The school bell rang, shrill and unforgiving. Tanny sighed as she shut her locker. Her day had dragged like a snail crawling across sandpaper-every class felt longer than the last. She had barely gotten over the awkwardness with Owen that morning, and her nerves had been buzzing ever since.

She sat through Math, where the teacher spoke as though he was decoding rocket formulas. English wasn't much better; her mind drifted far from metaphors and similes to those strange glowing lines on the cube that still rested in her drawer at home. Something about it didn't sit right with her, but she hadn't told anyone-not even Macklin. Not yet.

In the cafeteria, she sat alone for most of lunch. Eyes still trailed her wherever she went. It wasn't surprising-her golden-brown curls and honey skin weren't exactly common around here-but the attention made her uneasy.

Just as she was about to toss her juice into the bin, she heard a voice.

"You're new, right?"

Tanny turned. A boy stood there-slim build, red hoodie, brown skin, with a playful grin. His name tag said Jaylen.

"Yeah," she said cautiously.

"Jaylen. Wanna sit with me and my friends tomorrow? This place can be... overwhelming."

Tanny blinked, caught off-guard. "Um... sure. Thanks."

Jaylen smiled, gave a nod, and walked off.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. At dismissal, the sun blazed down with full force. She made her way to the school gate where Lucinda's car was parked. As she opened the door and slid in, she didn't notice someone watching her from a bench across the street.

---

At home, the atmosphere was quiet. Macklin was on the couch, eyes fixed on his laptop. A bunch of black screens filled with glowing text reflected off his glasses.

"Hey," she said.

He looked up, brushing his hair from his face. "You look like you got chased by a ghost."

"It's called high school," she muttered, dropping her bag by the staircase.

He snorted. "Wait till you start getting group projects. That's when the real horror begins."

She flopped onto the armchair opposite him. For a moment, she thought of telling him about the cube. But instead, she asked, "Do you ever feel like... someone's watching you?"

Mack raised an eyebrow. "Like paranoia? Or like actual stalker-vibes?"

"I don't know. Both maybe."

He leaned forward. "Something happen at school?"

Tanny hesitated. "I bumped into someone this morning. Owen. He's... weird. Like, brilliant weird. But cold. Distant. Then there's this girl who acted like I stole her spotlight. I just feel like I'm not supposed to be there."

Mack nodded slowly. "Takes time to settle. But don't let anyone mess with your balance. You're a force."

Tanny smiled faintly. "Thanks."

Just then, a loud ding echoed from her phone. A text.

Unknown Number: "Check your window tonight. We see you."

She froze.

"You okay?" Macklin asked, noticing her expression.

Tanny forced a laugh. "Yeah. Just... spam."

But her hand gripped the phone a little tighter.

---

That night, her room felt colder than usual. Tanny lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Her curtains fluttered from the breeze sneaking through the cracks.

She got up and crossed to the window. Neville's city lights glowed in the distance. Then she noticed it-on the edge of her windowsill, the cube again. But this time, it was glowing faintly.

She picked it up slowly. A hum vibrated from within, and the glowing lines shifted-forming symbols she couldn't understand.

Her heart pounded. It wasn't a toy. It wasn't just strange. It was a message.

From who? Or what?

Tanny stepped back. Her reflection in the window stared back at her, uncertain.

One thing was certain-this wasn't just about changing schools or moving cities. Something had followed them to Neville. Something had found her.

And it wasn't finished yet.

---