ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀꜱ : ᴛʜᴇ ᴜᴘʀɪꜱɪɴɢ

|17|

• ＷＩＬＬＯＷ •

I had a bizarre dream, an incredibly strange one.

I was at Raiden's house, and he brought me into their basement to show me his ability. I chuckled at the memory, thinking I should cut back on the science fiction and fantasy movies; they were clearly affecting my mind.

I stood up, took a shower, and grabbed breakfast. Dad came into my room, urging me to hurry up or I'd be late. But Alfred had drooled on the sweatshirt I planned to wear, forcing me to find an entirely new outfit.

"You little rascal, do you know how many times I need to find a new outfit because of you?" I grumbled as Alfred wagged his tail, making me sigh.

"Dad! I already told you I was coming, but Alfred drooled on my sweatshirt!" What a nuisance. "He's such a pest; I'll be late if I—Raiden?"

This. Wasn't. A. Dream.

Raiden Levin was in my house. He was in my room. Yesterday, he had shown me he could control electricity. He really had superpowers.

He said I was like them.

"Hello to you too. You seem in a great mood today." I sat on my bed, feeling dizzy and about to faint.

"What are you—Oh my god! It wasn't a dream? You—" He stopped me from making a fool of myself again and speak out loud. But how was I supposed to react? They were superheroes! And they said I was one of them!

These things only happened in movies.

"Well, shit." He joined me on the bed, giving me some time to gather my thoughts.

"We should go to school. You don't want to be late, do you?" I nodded, feeling dazed, like I was drunk. Really, really drunk.

I waved goodbye to my dad and stepped outside. I needed fresh air. I was almost hyperventilating.

"Wait for me." I watched Raiden re-enter the house, taking a moment to slap myself and get a grip.

There had to be a rational explanation for all of this. There had to be.

"What was that about?" Raiden seemed happy, which felt strange coming from him. Not that I really knew him.

"You know, the usual dad and boyfriend's daughter talk." I wasn't convinced, but it seemed to be the case for a lot of things lately. And they all seemed to be related to him.

As soon as we parked, everyone stared at us, more specifically, at me. I had arrived with Raiden on his bike. Of course people would watch and gossip. This was a first.

"Are you alright?" he asked, as the whole group stopped to inspect me, making me even more nervous. The more attention they gave me, the more I could hear people murmuring.

But I guessed it was too late. They would gossip anyway, whether I stayed with them or not.

"Don't worry, they'll eventually stop staring. Come on." Ember took my arm, steadying me, and glared at everyone who looked our way. It made me feel weird but also good. Her presence made me feel somewhat protected, like she was a shield.

The day felt surreal as I navigated the school hallways with Raiden and his friends. They acted nonchalantly, but I couldn't shake the sense that I was under a microscope. Raiden walked beside me, a reassuring presence, while Ember and the others formed a protective circle. It was as if they had done this a million times before—welcoming someone new into their fold.

First period came and went in a blur. I couldn't focus on anything the teacher said, my mind racing with questions and doubts. Every time I glanced at Raiden, he gave me a small, encouraging smile. It helped, but I still felt like I was drowning.