The next day started peacefully.
Too peacefully.
Which, in their school, was always a bad sign.
Maliya sat in class tapping her pen against her notebook while Leo whispered loudly to Amir about something that absolutely did not sound legal.
"I'm just saying," Leo muttered, "if we switch Matteo's water bottle with sparkling water, he might actually smile for the first time this year."
Amir stared at him. "Leo, do you enjoy dying?"
Before Leo could answer, the classroom door flew open.
BANG.
Everyone jumped-including Matteo, which was rare.
A teacher none of them knew walked in, carrying a clipboard like it was a weapon.
"Good morning. I am Mr... uhm..." He squinted at the paper. "Mr. Kenda. I'm substituting."
Leo leaned toward Amir. "Bro, did he forget his own name?"
Khadija hissed at them to be quiet.
Mr. Kenda clapped once. "We will be having... surprise group work."
Half the class cried internally.
"Sir," Leo said, raising a hand, "with all due respect-why?"
Mr. Kenda smiled thinly. "Because life is suffering. Now form groups of six."
Immediately, every single student slowly turned to stare at their group of six, like fate had personally chosen favorites.
Khadija whispered, "Wow. We didn't even move. Destiny loves us."
Soon the activity started-but something felt off.
The assignment was simple:
Write a short analysis on how secrets affect relationships in society.
The topic alone made all of them freeze.
Leo mouthed dramatically:
THIS MAN IS A SPY.
HE KNOWS.
HE KNOWS EVERYTHING.
Maliya shot him a look. "Stop being paranoid."
But honestly?
She felt uneasy too.
They started writing anyway.
Matteo wrote like he had signed a personal contract with the speed of light.
Khadija wrote like she was entering a national essay competition.
Leo wrote one sentence, stared at it, then immediately fell asleep.
Amir smacked him awake.
Then-out of nowhere-Mr. Kenda appeared behind them like a ghost.
"You six," he said quietly. "Interesting bond you have."
All of them stiffened.
"Sir," Leo said politely, "please don't talk like a horror-movie villain. We're fragile."
Khadija elbowed him hard.
Mr. Kenda smiled faintly-too faintly. "Before I go... I have a question."
They watched him in silence.
He lowered his voice.
"Did any of you receive... an invitation recently?"
Their blood froze.
Matteo straightened. "Why?"
"Oh, nothing," the teacher said quickly. "Just curious. Finish your work."
And he walked away.
The moment he left-
"Okay, nope," Leo whispered. "Nope. I'm transferring schools. I'm changing my name. I'm moving to Canada."
Amir sighed. "Leo, you can't even afford a bus ticket."
"THAT'S WHY I'M SCARED."
They kept working, but the air felt heavier now.
Khadija leaned toward Maliya. "Do you think... that company sent him?"
"I don't know," Maliya whispered.
Her hands were shaking.
Matteo noticed. He didn't touch her or say anything-but he shifted slightly closer, just enough that she felt safer.
Class ended.
They practically ran out.
The hallway exploded with chaos.
Two juniors chased each other with textbooks. Someone was crying because their crush waved at them. Someone else was loudly claiming ghosts lived in the dorm showers.
Leo gestured around. "Ah yes. Normal teenage insanity. I missed this."
Then-
Someone slammed into Leo hard enough to almost knock him over.
"OW-HEY, WATCH WHERE YOU-"
The boy shoved a folded paper into Leo's hand without a word.
Then disappeared into the crowd.
Leo went pale. "Guys. Guys. GUYS. This is how horror movies start."
They crowded around as he unfolded the paper.
Khadija squinted. "Is that... a drawing?"
It was.
A rough sketch.
Six students.
Them.
Standing inside a dark room.
With a tall figure looming behind them.
Matteo's jaw tightened.
Amir leaned closer. "What does the back say?"
Leo flipped it over.
One sentence.
YOU ARE NOT DONE YET.
Silence.
Thick. Heavy. Terrifying.
Then-
Khadija clapped her hands loudly. "WELL. That ruined my morning."
"Ruined?" Leo squeaked. "That ruined my entire life."
Maliya swallowed. "What do we do?"
Everyone looked at Matteo.
He folded the paper calmly, slipped it into his pocket, and said,
"We find out who sent it."
No fear. No hesitation. Just cold determination.
Leo hid behind Amir. "Or we could not do that. That's also an option."
Amir rubbed his face. "Leo, please stop shaking."
"I CAN'T HELP IT, AMIR."
Maliya wasn't laughing anymore.
Something was coming.
And whatever it was-
It had already reached for them.
Amir exhaled slowly. "Okay. Everyone breathe."
They did.
Khadija straightened suddenly. "Come. Let's go somewhere."
"Where?" Amir asked.
She was already walking.
They followed her down a quiet corridor, past the library, past empty classrooms, until she stopped in front of a door most students ignored.
The art studio.
She pushed it open.
The familiar smell of paint and dust wrapped around them instantly. Canvases leaned against the walls, half-finished projects frozen in time.
Leo stepped inside and inhaled deeply. "Oh my God. I miss this place."
He smiled faintly. "Remember our presentation? We practically lived here."
Amir frowned. "Why here though? Why not the library?"
Khadija closed the door. "Because the library isn't safe anymore. We don't know who's listening."
She gestured around. "They don't know this place matters to us."
That was enough.
They gathered around a large table.
Matteo pulled out his notebook. "Let's list everything."
"The teacher," he said, writing. "The invitation. The boy."
Leo snapped his fingers. "Curly orange hair."
Khadija stared. "...That's it?"
"It stood out!"
"That's useless."
"Okay ..wow," Leo muttered.
"Think harder," Amir said.
Leo shut his eyes. "Bracelet. And-wait-tattoo. A word. On his hand."
The room went silent.
"That's impossible," Marliya a said
Security checks-"
"I know what I saw," Leo insisted. "And his voice was... wrong."
Something clicked.
Amir looked at Matteo. "Are you hiding anything from us?"
The question hung heavy.
Matteo clenched his fists. "I'm not. And if I was-I'd tell you."
Maliya stepped forward. "Okay. Just know we're here. Always."
She hesitated. "I have things too. When I'm ready, I'll tell you."
They didn't solve the mystery.
But they stayed.
Together.
And for now-
That was enough.
For now atleast...
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