The next day, Alex walked into class, his thoughts lingering on the night before. The feeling of being watched still gnawed at him. Whoever it was, they weren't a friend—that much he was sure of. He made a mental note to stay more vigilant.
As he stepped inside, his eyes swept the room. Elisabeth sat in her usual spot, gaze fixed on her notebook as if he didn't exist. Her cold shoulder didn't surprise him. After last night's confrontation, he expected nothing less.
"Alex!" Peter's voice cut through the room as he strolled over with his usual easy-going smile. "You survived another day. Impressive."
Alex let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "Barely."
Peter leaned against the desk beside him. "You seem tense. Still thinking about last night?"
Alex didn't answer, but the flicker in his eyes was enough. Peter dropped the subject with a shrug just as the door swung open.
Teacher Martin entered, his sharp gaze sweeping the classroom before briefly resting on Alex. It was quick, barely a second but both Alex and Peter caught it. The glance wasn't casual. It meant something.
"Good morning, class," Teacher Martin greeted, adjusting his glasses. His tone was as crisp as always, leaving no room for nonsense.
Before he could continue, the door opened again.
A girl stepped inside.
Her silver hair shimmered under the fluorescent lights, cascading past her shoulders. Bright eyes scanned the room with quiet curiosity, and the air seemed to shift as the class took notice.
"Oh," Teacher Martin said, motioning toward her. "She's new here. Introduce yourself."
Lilac offered a polite smile. "I'm Lilac. It's nice to meet you."
"Go ahead and take a seat," Teacher Martin instructed, gesturing toward the empty chair beside Alex.
Without hesitation, Lilac walked across the room. As she slid into the seat, Alex caught the faint scent of something floral. She settled in gracefully, her presence as calm as it was striking.
Peter raised an eyebrow at Alex from across the class, clearly intrigued. Alex, however, remained quiet, his mind already calculating. First the strange feeling of being watched and now her. Something told him the day was only going to get more interesting.
After so many ranting from teacher Martin, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Students shuffled out, their conversations buzzing through the hallways. Alex packed his notebook slowly, his mind still weighed down by the events of the past twenty-four hours. The uneasy feeling hadn't faded yet. He knew he needed to be careful.
Peter, of course, was already at his side. "Lunch?" he asked, as if there was ever a question.
"Yeah," Alex replied, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
As they stepped into the hallway, Peter nudged him with his elbow. "So, what do you think of the new girl?" His tone was light, but there was a familiar curiosity behind it.
Alex shook his head slightly. "I don't know. It's just… weird timing."
"Or maybe you're just paranoid," Peter said with a grin. "Not everyone who breathes near you is out to get you, you know."
Alex didn't answer. He wasn't so sure about that.
They were halfway to the cafeteria when a voice behind them cut through the crowd.
"Hey, wait up!"
Both boys turned to see Lilac weaving through the students, her silver hair catching the light with each step. When she reached them, she smiled, calm, composed, like she had all the time in the world.
"Mind if I join you?" she asked, her tone friendly but unreadable.
Peter, the overly social one, grinned. "Of course. The more, the merrier."
Alex hesitated for a fraction of a second before giving a small nod. "Sure."
As they continued toward the cafeteria, Lilac walked beside Alex, her steps light and easy. "So, how long have you two known each other?" she asked.
Peter jumped in before Alex could answer. "Since forever. I basically keep him from brooding himself into oblivion."
Alex rolled his eyes. "He's exaggerating."
Lilac laughed softly, a sound that was too smooth, too effortless. "Sounds like you two make a good team."
"Eh, I try." Peter flashed her a playful wink. "What about you? Any reason you transferred here?"
Her smile didn't falter, but Alex caught the slight pause before she answered. "Family reasons. My parents move around a lot for work."
It was a simple explanation. Too simple.
They reached the cafeteria doors, and Peter pushed them open with an ease. "Welcome to our humble dining hall," he said, gesturing dramatically.
Lilac chuckled as they found an empty table near the windows. As they sat down, Alex's mind kept circling back to the same question—the feeling he couldn't shake.
"I'll go order something," Lilac said to the boys and then stood up.
After she had left, Peter drew his chair close to Alex.
"Hey, man, I know what you are thinking. I surely do but being to so overly careful will give the enemies the impression that you are already aware of what is going on and then they will strike, taking you unawares. Be like me, pretending to be familiar and friendly to who I don't even know. This way, she will let her guard loose and that's when we will find out about her secrets. We will keep our eyes on her but not by avoiding her, let us drawa her close, I mean, like really close."
Peter's words were true and Alex knew better to follow the idea. Bringing an enemy close to one and making loosing yourself will make things get a lot easier for them.
He didn't know of she was connected to everything and the only way to find out seems to be Peter's grand idea.
"I understand you," he replied to Peter. "Thanks."
Just then Lilac came and Peter pulled back his chair.
"What were you two gossiping about?" Lilac asked Alex, slightly narrowing her eyes.
Alex shrugged, a neutral expression on his face. "Nothing, just a small gossip among boys," he said, his tone casual.
Lilac's eyes lingered on him for a moment, as if searching for something, but then she smiled and sat down. "Must be nice to have someone to share secrets with," she said, her voice light as always.
Peter soon jumped into the conversation. "So, Lilac, what do you think of our humble academy so far?"
Lilac's smile grew wider. "It's been...interesting. I'm still getting used to the layout, but everyone seems friendly enough."
Alex listened to their conversation, his eyes drifting between Peter and Lilac. He couldn't shake the feeling that Lilac was hiding something, but Peter's words echoed in his mind. Maybe it was time to stop being so cautious and see if he could get Lilac to let her guard down.
As they continued to chat, Alex found himself relaxing in Lilac's presence. She was easy to talk to, and her smile was infectious. But he couldn't forget the feeling that he was being watched, and he wondered if Lilac might be more involved than he initially thought.
The rest of lunch passed quickly, with Peter dominating the conversation and Lilac laughing and smiling in all the right places. Alex played along, pretending to be interested in the conversation, but his mind was already racing ahead, wondering what secrets Lilac might be hiding.
At the end of the day, he decided to meet with Elizabeth.
"What do you want?" Elizabeth asked him the moment she came to meet him in the school library.
"I want you to keep an eye on the new girl, report to me everything you get about her," he replied.
"What now? Found a new crush or what?" Elizabeth asked. Her voice showing a hint of pure anger.
"It's none of your business," Alex rudely replied. "Just do what you are asked to do and do it very well?"
After talking, he walked away, leaving an angry Elizabeth in the library.