The moment I walked through the school gates, a strange sensation washed over me. It wasn’t quite fear, but an unsettling feeling that made the hair on the back of my neck prickle. My instincts told me something was off, and I couldn’t shake the unease, no matter how hard I tried.
As I made my way down the crowded hallway, I noticed a woman standing near the entrance, half-hidden in the shadows. She was wearing a long, dark trench coat that hugged her figure, paired with high-heeled boots that clicked on the floor with each deliberate step. A wide-brimmed black hat sat low on her head, obscuring most of her face. Only her lips—painted a deep crimson—were visible beneath the shadow cast by the brim. A black scarf wound around her neck, completing the look of someone who didn’t want to be recognized.
The woman pulled out her phone, her gloved fingers dialing a number. I caught a fragment of her hushed conversation as I passed.
“It’s done,” she murmured into the phone, her voice barely a whisper. “Yes… no, there was no interference. The girl has no idea. Everything’s in place.” She paused, listening intently. “Understood. I’ll wait for further instructions.”
The tone of her voice sent a chill through me, though I wasn’t sure why. As she finished the call, she turned abruptly and began to walk down the hall. Her brisk pace caught the attention of a nearby student, who was struggling to balance a stack of books. The woman bumped into the student without so much as a glance, not even bothering to apologize, and continued down the hallway, her heels echoing against the tiles. The student muttered a string of curses under his breath, watching her walk away with a look of irritation.
I shook my head, trying to push the odd encounter out of my mind. There was no sense in dwelling on strangers who had nothing to do with me.
I walked into class, expecting to find the teacher, but to my surprise, the room was empty except for my classmates, who were all absorbed in their assignments. The air buzzed with the low hum of chatter and the soft scratch of pens against paper. My gaze drifted across the room, landing on Collin, seated near the window. I felt a pang of reluctance—working with Collin wasn’t exactly something I was looking forward to, but I knew I didn’t have much of a choice. If I didn’t complete this biology assignment with him, I could fail, and Magnus wouldn’t be pleased with that outcome.
Taking a deep breath, I crossed the room and sat beside him. His usual partner had already found someone else, so it seemed like the opportunity was as convenient as it was unavoidable.