Two lives.

24. Live Wire

Ekko's POV

May 21st
12:15 AM

I was outside the school building, pacing along the edge of the woods, my mind moving too fast for my body to keep up. My hands trembled slightly, and I stuffed them into my hoodie pockets to hide the shaking. It wasn't cold out, but the heat pressing against my skin felt too much, like my body couldn't regulate itself anymore.

Something wasn't right, and I knew it.

It started small—barely noticeable. My thoughts had been racing all morning, ping-ponging from one idea to another without giving me time to catch my breath. I couldn't focus in class. My leg wouldn't stop bouncing, and my heart felt like it was trying to leap out of my chest.

It wasn't the first time I'd felt like this.

The highs usually started this way. At first, it felt good, like I could conquer anything, like the world was finally moving at my speed. But now, it was different. This wasn't euphoria. This was something heavier, darker.

I kicked at a rock near the edge of the forest, watching it skitter down the path. My head felt loud, like someone had turned up the volume on every thought I'd ever had. I couldn't keep track of them anymore. They blurred together, fast and relentless, like a storm I couldn't escape.

I wanted to talk to someone—Ophelia, Sienna, even Caylus—but what was I supposed to say? "Hey, I think I'm losing control"? They wouldn't get it. Hell, I didn't even get it.

A branch snapped behind me, and I whipped around, half expecting someone to be there. No one. Just me and the sound of my uneven breathing.

I ran my fingers through my hair, tugging slightly as if the pressure might slow the thoughts down. It didn't. My chest tightened, and for a second, I thought about going back to the building, finding Ophelia. But the thought of sitting in that fluorescent-lit hallway, pretending like I was okay, felt unbearable.

I needed air.

I shoved my hood up over my head and started walking deeper into the woods. The further I got from the school, the easier it felt to breathe. The trees stretched high above me, their leaves rustling in the breeze, and for a moment, I could almost pretend I wasn't drowning in my own head.

But the relief was short-lived.

Every step felt like I was walking in two directions at once—like part of me wanted to keep running until I couldn't anymore, and another part wanted to collapse right there and give up.

I thought about the others. Ophelia had texted earlier, asking to meet after class. I'd ignored it. Not because I didn't want to see her, but because I didn't know how to explain what was happening. How do you tell someone you feel like a live wire about to snap?

And Sienna—she was different. She noticed things, always seemed to know when something was off. I could feel her watching me sometimes, like she was trying to piece me together. I hated that she might see me like this.

I reached a clearing and stopped. A bench sat in the center, weathered and out of place, like it didn't belong here any more than I did. I stared at it for a moment before sinking down, elbows on my knees, my head in my hands.

I didn't know how long I sat there, trying to sort through the chaos in my mind. The sounds of the woods buzzed around me—birds, wind through the trees, the distant hum of the school. It all felt muted, like I was trapped behind a pane of glass.

I pulled out my phone, scrolling aimlessly through my messages. Ophelia had texted again. So had Caylus.

I typed out a reply to Ophelia, then deleted it. Typed again. Deleted it.