Rashelle couldn’t move. Ryacell attempted to greet the man, but he blacked out after a few steps. The policeman walked up to Rashelle and blessed her forehead with a gloved hand. She wondered why he did that.

“I’ll have the boy treated. He should be fine,” the policeman carried Ryacell in his arms and safely led Rashelle out of the church.

“Thank you for saving us,” Rashelle stared at Ryacell’s calm expression.

The man smiled, “Just doing my job.”

A whole crew of policemen was surrounding the area, talking to teachers and other adults. Her friends were waiting outside and engulfed her with hugs upon sight.

“Rashelle! You’re alive!” Leneah cried into her shoulder.

“Yeah,” Rashelle watched the policeman carry Ryacell to a gurney next to his car, “are...you guys okay? What about the school? My sister?”

A policewoman, distinguished by a mole below her pale blue eyes, led Rashelle to a station of medical supplies. Rashelle’s friends followed them.

“Scared, but we’re fine,” Jenine said. “Riondra is being picked up like everyone else. We were worried that the bomb trapped you in there!”

The policewoman bandaged Rashelle up.

“B-bomb?” Rashelle mumbled. “I’m gonna check up on Ryacell.”

Her friends stayed behind, watching her walk towards the eyepatched policeman.

“That officer is hot,” Voletta commented, making Adalene stare at her.

The policewoman chuckled, tucking on her light brown hair back into her bun.

“Oh my God!” Mary laughed, “Of course you’d say that!”

The guys in her class, along with Chloe’s group, were circled around Ryacell, but other policemen blocked them. Rashelle squeezed herself in.

The policeman commanded, “Let her through.” Rashelle got through, and the class was ordered to dismiss.

Rashelle approached the policeman who was treating Ryacell’s eye. “Sir...that...wasn’t a bomb, right?”

“Hm,” the policeman blessed her forehead again, “yes, it was.”

Rashelle stood, petrified. Was she crazy? She stared at Ryacell. “Will...he wake up? What happened to his eye?”

“Soon enough,” the policeman told her. “His eye will resolve in time as well.”

Ryacell’s eye was patched up. Rashelle didn’t know how else to respond. She felt as though she had created her own nightmare. Maybe she was crazy.

Saphire entered with his hands on his hips, “What’s going on around here?”

“You must be Saphire Creliz,” the man stood up, smiling down at him and blessed his head. “There was a bomb.” The man did not take his eye off of Saphire.

“Ah, yes,” Saphire looked at Rashelle’s injuries, “of course…” He did not hear a bomb.

“Who set the bomb off?” Saphire asked, suspicious of the policeman. “What’s your name, by the way, sir?”

“Xyler,” he shook Saphire’s hand, “Xyler Collins. We are investigating the area right now. It should be safe before class resumes next week.”

“I appreciate your service,” Saphire glared at Xyler who smirked in response.

“Now if you’ll excuse me Miss Creliz,” Xyler tipped his hat, “I will be taking this boy here to my station for further examination.”

“Take me with you,” Rashelle gritted her teeth, still watching over the unconscious boy. The shadowed figure was engraved into her mind.

Saphire clicked his tongue. “I’ll have him taken care of,” he told Xyler.

Rashelle gave a puzzled look.

“Will you now?” Xyler cocked his head to the side.

“Yes, top of the line physicians,” Saphire smiled. He stared at the tailored suit in Xyler’s car. Something only a cake-eater would wear, he thought. Saphire knew the embroidery. “Unless you don’t tr—”

“Captain Collins!” the female officer ran up to Xyler. She whispered something to him.

“Okay, Lieutenant Engel,” Xyler nodded. He turned to Saphire, “It seems we’ve secured the area. The boy is in your hands. I trust that you will keep him in your mansion.”

The officers drove off.

“Saphire, I don’t think you know what you’re doing,” Rashelle said to him.

“You don’t know either,” Saphire didn’t look at her. “Ryacell will be fine. I’m...going to check up on something. My other chauffeur will take you two back to my home.”

“O-okay,” Rashelle bit her lip.

As Rashelle and Ryacell were taken, Saphire put on his hooded coat and had another chauffeur take him to the tailor shop.