Ellie sat at her desk, her fingers digging into the wood so tightly her knuckles turned white. Rage simmered beneath her skin, bubbling like something alive. Everything she'd plotted had failed. Elise was still surrounded by friends. Davon still looked at her like she was nothing.
And Nikki — trembling, wide-eyed Nikki — stood frozen near the wall.
"Every single time," Ellie hissed, throwing a glass against the floor. It shattered, water splashing across her shoes. "Every single time, something ruins it!"
Nikki stammered, voice trembling, "E–Ellie… maybe it's time to stop. It's not working anymore—"
"Stop?" Ellie turned sharply, her eyes flashing red in the dim light. "Do you honestly think I can stop now? Not after what she's taken from me?"
Nikki stepped back, clutching her arm. "But—every time you try, someone gets hurt. Maybe it's not worth it anymore—"
Ellie's voice cracked like thunder. "Quiet!"
The smaller girl flinched, trembling.
Ellie's breathing came heavy, uneven. For a long time, she didn't say a word — just stared out the window at the moon, muttering, "There has to be another way. There has to be."
But even she didn't sound convinced.
— ✦ —
Meanwhile, in the soft glow of Devin and Lucian's dorm, the tension was much lighter.
Laughter filled the space — the kind that came only after danger had passed. Anastasia sat on Devin's bed, a deep blush spreading over her cheeks while Patricia smirked knowingly beside Lucian.
"So," Lucian drawled, resting his chin in his hand. "Mind explaining what exactly happened earlier? Because from where we stood, it looked… interesting."
Anastasia groaned. "Oh, please. Can we not talk about this?"
Patricia grinned like a cat. "Nope, we definitely are. Devin, care to explain?"
Devin blinked, a faint flush creeping up his neck. "Uh… you see… it's not what you think."
Lucian raised a brow. "It's exactly what we think. Go on."
Devin rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. "She got hurt again — that small cut on her shoulder reopened. I told her to sit down, but she was being stubborn. So, I grabbed the first aid kit and asked her to hold still."
Anastasia buried her face in her hands. "Oh my God, don't—"
Ignoring her, Devin continued, his lips twitching. "She kept squirming and saying it wasn't a big deal. I tried to steady her—then she tripped on the edge of the blanket and… well… we both fell."
Lucian smirked. "On the bed, I presume?"
Devin's ears turned red. "Yeah. On the bed. I was trying to get up but she grabbed my arm, so we ended up… uh… close."
Patricia was practically glowing with glee. "How close?"
Devin hesitated, glancing at Anastasia, who was now staring at him wide-eyed, silently begging him not to say it.
He sighed. "Close enough that our lips brushed."
Patricia gasped dramatically, covering her mouth. Lucian leaned back with a satisfied grin.
"I knew it," he said, amused. "And? Did you just stop there?"
Devin chuckled nervously. "No… I froze for a second. She looked at me, and I don't know what came over me. I kissed her."
Anastasia's head snapped up, her face crimson. "You didn't have to say it like that!"
Patricia and Lucian burst into laughter.
Lucian teased, "So, our cool and composed Devin actually made the first move? Didn't think you had it in you."
"Shut up," Devin muttered, his own smile breaking through. "It just… happened."
Anastasia hid her face again, mumbling something incoherent that sounded suspiciously like "It wasn't bad though…"
Patricia grinned like the cat that caught the canary. "Awww, look at her! She's blushing again."
Lucian caught her mischievous expression and smirked. "Why? You want a kiss too?"
Patricia froze, her eyes widening. "W-What? No! Absolutely not!"
Lucian laughed softly. "Relax. I was joking… unless?"
She smacked him with a pillow, and everyone laughed again.
For a while, the dorm was filled with warmth — laughter and teasing and the strange peace that only comes after chaos. Devin glanced down at Anastasia, who was still hiding her face, and thought to himself that even in a world of blood and danger, moments like these made it all worth it.
But somewhere in the night, far from their laughter, Ellie's rage was building into something darker.
And it wouldn't be long before it struck again.