The night air was crisp, carrying a quiet hum of crickets and distant laughter from the campsite. The observation trip had turned into something more an unplanned adventure, filled with late-night discussions, unexpected pairings, and the slow unraveling of guarded walls. After the scavenger hunt, most of the students had settled into their groups around the campfire, but I found myself wandering toward the quieter part of the site, away from the noise. Maybe it was exhaustion from the day’s events, or maybe I just needed a moment alone to think.
I exhaled, letting the cool breeze wash over me. The past few days had been… different. Ethan had been around always around. Every time I turned, there he was. Not in an overbearing way, but just enough to make me notice. Enough to unsettle me.
