Soft, pink-tinted lips parted slowly, shaping each syllable with deliberate grace. Every subtle movement felt weighted, as if each word pressed down on her body like an invisible hand, leaving behind something heavy and lingering.
"Do you… want to be best friends?"
The delicate voice drifted through the air, as soft and sweet as an angel's whisper—yet beneath it, something unsettling stirred. That smile—the gentle, almost loving curve of her lips—made Lena's heart stutter. She barely noticed the warmth of a hand laced with hers, grounding her in a moment that didn't feel quite real.
Then, without warning, the girl stood—gracefully, but with terrifying force—pulling Lena up in one fluid motion. Her grip was unyielding. Before Lena could process it, dozens of hands burst from the void, ghostly pale and cold, clawing at her skin, dragging her downward into consuming darkness.
When vision returned, there was nothing—nothing but a pair of eyes.
Two bottomless black orbs hovered before her, impossibly deep, almost glowing in the shadows. They watched her without blinking, cutting through her like they saw everything. Her secrets, her fears—laid bare beneath that unholy gaze.
The hands were gone.
Now, vines—twisted, thorned, alive—held her suspended in the void. Each thorn pierced her skin harshly as they held her, and thin trails of blood flowed down her limbs. She struggled, but they held her fast.
The vines began to rise, lifting her inch by inch toward the eyes.
They loomed closer—those eerie, grinning moons threatening to swallow her existence whole. Smiling without lips. Without warmth.
There was nowhere to run. No breath to scream.
Lena jolted awake, breath catching in her throat, a cold sweat clinging to her whole body, making her clothes feel uncomfortable against her skin.
"A dream…" she breathed, rubbing her arms that she had vividly remembered being held by thorns. "It was a dream…"
Lena dragged a shaky hand across her damp forehead, strands of sweat-matted hair clinging to her skin. Her chest still heaved with uneven breaths, the dream clinging to her like a second skin—too vivid to be forgotten, too strange to feel real.
Then she noticed it.
A sound—distant at first, like an insect buzz pressed against her eardrum. But once she became aware of it, it roared into clarity, a shrill, relentless ringing that grated against her already-frazzled nerves.
She turned her head sluggishly, eyes trailing across her dimly lit room until they landed on the small digital clock glowing red beside her bed.
9:10 a.m.
"Ah!" Lena yelped, lurching upright as her body moved before her mind could catch up. The soft sheets tangled around her legs as she shoved them aside, causing her to tumble to the ground with a harsh thud.
"Crap, crap..." she muttered anxiously as she quickly rose from the ground and rushed to the bathroom. She was already over 2 hours late to school, and the commute to her school from her house was a full hour.
"Fuck Fuck Fuck Shit Shit….", Lena murmured random cursewords to herself as she splashed water in her face and brushed her teeth furiously. She spat out the toothpaste and gazed at her reflection in the mirror. She looked miserable…well, at least her reflection wasn't lying to her, she thought dimly.
She yanked a comb through her tangled hair with practiced urgency. Once it was mostly smooth, she swept it to one side and began braiding it into her usual loose braid, her movements fast and familiar.
As she worked, her eyes drifted to the mirror. Her long, straight blonde hair fell well past her shoulders, flowing down to her waist. Her skin was fair, with freckles lightly dusting her nose and cheeks. A few faint spots of acne still lingered, which she usually mostly hid beneath makeup.
She stared at her reflection, feeling exposed. Her hazel eyes looked too big without the usual curtain of bangs to shield them. Her bangs were long—grown out on purpose, clinging to her cheeks and shadowing her eyes, giving her a sense of cover, of security. Without them, she felt naked—like her real self was too loud, too visible. Too easy to see through.
She quickly tugged her bangs free from the braid that hung loosely over her shoulder. As they fell back into place, brushing against her cheeks and shadowing her eyes, a quiet sense of comfort returned—like slipping into something familiar, something safe.
She glanced at her phone—9:20. With a quiet curse under her breath, she quickly dabbed concealer over the faint traces of acne, careful not to smudge it. The freckles across her nose and cheeks, however, she left untouched, letting them peek through the thin layer of makeup like scattered stars across pale skin. She was moving so fast that it was almost like she grew a third hand.
Lena rushed back into her room, stripping off her sleepwear and pulling on her uniform in one swift motion. She tugged up her knee-length socks, then paused just long enough to catch her reflection in the mirror. The crisp white vest hugged her frame neatly, and the flowy blue checkered skirt brushed just above her knees. With no time to spare, she grabbed her bag and darted out the door to her room.
The thought of stepping into the classroom mid-lecture in only her first week made her stomach twist. She could already feel the sting of dozens of eyes turning to stare, the embarrassment of the teacher's voice cutting through the silence to scold her for her lateness in front of everyone. The haunting memory of Umire faded, replaced by a fresh wave of anxiety that clawed at her chest.
Lena rushed down the stairs, skipping a few steps on the way down, and made her way to the front door, distantly realising the emptiness of the house. As she reached the entrance, her eyes caught the carefully placed plate of breakfast on the dining table with a post-it that wished her a good day at school.
So mom already left for work… she thought to herself.
Lena glanced at the breakfast with a pang of guilt, knowing she didn't have the time to savor the meal her mom had carefully prepared. The image of her mother's disappointed face flashed in her mind, urging her to hurry. Without thinking, she rushed to the table, shoveling half of the meal into her mouth in a few quick bites.
Her stomach twisted with the hurried consumption, and before she could think twice, she grabbed the rest of the food, dumping it hastily into the toilet and flushing it away. In a daze, she threw the dishes into the sink, not caring about the mess, and bolted out the door.
As Lena ran to the bus, she distantly wondered what she was even rushing for. She was already late; the thought of skipping crossed her mind, seeming much more appealing than walking into the classroom late and having all those eyes on her as she made her way to her seat.
The thought of her mom getting a call about her skipping school flashed in her mind, followed by a string of concerned questions she knew would come. The anxiety of being late seemed more manageable by comparison. She'd just have to face it.
Lena sank into an empty seat on the bus, her body still buzzing with nerves. She plugged in her headphones, urging the music to drown out the nagging thoughts. As the bus hummed along, she began mentally preparing herself for the inevitable—walking into the classroom late, all eyes turning to her. Her mind played through various scenarios, each more awkward than the last, as she silently rehearsed how she would react to each one.
Before she knew it, she reached her final stop and had three blocks to run before making it to school. She walked off the bus and broke into a slight jog, knowing she had no hope of sprinting the full distance. Unlike most of the students who went to her school, she lived quite a while away. She was sure most would've thought she was crazy for attending a high school so far away from where she lived; even her mom was hesitant in agreeing to it but Lena had no regrets. Just the thought of seeing anyone from her old school made her feel like throwing up.
As she jogged, Lena became acutely aware of the sweat starting to cling to her skin, a thin layer of dampness spreading across her body. A fresh wave of anxiety hit her—not only was she going to be late, but she might also smell. The thought of the whispers from her classmates, their eyes flicking to her as they commented on her odor, made her stomach churn. She quickly made up her mind. She would go to the bathroom before going to class, she decided…
Still, the thought nagged at her—what if a teacher spotted her and sent her straight to class? A half-block from school, she ducked into an alley, quickly wiping the sweat from her shirt and forehead with a napkin. Deodorant and perfume followed, the scents sharp and cooling. That had to be enough, she told herself. She took a deep breath and slowed her pace, terrified of breaking another sweat.
As Lena approached the school gate, she pulled out her phone, eyes flicking to the time. It was already 10:40. School had started at 7:00, and the long commute usually had her awake before dawn's first light. She frowned, wondering if she could keep this up. The image of disgusted glares from her classmates flashed in her mind, and she shook her head fiercely, pushing the thought away. She'd force herself to endure it. No matter how hard it got, anything was better than how it had been before. Anything…
Lena slipped through the school gates, her eyes scanning the area for any sign of teachers or guards. Satisfied that the coast was clear, she hurried down the long, winding path toward the entrance. She'd worked tirelessly to get into this school—a prestigious institution where she'd barely scraped by to earn her spot. As she reached the massive four-story building, its fresh brick walls standing tall and imposing, she couldn't help but feel a rush of nervous energy. The school sprawled across the grounds, its width nearly 70 yards stretching out before her.
"Okay…" she murmured under her breath, a soft tremor in her voice. She took a deep breath, then suddenly slapped her cheeks with a sharp, stinging motion. "Let's do this!" she exclaimed, trying to rally herself, her cheeks still tingling from the forceful self-motivation.
She walked determinedly up the stairs to her classroom, which was on the 3rd floor. The weight of being nearly four hours late pressed on her. As she reached the now-familiar sliding doors of her classroom, from her first week at the new school, she glanced at her phone. It read 10:50…only around an hour till lunch. The thought of simply waiting out the rest of class in the bathroom and waiting till lunch to come and flood in with everyone else and hopefully going unnoticed crossed her mind.
Honestly, why hadn't she thought of that sooner? There was no need to put herself through this anxiety. Lunch was in just 40 minutes—being a little later wouldn't hurt, right? She started to step back, considering which bathroom to hide in. The bathrooms here were surprisingly clean, and she could pass the time playing games on her phone.
Yeah, this was much smarter…she thought to herself, the previous anxiety leaving her body. As she turned around to make her way to one of the bathrooms, she collided with something—a sharp jolt as her nose met it, sending her stumbling back. Crap, she was about to fall.
Just as she braced herself for the inevitable, a steady hand gripped her arm, stopping her descent halfway.
"Lena! You're late... I was looking for you," came a familiar, melodious voice, filled with a mix of amusement and concern. Lena's gaze lifted, meeting the girl who had stopped her fall. There she stood, a vision of effortless beauty, her hand still sturdily gripping her arm, holding her up. Umire leaned forward slightly, her body supporting Lena's weight with ease. Her soft, fluffy black curls tumbled gently around her face, framing it perfectly. With her eyes closed in a warm, genuine smile.
"Ah…", Lena murmured, surprised and used Umires arm as support to lift herself fully up to stand. Umire stood up straight too her hair following her movement. Lena's eyes couldn't help but follow the flow of her hair…it moved so aesthetically. It was quite long albeit not as long as Lena's own it came up to about Umires' mid back. "Thanks…", Lena said dumbly.
"No problem, I saw you coming through the gates through the window," Umire said, her voice light and warm, her smile disarming.
Lena became painfully aware of Umire's hand that was still grasping her arm despite Lena now standing straight and no longer in need of support.
"Oh…", Lena murmured once more, not quite knowing what to say. Umire lowered her hand, loosening her grip slightly on Lena's arm as her hand traveled downwards and now instead grasped onto Lena's hand, enclasping their fingers. Umire lifted up their entangled hands, breaking into Lena's personal space as she leaned in closer to Lena so that their faces were only a couple of inches apart. Umire stood a few inches taller than Lena. Lena wasn't tall but wasn't exactly short either, standing at 165 cm.
"Uh…" Lena started dumbly. She raised her gaze and was once again met with familiar pitch black orbs that seemed to stare straight into her very being. The dream from the morning came to her mind, and she felt a bit uneasy as the impossibly dark eyes continued to stare into hers, unmoving.
Suddenly Umires grip on her hand tightened slightly as she pulled their entwined hands towards her body, moving Lena's body towards her own in the process and brought her own face closer to Lenas. Umire's scent—soft, floral—wrapped around Lena like a soft cloud, drawing her deeper into the moment.
"I was thinking about you a lot bestie~", Umire said, her lips enunciating the last word slowly with a smile.
Lenas eyes widened and she felt a blush spring to her face as she realised the closeness between the two of them, she felt as if their noses would touch if either of them moved just slightly. Umire's gaze was intense, as if she was waiting for something, but Lena couldn't grasp what. Time seemed to slow. They stood like that for what felt like an eternity, Lena holding her breath the whole time, trapped in the gaze of Umire's impossibly black eyes until Umire broke the silence.
"You know," Umire continued, her voice barely a whisper, "I think you're really pretty… especially your eyes…"
Lena found her eyes almost involuntarily drifting to Umire's lips once again realising how close they were. she felt the urge to pull away but the odd pull of Umire's stare held her in place, as though invisible vines had wrapped around her, keeping her from moving.
"I could look into your eyes forever," Umire added softly. She released Lena's hand, and Lena felt the sudden absence of her touch as Umire's hand moved gently to her cheek. The warmth from her fingers was so delicate, so tender, it made Lena's breath catch. "You're beautiful," Umire whispered, sounding impossibly sincere.
Lena's eyes stung as an unfamiliar feeling rose in her chest. There was something unsettling about the sincerity in Umire's words, something that didn't quite match the warmth of her smile. For some reason, Lena couldn't stop herself from feeling upset at the words…why was Umire lying?
"I…", Lena's voice faltered, an unknown feeling rising in her. "Why are you saying that-"
But before she could get an answer, Umire pulled away with a soft laugh. "Okay, let's get to class," she said, her voice bright again, as though the intensity of the moment had never happened. "The teacher's probably waiting for me—I've overextended my bathroom break. Hehe~."
Lena blinked, the world snapping back into focus as Umire stepped away. The absence of her warmth was jarring, and Lena found herself suddenly aware of how tense her body had become, as though she had been held in some kind of trance.
Umire slid the door leading to their classroom, letting it bang out and echo in the classroom, unapologetically interrupting the teacher mid-sentence.
"I'm back, Mr. Yon. Sorry for taking a while; I found Lena on the way here too.", Umire said, walking into the classroom her skirt and hair flowing as she walked. Lena once again thought of how much she liked the way her hair moved…it looked so soft she instinctively wanted to touch it.
"Umire, you're back. I was wondering what was taking you so long…", Mr.Yon said, trailing off as he spotted Lena still standing outside the classroom. "Lena, come in. You're late, but I'll let you off since it's only your first week.", he smiled warmly at her.
He had been the one who had made Umire stay with her after school; he had expressed concern for her lack of communicating with the other students as well as for her falling behind in her studies after the test results came back for the first test Lena had taken since coming.
Lena had never been the most academically gifted, but even she was shocked at how poorly she did. Despite cramming for the exams, none of the material seemed to stick. On top of that, transferring to the school in the middle of the year after staying in the- she cut off the thought not wanting to go down that route of thinking, she had moved to this school in the first place to separate herself from that…point was she had forgotten alot of the learning curriculum.
"Come on Lena, take your seat.", Mr. yon repeated. Umire had already made her way to the back of the classroom and was seating herself down at her desk by the window. She seemed to like that seat a lot. Lena walked into the classroom and moved to her seat, giving a slight nod to the teacher before making her way to her seat, which sat in the middle row closest to the door on the opposite side of the classroom from Umire. She sat down, fixing her skirt before taking out her notebook as the teacher said where they were and continued with his lecture.
Lena followed along, scribbling down notes and resisting the urge to doodle. She felt eyes on her and instinctively turned to meet the gaze. Umire's familiar eyes met hers. Despite having spoken to her only the day before, Lena felt like she could recognize those eyes in a crowd of a million. They were uniquely captivating, framed by long, dark lashes that made the beautifully haunting eyes stand out even more.
Umire flashed a soft smile, her eyes gently closed as she gave Lena a small wave. Lena felt warmth flood her cheeks, her hand lifting to wave back before she could stop herself. Flustered, she quickly turned back to her notebook, her heart racing. She couldn't shake the feeling that Umire's gaze was still on her, and the thought made her too nervous to even glance up and confirm.
As Lena scribbled down her notes, she realized with surprise that the nervousness she'd felt about entering the classroom late had vanished entirely. She hadn't even thought about it when she made her way to her seat. A strange feeling came to her chest as she became alarmingly aware of the weight of Umire's dark black gaze.