Maya didn't sleep that night.
Every time she closed her eyes, the vision replayed in her mind.
Rain.
Darkness.
A boy walking away…
And never coming back.
She sat up in bed, her fingers gripping the blanket tightly.
What if it wasn't just a memory?
What if it was something worse?
The next morning, she avoided looking at Ethan.
But avoiding him didn't mean he wasn't watching.
During lunch break, as Maya sat alone under the tree behind the school, a shadow fell over her.
"You really like disappearing, don't you?"
Her heart sank.
Ethan.
She sighed softly. "What do you want now?"
Instead of answering, he sat beside her.
Too close.
Maya immediately shifted away.
Ethan noticed.
"You're scared of me," he said quietly.
"I'm not," she replied quickly.
"Then stop acting like it."
Maya stayed silent.
There was no way she could tell him the truth.
Ethan leaned forward slightly.
"If you know something," he said, his voice lower now, "you should be careful."
Maya frowned.
"Why would I—"
"Because some secrets," he interrupted, "are dangerous."
A chill ran down her spine.
For a moment, she forgot how to breathe.
Was that a warning?
Or a threat?
For a moment she didn't know how to react