intrepidity

hehehehhehe :)

Aurora had always been one to keep to herself in class, but today, there was something off about her. She fidgeted more than usual, her fingers drumming nervously on the desk, eyes constantly darting to the door. She'd barely looked at her phone since class began, but now she couldn't seem to stop checking it every few seconds. Her pulse had quickened, an instinctive unease gnawing at her insides.

Something felt wrong, but she couldn't place it.

Her gaze shifted to the clock, then to the door, and she tried to push the feeling away. It was fine. Everything was fine. Her friends didn't seem to notice; they were busy packing their things, talking about their plans for the weekend. But Aurora couldn't shake the sensation—like someone was watching her, waiting for her. She felt like a target, exposed, with nowhere to hide.

It wasn't long before the bell rang, signaling the end of class. The students rushed out, eager to leave. But Aurora didn't move. She hesitated for a moment, fingers still clutching her bag tightly. She should have felt relieved—finally free for the day—but instead, her heart was racing.

She glanced at her phone again. A missed call from Aiden. Her chest tightened. Something in the way his name flashed on the screen made her feel even more uneasy.

Shoving her phone back into her bag, she stood up, but as she made her way out of the classroom, her footsteps faltered. Something didn't feel right—someone didn't feel right.

She picked up her pace, her eyes scanning the hallway. There was no one there. Just empty classrooms, lockers, and the sound of footsteps echoing. She felt it again—a cold shiver crawling up her spine. She quickened her pace, feeling her pulse thumping in her neck, almost as if her body was trying to warn her.

Then, before she could make it to the exit, a sharp hand covered her mouth. The breath was knocked out of her as she felt herself being dragged backward, her body slamming into the cold, brick wall of the hallway.

She fought, tried to scream, but her attacker was too strong. A sharp, stinging pain spread across her neck, followed by an icy sensation that spread through her entire body. Her legs gave out beneath her, her vision blurred, and the world around her dissolved into blackness.

The last thing she heard was the soft chuckle of someone's voice, cruel and menacing.

-

At first, it wasn't immediately clear that anything had happened. After all, Aurora had a habit of staying behind after class sometimes—she liked to take her time packing up. But after ten minutes passed, Jade, Riley, and the others began to exchange concerned glances. Aurora wasn't answering her phone, and no one had seen her leave.

Atlas frowned.

"We're going to check on her," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. His eyes scanned the hallway, his gut tightening with unease.

Antonio and Atlas made their way down the corridor, the distant clatter of lockers and students leaving school now feeling like a cacophony in their ears.

Antonio's footsteps echoed next to him. "I don't get it," he muttered, pulling out his own phone to dial her number again. "She's always with someone. She wouldn't just disappear like this."

"Maybe she's still with Riley," Atlas suggested, though even as he said it, he knew it didn't sit right.

They stopped outside the classroom she'd just been in. The door was shut, the hallway empty. No sign of her.