Alisha POV
Everything went dark.
Not the normal kind of dark.
Not the kind where your eyes adjust after a few seconds.
This was the kind that swallowed you whole.
The lights went off so suddenly that for a moment, I thought I had gone blind.
My heart slammed hard against my chest, each beat louder than the last. I couldn't see Mandy. Couldn't see Alex. Couldn't even tell where I was standing anymore.
Then—
Something grabbed my arm.
I screamed.
A sharp, terrified scream that tore out of my chest before I could stop it.
My body reacted before my mind did. I pulled back violently, my heart racing so fast I thought I would faint.
"Ali!"
Alex's voice.
Close. Panicked.
The grip on my arm tightened for a second longer, like whoever it was hesitated. Like they were deciding something.
Then Alex shouted, "Let her go!"
The hand released me.
I stumbled back, almost falling, my breath coming out in short, broken gasps.
Footsteps followed immediately after.
Fast.
Rushed.
Retreating.
Running away.
Into the darkness.
I stood there shaking, my whole body trembling as fear rushed through me all at once. My knees felt weak. My chest burned.
"Ali," Alex reached me, his hands landing firmly on my shoulders. "Look at me. Are you hurt?"
I shook my head, unable to speak properly.
"Mandy," I whispered. "Mandy—"
"I'm here," her voice came, faint and broken.
I dropped to the ground beside her without thinking.
"Mandy!" My hands trembled as I touched her face. She felt cold. Too cold. Her breathing was shallow, uneven.
My chest tightened painfully.
"Stay with me," I begged, tears filling my eyes. "Please don't close your eyes."
She winced slightly. "Ali… I'm scared."
"I know," I whispered. "I'm here."
The lights flickered suddenly.
Once.
Twice.
The darkness loosened its grip.
Then the lights came back on fully.
The science block stood there like nothing had happened.
Clean. Quiet. Normal.
Too normal.
I looked around wildly.
No one.
No sign of whoever grabbed me.
Like they had never been there at all.
Students began appearing slowly from different directions, drawn by the scream, by the sudden blackout.
Whispers filled the air. Confused voices. Someone ran off to call security.
Alex stayed close to me, like he was afraid to let me out of his sight. His jaw was tight, his eyes dark with something I couldn't read.
Security arrived quickly. Questions followed.
Too many questions.
"What happened?"
"Did you see anyone?"
"Can you describe him?"
Mandy was barely conscious when they lifted her onto the stretcher. I walked beside her the whole way to the clinic, refusing to let go of her hand.
"I'm here," I kept saying. "You're not alone."
Inside the clinic, everything felt unreal.
Bright lights. White walls. The smell of antiseptic.
Mandy was treated for her injuries. Nothing life-threatening, they said. But she looked small lying there, fragile in a way I had never seen before.
When they finally let her rest, I sat beside her bed, staring at the floor, replaying everything in my head.
The messages.
The warning.
The rule I broke.
Alex stood a few steps away, arms crossed, watching me silently. He hadn't said much since we arrived. But his presence was heavy.
Like he was holding something back.
Later, when Mandy finally fell asleep, I stepped outside the clinic. I needed air. My chest felt too tight.
My hands were still shaking.
My phone buzzed.
I froze.
Unknown number.
I didn't want to open it.
But my thumb moved on its own.
"I warned you."
Tears burned my eyes.
Why are you doing this?
For the first time—
There was no immediate reply.
Seconds passed.
My heart pounded louder with every moment of silence.
Then—
"You like dangerous boys. You always have."
My stomach dropped.
That wasn't random.
That wasn't guessing.
That was personal.
I slowly looked up.
Alex stood at the end of the hallway, speaking quietly with a security officer. His face was calm. Controlled.
Too controlled.
My phone buzzed again.
"You think tonight scared you?"
My fingers trembled as I typed.
"Yes. It did.
The reply came instantly.
"This was mercy."
My breath caught.
Mercy?
I stared at the screen, my chest tightening as the weight of those words sank in.
This wasn't over.
This wasn't a warning anymore.
This was a promise.
I looked back at Alex.
And for the first time since all this started, one thought terrified me more than anything else—
What if this person wasn't trying to scare me away…
What if they were trying to pull me deeper?