stared back, unblinking, its upper lip curling just enough to show bone-white teeth.

  ?Silence swallowed the yard.

  ?Then, without a word or a glance back at me, Jaden simply turned, walked to his car, and drove away. Like he decided the thing wasn’t worth his time.

  Ass hole! He could have at least tried to chase it off. But no, he instead left me there to become it's supper.

  ?The wolf lingered for a heartbeat, its gaze shifting to me. I stood my ground, refusing to let it see me shake. It didn't bare its teeth at me, its expression almost softened. Maybe it had decided i was not threat.

  After a moment, it turned and vanished back into the woods.

  ?I finally let out the breath I’d been holding. My knees felt like water, but I forced myself back inside and shoved the deadbolt home. I leaned against the door, listening to my heart try to escape my chest, wondering which of the two monsters was more dangerous.

  Abie missing school wasn’t just a surprise; it felt like an omen. I spent the day staring at her desk. I sat there like an alien—books untouched, a silent, wooden reminder of how lonely i will be without Abie and Lucie.

  I tried to drown out the thoughts by burying my head in my work, letting the hum of the fluorescent lights numb my brain until the final alarm cut through the air.

  ?Outside, the sky was bruising into a deep purple. The air was sharp, hitting my lungs in a way that made me feel small and fragile.

  ?Then I saw Jaden.

  ?He moved with that terrifying, effortless grace that made everyone else look like they’re tripping over their own feet. A couple of girls stopped in their tracks just to watch him walk.

  My heart gave a slow, heavy thud against my ribs. I knew he was coming to talk me into being his lap dog again but i was never going to agree.

  ?He didn’t bother with a 'hello.'

  ?“I have an offer for you,” he said, his voice crisp like he had practised every word.

  ?“What?” I snapped. I couldn’t stand the thought of being seen with him, lest people think us to be friends.

  ?“Easy,” he said, raising his hands.

  ?“What else do you want from me, Jaden?”

  ?“I want to be friends.”

  ?I blinked, genuinely thrown. “Friends? Go find someone else.”

  ?“I want you,” he said simply.

  ?“Why?”

  ?“You’re interesting, Hana. You’ve got more fire than anyone else in this pathetic village. They think you’re impulsive. I think you’re

  fearless...”

  ?“Aren’t we past the flattery?” I cut him off. My brain was struggling to keep up. Why was he repeating himself? And using the exact same words.

  “I don’t want to be your friend, like ever. I thought I was clear last time. The wolf incident didn’t change anything between us.”

  ?For a split second, he looked genuinely shocked, like he didn’t know a thing about the incident.

  Then, he shrugged it off. “We don’t have any wolves here. Besides, when you’re tired of believing what they say about you... when you realise you don’t actually need ‘fixing,’ come find me.”

  ?“Is that all?” I asked, my voice heavy with exhaustion. My impatience was just a thin veil for the way my skin was starting to crawl.

  I let out a jagged sigh. “Is this a performance?”

  ?He paused, giving a tiny, almost robotic shrug. “I don’t care what you choose Hana, I win either way.” He leaned in, his breath warm against my ear. “By the way... that slap was hot.”

  ?He turned and strolled back to his crew. His ”girl” Leila stared daggers at me before blowing a flying kiss that made my stomach turn.

  ?I stood there, dazed. Was I losing it? My feet moved on autopilot, carrying me towards the washroom. I leaned my forehead against the

  cold, cracked stone wall and pressed a crumpled paper to my chest. The world felt like it was sliding off its axis.

  ?Am I the one going mad? Was the wolf real? Was the porch encounter even there? I looked in the mirror, but the girl looking back didn’t have any answers. She just looked terrified and confused.

  ?I needed to see Abie. I needed someone normal—someone who made sense.

  ?The walk to her house was eerie. The late afternoon diffuse light stretched shadows across the path like long, dark fingers. When I reached her gate, my stomach twisted. The yard was dead quiet. No laughter, no footsteps.

  ?“Abie?” I called out, my voice sounding thin and echoey.

  ?Nothing.

  ?The front door creaked open under the slightest pressure. The living room was a desert. Dust clung to the corners like it hadn’t been disturbed in weeks, and that heavy smell of aged wood and mildew hit me like a wall.

  I wandered through the house, my pulse quickening. No shoes by the door. No bag on the chair. It was like she’d been erased.

  ?I tried to tell myself she was just out on an errand, but I couldn’t leave without checking every corner, the hide out!.

  The clearing behind the house, hidden by twisted trees and brambles, had always felt cozy with the three of us. Alone, it felt like a trap.

  ?I pushed through the branches, the shadows thick and heavy. On the ground, partially buried under damp leaves, I spotted a scrap of paper. I picked it up—the handwriting was a frantic, overlapping scrawl. Someone had been in a hell of a rush. I tucked it into my bag, my fingers slightly trembling.

  ?The air smelled of decay. The hideout wasn’t a fortress anymore; it was an abandoned ruin. I stepped out slowly, scanning the clearing, my skin prickling with the distinct feeling of being watched.

  ?I headed back towards the house, one last look to convince myself I was overreacting.

  ?And there was still no hope.

  ?Near the edge of the yard, bathed in the dying light, stood the man. The same man from before. He was holding a vial, watching the deep red liquid catch the light rays before injecting it into his arm—a private, grotesque ritual.

  ?My heart hammered against my ribs so hard it hurt. I started to back away, my hand white-knuckled around my bag, when a voice sliced through the silence, calling out—

  He stepped closer, the shadows stretching long across the yard, and I felt my stomach tighten. The vial in his hand glinted in the last light of the evening.

  He studied me for a moment, tilting his head, as if considering what to tell me. “What did you come here to do?”

  “I… I came to visit my friend,” I said, trying to keep my tone casual, though my chest was hammering. “Abie.”

  His gaze darkened slightly, and he shook his head. “Abie and her family…” He paused, his expression unreadable. “They’ve caught the fames disease. Her father took them away for treatment. You need to leave, now.”

  I swallowed hard, feeling a tight knot in my stomach. “I—I understand,” I said, my voice barely more than a whisper.

  He stepped closer, but there was no threat in his movement, only an intensity that made my skin prickle. His eyes flicked to my hair, lingering a moment too long. “How old are you?” he asked, the question sharp but not unkind.

  “I… I just turned eighteen last week,” I admitted, feeling suddenly exposed.

  He nodded once, almost approvingly. “Good.”

  I blinked, unsure what he meant, but before I could ask, he added softly, almost to himself, “It’s good… to be eighteen finally.”

  Then his gaze swept over me again, slow and deliberate. “Your hair… unusual.”

  I simply nodded, not trusting myself to speak, and turned towards the woods, leaving him standing there, staring after me. My heart pounded, a mixture of unease and curiosity twisting inside me.

  I made my way to the same spot where I had first found the stranger, the clearing hidden among the trees. I needed answers. I needed someone who could explain all of this.

  But for a long while, the only sound was the wind rustling through the branches, and the faint echo of my own footsteps.