9. Not a usual day

A sigh left my lips as I closed my eyes to soak up all the rays of the sun touching my skin.

Usually, it would make me feel calm, but it was not a usual day.

I had been sitting near the fountain for a few minutes now and everything around me felt like a blur. I could see people talking, walking past me, but their words were not reaching my ears.

For the first time, I did something I had never done before, I skipped a class. I could already imagine Mom shaking her head in disappointment.

Being inside the four walls was taking all the oxygen left inside my body.

Being near the fountain, away from others, was the only place that gave some peace to the storm inside my head.

The vivid images of what happened in the forest and what could happen in the future kept playing in front of my eyes whenever I closed them.

On the other hand, Lucien was nowhere to be found.

Weirdly, I felt a pang of disappointment....or maybe I just wanted some answers from him.

I moved my gaze from the sky to the water inside the fountain.

I gently touched the surface of the water with my index finger. A sense of relief washed over me. The water touched my skin in a familiar way, like it knew it already, the water started moving strangely under my touch.

My eyes widened in surprise as I witnessed water making circles around my finger.

The waves started growing like they were dancing to a familiar song.

"What are you doing here?"

I quickly removed my hand from the water, like a thief who had been caught stealing something by the police.

"I-I was just sitting here."

Kai removed his glasses to stare at me for a moment before saying, "Didn't you have a class?"

"Yeah..um..it got cancelled."

"You look like you have fought a ghost and lost the battle," Kai took a seat next to me.

Only if he knew the truth.

I shrugged in response, "I didn't get enough sleep last night."

"That's the third time you've said this," I knew Kai was studying my face, and I made sure to avoid eye contact.

"You need to focus on your classes and not on my sleeping schedule."

"And, you need to stop avoiding my questions," Kai did not wait before replying.

I took a moment before answering, the sound of birds and the constant chatter of students filled the silence between us.

I finally looked at Kai, "You are overthinking."

"No, I am thinking just enough," he raised his brow.

I opened my mouth to answer but he put his bag on the ground. He was not leaving without getting answers.

"Did something happen that you're not telling me?"

"I-"

The wind shifted around me. The sound of birds and people disappeared.

A strange awareness crawled over my skin.

Like I was being watched.

My eyes quickly shifted towards the corner of the school building.

He stood near the corner of the building, still enough to be missed if I wasn’t already looking for him.

Students moved past him without a second glance.

But he didn’t belong here.

Not because of what he wore.

Not because of how he looked.

Just... because everything around him felt normal, making him hard to notice among the crowd, he was too silent...too careful...too mysterious, but not in a good way.

His eyes were focused on me, he was not blinking but neither was I.

The only difference was that he knew his surroundings too well. He picked a spot from where he could watch everyone without getting noticed easily.

But the dark demeanor he carried felt out of place, like he didn't belong among us.

Maybe he didn't and I should keep my distance from him, a tiny voice said loudly in my head.

"Who is he?"

I noticed Kai looking between us, "Do you know him?"

I shook my head in a no and quickly stopped looking at Lucien, "No."

Kai moved his gaze from me towards the man, "Then why does he look like he knows you?"

Something changed, now Lucien was staring at Kai but not like how he was looking at me earlier.

His eyes were darker, which I thought was not possible. He was looking like a predator watching its prey.

Kai was not breaking eye contact either.

Lucien finally smirked and walked away, giving one final look at me.

I let out a sigh of relief.

"Are you sure you don't know him?"

"No."

"You said you had a class with him?"

I inhaled a sharp breath, "Yeah...just like many other students...it doesn't mean I know everyone?"

Kai did not look happy with my answer but gave a nod, “I’m telling you, there’s something wrong with that guy.”

Kai wasn’t wrong.

There was something wrong with Lucien. And I was well aware of that but that wasn't the part that scared me.