Chapter 5 - Crossing lines

I kept my distance from the door, crouching low in the shadows as I replayed everything I just saw. Zeke’s conversation wasn’t just casual—it was strategic. He was giving orders, talking with someone who understood the weight of what they were saying.

I barely caught a glimpse of the figure inside the room. Tall. Broad-shouldered. A silhouette, but nothing that stood out.

It wasn’t the figure that chilled me.

It was the fact that Zeke was talking like a leader, a general, someone used to giving commands in a world that wasn’t the classroom or the schoolyard.

I felt the weight of that moment. This wasn’t a coincidence. This wasn’t some innocent new kid with a strange fixation on me. No, Zeke Navarro was here for a reason. And that reason was starting to look more dangerous with every passing minute.

I turned to leave, careful not to make a sound, but my instincts kicked in.

I wasn’t alone.

The footsteps came again, closer this time. Someone was watching me. No… not watching. Following.

I ducked behind a large trash bin, my breath catching in my throat. The figure passed by—just a shadow in the night. I barely managed to stay hidden.

Who were they? And why were they tailing me?

I waited a full minute before moving again, my heart pounding in my chest. Zeke’s world was deeper than I thought. And now… so was mine.

The game was no longer just about staying hidden.

It was about survival.

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I didn’t dare look back again.

The footsteps had stopped, but the feeling of being watched stayed with me, suffocating. I moved quickly, too quickly for anyone to catch me. My breath was steady, but my mind was anything but.

The shadows felt too heavy. The night seemed to stretch on forever, and I couldn’t shake the sense that Zeke was still out there, watching me from somewhere just beyond my sight.

I turned the corner, heading back toward the school gates. I couldn’t risk lingering out here any longer. Whoever had been following me knew how to stay hidden, just like Zeke. Maybe they were all connected.

A cold chill ran down my spine, and I felt the weight of something terrible coming. It wasn’t just about me anymore—it was about everyone around me.

The gates were in sight, and I was just a few steps away from safety when I heard it. A low voice, calm, but with that unsettling edge to it.

“You’ve been following me.”

I froze.

Zeke.

I didn’t turn around. I wouldn’t. Not yet.

“You’re bold, I’ll give you that,” he said, his voice smooth, the kind of voice that felt like silk—too smooth for someone who dealt in shadows.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied, my voice steady, though my heart was pounding in my chest. “You’re mistaken.”

“I don’t think I am,” he said, his tone turning darker, like a snake coiling its way through the grass. “It’s funny how you’ve been everywhere I go. But what I can’t figure out is… why?”

I finally turned. Just enough to catch a glimpse of his eyes—dark, unreadable, and cold. There was no warmth, no hesitation. Just an unsettling stillness, like he was waiting for something to break.

“Maybe I’m just curious,” I said, matching his tone, my words sharp as a blade.

His lips curved into a smile. It wasn’t friendly. It was dangerous, calculating. “Curiosity can get you killed, you know.”

I took a slow step backward, keeping my eyes on him, studying him like I had to learn every move before the real game began. “So can secrets,” I muttered, my voice low, matching the challenge in the air.

His eyes flickered, and for a split second, I saw something pass across his face—an unreadable flash of… recognition. But it was gone before I could catch it.

Zeke took one step closer. Just one. He didn’t need to move further. His presence was enough to make the air feel thick, heavy.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, and I don’t think you fully understand the rules,” he said softly. “But you will.”

I felt the tension hanging in the air, thick as smoke, both of us standing in the quiet, waiting for the other to make a move.

I didn’t know who was more dangerous anymore—him or me.

And as he stood there, his dark eyes never leaving mine, I realized one thing.

This wasn’t just a game anymore.

It was war.

**≿ End of Chapter 5 ≿**

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