Zixuan stretched lazily, the warmth of her blanket making it difficult to get out of bed. The rhythmic sound of raindrops from last night had faded into a calm morning drizzle, the world outside cloaked in a cool mist.
Then, as her grogginess faded, she suddenly remembered—Cecilion had stayed over.
She shot up, pushing her blanket aside as she hurried out of bed. Barefoot, she padded down the hallway, stopping at the door to her brother's old room. The door was slightly ajar, a sliver of early morning light creeping through the gap.
She knocked lightly. "Cel?"
No response.
Frowning, she pushed the door open fully and blinked in surprise. The room was empty.
The bed was made so neatly it looked untouched, and the borrowed clothes were folded perfectly on top, as if Cecilion had never worn them. The only sign that someone had been there was the faint trace of cool air lingering in the room, as though it had just recently been vacated.
Auntie Xiao Mei appeared in the hallway, carrying a laundry basket. "Oh, you're awake, Xuan," she said with a gentle smile. "Looking for your friend?"
Zixuan turned toward her, still staring at the empty bed. "He left?"
"He was up early," Xiao Mei nodded. "Said he didn't want to bother you, so he left quietly. Such a polite young man."
Zixuan frowned, a strange feeling settling in her chest. He could've at least woken her up.
She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, deciding to push the thought away. It's just Cecilion being Cecilion.
After a long shower to wake herself up, she ate breakfast while flipping through her notes for the day's lecture. Soon, it was time to head to school, where she met up with Paige, Mateo, Daniela, and Harith.
Their usual morning banter filled the air as they walked toward their classroom.
"Where's Cecilion?" Mateo asked, popping a piece of gum into his mouth.
"Probably on his way," Daniela shrugged. "He's never late."
That was true—Cecilion was always punctual, if not early. But as they settled into their seats and the lecturer entered the room, Cecilion was nowhere to be seen.
The lecturer glanced at the door, his expression displeased. "Where is Mr. Zheng?"
Just as he spoke, the door creaked open, and Cecilion stepped in, his usual composed expression unbothered despite the stares of his classmates.
"You're late, Mr. Zheng," the lecturer said sternly, tapping his pen against the podium. "And since you seem to have so much confidence in my class, why don't you come up here and discuss an entire chapter of today's lesson?"
A few students snickered. Cecilion only nodded and walked to the front of the class, unphased.
Zixuan rested her chin on her hand, watching as Cecilion picked up the textbook and scanned the pages.
"Biochemistry," he murmured, as if confirming the topic. Then, he began speaking.
At first, Zixuan only half-listened, familiar enough with the subject. But then she really looked at him.
Under the glow of the classroom lights, Cecilion's brown topaz eyes reflected a quiet intensity. His dark, silky hair, still slightly damp from the morning rain, framed his sharp features perfectly.
When did I start noticing these things?
He spoke in a calm, measured tone, explaining the chemical processes within living organisms with the ease of someone who completely understood what he was talking about.
Zixuan's lips parted slightly.
She had never seen Cecilion like this before.
Just then, as if sensing her stare, Cecilion suddenly paused mid-sentence and glanced at her.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment, the world around them faded—the whispering students, the soft rustling of notebook pages, the droning of the ceiling fan—all of it became background noise.
Zixuan felt something unfamiliar bloom in her chest.
Then, just as quickly, Cecilion blinked and continued speaking, as if nothing had happened.
"Oh-uh!"
Harith suddenly leaned in, his tone playful as he nudged Zixuan's arm. "We kinda saw that, hmm."
Zixuan stiffened. "Huh? S-Saw what?" She grimaced, pretending to be clueless, but Harith's teasing smirk told her he wasn't letting this go.
From behind, Daniela giggled. "Nah, that won't work on us, Xuan." She nudged Zixuan's back with the tip of her pen.
Zixuan groaned internally. These guys never miss anything, do they?
Mateo, who had been casually listening, suddenly gasped like he had just uncovered a grand conspiracy. "Oh, so that's what Mrs. Zheng was referring to when she said Cel stayed over at a friend's house last night when I called."
The room seemed to freeze.
Zixuan turned to him sharply. "Wait, what?! You called his mom?!"
Mateo shrugged, completely unbothered. "Of course. I was just asking if Cel wanted to come with me to get some stuff for our game night this weekend, but his mom said he was 'staying at a friend's house.'"
Now Daniela and Harith were grinning at her like hungry wolves.
Zixuan could already feel the heat creeping up her neck. She wanted to deny it, brush it off, but the more she tried to act normal, the more suspicious they looked.
It was so unfair—they were acting like something happened, when all Cecilion did was walk her home and sleep in a spare room.
But before she could protest, her eyes landed on Paige.
She wasn't smiling. She wasn't laughing along with the others.
She was simply staring at Zixuan, her brows furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line.
The shift in atmosphere was subtle, but Zixuan felt it.
Her thoughts spun. Does Paige… like Cecilion?
The idea seemed absurd at first, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Paige had always been quieter when Cecilion was around, always more serious. Could it be that her friend had been harboring feelings for him all this time?
Before she could dwell on it further, Cecilion finally returned to his seat.
He sat down gracefully, effortlessly composed as always. His presence should've given her relief—finally, a distraction from this interrogation—but then he did something that irked her even more.
He didn't even look at her.
Not a glance. Not a single flicker of acknowledgment.
He just casually pulled out his notebook and started jotting things down, as if he hadn't just caught her staring earlier, as if he hadn't spent the night at her house, as if nothing unusual had happened at all.
Zixuan slumped back into her chair, pouting. Ah, yeah. That's Cecilion, alright.
Her friends were still grinning at her, Paige still watching silently, and Cecilion.
The bell rang, and Zixuan and her friends poured out of the classroom, relieved to have a half day ahead. The weather outside was gloomy, the clouds heavy with the promise of rain. Zixuan felt a sense of excitement stir within her as they gathered at the front gate, but something about Paige's quiet demeanor caught her attention.
"Game night at the arcade?" Mateo suggested, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
"Absolutely," Zixuan grinned. "Let's go!"
They headed to the nearby arcade and wasted no time diving into a multiplayer game, the familiar buzz of excitement filling the air. Everyone was having fun—Harith was bragging about his victory, Daniela and Mateo were deep into their competitive streaks, and Zixuan couldn't help but notice how quiet Paige had become.
It wasn't like her at all.
"You good, Paige?" Zixuan asked, trying to catch her friend's eye.
Paige merely smiled, but it was thin, not the usual bright one Zixuan was used to.
After some intense rounds of gaming, they decided to leave, but when they got outside, the rain had started pouring heavily. They ran for cover under the nearest shelter, only to realize there were no buses or taxis in sight. It was already getting late, and it seemed like every bus stop was deserted.
"This is weird…" Zixuan muttered. "No buses this late? What's going on?"
The group waited for about an hour, but nothing. Not a single taxi. No sign of any transportation.
"It's getting dark. We should just walk," Zixuan suggested, her brow furrowed in confusion. The rain showed no sign of letting up, but they didn't have a choice.
They set off, walking along the empty streets, their shoes sloshing through puddles. Normally, the streets would be alive with people drinking and singing karaoke late into the night, but tonight was eerily quiet. The usual noise from the bars was absent, the bright lights dim.
"What's up with this place?" Harith muttered. "It feels like something's off."
Cecilion nodded, unease settling in. "This isn't normal. Something's—"
Suddenly, Paige shivered, hugging herself tightly. "I'm freezing," she murmured, teeth chattering.
"Let's find some shelter," Zixuan said, looking around. After a few minutes, they spotted an old bus station just off the road. Zixuan frowned. "I've passed this way so many times, but I've never seen this before."
Paige shivered harder, her face pale. "We don't have a choice, Zixuan. If I stay out here any longer, I'll pass out from the cold."
With a reluctant sigh, Zixuan led the way inside. The wind howled fiercely, and the cold seemed to seep right through their clothes so they decided to get inside. The bus station was abandoned, an unsettling silence settling over them as they huddled together, trying to keep warm.
The door suddenly slammed shut behind them.
Zixuan froze. "Did anyone close that?"
No one had, and yet the door was now tightly shut. An unsettling feeling crept up her spine, and she exchanged nervous glances with her friends. The air inside the station was heavy, thick with the smell of damp wood and decay. It was like the world outside had disappeared, and they were trapped in a place that shouldn't exist.
"What is this place?" Cecilion whispered, his voice barely audible above the wind.
"I don't know," Zixuan replied, her throat tight. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. This wasn't just some random bus station. It felt like something had shifted, something wrong.
The wind howled louder, the rain slapping against the windows, as they huddled together in the eerie quiet.
Suddenly, the door clicked shut.