BETRAYAL IN THE SHADOW

The morning sun cut through the blinds, casting long, golden stripes across Lila’s dorm room. She stirred awake with a pounding headache, heart still racing from the previous night’s chaos. Harper was already up, pacing and muttering under her breath, the mysterious envelope clutched tightly in her hand.

“You didn’t sleep much either,” Harper said, tossing the photo on the bed. Lila recoiled. The image showed her and Harper asleep during their sleepover, eyes closed, unaware—and clearly vulnerable.

“Who…?” Lila’s voice trailed off. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Someone had been inside their private space. Someone had been watching them.

Harper’s lips pressed together. “That’s exactly what I asked myself. And the worst part? Whoever did this knows everything about us. Our schedules. Our routines. Every little detail. This isn’t just stalking—it’s strategy.”

Lila swallowed hard. “Do you think it’s Mara?”

Harper shook her head. “Mara’s bold, yes, but she’s not subtle. Whoever this is… they’re precise. Calculated. And they’re playing a longer game than any of us realize.”

The dorm phone buzzed. Lila answered cautiously.

“Morning, Harper. Morning, Lila,” came a familiar, teasing voice. It made Lila’s stomach twist.

Cade Mercer.

“Cade…” Lila managed, her voice wary. “What do you want?”

“I want to make one thing clear,” Cade said, low and steady. “I’m not your enemy. But I’m not your friend, either. Things are moving faster than you think, and you need to pay attention. Watch everyone. Trust no one. Especially the ones closest to you.”

Lila felt a chill. “And how am I supposed to do that?”

Cade chuckled softly, almost cruelly. “By surviving. That’s the only way to learn Ravenwood’s rules.”

Before she could respond, the line went dead.

Lila hung up, her hands shaking. Harper looked at her, eyes dark with worry. “See what I mean? He’s involved. Somehow.”

By midday, the tension on campus was palpable. Students whispered in hallways, glancing over their shoulders, rumors swirling faster than the autumn wind. Mara Sinclair was everywhere, her presence like a shadow stalking the corridors. Lila felt her nerves fray, every glance at a familiar face carrying the weight of suspicion.

Then it happened.

During lunch in the campus cafeteria, a spilled drink—careless or intentional—landed on Lila’s notes. Before she could react, Mara and her clique appeared, smirking.

“Clumsy today, newbie?” Mara said. “Or just lucky?”

Lila froze. She wanted to respond, to confront Mara, but Harper grabbed her hand. “Ignore her,” Harper hissed. “It’s a setup. Let her think she’s winning.”

But the damage was done. The cafeteria buzzed with whispers. Students laughed quietly. Mara had drawn attention, and the rumors started: Lila was fragile, new, and vulnerable.

By the time class ended, Lila was drained—not physically, but mentally. Every movement, every word, every interaction felt like a trap. Harper suggested a short walk to clear their heads, but the campus felt ominous, shadows stretching unnaturally long.

A sudden voice made Lila freeze.

“You look tense.”

She turned to see Cade leaning against a tree, his expression unreadable.

“What do you want, Cade?” Lila asked, her tone sharper than she intended.

“Just observing,” he replied. “You’re underestimating how dangerous this place is. Mara, the whispers, the videos… this is only the beginning.”

“Why are you helping me?” she demanded.

He smirked faintly. “I’m not. I’m just watching.”

Before Lila could respond, a scream echoed from the other side of the quad. Students scattered, chaos erupting instantly. Lila grabbed Harper’s hand and ran toward the source.

What they saw stopped them cold. One of Harper’s closest friends, Jenna, was on the ground, clutching her phone. The screen displayed a live feed of the dorm room from the previous night, showing all the girls sleeping.

“Who did this?” Lila whispered, horrified.

Jenna’s voice trembled. “I… I don’t know… I swear I didn’t send it…”

Harper’s face went pale. “Someone inside our circle is betraying us.”

Lila’s mind raced. Could it be Mara? Could it be someone else? Or… could it be one of their friends, carefully hiding their true intentions?

The campus security was called, but by the time they arrived, the feed had vanished. No evidence, no clue, only suspicion and fear.

By nightfall, the girls returned to the dorm, exhausted and shaken. Lila’s phone buzzed again. Another message:

“The first betrayal has been revealed. The next one will hurt more.”

Harper’s hands shook. “We have to figure out who it is. Before it’s too late.”

Lila nodded, her stomach tight. Trust was a luxury she couldn’t afford, and even Cade’s warnings didn’t ease the tension. The lines between friend, enemy, and lover were blurring—and she couldn’t tell who would survive the next wave of chaos.

That night, as she tried to sleep, Lila couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes on her. Every creak, every shadow, every whisper of the wind outside her window made her heart race.

Then her phone buzzed one final time. A video.

This one was different. It wasn’t just a feed of the dorm. It showed Lila herself walking through campus, unaware, and at the end of the clip… a hand reaching toward her from behind.

And then the screen went black.