bChapter /bb15 /b

Aurora’s P.O.V

The moment he stepped into the school, I felt it–the air shifting, the once–lively bleachers now thick with an almost tangible tension. Conversations dropped into hushed whispers, students who had beenughing and chatting just moments ago suddenly quieted, their gazes drawn toward the entrance like moths to a me.

I turned to Caroline, intending to ask her who he was, but the words never left my lips. She was frozen, her entire body rigid, her eyes locked onto the new guy with an expression I couldn’t quite ce. It wasn’t just a surprise. It wasn’t just recognition. It was something deeper- something unsettling. Her fingers curled around the edge of her seat, knuckles turning white, and for the first time since I had known her, Caroline looked… afraid.

“Caroline?” I whispered, nudging her shoulder gently. No response. She was trapped in whatever trance had taken hold of her, eyes wide, unblinking. A cold shiver ran down my spine.

I turned my head to follow her gaze, and that’s when I saw it–Caleb, standing in the middle of the field, his entire body tense, fists clenched at his sides. His usualid–back demeanor had evaporated, reced by something fierce and unyielding. His gaze was locked onto the new guy, the hostility rolling off him in waves. The new guy, for his part, didn’t back down. He met Caleb’s re with equal intensity, his posture calm but exuding an undeniable confidence, almost like he was daring Caleb to make a move.

The silence stretched, suffocating, until Caleb and the boy with the dark red hair met at the centre.

I didn’t know who this boy was, but I was sure that he wasn’t from our school. Because someone as gorgeous as him with dark red hair fell onto his forehead and mysterious ck clothing would’ve caught every girl’s attention in no time. To add to his persona, he was even wearing

ten rings on ten of his fingers, all made of silver and designed like skulls and crosses. It gave him an edge that also screamed danger.

Everyone in the field had suddenly lost interest in the game and their focus was now entirely on Caleb and the new guy. They were speaking in hushed voiced that didn’t reach so far out into the bleachers, but anyone could tell it was a heated argument.

It happened so fast. One second, they were just standing there, staring each other down like two predators circling, and the next, Caleb lunged. A collective gasp echoed through the field as a fight broke out between them, the new guy taking a first hit, but somehow, still had the courage tough at Caleb’s face.

Caleb’s fist swung towards the new guy, who dodged with inhuman speed before retaliating with a strike of his own. The impact was brutal- Caleb staggered back, but he recovered quickly, throwing another punch. Chaos erupted around us. Students scattered, some rushing forward to watch, others yelling for a teacher. A few brave ones tried to get in between them, only to be shoved aside as the fight escted.

Caroline suddenly shot up from her seat, her trance broken, and before I could react, she was already moving toward them. My heart pounded. Instinct took over. I grabbed her wrist, holding her back. “Caroline, don’t! You’ll get hurt!”

Her eyes snapped to mine, desperation shing across her face. “Let me go, Aurora.”

“No! It’s too dangerous-”

She yanked her hand free effortlessly, barely even noticing my grip. “Stay away from the field,” she said, voice firm, almostmanding. “You’ll get hurt.”

And then she was gone, pushing through the crowd, heading straight for the chaos.

The moment Caroline darts across the field, my breath catches in my throat. I don’t know whatpels her to move so suddenly, but there’s an urgency in the way she sprints–her golden hair flying behind her, her steps unsteady but determined. I stand frozen, my hands clenching at my sides as I watch her push past the lingering crowd, shoving herself between Caleb and the other guy.

It all happens so fast. One second, they’re locked in what looks like an intense conversation–Caleb’s jaw tight, his shoulders squared in that stubborn way of his–then Caroline is there, stepping right in, her hands pressed against Caleb’s chest as if to physically break bthe /btension. And somehowb, /bshe does.

The man staring Caleb down looks furious, his face darkening as Caroline’s intervention forces a wedge between them. He looks like he might say something to her–might even push her away—but instead, he exhales sharply, nostrils ring, and then he makes a sound, low and rough, something disturbingly close to a growl.

The hair at the back of my neck stands on end. My fingers twitch at my sides, my instincts telling me that something about him–about all of this–is off. And then, just like that, he turns. He doesn’t stalk away in defeat, though. No, he turns with purpose, throwing onest nce over his shoulder, his gaze locking onto Caleb’s.

“You’re going to lose thatst match,” he says, voiceced with something dark, something close to a promise. And then he’s gone, disappearing into the crowd like he was never there at all.

1 released a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding, my heart still hammering against my ribs. My eyes dart to Caleb, searching his face, but before I can fully take in his reaction, my gaze catches on Caroline. She’s still standing close to him, her expression soft with worry, her hands lightly gripping his arms as she says something I can’t quite hear. Caleb, usually so guarded, looks at her like she’s the only thing keeping him grounded, and then, without hesitation, he pulls her into his arms.

My stomach twists painfully. It’s irrational. Completely unfair. I have no right to feel this way. I tell myself that, over and over, but it doesn’t stop the way my chest tightens, the way my throat suddenly feels too constricted. Caleb isn’t mine. He never was. But watching him bury his face in Caroline’s shoulder, his fingers digging into the fabric of her shirt like he needs her–like she’s his safe ce–hurts more than it should.

I should look away. I should walk off, pretend I didn’t just see what I saw. But I don’t. Instead, I stand there, my feet glued to the ground, my own emotions wing at my chest, demanding to be felt even when I wish they would disappear.

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