𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘈𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘺.

Nineteen.

Later in the day, Akira found herself feeling strangely light-headed, as if an invisible force was pulling at her emotions. She brushed it off at first, assuming it was exhaustion from all the recent chaos. But the feeling only intensified, and a warmth began to settle in her chest whenever she thought of Amara. Confused, she shook her head, trying to dispel the strange thoughts, but they lingered, growing stronger.

Just as she was trying to make sense of it all, there was a knock on the door. Renetta opened it to find Amara and Nara standing outside, their expressions unreadable.

"Hey, Akira," Amara greeted with a warm smile, her eyes flickering with a hint of expectation. "We thought we'd drop by, you know, see how you're settling in."

Akira felt her heart skip a beat as Amara stepped into the room, her presence suddenly magnetic. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her composure. "Uh, yeah... I'm just... I guess I'm adjusting."

Nara, standing a bit behind, watched Akira carefully, her own face masked but eyes filled with quiet worry. She felt conflicted about the spell, unsure if this was truly the right way to handle things, but Amara had already gone through with it, and now there was no turning back.

Amara walked closer to Akira, feigning casualness but closely observing every reaction. "I was just thinking... it's been a while since we've hung out. Maybe we could spend some time together, just the two of us?"

Akira's heart raced at the suggestion, a warm blush creeping over her cheeks. "I... I'd really like that," she replied, surprising herself with how easily the words slipped out.

Renetta, noticing Akira's unusual demeanor, raised an eyebrow but held her tongue, exchanging a quick look with Rowan, who seemed equally puzzled.

Amara's smile deepened, satisfied. "Great! Maybe tomorrow after class?"

"Yeah, sounds perfect," Akira murmured, barely able to take her eyes off Amara. She felt her guard lowering, an intense, inexplicable need to be near her.

As they made plans, Nara shifted uncomfortably, feeling a pang of jealousy mixed with guilt. She had been Amara's closest friend for so long, and this shift—whether real or spell-induced—was hard to watch. But as she looked at Akira, something in her softened, realizing the weight of what they'd done.

"Well, we'll leave you to it," Amara said, casting a quick, satisfied glance at Nara. "I'm glad we had this chance to talk, Akira."

"Me too," Akira replied, her gaze lingering on Amara as she left. Once they were gone, she collapsed onto the bed, trying to understand the surge of feelings coursing through her. Renetta, watching her closely, gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay, Akira?" she asked, a hint of concern in her tone. "You seem... different."

Akira looked up at her, trying to force a smile. "I don't know. I just feel... strange."

Rowan exchanged a knowing glance with Renetta, both sensing that something deeper was at play, though Akira had no idea how deeply her world had just been altered.

After class, Renetta and Rowan had been in their dorm with Akira. They looked at each other suspiciously, as they watched Akira prepare herself, noticing the glimmer of excitement in her eyes that hadn't been there before. They could feel something was off; Akira's sudden infatuation with Amara felt unnatural, forced. Renetta leaned closer to Rowan, her voice a whisper. "I don't like this. Those two are definitely up to something."

Rowan nodded, watching Akira with concern. "Agreed. We should keep an eye on her. This isn't like her at all."

Meanwhile, Akira finished getting ready, brushing off her lingering doubts. She felt an odd thrill at the thought of spending time with Amara, even though she couldn't shake the sense that it didn't make any sense. They hadn't been particularly close before, and now, out of nowhere, she was desperate to see her? She frowned at her reflection, questioning her own feelings, but the excitement overpowered her uncertainty.