Episode 8: Rumors
1299 Words
By Monday morning, Heaven had discovered one very important thing.
High school students could turn one moment into a whole story.
The basketball game had happened three days ago.
Three days.
Yet everyone was still talking about it.
Heaven walked through the hallway with Maya beside her, trying her best to ignore the whispers.
It wasn’t working.
“That’s her.”
“The girl from the game.”
“Apparently she and Conrad disappeared together.”
“I heard he held her hand.”
“I heard they kissed.”
Heaven stopped walking.
“They what?”
Maya covered her mouth to hide her laughter.
“I told you.”
“I did not kiss him!”
“I know.”
“Then why are they saying that?”
“Because people are bored.”
Heaven groaned.
“This is horrible.”
Maya shrugged.
“Could be worse.”
“How?”
“They could be saying you’re dating Dylan.”
Heaven stared at her.
“That’s not funny.”
Maya laughed.
They continued walking.
Then someone called out.
“Heaven!”
She turned.
Dylan was standing near the lockers.
He smiled.
“Morning.”
“Morning.”
He looked at Maya.
“Can I borrow Heaven?”
Maya immediately stepped aside.
“Of course.”
Heaven frowned.
“Why?”
“Conrad wants to see you.”
Her heart skipped.
“Why?”
Dylan shrugged.
“Didn’t say.”
Heaven followed him.
They reached the basketball court.
Conrad was practicing alone.
He stopped when he saw her.
“You came.”
“You asked me to.”
He smiled.
Dylan walked away.
Heaven looked around.
“Why are we here?”
“I wanted to talk.”
“About?”
Conrad bounced the ball once.
“The game.”
Heaven’s expression changed.
“You remember what happened.”
“I remember everything.”
He tossed the ball toward the basket.
It went in.
“I couldn’t control the mark.”
Heaven looked at his wrist.
“Is it still there?”
“Yeah.”
“Does it hurt?”
“Sometimes.”
She stepped closer.
“Can I see it?”
Conrad hesitated.
Then he pulled up his sleeve.
The golden mark was visible.
Heaven stared at it.
It looked different now.
The symbol had become clearer.
“That’s changed.”
“I know.”
She reached toward it.
The moment her fingers touched his wrist, a burst of warmth passed through them.
Conrad inhaled sharply.
Heaven pulled away.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
They stared at each other.
For a moment, the entire school seemed to disappear.
Then—
“Get a room!”
They jumped apart.
Maya stood at the entrance with Dylan.
Heaven’s face turned bright red.
“Maya!”
Maya was laughing.
“I knew it!”
Conrad shook his head.
“You’re enjoying this too much.”
“Absolutely.”
Dylan grinned.
“So the rumors are true?”
“What rumors?” Conrad asked.
“That you two are together.”
Heaven answered immediately.
“We’re not.”
Conrad said at the exact same time,
“Not yet.”
Everyone laughed.
Heaven stared at him.
“You need to stop saying that.”
“Why?”
“Because people believe you.”
“Maybe I want them to.”
Her heart skipped.
Before she could respond, a voice interrupted.
“Conrad.”
Sierra.
She stood at the entrance.
Her expression was unreadable.
Conrad’s smile disappeared.
“Sierra.”
“We need to talk.”
He sighed.
“Again?”
“Yes.”
She looked at Heaven.
“Alone.”
Heaven immediately stepped back.
“It’s okay.”
Conrad looked at her.
“I’ll find you later.”
She nodded.
He followed Sierra outside.
Heaven watched them leave.
She didn’t want to be jealous.
She really didn’t.
But she was.
Maya noticed.
“You’re doing it again.”
“Doing what?”
“That face.”
“I don’t have a face.”
“You absolutely have a face.”
Heaven sighed.
“I trust him.”
“Then why are you worried?”
“I don’t know.”
Maya looked toward the door.
“Maybe because Sierra isn’t over him.”
Heaven didn’t answer.
Outside, Sierra crossed her arms.
“You’re getting closer to her.”
Conrad frowned.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“You don’t understand.”
“Then explain.”
Sierra looked around.
“The mark is getting stronger.”
“I know.”
“No. You don’t.”
She lowered her voice.
“You think it’s just connecting you to her.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No.”
Conrad stared at her.
“What are you talking about?”
Sierra looked directly into his eyes.
“The last time the mark got this strong, someone got hurt.”
Conrad went silent.
“Who?”
Sierra looked away.
“I can’t tell you.”
“You already know too much.”
“I know enough to be scared.”
Conrad stepped closer.
“What happened?”
Sierra shook her head.
“You need to keep Heaven away from the door.”
Conrad’s face hardened.
“You already told her about the door.”
Sierra froze.
“You what?”
“I didn’t tell her anything.”
“Then how does she know?”
“She dreams about it.”
Sierra’s face went pale.
“She dreams about it?”
Conrad nodded.
Sierra took a step back.
“That’s bad.”
“Why?”
“Because it means it’s already started.”
Meanwhile, Heaven sat in the empty classroom.
She opened her notebook.
The strange symbol was still there.
But something had changed.
There was now another symbol beside it.
A smaller one.
She touched it.
The classroom lights flickered.
Heaven quickly pulled her hand away.
“No.”
The door creaked open.
She looked up.
Nobody was there.
She stood slowly.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Then she heard a faint sound.
A whisper.
“Heaven.”
Her heart stopped.
It wasn’t Conrad’s voice.
It wasn’t Maya’s.
It was a voice she had never heard before.
She stepped backward.
The classroom door slammed shut.
Her hands began glowing.
“No, no, no.”
The lights flickered rapidly.
Then every desk in the classroom moved at once.
Heaven screamed.
The desks crashed against the walls.
The windows shook.
The strange symbol on her notebook began glowing brighter.
Then suddenly—
Everything stopped.
Silence.
Heaven stood frozen.
Her breathing was heavy.
She looked around.
Nothing moved.
Then the classroom door opened.
Conrad stood there.
“Heaven?”
She ran toward him.
He caught her.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know.”
He looked around the room.
The desks were scattered everywhere.
His expression changed.
“Heaven…”
She looked up.
“What?”
“You didn’t do this.”
It wasn’t a question.
He knew.
She shook her head.
“I couldn’t control it.”
Conrad looked at the symbol in her notebook.
Then at his wrist.
His mark was glowing again.
Heaven noticed.
“It’s happening again.”
Conrad nodded.
Then footsteps sounded in the hallway.
They both turned.
Sierra appeared in the doorway.
She looked at the destroyed classroom.
Then at Heaven.
Then at Conrad.
Her face went pale.
“It found her.”
Heaven frowned.
“What found me?”
Sierra didn’t answer.
Conrad stepped forward.
“Sierra.”
She swallowed.
“The door isn’t waiting for you anymore.”
Heaven’s heart pounded.
“What does that mean?”
Sierra looked directly at her.
“It means…”
She paused.
“It’s waiting for Heaven.”
And somewhere far away, a door slammed shut.
Even though there was no one there to close it.
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