The final bell rang.
Chairs scraped.
Students laughed.
Bags zipped.
The classroom slowly emptied until only a few remained.
The golden light of late afternoon spilled through the windows, stretching long shadows across the floor.
Ita was still sitting at his desk.
Frozen.
Staring at nothing.
Kiel stood in front of him, his hand still wrapped around Ita's wrist from earlier in the hallway.
"About them?" Kiel asked again, confused. "What do you mean, about them?"
Ita didn't answer.
His eyes flickered toward the corner of the room.
The shadows looked thicker today.
"He knows," Ita whispered again.
"Knew what?" Kiel pressed. "You're scaring me."
Ita swallowed.
He couldn't say it.
He couldn't tell him.
What if the ghosts heard?
What if saying it out loud made it real?
What if they turned their attention to Kiel next?
No.
No.
Too dangerous.
Kiel tightened his grip slightly, not painfully, just desperately.
"Ita, talk to me," he pleaded. "You're not making sense."
Ita yanked his hand back.
"Drop it."
"No."
"I said drop it!"
The sharpness in Ita's voice echoed in the empty classroom.
Kiel flinched.
"I'm trying to help you," Kiel said quietly.
"You can't," Ita snapped.
"Why not?!"
"Because you don't understand!"
"Then make me understand!"
Silence.
Ita's chest rose and fell rapidly.
He wanted to tell him.
He wanted to say everything.
About the shadows.
About the voices.
About the thing that never left his back.
But fear wrapped around his throat.
If they knew he was exposing them,
If they decided Kiel was a threat,
No.
Ita's expression hardened.
"Just stay out of it."
Kiel's eyebrows furrowed. "Stay out of what?"
"Out of my life!" Ita shouted suddenly.
The words hit harder than he intended.
Kiel stepped back as if physically pushed.
The air between them went painfully still.
"Ita…" Kiel's voice lowered. "What are you saying? It's me, im your friend?" Kiel voice trembled and sound desperated
"I don't need you involved," Ita continued, voice shaking but cruel. "You're just making it worse."
"That's not true."
"It is."
"Look at me," Kiel demanded softly.
Ita refused.
Kiel's voice cracked slightly. "Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry if im forcing you"
Ita's fists clenched.
He didn't mean this.
He didn't.
But fear turned into anger too easily.
"You're annoying," Ita said harshly. "You joke about everything. You don't take anything seriously. Just.. just leave me alone."
The words hung there.
Heavy.
Ugly.
Kiel's face changed.
The dramatic, playful mask was gone.
His eyes looked hurt.
Actually hurt.
"Oh." Kiel said quietly.
Ita immediately regretted it.
But pride and fear kept his mouth shut.
Kiel took a small step back.
Then another.
"…Okay."
The silence felt suffocating.
Kiel bent down slowly and picked up his bag.
"If you need me," he said carefully, not looking directly at Ita now, "just call."
His voice tried to stay light.
It failed.
"I'll answer."
Ita didn't respond.
Didn't look up.
Because if he did,
He might take it all back.
Kiel walked to the door.
Paused for a second.
Then left.
The sound of the door closing echoed louder than it should have.
And suddenly,
The classroom felt colder.
Ita's breathing grew uneven.
"I didn't mean it," he whispered to himself.
But it was too late.
A slow clap echoed from the back of the room.
Ita's head snapped up.
Noah stood near the teacher's desk.
Smiling.
Of course he was still here.
He walked forward casually and sat on top of one of the desks, crossing his legs like he owned the place.
"You push away the one person trying to protect you," Noah said lightly. "Interesting strategy."
"Shut up," Ita muttered.
Noah's smile didn't fade.
"You're scared."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Noah leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.
"Let's talk about ghosts."
The word made Ita's stomach drop.
"Stop saying that."
"Why?" Noah asked softly. "Afraid they'll hear?"
Ita's head shot up.
Noah's eyes gleamed.
"So they can hear."
"Enough."
"How many?" Noah pressed, voice calm but obsessive. "Ten? Twenty? Do they whisper at night? Do they touch you?"
"Stop."
"Does that one behind you speak?"
"Stop!"
"Does it like you?"
Ita stood up so suddenly his chair fell backward with a loud crash.
"SHUT UP!"
The air felt heavy again.
Like something unseen was listening closely.
Noah stood slowly.
Unbothered.
Amused.
"You shouldn't lie to yourself," he said softly. "You see them. You've always seen them."
Ita's hands trembled.
"How do you know?"
"I told you," Noah replied. "I can feel it. The aura of someone who walks too close to the dead."
His smile stretched wider.
"Most people like you die."
Ita's breathing hitched.
"But you didn't," Noah continued. "Why?"
Ita moved before thinking.
He grabbed Noah by the collar of his shirt and slammed him back against the desk.
"Stop talking like that!" Ita hissed.
His fingers tightened.
"You don't know anything about me!"
Noah didn't struggle.
Didn't fight back.
He just looked at Ita with something almost thrilled in his eyes.
"There it is," Noah whispered. "That fear."
"I'm not afraid of you."
"You should be afraid of them," Noah corrected softly.
Ita's grip tightened.
"Why are you obsessed with this?"
Noah's expression finally shifted.
Just slightly.
"I'm not obsessed with ghosts," he said quietly.
He leaned closer despite Ita holding him.
"I'm obsessed with you."
Ita froze.
For a split second,
The shadows behind him shifted violently.
The temperature dropped.
Noah noticed.
His eyes flickered with dark excitement.
"You're not normal," Noah murmured. "And I want to know why."
"I'm not your experiment," Ita spat.
Noah smiled again.
"But you are interesting."
The classroom lights flickered once.
Twice.
Ita's heart pounded.
"Let go," Noah said calmly.
Ita hesitated.
Then shoved him away roughly.
Noah straightened his collar.
Still smiling.
"You can push me," Noah said softly. "But I won't stop."
"Stay away from me."
"No."
The single word echoed.
"I'll find out," Noah continued, voice almost gentle now. "What protects you. What follows you. Why you're still breathing."
Ita felt something brush against his shoulder.
Cold.
Possessive.
Warning.
Noah saw the slight reaction.
And laughed quietly.
"See?" he whispered. "They're listening."
The lights flickered again.
And for the first time,
Ita wondered if pushing Kiel away had been a mistake.
Because now,
He was alone.
And Noah was smiling like someone who had just found his favorite toy.