Chapter 13 – The Confrontation
368 Words
The next morning, the hallways of Spring High bustled with the usual clatter of backpacks, sneakers squeaking against polished tiles, and excited chatter. But to Isabella, everything moved in slow motion. Her heartbeat was louder than it should’ve been. Her footsteps, heavier.
She spotted Kaito near the school’s back staircase—alone, as always. He leaned against the wall, flipping through a small notebook, headphones in. It was the perfect moment.
Clutching the mysterious note tightly in her pocket, Isabella approached him.
“Kaito,” she said, steadying her voice.
He didn’t look up. “If you’re here to talk about group projects, I’m not interested.”
“I know you got a note. Just like mine.”
That got his attention. He pulled out one earbud slowly and finally looked at her—eyes calm, unreadable.
“You sure you want to talk about this here?” he said.
Isabella’s voice lowered. “We can talk behind the library. Ten minutes.”
He studied her a moment longer, then gave a single nod.
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Behind the library, the sun barely reached the ground through the thick trees. It was quiet—too quiet.
Kaito arrived right on time, slipping his phone into his pocket. “So, what do you know?”
“I should be asking you that,” Isabella shot back. “You’ve been getting these too. Who’s sending them?”
He shrugged. “Could be anyone. People like us… we attract shadows.”
That sentence pierced her.
“…People like us?” she echoed.
Kaito’s eyes darkened. “You think you’re the only one with a past?”
He reached into his jacket and handed her something—another note. But this one wasn’t like hers. It had a name scrawled across the top in messy red ink.
Hazel Kingsley.
Isabella froze. “Hazel?”
Kaito’s voice lowered. “They’re not just targeting you anymore.”
A gust of wind blew through the trees, scattering leaves between them. For a long moment, they stood in silence, both knowing what this meant: the game had changed.
Someone was trying to unravel everything—and drag their secrets into the light.
And now, Hazel was in danger.
- Writer
