The Keys to freedom

Shiny new toy

As the group congregated at the school's entrance, their laughter bounced off the brick walls while they waited for Eric, who was usually the last to arrive. He had to drop off his younger brother and sister at the elementary first, since his mom worked night shifts at the hospital and slept during the day, it usually left him and his grandmother as their primary caretaker most of the time. As they chatted lightly among themselves, Oz suddenly tensed, her eyes narrowing as she spotted Pyke making his way from the parking lot. He caught her gaze and flashed a confident wink before disappearing through the doors.

"You know he's just trying to get a rise out of you." Jessper said noticing the exchange.

She turned and smiled at her "yeah, I know. It's not going to work though,"

James was lost in thought as he watched the steady stream of students making their way inside—until a sleek black car pulled up.

The engine purred to a stop, and from the driver's side, a girl he had never seen before stepped out.

There was something about her—something magnetic. She carried herself with quiet confidence, her dark hair catching in the breeze as she adjusted the strap of her bag. When she glanced up, their met. She offered him a small, shy smile before turning away and heading toward the building.

James exhaled, running a hand through his hair, his curiosity piqued.

"I'm here!" Eric announced, practically gasping for air like he had sprinted across the lot. "Mazie forgot her bag at home, and we had to turn around and get it. I swear, I need to start charging for this chauffeur service."

Jessper smirked. "Or just super glue that thing to her. Problem solved."

Before Eric could respond, the warning bell rang, signaling the start of first hour.

"Well," Jessper sighed, slinging her backpack over her shoulder, "time to go pretend we're responsible students."

Grayson wrapped his arm around Oz's shoulders as they began their walk to class. She had been quiet. Dazed.

"Is everything okay? You seem a bit distant lately," he asked, glancing down at her.

She turned her head to look up at him, offering a small, reassuring smile. "Everything is fine," she replied softly. "I'm just distracted by the hunt is all."

His brow furrowed as he remembered the last time she seemed this way. "I just want to make sure you're alright, you know...After your incident last year, I can't help but worry,"

She shrugged him off, feeling uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading. "I know, but I'm really okay, Gray. What happened last time won't happen again." She searched his eyes and saw genuine worry etched across his face. "I promise," she added firmly.

Grayson nodded, but unease churned in his stomach as he followed her down the hall. The memory of that night still haunted him—the fear, the helplessness. Finding her in such a state had been the worst moment of his life, and he couldn't bear the thought of going through it again.

~

The cafeteria during lunch was buzzing with the usual noise of clattering trays, and shouted conversations as the group sat at their usual table by the window, barely able to focus on their lunches. Their minds were still full of thoughts of the treasure that was waiting for them.

"I say we head out after our shifts tonight," Grayson said shoving his sandwich into his mouth.

James shook his head. "It's too risky. The water's rough at night, and we don't know what we'll find when we get there. Better to wait until morning."