Chapter Seven: The Boy Who Knew Too Much
848 Words
Ava felt it before she saw him.
That strange pressure in her chest, the same one she felt right before the shadows moved, right before something bad happened. She slowed her steps as she crossed the empty courtyard behind the gym. School had ended, and the sky was already dimming.
“You should not walk alone anymore.”
The voice came from behind her.
Ava spun around.
He stood near the fence, hands in his pockets, posture relaxed like he had been waiting a long time. Dark hair. Calm eyes. A smile that felt practiced.
“I am Kael,” he said. “You are Ava.”
Her heart skipped. “Do I know you?”
“No,” Kael replied easily. “But I know you.”
That sent a chill down her spine.
“You should stay away from Luca Vale,” he added, like it was a casual suggestion.
Ava’s jaw tightened. “Why?”
Kael stepped closer, slow and deliberate. “Because people like him do not save girls for free.”
Her pulse quickened. “You do not know anything about him.”
Kael smiled wider. “I know he has watched you longer than you think.”
The words hit her like a slap.
“What are you talking about?” she demanded.
Kael tilted his head, studying her. “Tell me something, Ava. When you dream, do you ever feel like you are remembering instead of imagining?”
Her breath caught.
Kael’s eyes darkened. “I thought so.”
Ava took a step back. “Get away from me.”
“You are waking up,” Kael said softly. “And Luca is terrified of what you will remember.”
That made her hesitate.
“Why would he be afraid?” she asked.
Kael leaned in just enough that she could smell his cologne, something sharp and cold. “Because the last time you remembered everything, you died.”
Her heart pounded violently. “That is not funny.”
“I am not joking,” Kael replied. “Ask him why he never tells you how it really ended.”
Ava shook her head. “You are lying.”
Kael’s smile faded. For a moment, something darker flickered behind his eyes. “Am I?”
Footsteps echoed nearby.
Kael stepped back instantly, expression neutral again. “Just be careful, Ava. Not all protectors are heroes. Some are just cowards who failed once and are afraid to fail again.”
Then he turned and walked away, disappearing between the buildings like he had never been there.
Ava stood frozen, her heart racing.
Moments later, Luca appeared.
His expression changed the second he saw her face.
“What happened?” he asked.
Ava looked at him. Really looked at him.
And for the first time since they met, doubt crept into her chest.
“There was someone here,” she said slowly. “He knew things about me.”
Luca’s jaw tightened. “What did he say?”
Ava hesitated, uncertainty twisting her stomach. Then she shook her head. “Nothing important.”
Luca’s gaze lingered, piercing, as if he could see straight through the lie.
Ava swallowed hard. Somewhere deep inside, something shifted. Trust cracked. Questions took root. Desire tangled with fear.
“I… I don’t know what to think,” she whispered, voice low, barely audible.
“You don’t need to,” Luca said quietly, though his voice carried tension. “Not yet. Just… stay close to me.”
Ava’s cheeks warmed. “I was fine on my own.”
“No,” Luca said, blunt and final. “You were not. Not this time.”
A shadow moved between the buildings, unnoticed by Luca, but Ava felt it. A cold, patient presence watching from the edges of her world.
Her hands trembled slightly. The pull in her chest the one that always came before the impossible tightened again. She felt the weight of centuries, of lives she had not lived, pressing down on her, reminding her that the game she had stumbled into was far bigger than high school drama.
“Who was he?” she asked finally, voice shaking.
Luca’s jaw tightened, a shadow passing over his golden eyes. “Someone you will need to understand eventually,” he said. “But not tonight.”
Ava bit her lip, frustration and fear twisting together. “He made it sound like… like you’ve lied to me before.”
“I protect you,” Luca said, tone sharp. “Sometimes that means hiding the truth until you’re ready.”
Ava’s stomach churned. She wanted to scream, to demand answers, to push him away and run at the same time. Instead, she felt herself frozen, caught between fear, desire, and the weight of secrets that were older than her.
Her mind replayed Kael’s words. “The last time you remembered everything, you died.”
She had survived. But what if surviving now was only the beginning of something worse?
And somewhere deep in the darkness, Kael was waiting, patient, knowing, and watching.
- Writer
