The next morning, Sia stood at the bus stop with her bag slung over her shoulder. The air was still cool, the remnants of dew not yet completely gone from the asphalt. When the bus arrived and its doors opened, Sia stepped on along with several other people.
Her eyes scanned the inside. The seats were almost full.
At the back, she saw a girl wearing the same uniform as hers sitting alone. The seat beside the girl was still empty.
Sia hesitated for a moment, then stepped closer. She bent slightly in a polite gesture.
"Um… may I sit here?" she asked softly.
The girl flinched a little, then quickly bowed her head as well. She shifted slightly to the side.
"Y-yes… please," she replied quietly.
Sia sat down. The bus began moving again.
A few minutes passed in silence. The sound of the engine mixed with the low chatter of other passengers. The girl beside Sia kept her head down, hugging her backpack tightly. Her face looked gloomy, her shoulders slightly tense.
At first, Sia looked out the window, watching the streets slowly grow busier. Then, from the corner of her eye, she glanced at the girl. Her demeanor felt strangely familiar.
Sia took a small breath. "You go to… Cahaya Pratama High School?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
The girl was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"Yes…"
"Me too," Sia continued with a faint smile. "I'm a new student. I just started yesterday."
The girl glanced at her briefly, then quickly lowered her head again.
"Oh… I see."
"What's your name?" Sia asked gently, not forcing it.
The girl hesitated before finally answering, "R-… Rania."
"Sia," she replied shortly. "Nice to meet you."
Rania gave a small nod. "Yeah…"
After that, the conversation stopped again. But this time, the silence was not as tense as before.
Not long after, the bus stopped at the halt near the school. The students began getting off one by one. Sia stood up and looked at Rania.
"We… get off here," she said.
Rania stood as well. "Yes."
They got off together, then walked separately among the crowd of students entering the school gate.
As soon as she stepped into the corridor, Sia immediately saw two familiar figures.
"Sia!" Garin called out while waving. "Morning!"
Arven stood beside him, giving a short nod. "Morning."
Sia walked closer awkwardly.
"Morning…"
"You look tired," Garin said, leaning slightly toward her. "Not used to waking up early yet?"
"Maybe," Sia replied briefly.
Arven glanced at her. "Come on. The homeroom teacher's coming early today."
Sia nodded. The three of them walked down the corridor toward the classroom, accompanied by the sound of other students' footsteps and the morning bustle that slowly felt… too normal, after a night that was far from ordinary.
As soon as the classroom door was opened, the sight inside made them stop in their tracks.
Near the exit door stood Lira with her arms crossed. Her face was cold, her gaze sharp. In front of her, two male students were bowing their heads while picking up trash scattered on the floor.
"If you want to play tag, use your brains," Lira said in a flat but piercing tone. "This is a classroom, not a field."
"Yes, Lira, sorry," one of them said while putting a tofu wrapper into a trash bag. "We were just joking-"
"Joking until the trash can tipped over?" Lira cut in. "Be grateful class hasn't started yet."
The other one nodded quickly. "We're cleaning it up now."
Sia, Garin, and Arven stood stiffly at the doorway, none of them daring to speak.
Suddenly Garin chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
"Liraaa~ don't be so fierce this early. You'll age faster."
Lira turned her head.
Her gaze swept over Garin, then Arven, then paused briefly on Sia. One of her brows lifted slightly, as if saying you three… without a word.
"Garin," she said coldly, "you're on duty today."
Garin's smile vanished instantly. "Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'll get the broom."
He hurried to the back of the class without further comment. The two boys quickly finished cleaning and rushed back to their seats.
Sia walked slowly to her desk and sat down. Arven also took his seat, placing his bag down silently.
The classroom atmosphere gradually returned to normal, but Sia's mind did not.
Her head felt heavy. Images from last night resurfaced without permission. Her mother's fake face, the creature's laughter, and Asher with his red eyes.
A night that was… insane.
Sia lowered her head and buried her face in her folded arms on the desk. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself.
Then-
Click.
The sound of the door opening.
The class fell silent instantly.
No one spoke. Even Garin, who was usually noisy, went quiet.
Sensing something strange, Sia slowly lifted her head.
At the doorway stood a girl wearing the same uniform as them.
Her head was lowered, both hands gripping her backpack straps. She didn't look at anyone. Her steps were slow as she walked in, passing between desks as if afraid of disturbing the air around her.
The class seemed to hold its breath.
No whispers. No laughter. Just a strange, heavy silence.
The girl kept walking until she reached a seat in the corner of the classroom. She sat down slowly, still without looking at anyone.
Sia stared toward the corner. Watching the girl sit with her head bowed, as if her mere presence was enough to silence the entire class.
Sia's lips moved softly. "Rania…?"
Her murmur was almost inaudible, but enough to escape her own confusion. She didn't understand. On the bus, the girl had seemed ordinary. Quiet, awkward, even timid. But here… the atmosphere felt different. Too silent. Too heavy.
Suddenly-
"You know her?"
The voice was very close.
Sia flinched and turned quickly. Garin was already standing beside her desk, leaning down so his voice was right near her ear. His face was grinning widely, clearly enjoying her reaction
"Gosh-!" Sia reflexively moved away. "Don't appear out of nowhere…"
Garin chuckled softly. "Your reaction is funny."
Sia took a breath, then glanced back at Rania. "I… met her on the bus this morning."
"Oh?" Garin raised a brow. "That explains it."
"Explains what?" Sia asked, confused.
Garin opened his mouth to answer-
"Garin."
Lira's voice cut in sharply.
Garin immediately straightened up. "Yeah, yeah."
Lira looked at him without expression. "The broom. Now."
"Yes, Madam Class President," Garin replied quickly, half-joking.
He looked back at Sia. "I'll tell you later. In the cafeteria."
Before Sia could respond, Lira stepped closer and without hesitation pulled Garin's hair backward.
"OW-! OKAY, OKAY!" Garin winced. "I'm sweeping! I'm sweeping!"
Lira released him. "Less talking."
Garin dragged the broom to the center of the classroom while muttering under his breath.
Sia sat quietly again. Her eyes once more turned toward Rania, who still hadn't moved or spoken.
*
Break time arrived, and they finally sat in the cafeteria. It was noisy with the voices of other students, the clinking of spoons, and overlapping conversations. Sia sat across from Garin, while Lira sat beside Sia and Arven sat beside Garin.
Not long after, their orders arrived. Sia only ordered a bowl of chicken noodles. She lowered her head, eating slowly, almost without a sound.
But occasionally, her eyes glanced forward.
Toward Garin.
Garin, who was drinking iced tea, finally noticed the stare. He lowered his glass and squinted.
"What?" he asked. "What's wrong with my face?"
Sia flinched slightly and quickly shook her head. "N-no… nothing."
Garin frowned. "You look like you want to say something but are scared."
Sia lowered her head again, stirring her spoon in the bowl. "Earlier in class… you said you were going to explain something."
Garin paused for a second. "Oh."
"Oh?" Sia repeated softly.
Garin slapped his own forehead. "Oh right. I forgot."
Lira sighed softly, folding her arms. "Of course."
Garin shot Lira a brief glance, then looked back at Sia. His tone was lower now, no longer cheerful.
"Rania isn't someone people here find easy to talk to," he said quietly. "Not because she's arrogant. But because… she's a target."
"A target?" Sia lifted her face.
Garin nodded. "Bullying."
Sia stopped eating.
"His name's Liam," Garin continued. "He's… cruel. Not just jokes or light teasing."
Arven spoke up, his tone flat. "And everyone knows."
"Why doesn't anyone fight back?" Sia asked softly.
Garin let out a dry laugh. "Because of his parents."
Lira continued, "His father is one of the most influential people in this city. A donor, connected to officials, that kind of thing."
"The school turns a blind eye," Arven said shortly.
Garin nodded. "Even the teachers rarely scold him. And if they do, it happens again the next day."
Sia tightened her grip on her spoon. "And… Rania?"
"She's often absent," Garin replied. "The reason is always illness. Sometimes one day, sometimes two."
"She was absent the last two days," Lira added.
Sia fell silent.
"Oh…" she murmured.
No wonder.
Yesterday she hadn't seen the girl at all. Not in the corridor, not in class. And this morning on the bus, Rania had looked like someone who had been holding something in alone for far too long.
Sia lowered her head again, staring at her noodles that were starting to go cold.
"Why doesn't anyone stay by her side?" Sia finally asked.
Garin shrugged. "People are scared. Scared of getting dragged into it."
Lira glanced at Sia. "And now you know why the class went silent when she walked in."
Sia gave a small nod.
In her mind, the image of Rania with her head lowered, clutching her bag tightly, resurfaced.
And somehow, Sia's chest felt a little heavy. Not from pain, but from something harder to explain.
The cafeteria door opened loudly enough to make several heads turn.
A male student stood at the front, followed by four of his friends behind him. His posture was upright, his steps relaxed but full of confidence. His face carried an arrogant expression, his eyes scanning the room as if searching for something.
Then his gaze stopped.
At a table in the corner of the cafeteria.
Rania.
The smile on his face shifted into something cynical, sharp, and cruel.
He walked over without hurry. The sound of his shoes echoed clearly on the floor, making several students immediately look away, pretending to focus on their food.
Lira leaned closer to Sia and whispered quickly, almost inaudible.
"That's Liam."
Sia froze.
Her heart pounded hard as she watched Liam stop right in front of Rania's table.
Bang.
Liam's hand slammed against the table. Rania flinched, her shoulders jerking up reflexively. Her face turned pale, her hands trembling as she held her spoon.
"Well," Liam said mockingly. "You finally showed up."
He leaned forward slightly. "You skipped for two days. Do you know what that made me?"
Rania lowered her head, her voice barely audible. "I-I… was sick."
"Sick?" Liam chuckled softly. "Funny. You're always sick whenever I'm looking for you."
He tilted his head. "You know, right? Without you, I get bored."
Several nearby students swallowed nervously. No one moved.
Rania tried to stand. "I-I want to go back to class-"
Before she could take a step, Liam had already grabbed her wrist.
"Hey," he said lightly, as if joking. "I'm not done."
Rania let out a soft cry, fear clearly visible on her face. "Please… let go."
"Did you hear that?" Liam turned to the others. "She said please."
He smiled widely, then pulled her harder.
"Let's talk outside," he said casually. "So we don't disturb people eating."
Rania was dragged from her seat. Her bag almost fell. She tried to pull her hand free, but Liam's grip was too strong.
"Let go of me…" her voice trembled.
No one stopped him.
Liam dragged Rania out of the cafeteria, followed by his four friends. The door closed again, leaving behind a suffocating silence.
Sia remained frozen in her seat.
The spoon in her hand slipped and fell into the bowl with a soft clink.
Garin clenched his jaw. Lira lowered her head, her hand tightening into a fist on the table. Arven stared at the closed cafeteria door with a dark expression.