Secrets in the eyes.

"You left us to die, you traitor." Andriana woke up panting. She felt like she was suffocating. She didn’t want to remember the past, where she had… done some things she couldn’t undo. She hadn’t betrayed them, that’s all she knew. She had no choice. But still, she always had this nightmare—people calling her a traitor, voices chasing her even in her sleep. It seemed she couldn’t accept the past… or escape from it. It’s been five years since that incident. Yet it still haunts her, wrapping around her chest like chains she couldn’t break. A shadow of memory she never asked for. She sat up slowly, pressing her palm against her face, trying to breathe. A strange whisper came from the dark corner of her room—low, almost playful, yet dripping with something unexplainable. "Come closer… give in…" it said. Her eyes darted into the alley-like shadow by her wardrobe. She didn’t move. Instead, she glanced down at her palm as if searching for something written there. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down, but it was useless. This feeling, this presence—it never left her. It clung to her like it had been carved into her skin. She laid down again, shutting her eyes tight. A single tear slipped down her cheek. It wasn’t just fear. It was the weight of something she could never speak about. She had been broken before—heart shattered, trust crushed—but this was different. This was the kind of wound that didn’t bleed on the outside. It was never her fault. She knew that. But the incident was the turning point in her life. The cheerful girl who used to laugh at the smallest things was gone. In her place was someone careful with every word, as if speaking too much might trigger something dangerous. The summer night was warm, yet she curled under a large blanket, shivering until sleep claimed her again. When morning came, she woke up to find her pillow damp, her eyes stinging from the tears she hadn’t noticed in the night. Before she could process it, her phone rang. The name flashing on the screen made her freeze. It was her childhood friend. "We’re meeting up today, just the four of us", the voice on the other end said. Andriana hesitated. Her fingers hovered over the phone, her heartbeat unsteady. Finally, she murmured a hesitant, “I’ll come.” The moment the call ended, she pulled open her drawer and retrieved a small box. As soon as her fingers brushed against it, memories came rushing back—so vivid and heavy they blurred her vision with tears. Later that afternoon, she stood outside the small café they’d chosen. Her hands were cold despite the summer heat. Inside, three familiar faces sat waiting—Lina, Jacob, and Daniel. Once, they had been everything to her. They used to be close. Unbreakable. But that was before. Before the past swallowed them whole. They talked, laughed faintly at old memories, but then… the silence came. The air grew heavy. And slowly, inevitably, the conversation circled back to that incident. The incident that changed all of them. Andriana sat silently as her friends talked, but beneath their words, something stirred inside her—like a heavy fog pressing down on her chest. It wasn’t the café, not the warm summer air, but the past itself, hovering just out of sight. Her breath caught. The shadows behind her eyes deepened, closing in like the night she’d tried so hard to forget. It rushed forward—cold, sharp, relentless—pulling her under. Suddenly, she was there again. Back then, they were young—on the verge of finishing their last years of high school. They laughed at the smallest, most ridiculous things, their joy infectious and unrestrained. Each day was a lesson, not just in school subjects, but in friendship, as they taught and supported one another through everything. They were inseparable, always moving as one, like pieces of a puzzle perfectly fitted together. Andriana was the logical mind of the group—sharp, thoughtful, and admired by many. Her intelligence was matched by her charm and popularity, making her a natural leader. Alongside Lina, they formed the golden duo—the heart and soul of their tight-knit circle. Meanwhile, Jacob and Daniel brought energy and laughter, mood makers who could lighten any moment with their playful antics. They called her Andri — quick with a smile. Sam, her boyfriend, was the reason behind many of those smiles, even on the days when the dorm walls felt empty. Their matching pendants were a small secret they carried, tucked beneath school uniforms and layers of teenage worries. The school itself was a world apart — a sprawling maze of buildings and hallways, lost somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Nights in the dorms echoed with whispers and footsteps, stories shared under the dim light of bedside lamps. The school dorms were divided — girls on one side, boys on the other, separated by a long, quiet corridor. Lina and Andri shared a small room, cluttered with books, clothes, and memories. Their beds were side by side, but it was the late-night talks that made the room feel like home. On the other hand, Daniel, Sam, and Jacob were roommates. They had been friends since elementary, so they were the ones who understood one another. Their room was filled with posters of supercars, a carefully arranged collection of CDs, and a quiet space for understanding. There stood Sam, staring at the distant light from the girls' dorm, smiling and fidgeting with his pendant, which he held dearly inside his heart. Beside him was Daniel, whose eyes—once always bright with joy—now seemed shadowed by sorrow. Daniel forced out a smile and said, "Why are you staring out the window like some kind of fool?" Sam, still smiling, looked at him and replied, "Maybe I am a fool for her, that is." Jacob, sitting quietly nearby, caught Daniel’s gaze for a moment. There was something unspoken in that look—that neither dared voice aloud. Meanwhile, in the girls’ dorm was Andri, sitting in her chair, absentmindedly turning her pendant between her fingers. Lina walked over, leaning against the desk with a knowing smirk. “Again lost in that pendant, aren’t you?” Andri looked up, her smile soft and dreamy. “You’ll get what I feel when you have a boyfriend,” she replied, her voice gentle but certain. She stood, stretching, then crossed the room to her bed. As she lay down, the smile still lingered on her face, like she was holding onto a secret only she and the pendant knew. Lina chuckled, shaking her head. Watching her best friend, she couldn’t help but think how Andri had gone completely crazy in love. Everyone had fallen asleep, the dorm wrapped in silence, when Andri eyes shot open. A faint, strange noise, almost like muffled footsteps, drifted up from somewhere downstairs. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes, and went over to the window. Down below, in the dim glow of the moon, a group of six… maybe seven figures moved in a single file, their steps steady and deliberate. Each one wore a long black cloak, the hoods drawn low over their faces. In their hands, candles flickered, casting light across the grass. They were heading toward the dark woods behind the dorm. Something about them felt wrong. A shiver ran down her spine. Without thinking, Andri turned and shook Lina awake. “Lina… wake up. Look.” But by the time Lina rubbed her eyes and stumbled to the window, the figures were gone — as if the night had swallowed them whole. Lina glanced at her with a sleepy smile. “You’re probably just overthinking. Go back to sleep, Andri.” Andri didn’t reply. She looked once more toward the distant woods, which was now silent and still. Finally, with a hesitant breath, she turned away and climbed into bed, but she knew something was going on with those seven unknown figures. Morning came spilling through the curtain, perfectly sunlit rays were cast into the morning as if it hadn't carried a secret in the dark. The golden duo had woken early and were moving through the dorm gracefully. Even in their simple uniform — skirt, shirt, and coat — they looked effortlessly stunning, the kind of beauty that turned heads without trying. Lina adjusted her tie in the mirror while Andri brushed her hair, the pendant resting just above her collar. Although it seemed like a quiet and peaceful morning, Andri's mind was still occupied with the thoughts of last night. She brushed it off for the day, tucking it somewhere deep in the back of her mind. Stepping out of the dorm with Lina, the morning air felt different. The boys were already waiting outside, leaning casually against the railing. Andri’s eyes found Sam instantly. Without a second thought, she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him, a smile breaking across her face. Sam chuckled softly, resting his hand on her back. “Morning, Andri.” She nodded, still smiling, and let go of him. “Morning, everyone.” With that, they started toward the campus together. The chatter of students filled the air, but somewhere beneath it all, the memory of the night before still lingered in Andri’s mind. She decided not to tell anyone — not yet. By the time classes ended, the sun hung low in the sky, painting the campus in warm gold. They met at the cafeteria, the familiar noise of clinking trays and chatter echoing around them. “I’ll go take the food with Daniel. You guys sit down,” Lina said, pointing toward a table. “I’ll also come,” Jacob offered quickly. Lina shook her head. “No need, Jacob. We’ll be quick.” And with that, she walked off with Daniel. Jacob’s eyes followed her without him realizing, his usual expression softening for just a moment. No one seemed to notice — except Andri. She caught his gaze and smiled, a knowing glint in her eyes. Jacob frowned in confusion. Leaning closer, she whispered, “You like her.” “What?” Jacob blurted, completely flustered. Still leaning in, she murmured, “I’ll keep your cute little secret. Don’t worry.” Jacob, still flushed from the earlier incident, felt exposed and vulnerable for the first time. The day ended as usual, but while they were walking, Andri caught a faint, muffled voice coming from an abandoned clubroom in the darkness. No one else seemed to notice, so she quietly slipped away from the group and headed toward it. Inside, the air was thick with dust, and in the middle of the empty room lay a black book. She picked it up, running her fingers over its worn cover—when, suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. Startled, Andri turned, instinctively hiding the book behind her back. It was Jacob. “What are you doing here?” he asked, eyes narrowing slightly. “Oh, nothing,” she replied quickly, forcing a casual tone. “I just thought I saw something and came to check.” She smuggled the book back to her dorm, careful not to let Lina notice. When the room finally fell silent and everyone was asleep, Andri slipped out of bed, lit her desk lamp, and opened the book. Its pages were filled with rules and regulations for performing some kind of ritual—cryptic, unsettling instructions that seemed almost alive in the way they were written. The handwriting was jagged, uneven, and the tone carried a cold, almost commanding authority that sent a shiver down her spine. She kept flipping through, curiosity battling with unease—when suddenly, a deafening BANG echoed through the corridor.