Hearts in Conflict

Chapter 1

The wind whipped gently at her face, carrying the faint sounds of birds chirping in the distance. She touched the rough, cold railing, taking in the peaceful view. Below, students moved in and out of their rooms, laughing, chatting. Spotting her friends, she smiled and leaned forward to wave, calling out to them.

But then—without warning—a forceful shove jolted her body forward.

There was no time to scream. Only the sharp, dizzying rush of air filled her senses as she plummeted, gravity dragging her down with relentless force. The ground rushed up to meet her—until, in a heart-stopping moment, a strong grip caught her mid-air, pulling her back from the brink. She gasped, clutching the figure who had saved her, adrenaline roaring through her veins.

Students nearby froze, their eyes wide, before rushing over in alarm. Teachers, alerted by the screams, hurried out to see what was happening. Soon a crowd had gathered, encircling the two figures on the ground.

The world seemed to buzz around her, voices blurring into a frantic hum. Slowly, Yasmin opened her eyes, her gaze settling on the face of her rescuer. A beautiful, striking girl held her securely, and for a moment, everything else faded away.

"Yasmin!"
The sound of her name pierced through the noise, and she glanced toward the familiar voices—her friends, rushing toward her.

“Are you alright?” asked the girl holding her, her voice calm but filled with concern.

Yasmin opened her mouth to respond, but her friends swept in, pulling her gently away as they fussed over her.

"Yasmin, are you okay?"

“That was terrifying—what happened?”

“Did you fall? You’ve got to be careful!”

“Don’t scare us like that!”

Their voices overlapped, each of them gripping her with relief and worry. Yasmin’s heart was still racing, her mind caught between the terror of the fall and the bewildering relief of being caught. She stole one more glance at the girl who had saved her, still feeling that strong, silent connection, even as her friends continued to surround her with their concern.

"What’s going on in here?" the teacher asked, pushing her way through the crowd of students encircling Yasmin and her rescuer.

"Yasmin fell off the fifth floor after leaning too far over," a student quickly explained, eager to share the dramatic story.

The teacher opened her mouth to respond, but the rescuer interrupted. "She didn’t fall by accident; someone pushed her."

The teacher’s gaze snapped to Yasmin. "Is that true?"

"Y-yes," Yasmin stammered, fear creeping into her voice. "I felt a force pushing me from behind."

"Alright, let’s get you to the infirmary. I’ll call your parents and the police about this incident," the teacher said before stepping away to make the necessary calls.

As the buzz of students' questions filled the air, Yasmin felt dizzy from the noise and the adrenaline still coursing through her. A gentle hand took hers, pulling her from the daze.

"Come on, let’s get you to the infirmary," the rescuer said softly, guiding her away from the crowd.

The students began to speculate among themselves, whispering about who could have pushed Yasmin. Meanwhile, a figure on the stairs watched the scene unfold, their teeth gritted in frustration.

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In the infirmary room, a heavy silence enveloped them, punctuated only by the scratching of the nurse's pen as she documented Yasmin's account of the incident.