SHADOWS

10. INVISIBLE STRING

Two weeks had gone by.

During that time, a series of animal attacks plagued the town—though to Dean, something about them felt off. Ever since his unsettling encounter with Toji, his gut told him there was more at play. But Toji had disappeared, and Dean hadn't seen or heard from him since.

What happened to Acey two weeks ago had stuck with Dean most. He was almost certain now: it wasn't an animal that had attacked her.

When their group visited Acey in the hospital, she had looked utterly shattered—silent, withdrawn, as if the world around her no longer made sense. Since then, she hadn't returned to class. Not even once.

Her parents brought her to therapy, hoping for answers or progress. But the session had ended in silence. Acey spent the entire hour staring blankly at the wall, unresponsive, unreachable. It was as if she were trapped in a void where no one else existed. The trauma had locked her inside her own mind, her thoughts consumed by that terrible night. The memory looped endlessly—over and over—becoming a living nightmare she couldn't wake from.

Meanwhile, Dean and Ilena had only grown closer. Ilena still wasn't sure what exactly was blossoming between them, but it was hard not to notice the way Dean looked at her when he thought she wasn't paying attention—the way he gently reached for her hand, or stood a little closer than necessary. She found herself drawn to him, unable to stop her growing affection.

Dean felt the same. He wanted to be near her, to make her smile, to be a safe place for her. But deep down, fear clawed at him. If Ilena ever uncovered the truth—about what he was, what he'd done—would she still look at him the same?

It was a constant pressure, living in the space between honesty and secrecy. Still, something intangible connected them. Like an invisible string pulling them toward each other, no matter how much he tried to resist.

It was Thursday, September 7.

Ilena climbed into Dean's Mercedes, just like she had been doing every morning since the back-to-school party by the lake. Ever since then, Dean had taken it upon himself to drive her to school—though not without asking Jharrett first.

Ilena had mentioned that Jharrett, ever since getting his motorcycle, had been the one to give her rides daily. But that routine ended the moment Dean asked him if he could take over. Surprisingly, Jharrett didn't mind. And Ilena hadn't complained either. In fact, she liked it. The quiet drives gave her more time with Dean, and slowly, they were getting to know each other better.

As Dean navigated through the sluggish morning traffic, a subtle tension hung in the air. Ilena picked up on it almost immediately. She glanced sideways, deciding to break the silence.

"So... did Kaia invite you to her birthday party?" she asked casually.

Dean nodded, though there was a slight pause before he replied. "Yeah, she did."

Ilena tilted her head, waiting. "And...?"

Dean sighed, hands tightening on the wheel. "Still not sure if I'm going."

Ilena raised an eyebrow, twisting in her seat to face him fully. "You've been out of it lately. Spacing out, distracted. What's going on with you?"

Dean kept his eyes on the road, lips pressing into a thin line before he finally answered. "Just... stressed. School stuff."

A lie.

Ilena let out a dry laugh. "You? Stressed about school?" She wrinkled her nose. "Come on, Dean. You're literally one of the smartest guys in our year. That's not what's bothering you."

Dean glanced at her, something flickering in his eyes—hesitation, maybe even fear. "Alright, fine. It's not school. It's... the animal attacks. The ones that have been happening around town."