The bell rang sharply, echoing through the old hallways of Royal Heights University.

It was a new week, but everything felt… off.

I kept thinking about that night in the chapel. The woman in black. The photograph. The things Luca said.

But now, everything was just… normal.

Students laughed in groups, lecturers moved in and out of offices, and the morning sun lit up the school courtyard like nothing strange had ever happened.

Still, something had changed.

Me.

And Luca.

I spotted him across the quad, leaning against the stair rail near the science block. He was in a black hoodie, his usual quiet aura making him stand out without trying. He saw me too. Those blue eyes locked on mine.

My stomach flipped.

He was in a different department — Architecture — but somehow, we kept finding ourselves in the same places. Coincidence? I didn’t think so anymore.

“Hey,” he said when I walked up to him.

“Hey,” I replied, trying to sound casual. “Late again?”

He gave a small smile. “Wouldn’t be the same without you judging me.”

I laughed softly, and for a second… just a second… the world didn’t feel so scary.

We walked side by side toward my class. Just two students. Normal. But underneath? Everything was far from normal.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked.

“Not really. Dreamt of water again. The same lake… with the fire reflection.”

His face tightened. “It’s getting stronger.”

I stopped walking. “Luca… what if I just want to pretend this isn’t happening?”

He looked at me for a long moment. “Then I’ll pretend too. But only for today.”

He gently touched my wrist — not holding, just… grounding me.

And suddenly, I didn’t feel like running.

We sat in my next class together. He wasn’t even supposed to be there, but no one questioned him. Not when he was with me.

Mr. Ebong, the lecturer — tall, sharp-eyed, always watching — paused mid-lesson.

“Mr. Luca, I don’t believe this is your department,” he said, eyes narrowing behind his glasses.

Luca gave a small smirk. “Just auditing, sir.”

Mr. Ebong’s gaze lingered on him for too long, then shifted to me. “Be careful who you let sit beside you, Miss Esther. Some seats come with shadows.”

The entire class went silent.

Luca didn’t react. He just scribbled something in my notebook and slid it toward me.

“Meet me behind the library after class. There’s something I need to show you.”

My heart skipped.

Something was building between us — like a pull, a rhythm only we could hear. But also, something was watching.

Even in the middle of a classroom, we weren’t safe.

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