The next morning, Kai woke up late.
He lay on his bed staring at the ceiling, one hand resting over his face. The thought of going to school made his stomach twist — but then again, only a complete psycho would open school after something like that.
He sighed and forced himself out of bed.
After brushing his teeth and taking a bath, he went downstairs. His stepmother was in the kitchen, clearing the plates — which meant his dad had already left for work.
"Morning mom," he muttered.
She looked up. "How was your night?"
Awful.
That was what he wanted to say.
But awful would lead to questions, and he wasn't in the mood for questions.
"It was fine," he replied instead.
She nodded slowly, like she knew better but chose not to push.
"Do you want breakfast?"
"Yes. And… I'll eat in the living room. I want to watch TV."
She had told him the night before that he didn't have to go to school if he didn't want to.
A few minutes later, he carried his plate — two slices of toast, eggs, and a small side of salad — into the living room. He sat on the couch and switched on the television.
The screen flickered to life, casting a cold blue glow across the walls.
Kai leaned forward, took a bite of his toast, and fixed his eyes on the screen.
A news broadcast was already playing.
"…the temporary closure of Willow Creek High School will remain in effect for several days," the news anchor reported calmly. "Authorities continue to investigate what Sheriff Halden has officially classified as an accident."
"Of course," Kai muttered, rolling his eyes. "What else would they call it?"
The screen shifted to Sheriff Halden standing stiffly behind a podium, hands clasped tightly in front of him.
"There is no cause for public concern," he said firmly. "This was nothing more than an unfortunate accident. We ask residents to avoid speculation and allow law enforcement to handle the situation. There is no need to escalate the matter."
He paused briefly.
"We urge residents not to spread rumors. This was an isolated incident."
The broadcast returned to the anchor, who repeated the word accident as though saying it enough times would make it true.
Kai's jaw tightened.
An accident.
The word felt like a lie wrapped in plastic.
Behind the sheriff, the school building looked smaller somehow. Quieter. Watching.
"They're trying to bury it," Kai whispered.
Suddenly, he lost his appetite — but he forced himself to finish the food anyway.
He didn't want to waste it.
On his way back from the kitchen, Kai's phone buzzed. It was a text message from Noah.
Noah:
Did you see the news? An accident? Seriously?! That was murder!
Kai typed back immediately.
Kai:
Yeah. I know, right!
Three dots appeared.
Noah:
Let's hang out. Meet me at the park. In ten minutes.
Kai didn't hesitate.
Okay.
He slipped his phone into his pocket and went upstairs to tell his mom. She looked like she wanted to say no, but she knew Kai probably needed to be around friends right now.
"Just be home by six," she said. "Dinner's at seven."
Kai nodded and headed out.
---
The air outside was cooler than it should have been for late afternoon.
Kai walked quickly, hands buried deep in his hoodie pockets. Gravel crunched beneath his shoes. The streets felt strange without school traffic.
Too quiet.
Too still.
Noah was already at the park, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed.
"You look like you didn't sleep," Noah said.
"I didn't."
They walked for a while without speaking, heading toward the narrow dirt path that led into the forest.
"So," Noah finally said, kicking a small rock along the path, "it's obviously some sick psycho. Not an accident. When will they admit it?"
Kai glanced at him.
"You really believe that?"
"What else would it be?" Noah shrugged.
I have to show him, Kai thought.
Kai stopped walking.
"I found something," he said quietly.
Noah turned toward him. "What?"
Kai pulled out his phone and opened the archive page. The scanned drawings appeared on the screen—the red moon, the hooded figures standing in a circle.
"The End's Covenant," Kai said. "They were a cult that operated here. In this town. Decades ago… maybe even centuries. They performed rituals beneath a blood moon. People disappeared. And the officials covered it up."
Noah stared at the screen for a few seconds before handing the phone back.
"It's the past, Kai. Every small town has creepy myths. That doesn't mean they're connected to what happened at school. You're connecting things that aren't connected."
"It's not a myth," Kai insisted. "I saw that circle in my vision. Before I even knew this existed."
Noah's expression shifted. He looked less dismissive now and more concerned.
"You've been stressed," he said carefully. "After everything. Your brain can—"
"My brain didn't invent that symbol," Kai snapped.
Silence fell between them.
Leaves rustled overhead.
Finally, Noah sighed.
"Okay," he said. "Let's say something weird is going on. What do you want to do about it?"
Kai hesitated.
"I don't know yet. But I'm definitely not telling the police. They've already buried enough truth and secrets."
Noah studied him for a moment. Then he nodded toward a smaller, almost invisible path leading deeper into the forest.
"Come on," he said. "There's something I want to show you."
---
The path narrowed until branches brushed against their shoulders.
After several minutes, the trees opened into a small hidden clearing.
In the center stood a rough shelter made from old wooden planks and a piece of tarp. A fallen log served as a bench. Empty soda cans and a flashlight rested near the entrance.
Kai looked around in surprise.
"Where is this? You've never brought me here before."
Noah shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.
"Welcome to my sanctuary."
He took a deep breath of the forest air.
"Yeah… it's kind of my place."
"To do what?"
"To breathe."
Noah sat on the log, staring down at the ground.
"My mom died of cancer when I was ten," he said quietly.
Kai sat beside him.
"When she died, my dad changed," Noah continued. "He drinks more now. Hardly sleeps. Watches me like a hawk—like I'm going to disappear if he looks away."
He laughed weakly.
"He won't even date anyone. Says nobody could replace her. And I get that… but maybe if he did move on, he wouldn't be like this."
Kai swallowed.
"He loved her that much?"
"Still does," Noah said softly. "He's terrified of losing me too."
The forest felt quieter.
Kai stared down at his hands.
"My mom died of cancer too," he said.
Noah looked at him.
"My dad remarried… mostly for me," Kai continued. "He didn't want me growing up without something normal." He gave a small smile. "I love my stepmom. She really tries."
He paused.
"But sometimes I wish my real mom was still here."
His voice cracked.
Noah didn't say anything. He simply bumped his shoulder against Kai's.
"Yeah," he murmured. "Me too."
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable.
It was shared.
Kai blinked hard as his eyes watered.
Noah wiped his face with the heel of his palm.
"We're not crying, right?" Noah said.
"Obviously not," Kai replied, his voice thick.
They both laughed quietly.
Then Noah leaned forward and hugged him.
Kai hugged him back.
For a moment, everything felt normal again.
Safe.
Real.
And then—
Something changed.
Kai's eyes lifted over Noah's shoulder.
At the edge of the clearing, between two trees—
The air warped.
Something like smoke.
Something darker than shadow.
A tall, black distortion twisted between the trunks, bending the light around it.
Two long shapes extended downward from it.
Too thin to be arms.
Too sharp at the ends.
Claws.
It wasn't moving.
It was watching.
Kai's body went cold.
"Noah," he whispered.
Noah pulled back slightly.
"What?"
"Do you see that?"
"See what?"
Kai pointed with a shaking hand.
"There. Between those trees."
Noah turned.
"There's nothing there."
"It's right—"
Kai looked again.
The space was empty.
Only trees.
Only branches swaying in the wind.
His heart pounded in his ears.
"It was there," he breathed.
Noah studied him carefully.
"Kai…"
Kai forced a laugh.
"It was probably just the shadows," he said quickly. "The light's weird."
Noah didn't look convinced.
But he nodded anyway.
"Yeah," he said. "Shadows."
After a few more hours of chit - chatting they left the clearing.
Kai resisted the urge to look back.
He didn't want to risk seeing it again.
So he didn't.
Behind them, the forest settled into silence.