⸻

By lunch, Raine had almost convinced himself the morning hadn't happened. Almost. It helped that school was exceptionally good at making supernatural existential crises feel inconvenient. Calculus did not care that his shadow had apparently developed free will. Government did not care that his mother knew something about Noah she should not have known. And chemistry definitely did not care that Raine had spent the better part of twenty-four hours wondering whether he was losing his mind.

By noon, he had a worksheet due Friday, a paper due Monday, and a quiz he had forgotten existed. Normal. Beautifully, painfully normal. He sat across from Maya with half a sandwich in one hand and his phone in the other. Maya stared. Raine ignored her. She continued staring. Raine took another bite. Still staring. He sighed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You're doing the face."

"What face?"

"The face where you're pretending not to have something to say."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Your eyebrows are practically screaming."

Maya smiled.

"You and Noah exchanged numbers."

Raine slowly lowered his sandwich.

"You gave him my number."

"Yes."

"Without asking me."

"Yes."

"I could sue you."

"For what?"

"Emotional damages."

"You texted him until almost three in the morning."

Raine froze. Maya's smile became horrifying.

"How do you know that?"

"He told me."

"He what?"

"Relax. He just said you were both working on the song."

Raine narrowed his eyes.

"Mhm."

Maya leaned forward.

"So?"

"So what?"

"You like him."

"I've known him for a day."

"That wasn't my question."

Raine rolled his eyes.

"He's attractive."

Maya slapped the table.

"I knew it."

"That's not some revelation. I have eyes."

"Would you hook up with him?"

Raine nearly choked.

"Maya."

"What?"

"You have no boundaries."

"I have several."

"Name one."

"I don't eat ranch."

"That is not a boundary."

"It is to me."

Raine shook his head. Maya stole one of his fries.

"You didn't answer."

"No."

"No, you wouldn't?"

"No, I'm not discussing whether I'd sleep with some guy I met yesterday while eating cafeteria fries."

"So you've thought about it."

Raine stared.

Maya grinned.

"I hate you."

"No, you don't."

Unfortunately true. Raine looked down at his phone. No notifications. Not that he was checking. Maya noticed anyway.

"He has class."

"I'm aware."

"You're checking."

"I checked the time."

"There's a clock on the wall."

"Fuck off."

She laughed. Raine took another bite of his sandwich. Then the cafeteria doors opened. Noah walked in. Raine did not look. He absolutely did not. Maya watched his face.

"You're pathetic."

"I will strangle you."

"See? Flirting."

"With you?"

"You threatened Noah too."

"That's just my personality."

Noah reached their table.

"What's your personality?"

"Violence," Maya answered.

"Accurate," Noah said.

Raine glared at both of them.

"This friendship was a mistake."

Noah sat beside him.

"Which one?"

"Both."

"That hurts."

"You'll live."

Noah's smile flickered. For some reason, the words hit strangely. Raine noticed.

"...What?"

"Nothing."

There it was again. That weirdness. Raine studied him. Noah grabbed one of his fries. Raine slapped his wrist.

"Stop stealing my food."

"Then stop buying good food."

"It's school cafeteria fries."

"Exactly. Five-star cuisine."

Maya looked between them with the expression of someone attending live theater. Raine pointed at her.

"Don't."

"I didn't say anything."

"You were about to."

"I was thinking."

"Stop that too."

Noah laughed. Raine looked at him. Sunlight from the cafeteria windows caught in his hair. Golden. Raine hated that. He hated how unfair Noah's entire face was. His eyes dropped toward Noah's necklace. The shell sat against his collarbone.

"You always wear that?"

Noah's hand immediately moved to it. Raine noticed the instinct.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

Noah hesitated. Then:

"My mom gave it to me."

Something in his voice changed. Softened. Raine's sarcasm disappeared automatically.

"Oh."

Noah rubbed his thumb along the shell.

"She died a few years ago."

Raine went still. Maya's expression softened too.

"I'm sorry," Raine said.

Noah shrugged. Not dismissively. More like he didn't know what else to do with sympathy.

"Thanks."

Raine looked at the necklace again.

"Shell makes sense now."

Noah smiled slightly.

"Why?"

"You look like a beach."

Maya burst out laughing. Noah blinked.

"I look like a beach?"

"Yeah."

"What does that even mean?"

Raine gestured vaguely at him.

"This."

"That answered nothing."

"The blond hair. The tan. Linen. Shell necklace. You look like Malibu became sentient."

Noah laughed.

"Is that a compliment?"

"I haven't decided."

"It sounded like one."

"That's your problem."

Noah shook his head. For half a second, Raine forgot everything else. His mother. The shadows. His father. Whatever was happening to him. There was just Noah laughing beside him. Warm. Easy. Normal. Raine didn't realize how badly he needed normal until he had it.

⸻

Noah noticed the man outside the school at 2:18. At first, there was nothing particularly unusual about him. Middle-aged. Gray jacket. Baseball cap. Standing near the opposite sidewalk. Could have been waiting for someone. Could have been a parent. Could have been a teacher. Could have been nobody.

Noah might not have noticed him at all if the man hadn't been staring directly through the classroom window. At Raine. Noah's pencil stopped. Mr. Delaney continued lecturing. Raine sat two seats away, doodling in the margin of his notebook. Oblivious.

Noah looked outside again. The man smiled. Something was wrong with his teeth. Too many. Noah's stomach dropped. Oh, fuck. He looked toward Raine. Then back. The man was gone.

Noah's hand moved automatically beneath his desk toward the concealed Divine Alloy weapon strapped against his side. His pulse remained steady. Training. Observe. Identify. Protect. He scanned the windows. Nothing. The bell rang. Everyone stood. Raine shoved his notebook into his bag.

"You coming?"

Noah blinked.

"What?"

"Music room."

Right. The song. Noah looked toward the window again. Nothing.

"Yeah."

Raine frowned.

"You okay?"

Noah forced a smile.

"Perfect."

Raine's expression made it clear he did not believe that. Good. At least they were even.

⸻

The man appeared again twenty minutes later. Noah saw him through the music-room window. Except this time he was closer. Inside the school courtyard. Impossible. No visitor badge. No reason to be there. And when Noah looked directly at him— the man's face blurred. Not physically. More like Noah's mind tried to slide away from it. A glamour. Definitely not mortal. Noah's blood went cold. Raine sat on the floor with his guitar.

"Should the bridge come before the second verse?"

No answer. Raine looked up.

"Noah?"

Noah closed the blinds. Fast. Raine frowned.

"What the fuck?"

"Sun was in my eyes."

"You're standing with your back to the window."

Noah turned. Raine stared. Noah stared back.

"Reflections."

"Bullshit."

"Very observant."

Raine set his guitar down.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Raine's expression flattened. Noah almost laughed.

"What?"

"You joke when you don't want to answer something."

Noah froze. Raine raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you don't like that when someone does it to you?"

"That was dirty."

"Learned from the best."

Noah looked toward the covered window. He needed Raine out of the school. Immediately.

"Want to get coffee?"

Raine blinked.

"What?"

"Coffee."

"Right now?"

"Yeah."

Raine glanced toward the clock.

"We're supposed to be in class in twelve minutes."

"So?"

"You are an absolutely terrible fake student."

Noah's heart stopped for approximately half a second. Raine laughed.

"I'm joking."

Right. Of course. Noah smiled.

"Obviously."

Raine stood.

"You're buying."

"Why?"

"Because it was your idea."

"That's not how economics works."

"It is now."

Noah grabbed his bag. Raine reached for the door. Noah caught his wrist.

"Wait."

Raine looked down at his hand. Then up at him. Noah immediately released him.

"Uh."

Fantastic. Excellent work. Very natural.

"What?" Raine asked.

"Other door."

"Why?"

Noah pointed toward the hallway exit on the opposite side of the room.

"Faster."

Raine stared.

"No, it isn't."

"Trust me."

Those two words did something. Raine's expression changed. Only slightly. He looked at Noah for a long second. Then—

"Okay."

Noah hated how much that affected him. He opened the other door.

"Stay close."

Raine snorted.

"Now you're being dramatic."

Noah stepped into the hallway. Empty. Good. He motioned Raine forward. They made it to the stairwell. Then the lights went out. Raine stopped. Noah swore.

"Not again."

Raine's voice was quieter. The darkness around them thickened. Noah pulled his phone out. Flashlight. Nothing happened. Battery dead. It had been at eighty percent ten minutes ago.

"Okay," Raine said. "That's weird."

"You think?"

"I was trying to remain calm."

Something scraped against the floor below them. Noah reached beneath his shirt. His fingers closed around Divine Alloy. Raine heard the movement.

"What do you have?"

"Nothing."

"You're a terrible liar."

"Funny coming from you."

The scraping came again. Closer. Raine backed up one stair. Noah stepped in front of him.

"What are you doing?"

"Stay behind me."

"Absolutely not."

"Raine."

"Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"Someone asking you to shut up for ten seconds."

Raine looked offended.

"Wow."

Another scrape. Both stopped. A voice rose from the darkness below.

"Raine."

Raine went pale. Noah turned toward him.

"You know that voice?"

"No."

"Raine."

Closer. Raine's breath caught. The shadows around his shoes stirred. Noah saw them. Fuck.

"Don't," he whispered.

Raine looked at him.

"Don't what?"

The darkness rose another inch. Noah stepped closer.

"Whatever you're doing."

"I'm not doing anything."

"I know. Just—stay calm."

"Great advice."

"Raine."

The voice was directly below them now. Noah drew his weapon. The Divine Alloy blade unfolded with a metallic snap. Raine stared.

"What the fuck is that?"

"Not the time."

"You have a fucking sword?"

"Technically, yes."

"TECHNICALLY?"

Something lunged from below. Noah moved. Fast. The creature hit the stairwell wall instead of Raine. For half a second, the glamour dropped. Gray skin. Blackened eyes. A mouth split far too wide. Claws. Raine screamed. Reasonable. Noah drove the Divine Alloy blade forward. The creature shrieked. Gold-white light flashed across the metal. Then the thing— disintegrated. Not died. Not collapsed. Disintegrated.

Dust scattered across the steps. Silence. The lights flickered back on. Raine stared. Noah stared at the dust. Well. There went subtle. Noah slowly turned.

Raine was pressed against the wall. His face had gone completely white. Which, considering his usual complexion, was impressive. Noah folded the blade. Raine's eyes followed every movement. Neither spoke. Finally:

"What."

Noah swallowed. Raine pointed at the dust.

"The."

Noah opened his mouth.

"Fuck."

There it was. Noah rubbed a hand over his face.

"Okay."

"No."

Raine laughed once. Sharp. Panicked.

"No, absolutely not. You don't get to say 'okay' like whatever the fuck that was is normal."

"It's not."

"You had a sword."

"Yes."

"You had a sword hidden under your shirt."

"Yes."

"What was that?"

Noah hesitated. Raine stepped toward him.

"What. Was. That?"

"I don't know exactly."

"Bullshit."

"Raine—"

"No."

His voice shook.

"You knew something was wrong before we left the music room."

Noah said nothing.

"You saw someone."

Nothing.

"You closed the blinds."

Still nothing.

Raine's eyes widened.

"Oh my God."

"No."

"You knew."

"I suspected."

"What did you suspect?"

Noah looked down. Bad idea. Raine laughed again.

"You're fucking kidding me."

"I'm trying to protect you."

"From what?"

Noah couldn't answer without detonating everything. Raine stepped closer.

"From what, Noah?"

"Things you're not ready to hear."

Wrong answer. Raine's entire expression changed. Cold.

"Fuck you."

He pushed past him. Noah grabbed his arm.

"Raine."

"Let go."

"Listen—"

"Let go of me."

Noah did. Immediately. Raine walked up the stairs.

"Raine."

He stopped. Didn't turn. Noah's chest tightened. He had known this would happen eventually. He just hadn't expected eventually to be day two.

"I'm not trying to hurt you."

Raine laughed under his breath.

"Congratulations."

Noah winced. Raine turned slightly. His green eyes were bright with anger.

"And for the record?"

"What?"

"If you ever tell me I'm 'not ready' to hear something about my own fucking life again, I will break your nose."

Then he left. Noah stood alone in the stairwell. Dust from the dead creature covered his shoes. His phone buzzed. Of course it did. He pulled it out. The battery was back at seventy-eight percent. One message.

'Monster activity detected near your location. Status?'

Noah stared at it. Then typed:

'Contained.'

Another came almost instantly.

'Was the target harmed?'

Noah looked up the stairs. No. Pause. Does he know? Noah's jaw tightened. He typed:

'No.'

Then stared at the lie. Raine didn't know. Not really. He just knew Noah had a sword and something impossible had tried to attack him. Technically. Still true. Mostly. Another message.

'Maintain cover.'

Noah laughed bitterly.

"Doing great."