Episode 4 — Too Close

“You only look calm near me.”

The words stayed stuck inside my head long after Kael said them.

I stared at him speechlessly while students continued rushing past us in the hallway. The late afternoon sunlight spilled through the windows, painting gold across the floor, but somehow everything around me felt blurry.

Too close.

Kael was standing way too close.

Close enough for me to notice the faint scar near his jaw.

Close enough to smell rain and soap lingering on his uniform.

Close enough to make my heartbeat completely lose control.

Meanwhile he looked perfectly calm.

Which honestly felt unfair.

Mina stared between us dramatically before grabbing my arm.

“Okay,” she whispered loudly, “what is happening here?”

Please tell me this is a romance drama and not a medical emergency.

“I don’t know either,” I hissed back.

Unfortunately, Kael heard that.

His gaze shifted toward me slightly.

“You don’t know what?”

“Nothing.”

“Liar.”

The word hit me harder than it should’ve.

Because Kael said it so casually.

Like he already understood me better than most people did.

That thought alone was dangerous.

Very dangerous.

The hallway suddenly became louder again.

Students brushed past us while hundreds of thoughts crashed against my skull at once.

I’m gonna fail chemistry.

That couple is cute.

I need food immediately.

Kael seriously looks scary.

I winced slightly.

My headache returned almost instantly.

Kael noticed before I even said anything.

His eyes narrowed faintly.

Then, without warning, he stepped behind me.

A cold hand rested gently against the back of my neck.

Silence flooded through my head immediately.

I inhaled sharply.

The relief was so overwhelming my knees nearly gave out.

Kael caught my arm before I could stumble.

The entire hallway froze.

Completely froze.

Dozens of students stared openly now.

HE TOUCHED HIS NECK.

That’s ridiculously intimate.

Are they dating already?!

My face burned violently.

Mina looked seconds away from passing out.

Meanwhile Kael ignored everyone completely.

His attention stayed fixed on me.

“You’re shaking again,” he said quietly.

“I’m fine.”

“You almost collapsed.”

“I said I’m fine.”

Kael’s expression darkened slightly.

Not angry.

More like frustrated.

Then suddenly—

I heard his thoughts clearly again.

Why do you keep pretending you’re okay?

I froze instantly.

The voice sounded different from everyone else’s thoughts.

Softer.

Lower.

And somehow…

closer.

Kael’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly.

Like he realized I heard him.

For one strange second, neither of us moved.

The silence between us felt heavy.

Dangerous.

Then Mina abruptly grabbed my shoulder.

“Okay!” she announced nervously. “This is officially the weirdest week of my life.”

I almost laughed from pure stress.

Almost.

Kael slowly removed his hand from my neck.

The noise immediately rushed back into my skull.

The sudden pressure made me flinch hard.

Kael noticed that too.

Of course he did.

Something unreadable crossed his face before he spoke again.

“Come with me after school.”

My brain stopped working.

“…What?”

The hallway became suspiciously quiet around us.

Several students nearby were absolutely listening now.

Kael looked completely serious.

“You need sleep,” he said calmly. “And answers.”

My heartbeat stumbled.

Answers.

Right.

Because somehow…

Kael already knew something was wrong with me.

Maybe more than he should.

I swallowed nervously.

“…How do you know about the voices?”

For the first time since meeting him—

Kael hesitated.

Just for a second.

But I saw it.

And then, very softly, almost like he regretted saying it—

he answered:

“Because this isn’t the first time it’s happened.”

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