ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀꜱ : ᴛʜᴇ ᴜᴘʀɪꜱɪɴɢ

|18|

• ＷＩＬＬＯＷ •

I was still trying to wrap my head around everything that had happened yesterday. Raiden and I pretending to be in a relationship felt surreal, but I had to play my part convincingly.

As we walked to school together, Raiden gently put his arm around my shoulders. It felt strange at first, but his touch was reassuring. We needed to act like a couple to avoid suspicion, and I was relieved it was him by my side.

When we entered the hallway, the usual stares and whispers followed us. I tensed a bit, and I felt him tighten his embrace, giving me a comforting smile.

"They're noisy," he said softly. "Sorry for that."

First period passed in a blur. I tried to focus on the lessons, but my mind kept drifting to the events of the past few days. The looming sense of danger weighed heavily on my mind.

The day dragged on, with everyone seemingly more interested in my "relationship" with Raiden than in their classes. During lunch, I noticed him sitting with his usual group, obviously. I decided to approach them, trying to act as normal as possible.

"Hey," I greeted, feeling the weight of their gazes on me.

Raiden looked up and smiled. "Hey, sit with us," he offered, moving over to make space for me.

I hesitated for a moment, feeling the tension from Aria, but then took a seat. The conversation was casual, mostly about school and upcoming events. I tried to participate without drawing too much attention to myself, but it was clear that everyone was aware of the new dynamic.

I felt like a pattern was already forming. It was both comforting and confusing. The group was also more tense than usual, and I didn't know why except for the constant pressure and danger they were obviously feeling.

"Any news?" Ember asked, looking at Raiden.

"Nothing new," Raiden replied. "But we need to stay vigilant."

We were all chatting and laughing for once without any tension. Raiden was sitting next to me, smiling timidly at one of Ethan's jokes. Suddenly, his phone vibrated. He glanced at the screen, and his face went rigid.

"Excuse me, I have to take this call," he said abruptly, standing up. We watched him walk away, looking suddenly concerned.

No one said anything until he returned. It was so weird, and I was nervous. They all seemed to be tense and waiting impatiently for him to explain.

A few minutes later, he came back, his face pale and tense. He sat down silently, nervously fidgeting with his phone.

"Rai, are you okay?" Nara asked softly.

He nodded, but the worry in his eyes was unmistakable. Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke.

"It was my mom," he said, his voice low and trembling. "She told me we need to be careful. The town is starting to do strange things, and we have to protect each other." He stopped, looking like it was too much for him to speak. Aria took his hand, and he didn't stop her, even gripping her hand tighter.

"It's the first time I've heard from her in a long time. She didn't have time to say much before she hung up." He looked down, seeming stressed. "If she's taking the risk to call me, the situation must be really bad."

"Your mom?" I asked softly. He looked at me and nodded but didn't say much, leaving me in the dark. No one else spoke more about it. Ember sighed, and the group fell into a somber silence.

I glanced around at everyone, feeling the weight of this unspoken truth. They were quiet for the rest of the day. I went back to Alicia, leaving them alone. I was maybe now somewhat part of their group, but I still didn't feel like it.