The basketball court still echoed faintly with the energy of the match, laughter bouncing between Ethan and his friends as they tried to shake off the exhaustion. Sweat clung to their skin, jerseys damp, breaths slowly returning to normal.
Ethan leaned back against the bench, tossing a bottle of water between his hands, only half-listening to whatever Marcus was saying. His mind, traitorous as ever, drifted elsewhere.
To her.
To Lila.
A whole week. Seven long days of silence, avoidance, and unfinished sentences hanging in the air like ghosts.
He hated it.
Before he could sink deeper into that spiral, the gym doors burst open with a loud bang.
A boy stumbled in, chest heaving, sweat pouring down his face as if he had sprinted across the entire school.
"Where is Ethan?" he gasped, his voice cracking under urgency.
Ethan sat upright immediately, instincts kicking in before his brain could even process.
"What's wrong? What happened?" he and Marcus asked at the same time, their voices sharp with concern.
"It's… Lila…" the boy stuttered.
The world seemed to pause.
Ethan's grip tightened around the water bottle, the plastic crinkling under pressure.
"Wait… what happened to Lila?" he asked, his voice already laced with fear he couldn't hide.
"She collapsed… in the school hall."
That was all Ethan needed to hear.
The bottle slipped from his hand, hitting the floor with a dull thud as he bolted. No hesitation. No second thought. Just pure, raw panic driving every step.
Marcus and the others followed closely behind, but Ethan was already ahead, his legs moving faster than they ever had on the court.
As he ran, his mind became a chaotic whirlwind.
What happened?
Was she hurt?
Was she… okay?
Or—
No.
He refused to let that thought finish.
He couldn't lose her. Not like this. Not when things between them were already so fragile.
Not when he hadn't fixed things.
Not when he hadn't said everything he needed to say.
The hall came into view, crowded and loud. Students gathered in a messy circle, voices overlapping in panic and curiosity.
Ethan pushed through them without care, ignoring the protests as he forced his way to the center.
And then he saw her.
Lila.
Lying on the ground.
Still.
Too still.
For a split second, Ethan froze.
Fear wrapped around him like chains, heavy and suffocating. He couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.
What if he was too late?
What if—
"No."
The word escaped his lips like a quiet refusal.
Suddenly, Cassandra came running in, her face pale, her eyes already filled with tears.
"What's wrong with her?" she cried, her voice breaking.
That snapped something inside Ethan.
He rushed forward, dropping to his knees beside Lila. His hands trembled as he reached for her, brushing strands of hair away from her face.
"Lila… hey… Lila…"
No response.
His chest tightened painfully.
"Where is the ambulance?" he shouted, his voice cutting through the noise like a blade.
Someone replied nervously, "There's… a bit of a problem. It's not here yet."
Ethan's head snapped up, anger blazing in his eyes.
"Not here yet?" he repeated, disbelief dripping from every word.
Cassandra sobbed beside him, clutching her hands together helplessly.
That was it.
Waiting was not an option.
Without another word, Ethan slid his arms beneath Lila and lifted her carefully, holding her close against his chest.
She felt too light.
Too fragile.
"Marcus!" he shouted as he stood. "Get me my bloody car keys!"
His voice carried urgency, authority, desperation all tangled into one.
Within seconds, Marcus appeared, keys already in hand as if he had anticipated the command.
They ran.
Out of the building.
Into the open air.
Into chaos.
The car doors slammed shut almost simultaneously.
Marcus jumped into the driver's seat, hands steady but jaw tight. Cassandra climbed into the back, her eyes fixed on Lila, who lay in Ethan's arms like a fading dream.
"Drive," Ethan said, his voice low but firm.
Marcus didn't need to be told twice.
The engine roared to life, and the car shot forward, tires screeching slightly as they sped onto the road.
Inside the car, time felt distorted.
Too fast.
Too slow.
Ethan stared down at Lila, his vision blurring with unshed tears.
"Stay with me," he whispered, his voice trembling despite his effort to stay strong. "You're not allowed to do this, okay?"
No answer.
Only silence.
Each second felt like a lifetime slipping through his fingers.
Elsewhere, in a quiet classroom, far from the chaos, Victoria sat calmly.
Too calmly.
A girl stood in front of her, head bowed, hands trembling slightly.
"You're sure she drank it?" Victoria asked, her tone smooth, almost bored.
"Ye… yesss… she did," the girl stuttered. "I saw her… she took a sip."
A slow smile spread across Victoria's face.
"Good."
She reached into her bag and pulled out an envelope, tossing it casually toward the girl.
The girl scrambled to pick it up, clutching it tightly.
"Take this and go undercover for a while," Victoria said, her voice suddenly colder. "If you're caught… you don't know me."
"Yes ma," the girl replied quickly, bowing before rushing out.
The door clicked shut.
Silence filled the room.
Victoria leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs, a satisfied smirk lingering on her lips.
"Finally," she murmured. "Ethan will be mine… alone."
The hospital doors burst open as Ethan rushed in, still holding Lila.
"Help! Somebody help!"
Nurses immediately sprang into action, rushing toward him with a stretcher.
"Lay her here!" one of them instructed.
Ethan hesitated for just a fraction of a second before gently placing Lila down, his hands lingering as if letting go might break something inside him.
They wheeled her away quickly, disappearing behind the emergency room doors.
And just like that…
He was left standing there.
Empty.
Useless.
Ethan ran a hand through his hair, pacing back and forth, his emotions a volatile mix of fear and anger.
Marcus stood nearby, watching him carefully.
"What even happened?" Ethan asked, his voice sharp.
"I heard… she walked into the hall clutching her chest," Marcus replied.
Ethan's eyes darkened.
Poison.
The thought hit him like a punch.
He clenched his fists.
He already had a name in mind.
But he needed proof.
The emergency room doors swung open, and a doctor stepped out.
Ethan and Cassandra rushed toward him immediately.
"How is she?" Cassandra asked, her voice shaky.
The doctor sighed.
"She's in a critical state," he said. "All she needs now is your prayers. It appears she ingested a poisonous substance."
"Poison?" they echoed in shock.
"Yes," the doctor continued. "We're trying to pump it out of her system, but we don't yet know how much damage has been done."
Ethan's heart sank.
"In the meantime, get her guardian here," the doctor added before heading back inside.
Silence fell over them.
Heavy. Suffocating.
"Should I call her mum?" Cassandra asked hesitantly.
Ethan glanced at her.
"Will she be able to handle it?"
Cassandra swallowed hard.
"I guess… I'll have to try."
She hurried outside, phone already in her hand.
Ethan turned to Marcus, his expression hardening.
"I know Victoria is behind this," he said in a low voice.
Marcus's eyes widened slightly.
"But don't say anything in front of Cassandra. I don't want unnecessary reactions."
Marcus nodded.
"Go," Ethan continued. "Gather everything you can. I want proof. I'm ending this… today."
"Yes," Marcus replied, already moving.
Cassandra returned moments later, her face pale.
"Where is he going?" she asked.
"To take care of something," Ethan replied simply.
She nodded slowly.
"I called her mum… she's coming."
They both turned toward the emergency room doors.
Waiting.
Hoping.
Fearing.
Inside, machines beeped steadily.
Doctors moved quickly.
And Lila lay there…
Caught between darkness and the fragile thread of life.
Time stretched painfully.
Minutes felt like hours.
Every sound made Ethan's heart jump.
Every passing nurse made him look up in hope.
And every second without news chipped away at him.
For the first time in a long while…
Ethan felt powerless.
Completely.
Utterly.
Powerless.
And somewhere deep inside him…
A quiet promise formed.
If Lila made it through this…
Everything would change.
No more silence.
No more distance.
No more holding back.
Because almost losing her?
That was a kind of pain he never wanted to taste again.