The wind picked up as evening settled in, sweeping through the streets and tossing stray leaves across the sidewalks. A beautiful young girl stepped off the bus, her navy blue blazer flaring slightly in the breeze, a skirt falling neatly to her knees.
Tiny raindrops dotted the air, brushing her cheeks and arms. She walked faster, footsteps light but hurried, tugging the blazer tightly around herself as the cool dampness crept in.
"Aw come on, don't rain yet, pleasee," she muttered, her voice barely audible above the gusts.
A sudden bolt of lightning cracked through the sky with a sharp flash, followed closely by a rumble of thunder that made her flinch, shoulders tensing.
It's gonna rain so bad, isn't it, she thought, lips pressed into a line as she broke into a jog. Her hair whipped across her face, clinging to damp skin as the drizzle turned heavier, harsher.
She lifted her hands over her head in a loose shield, breaking into a half-run, the rhythm of her steps echoing over wet concrete. The rain now came down in sheets, soaking through fabric and chilling her skin.
Finally, she spotted the awning of a closed shop up ahead and darted beneath it, stumbling slightly as she came to a stop. She leaned back against the wall, Her heart thudded in her chest, still racing from the sprint, blazer clinging to her arms.
"That was close," she gasped, catching her breath, water dripping from her sleeves onto the ground below.
She looked up at the sky and sighed.
"I should've just stayed at school and waited for the rain to pass... Ari and Rae asked me to stay after all," she muttered under her breath.
From under the shop's awning, Valerie squinted out through the heavy curtain of rain—and froze.
Far down the street, three figures were running toward her, blurred by the downpour.
"Valerie!"
"Valerie Maren!!"
"Maren!!!" their voices called out through the storm.
She blinked, confused.
Why are they yelling at me? Why are they even here? she wondered, heart picking up pace.
Sighing, she stepped back into the rain and started toward them despite the downpour. But as she broke into a run, the world tilted. Her vision swam. The ground felt unstable beneath her feet.
Suddenly, the sidewalk vanished.
"WHAT… NO-!!" she screamed, arms flailing as she dropped through a hole that hadn't been there moments ago.
She jolted awake with a gasp.
Her heart pounded as her eyes darted around the room, landing on her mom standing at her bedside, brows knit with worry.
"Are you okay, Val? How's your cold now?" her mom asked gently.
Valerie squeezed her eyes shut for a second, trying to shake off the dream, then looked up with a weak smile.
"Yeah… I feel a lot better now."
Val's mom smiled gently as she reached out and patted her daughter's head.
"Good. Wash your face and come downstairs for dinner, your dad's waiting."
Valerie gave a small nod.
"Mhm," she mumbled, watching as her mother quietly stepped out of the dark room.
She let out a breath and rubbed her eyes.
"What a weird dream," she whispered, tying her long black hair into a quick ponytail.
After washing her face, she flicked on the room's light, blinking against the sudden brightness. She walked over to her desk, grabbed her phone, and checked the screen.
"8:43!?" she gasped. "I slept for almost four hours."
Still groggy, she grabbed the charging cable, plugged the phone in, and padded downstairs toward the dining room.
Her dad was already sitting at the table, eyes fixed on the television.
"...the country of Alcamin is now facing economic collapse after a series of devastating terrorist attacks. Citizens are fleeing the country, seeking safety and opportunities abroad. Many nations have opened emergency visa pathways, offering shelter and support..."
The screen flashed with images, massive crowds at airports, families clutching each other's hands, embassy gates lined with desperate people, protest signs glowing under city lights. Valerie paused, watching in silence as she took her seat.
Her dad looked over and smiled.
"How're you feeling now?"
"A lot better. I think I'm okay now," she said, nodding with a soft smile.
Her mom entered from the kitchen, carefully balancing a stack of plates. She set them down one by one with practiced ease, then wiped her hands on the apron.
"The terrorist attacks really are getting bad, huh?"
"Yeah," her dad replied, glancing back at the screen.
"They've gotten way more aggressive.
And just an hour ago, they were talking about some weird flu spreading too. It's like we can't catch a break anymore."
Val's mom let out a quiet sigh.
"I really feel bad for those families. It must be so hard. But didn't our country and a few others, offer support and shelter?"
"Not just a few," he said. "Almost every country stepped up to show they're against terrorism."
"Oh, that's really good to hear," she said with a small smile, lowering herself into her seat.
Valerie's eyes lit up.
"Meatloaf and mashed potatoes?" She turned to her mom, grinning. "You're the best."
Both her parents smiled at her.
"Since you weren't feeling well, I thought this might lift your mood a little," her mom said as they began eating.
"It definitely did!" Valerie said between bites.
"Mood officially brightened."
Valerie quickly finished her dinner and stood up from the table.
"Okayyy, I gotta go study now. I've got school tomorrow, after all."
Her dad glanced over with a teasing grin.
"Yeah, your mother better not catch you slacking off late at night like she did last week."
Her mom chuckled softly, drying her hands on her apron.
"I was just taking a break back then," she said with a playful frown, waving Valerie off as she headed upstairs.
"Well, at least she recovered quickly," her mom murmured once Valerie was gone.
Her husband nodded, eyes still fixed on the TV, the low hum of news reports filling the room.
Upstairs, Valerie unplugged her phone from the charger and flopped onto her bed face-down, her legs bent upward and gently kicking in the air. She tapped her screen awake, and her tired eyes lit up at the sight of new messages from 'Aria' and 'Jude.'
She opened Aria's chat first.
"You totally missed out!" the text read, glowing at the top of the screen.
Valerie's brows rose, curiosity kicking in. She quickly typed,
"What happened???"
and hit send. Before she could even switch over to Jude's message, another text from Aria popped up.
"Guess what?"
"i have no idea, just say it girll" Val typed, thumbs moving fast across the screen.
"It's Damon," Aria replied instantly, practically vibrating with energy on the other end.
Valerie rolled onto her stomach, her smile already spreading.
"Damon what? Stop the suspense, Arii 😭" she sent, legs swaying behind her in anticipation.
"Damon asked Mirae out, girl!!" came Aria's next message, almost before Valerie had finished reading the last one.
Val's eyes went wide "noway.." she let out a delighted gasp, typing fast. "OMGG, REALLY??"
"IKRR," Aria shot back, followed by: "how could he like just ask her out like that"
"I had no idea Damon had feelings for our Rae," Valerie replied.
"Soo, what did Rae sayy??"
"What do you think Val??😂 She actually said yes! Turns out she liked him too!!" Aria wrote, clearly buzzing.
Valerie let out a soft laugh, her grin wide. "You're not making this up, are you? 😭"
"See it with your own eyes tomorrow, lady 🙏" Aria typed. She grinned, already picturing Valerie's reaction in the hallway.
Aria's wide grin suddenly disappeared, then her tone shifted as she frowned.
"I'm so sorrryy vall, how are you now? You're okay, right? I totally forgot about your cold"
Valerie smiled warmly at the message.
"Its okayy, I'm all good now. I'll come to school tomorrow.😂"
Aria's reply came back with sunshine.
"We're gonna have sooo much fun with Rae tomorrow, I need you in perfect health!!"
"Of courseee! How could I forget that? I actually can't believe all of us ended up in relationships right after final year started."
"Right?? I never thought we would either. But hey, you gotta go rest now. Sleep and rest well, we've got all day to talk tomorrow."
"Bye Val, sleep well!"
Valerie smiled, touched by the concern in her words.
"Sure, Arii. See you at school. Good night. ❤❤❤"
She hit send and closed the chat, the screen dimming gently in her hand.
She rolled onto her back, eyes closing as the warmth of the blanket settled around her peaceful at last.
But then her mind sparked. Jude.
She groaned and reached for her phone, fumbling it open. His messages were waiting.
"hey, you good?"
She smiled wide, reading his texts,
"you're coming to school tomorrow, right sweetheart?"
She frowned, her lips pressing into a line.
How many times do I have to tell him not to call me that? she sighed.
It's not even cute… it's just weird.
With a tired breath, she started typing slowly:
"don't call me that, jude. just say val or valerie. i don't like pet names like that. and yeah, i'm good."
She set the phone aside and flopped deeper into the bed.
"He just pisses me off sometimes, doesn't he?" she grumbled.
"That idiot totally ruined the vibe, I was so happy just now… ughhh."
She let out a muffled groan into the pillow.
"I love him," she whispered, voice turning soft and low, "but why can't he just listen to me…"
Her thoughts flickered through other moments, other times he'd pissed her off and then faded. Her eyes drifted shut, and sleep pulled her under at last.
The next morning, Valerie got ready slowly, still feeling a bit lightheaded. After a quiet breakfast, she waved goodbye to her parents and stepped into the cab waiting outside.
Her expression was cool, almost distant. As they neared the school, she spotted Aria and her boyfriend Rian walking side by side, talking and laughing softly. Valerie didn't call out to them.
"I wish we could be like that," she murmured under her breath, barely aware she'd said it aloud.
A few minutes later, the cab pulled up outside the school gates. She smiled at the driver as she stepped out.
"Thank you. See you again in the evening!"
The driver returned her smile warmly and gave a small wave before pulling away.
The school loomed ahead, big, busy, full of energy. Clubs, electives, sports. It had everything.
So why did she feel so… dull?
She sighed and headed to class, sliding into her seat as students began trickling in. The room buzzed faintly, but it still felt emptier than usual.
Before long, Aria and Mirae showed up, settling into the seats next to hers. The three of them immediately fell into light teasing and chatter, mostly about Mirae and Damon, who'd just started dating. Damon joined them a moment later, making Mirae blush while Aria nudged Valerie with a knowing grin.
That's when Rian walked over, glancing toward the classroom door.
"Isn't the teacher talking way longer than usual? And a bunch of people still aren't here," he said, brow raised. "I mean Asher hasn't shown up in like three days now. But where's Jude? Callen? The rest?"
Aria nodded slowly.
"Yeah, and Tessa, Selena, Lyra... they always show up before Valerie does, and they're not here either."
Everyone exchanged puzzled looks.
Valerie tilted her head slightly, brows pulling together.
"I don't know about everyone else, but Jude and some of his friends and a few girls too, they're in their club rooms. Since the teacher usually gets here before me, I guess they figured class was canceled or something. They said it might take a while to arrange a sub anyway… so they left."
Even as she said it, uncertainty crept into her voice. Her own explanation didn't sit right.
"Didn't you contact Asher? It's been three days," Damon asked Rian, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.
The others turned toward Rian, waiting.
"I did try," Rian said with a slight frown. "Couldn't reach him."
He hesitated for a moment, then added,
"Is it just me, or does it feel quiet today? Not like... actual silence, just... different."
A strange tension hung in the air after he said it. Even with the usual school chatter echoing from the halls, something felt off.
The five of them exchanged glances, but no one spoke.
Then Rian suddenly chuckled.
"Come on, guys, I'm just messing around. There's probably heavy rain, that's why they are not here yet, winter's almost here, right?"
A wave of relief passed over the group, tension easing just a bit.
Aria playfully pinched his arm.
"You've been messing with us way too much lately."
Their laughter started to build, light, distracted, until a sharp scream tore through the hallway.
It cut the air like a blade.
Instantly, all five froze.
They felt a chill run down their spine.