# Episode 2: The Secret
884 Words
Heaven spent the entire afternoon avoiding Conrad.
It wasn't difficult.
She was very good at avoiding people.
She changed her usual route between classes, stayed in the library during lunch, and kept her head down whenever she heard his voice somewhere nearby.
It should have worked.
It didn't.
When she finally left the library, Conrad was leaning against the wall outside.
He looked completely relaxed.
Heaven stopped.
He smiled.
"Hi."
She turned around.
"Don't."
"Don't what?"
"Follow me."
"I wasn't following you."
"Then why are you here?"
He shrugged.
"Maybe I like the library."
"You've been standing outside it for ten minutes."
He looked impressed.
"You noticed?"
Heaven sighed.
"Conrad."
He pushed himself away from the wall.
"Okay. I'll be serious."
Heaven waited.
"What happened in class?"
"Nothing."
"The lights went out."
"They flickered."
"And your hand was glowing."
Heaven said nothing.
Conrad stepped closer.
"I saw it."
"You didn't."
"I definitely did."
She looked around the hallway.
There were students walking past them, but nobody seemed interested in their conversation.
"Keep your voice down."
Conrad's eyebrows lifted.
"So there is something."
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
Heaven stared at him.
"You can't tell anyone."
For the first time, Conrad's teasing expression disappeared.
"I won't."
She studied him carefully.
"You promise?"
"I promise."
Something about his voice made her believe him.
She looked away.
"It's complicated."
"I'm listening."
"You don't need to."
"I want to."
Heaven hesitated.
Then she slowly held out her hand.
A tiny golden spark appeared above her palm.
Conrad stared.
For once, he had nothing funny to say.
The light moved across her fingers like a tiny flame.
Then it disappeared.
Conrad looked at her.
"How?"
"I don't know."
"How long have you been able to do that?"
"Since I was little."
"Does everyone know?"
"No."
"Does your family know?"
"Yes."
He nodded slowly.
"Does it hurt?"
"No."
"Can you control it?"
"Usually."
"Usually?"
Heaven gave him a look.
"That's why I need you to forget you saw anything."
Conrad smiled slightly.
"That's going to be difficult."
"Why?"
"Because I've never seen anything like that before."
Heaven lowered her hand.
"You think it's weird."
"No."
He paused.
"I think it's amazing."
She looked at him.
He wasn't joking.
Something strange happened inside her chest.
She immediately pushed the feeling away.
"You're still not telling anyone."
"I won't."
"Good."
She started walking.
Conrad followed.
"Where are you going?"
"Home."
"I'll walk with you."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because people will talk."
He laughed.
"People already talk."
"About you."
"Exactly."
He walked beside her anyway.
Heaven tried to ignore him.
She failed.
They walked in silence for a while.
Then Conrad spoke.
"You know, you're not what I expected."
She glanced at him.
"What did you expect?"
"I don't know."
"Then why say it?"
"Because you're quiet."
"Is that bad?"
"No."
He looked at her.
"It's interesting."
Heaven felt her cheeks warm.
She looked away.
"You flirt with everyone?"
"Maybe."
"That's not an answer."
He smiled.
"Are you jealous?"
"No."
"You answered too quickly."
"I don't care."
"Sure."
Heaven rolled her eyes.
For some reason, she found herself smiling.
She quickly stopped.
This was dangerous.
She didn't want to like him.
Conrad was exactly the kind of person she had promised herself to avoid.
He was popular.
Confident.
Too comfortable around people.
And she knew what girls said about him.
He didn't take relationships seriously.
He liked attention.
He liked flirting.
He liked being wanted.
Heaven wanted none of that.
She wanted peace.
As they reached the school gate, Conrad stopped.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
Heaven nodded.
"Bye."
She took a few steps before hearing him call her.
"Heaven."
She turned.
He smiled.
"You look cute when you're annoyed."
Her mouth opened slightly.
Before she could respond, he walked away.
Heaven stood there, completely stunned.
Then she covered her face with both hands.
"Seriously?"
She couldn't believe him.
She couldn't believe herself either.
Because despite everything she had told herself—
she was smiling.
***
That night, Heaven sat at her desk staring at her notebook.
She hadn't written a single word for almost ten minutes.
Her mind kept returning to Conrad.
His smile.
His stupid jokes.
The way he had looked at her magic without fear.
She shook her head.
"No."
She opened her textbook.
Five minutes later, she was thinking about him again.
She groaned and dropped her forehead onto the desk.
This was exactly why she avoided people.
People complicated everything.
Especially boys like Conrad.
Her bedroom light suddenly flickered.
Heaven lifted her head.
Her fingers began glowing.
She frowned.
That wasn't supposed to happen.
The glow grew brighter.
Then the pages of the book on her desk began turning by themselves.
Heaven stood.
The pages stopped on a blank sheet.
A symbol slowly appeared across the paper.
Her heart began pounding.
She had seen that symbol before.
Years ago.
Her mother had warned her never to search for its meaning.
Heaven reached toward the page.
The moment her fingers touched it, a voice whispered through the room.
"He's coming."
Heaven froze.
The light disappeared.
The room became silent.
She stared at the book.
"Who?"
There was no answer.
Only the faint sound of her own heartbeat.
And somewhere far away, Conrad was having the exact same dream.
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