Bound by Shadows

Chapter Five

ᴇʟᴀ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ

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Secrets never stay hidden for long, no matter how hard you try.

Cora's message pinged on my phone, the screen lighting up the dark room. I blinked, momentarily blinded, and glanced down, expecting a funny meme or some random inside joke to cut through the tension. Instead, her message was anything but usual.

"Hey, can I add a friend to the chat?"

My stomach dropped. I wasn't sure why, but something about the way she phrased it had my nerves on edge. Cora didn't have many "friends" outside of our group, not ones she'd casually throw into our space. I stared at the message, half-expecting Liam to jump in with some playful banter.

But he didn't.

Instead, his message appeared next, "A friend, Cora? As in, that friend?"

I bit my lip. Liam wasn't the type to hold back, especially when he sensed something going on. There'd been whispers, of course. The way Cora smiled at her phone during lunch, or how her face would flush when she mentioned meeting someone outside of school. But none of us had expected it to be him.

"Yeah. Oscar," Cora replied.

Silence lingered in the group chat, like the air had been sucked out of the room. I felt a strange tightening in my chest. Oscar. Of all people.

Before I could respond, Leo's typing bubble popped up: "Wait, Oscar... like, Lucas's friend? That Oscar?"

"Yes, that Oscar," Cora replied, adding a shrug emoji, "It's not a big deal. He's a good guy, once you get to know him."

I stared at my phone. This was a lot to take in. Not that I had anything against Oscar, but his connection to Lucas complicated things. And Cora had been keeping this secret for... how long?

Liam finally broke the silence, "Well... it was only a matter of time before you two made it official, huh?"

"It's not 'official' yet," Cora typed quickly, followed by a blushing emoji. "But we're... seeing each other."

Leo responded first, "Well, Oscar's always been cool with me. But still, Cora, you sure? I mean, Lucas..."

Liam jumped in: "I'm just saying, if he starts pulling any Lucas-like moves, we reserve the right to kick him from this chat. No questions asked."

I could practically see Cora rolling her eyes through the screen. "Oscar's not like that, I swear. You'll see."

I hesitated. Everyone was taking this so well. I didn't want to be the one to rock the boat, but still... Lucas and Oscar had always run in the same circles. Lucas, the guy who never missed a chance to make my life miserable. Could I really trust Oscar to be any different?

But I couldn't let Cora feel like I wasn't supportive. I took a deep breath and typed: "Yeah, I'm okay with it. Just surprised. But if you trust him, I'm sure we'll figure it out."

Seconds later, my phone buzzed again, this time with an invitation. Oscar has been added to the chat.

"Hey everyone," Oscar's message popped up. Short. Simple. Casual. Like he wasn't just barging into a space that had always been ours.

Liam wasted no time, "So, Oscar... welcome. Just a quick heads up: we're pretty chill here, but if you cross any lines, especially with Ela, we won't hesitate to boot you. Got it?"

I rolled my eyes at Liam's protective tone, but a part of me appreciated it. Oscar responded almost immediately: "Understood. I'm not here to stir anything up. Just wanted to be part of Cora's world a bit more."

Cora sent a heart emoji. "See? He's a good guy."

Leo chipped in, "So, Oscar, how long have you and Cora been...?"

Oscar's response was cautious but honest: "We've been talking for a few months. It wasn't supposed to be a big deal at first, but... well, Cora's something special. Couldn't keep it quiet forever."

I could almost feel Cora's blush through the screen. She typed quickly: "Okay, okay, that's enough sappy stuff. Let's not make it weird, guys."

Liam wasn't done, though: "Alright, but real talk—Oscar, have you heard anything about this 'Ghost Games' thing? I know it sounds stupid, but... Ela got a letter."

The chat went still again. I wondered if Cora had prepped him for this.

Oscar's typing bubble appeared, then disappeared, like he was thinking long and hard about how to answer. Finally, he sent: "I've heard rumors. But honestly, it's just that. High school rumors. It's never been anything more than an urban legend."

"See?" Cora jumped in. "Nothing to worry about."

Liam wasn't convinced: "But people don't just get letters about urban legends."

Oscar's reply was careful. "I get that it's weird. But, honestly, I wouldn't stress over it. No one I've ever known has actually gone through anything related to those stories. Just try not to let it freak you out too much, Ela."

I appreciated his calmness, but it didn't shake the knot in my chest. Still, I typed: "Thanks, Oscar. I'll try."

Liam, never one to drop a subject easily, added: "Alright, but if anything does come up... you're in this too now, Oscar. You've officially been added to the chaos."

Oscar sent a laughing emoji. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

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Later, as the night wore on, the park outside my window grew quieter, the distant hum of traffic lulling me into a strange calm. I sighed, setting my phone down after reading the latest messages from Cora about Oscar. It wasn't that I didn't trust her, but something about this whole situation left me uneasy.

As I stared out into the fading light, the sound of the front door creaking open pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to see my dad stepping inside, his eyes tired from a long day.

"You're home early," I said, watching him set his briefcase down by the entryway.

He gave me a tired smile. "Wanted to get some time in before dinner."

We weren't the type to have deep talks often, but tonight felt different. The weight of everything—the invitation, the games, Oscar—pressed down on me, and I could feel the need to say something. But where would I even begin?

After a long pause, I finally spoke. "Dad... do you think there's truth to the stories people tell? About... you know, urban legends?"

He raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard by the question. "Urban legends, huh? Like ghost stories?"

"Yeah, something like that." I shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to give too much away. "I was just curious."

He laughed softly, leaning back against the kitchen counter. "I think people like to believe in things that go bump in the night. It makes life more interesting. But, you know, there's usually a logical explanation behind everything."

I nodded, even though that wasn't exactly comforting. What if the Games didn't have a logical explanation? What if they were real?

"Why do you ask?" he said, watching me closely.

"No reason," I lied, shrugging. "Just something that came up with friends."

"Well, don't get too wrapped up in that stuff," he warned. "You've got enough on your plate without adding ghost stories to the mix."

"Yeah, I know," I muttered, my mind already drifting back to the invitation tucked away in my room.

We spent the rest of the evening in relative quiet, the hum of the refrigerator filling the silence. My dad's words echoed in my mind, and though I tried to brush them off, the truth was, the more I thought about it, the harder it was to shake the feeling that something bigger was coming. 

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