I sat beside Lily in our empty classroom, a quiet space filled only with the soft sounds of us eating our lunch.

    Suddenly, a group of students burst in, their eyes wide, and they froze upon seeing us. The surprise on their faces was obvious as they glanced between us and each other, muttering among themselves.

    "Weren''t you guys just at the rooftop?" one of them finally blurted out, his gaze flickering between me and Lily.

    I raised an eyebrow, feigning curiosity.

    "Nope, haven''t left the classroom," I replied calmly, taking another bite of my sandwich. "You sure you saw us?"

    Lily didn''t even look up, focused on her food with complete indifference.

    "Same here," she muttered, the barest hint of a smirk on her lips.

    The group exchanged puzzled glances, obviously trying to piece things together. "But we could''ve sworn we heard someone up there saying your name, Austin," one of them insisted. "It sounded like you..."

    I shrugged, maintaining my casual demeanor. "I went to the bathroom earlier and came straight back. Maybe you guys are just hearing things? Or maybe it was some other Austin with whom you are mistaking me with?"

    Kyle and Ryan, two of our classmates known for jumping to the weirdest conclusions, looked at each other, then at us. They leaned in, whispering loudly enough for us to hear.

    "Maybe it''s... the sex ghost," Ryan suggested with an exaggerated shiver, his eyes wide.

    Kyle nodded in agreement. "Right! I mean, how else could they get down here so fast? Changing clothes, moving that quick—it''s impossible!"

    Lily rolled her eyes, finally lifting her gaze to meet theirs. "You really think we''re being haunted by a ''sex ghost''?" she deadpanned. Her sarcasm was thick enough to cut through.@@@@

    They both snickered, but I could tell they were genuinely baffled.

    "Yeah, I''m... it''s nothing, really. Don''t worry about it." She forced another weak smile, but her eyes didn''t match the gesture.

    Noticing her reluctance, I decided to shift the conversation.

    "By the way, where''s your brother? I don''t see him with you." My tone was light, casual, though internally, I couldn''t help but think it might be better if he stayed far away. Still, curiosity had its way of gnawing at me.

    Athlea let out a small sigh. "He went back to work already. He only came by because he had some business nearby."

    "I see..." I replied, nodding. Her answer was vague, and I couldn''t help but wonder what kind of "business" Arno had here, and why he''d left so abruptly. The pieces still didn''t fit, and her mood only heightened my suspicion.

    Without meeting my gaze, she mumbled,

    "I... should get going. Need to pick up some groceries before it gets too late."

    Her tone was distant, her mind clearly elsewhere. She turned to walk away, her shoulders slouched as if burdened by something heavy.

    "Alright," I said, watching her go. "Take care, Athlea."

    The elevator doors closed, and I was left alone, the quiet hum of the building echoing around me. Something was off, and I couldn''t shake the feeling that Athlea was hiding something. Her brother''s sudden visit, her sadness—it all felt connected. But for now, I had no answers, only more questions gnawing at the back of my mind.

    Once inside my flat, I tossed my bag aside and dropped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling as my thoughts spiraled. "Why did he come?" I wondered aloud. The words sounded hollow in the silence of the room. "What was he really here for?"

    The red symbol flashed through my memory again, carved into Arno''s arm—a permanent mark that seemed to pulse with danger.

    Latros was supposed to be a neighboring country, yet his presence here felt deliberate, like he was scouting or reporting. And if Athlea''s husband was somehow tied to him, the stakes might be even higher than I''d first thought.

    As I lay there, the pieces began forming clearer images, though none of them made complete sense. Athlea''s brother and husband—two men with ties to another country, possibly to a group with wrong intent. And Athlea herself... was she aware of any of this, or just an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire?

    I closed my eyes, exhaustion weighing down my thoughts, yet the unease simmered beneath.