Chapter 4 : Whispers and Shadows

The day was unusually bright, but Elle Deveraux moved like mist between sunbeams—untouched, unbothered, and undeniably commanding. The college hallway echoed with voices and footsteps, but her presence hushed them. Conversations dimmed. Glances were stolen, not shared. A few boys shifted awkwardly, drawn to her like moths, yet unsure whether they’d be burned or frozen.

She didn’t smile. She didn’t slow.

And that was enough to keep them all at bay.

One tried, braver—or stupider—than the others.

“Hey… I just—uh—I think you dropped your pen.”

Elle turned her head slightly. Her grey eyes locked with his.

“I don’t use that kind of pen,” she said calmly.

He looked down. It wasn’t hers. He mumbled something, turned around, and walked off.

She didn’t flinch. Her stride resumed as if the interruption had been nothing more than a breeze brushing her sleeve.

---

A few yards away, Noah Crest spotted a familiar figure cutting through the crowd—Kai Lennox, tall, lean, and still walking like he’d rather vanish than be noticed.

“Hey, wait up, emo boy,” Noah called, jogging beside him.

Kai side-eyed him. “I thought you had a class.”

“I do. I’m skipping it for this moment of emotional reconnection.”

Kai smirked. “Touching.”

“You’re welcome,” Noah said, grinning. “Also, you’ve been back for, like, two weeks and said maybe seven words to me.”

“I said more than that.”

“Nope. I counted. You said, and I quote, ‘yeah,’ ‘sure,’ ‘maybe,’ and one grunt that might’ve been a ‘sup’ or a yawn.”

Kai chuckled. “Sounds accurate.”

“You disappeared on me, man. I thought you died and came back as a ghost who likes leather jackets.”

“Spiritual rebirth,” Kai muttered. “I’ve ascended.”

“Oh? And what’s the view like from your emotionally repressed mountaintop?”

Kai laughed under his breath, shaking his head.

Noah nudged him. “I missed this, you know.”

“Me being quiet?”

“No. You actually laughing. You used to do that, remember?”

Kai looked away, thoughtful for a moment. “Yeah… I remember.”

---

Elle exited the corridor, brushing past a group of girls mid-laugh. One fell silent mid-sentence as Elle passed. The rest followed like dominos, their curiosity biting behind their lips.

She didn’t care. She’d learned long ago that silence could be louder than screams.

As she stepped into the open courtyard, her eyes scanned for a quiet spot, somewhere far from eyes and judgment.

Instead, she saw Amara Voss.

And for a second—just a second—Elle stopped walking.

Amara’s face lit up. “Elle?”

Elle’s expression didn’t shift, but her chin lifted slightly.

Amara jogged over. “Oh my God, I thought that was you. You look—well, terrifying—but it’s good to see you.”

“I get that a lot,” Elle said dryly.

Amara grinned, unabashed. “You’ve changed. In a good way. I mean… you used to disappear behind your hair. Now it looks like you could command a small army.”

Elle raised an eyebrow. “Only a small one?”

They walked toward the old stone benches under the trees. The wind tugged at their hair, and for a moment, things felt… still.

“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again,” Amara said, glancing sideways. “After what happened… you kind of vanished.”

“I prefer being invisible,” Elle said.

Amara laughed softly. “You’re terrible at it.”

---

They sat, side by side but angled slightly apart. The silence wasn’t awkward—just familiar.

“You know,” Amara said, voice lower, “I still remember Sasha.”

Elle didn’t respond.

“She was awful to you. Always mocking, pushing, spreading rumors. You never said anything.”

“I didn’t need to,” Elle replied.

“She was the worst,” Amara murmured. “And then she… vanished.”

Elle’s gaze didn’t flicker, but the air around her seemed to thicken.

“I remember the way everyone started looking at you differently,” Amara went on. “Like you had something to do with it.”

“They needed a reason,” Elle said.

“They were afraid.”

“Fear makes people stupid.”

Amara paused. “Did you ever—”

“No,” Elle said sharply.

The firmness of her voice made Amara sit straighter.

“I just wondered,” Amara said carefully, “if you knew what happened to her. I never believed you did anything. But you never talked about it either.”

“There’s a difference between silence and guilt,” Elle said. “People often confuse the two.”

---

Back on the college lawn, Kai and Noah had found a spot on the steps, watching students pass.

Noah elbowed him. “So… who’s that girl with the killer stare?”

Kai looked up lazily. His eyes found Elle. She hadn’t noticed them. Her face was like a sculpture—sharp, unreadable.

“She’s in our class,” Kai said.

“Yeah, I figured,” Noah smirked. “You’ve been tracking her like a hawk since orientation.”

Kai rolled his eyes. “I said one sentence to her. That doesn’t mean anything.”

“Bro, you said one sentence to anyone. And it was her. I rest my case.”

Kai chuckled. “She doesn’t seem like someone who wants to be followed.”

“That’s what makes her cool. Everyone’s trying to figure her out.”

“Let them try,” Kai muttered. “She’s not someone you figure out.”

Noah raised an eyebrow. “Wow. That was poetic. You writing poetry now? Secret notebook and all?”

Kai just shook his head, letting a rare smile tug at the edge of his mouth.

---

Under the trees, Amara leaned back, arms folded.

“You never used to speak like this,” she said to Elle. “There’s something different in you now.”

“People change.”

“Not everyone gets colder.”

Elle turned toward her, her expression unreadable. “Colder is safer.”

Amara looked away. “Maybe. But it’s also lonelier.”

Elle didn’t reply.

After a moment, Amara stood. “Anyway. I’m glad you’re here. Even if you act like you’re made of steel now.”

“Steel bends,” Elle said quietly.

Amara gave a small smile. “You’re more than that, Elle. I always knew it.”

---

As Amara walked back toward the building, Elle stayed beneath the trees, arms crossed, eyes half-closed. The wind had picked up. Her hair lifted, strands swaying like silk threads in the breeze.

Somewhere behind her, leaves rustled unnaturally. She didn’t turn.

She simply smiled.

If the past wanted to follow her, it better know how to walk in silence.

Because she’d mastered it.

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