It was a normal day—or so I thought. Classes were running, and everyone was supposed to be either in the library or the lecture halls. But Ethan was nowhere to be found. He had been skipping classes for the past few days, and my concern for him grew deeper. Something wasn't right.
After the third class ended, I decided to go look for him. My feet carried me to the farthest corner of the campus, near the old building where most people didn't go unless they were up to no good. And there he was—Ethan. My heart sank. He wasn't studying or reading, like the Ethan I knew. Instead, he was leaning against a wall, a small packet of drugs in his hand, surrounded by a few of Zayn's friends.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My crush, the boy who I thought had his life together, was now falling apart right in front of me. Anger and disbelief surged through me. Without thinking, I stormed over to him, snatching the packet from his hand.
"Ethan, what are you doing?!" I demanded, my voice trembling with shock.
At first, he didn't respond. His eyes were glazed over, distant, as if he wasn't entirely there. "Give it back, Amira," he mumbled, his voice low, almost pleading. But I wasn't going to let him continue like this. I clutched the packet tightly, refusing to return it.
"No, Ethan! What happened to you?" I shouted, desperation lacing my words. "This isn't you! Why are you doing this?"
For a brief moment, I saw the pain in his eyes—the same Ethan I once admired. But it quickly faded, replaced by anger and frustration. In his intoxicated state, he scowled at me, his voice harsh and biting. "Mind your own business, Amira. You don't understand anything!"
Tears welled up in my eyes, stinging with betrayal. His words cut deeper than I expected. This was not the Ethan I knew, not the one I had feelings for. My hands shook as I dropped the packet to the ground, unable to look at him any longer.
I turned and ran, my heart pounding in my chest as my tears blurred my vision. Ethan had become a shadow of the person I admired, and it hurt more than I could bear.
———
I found myself at the common hall in the right wing—the place where Zayn and his friends always gathered. The room was a den of filth and debauchery, littered with bottles of liquor, half-smoked cigarettes, and boxes full of drugs. This was the heart of the problem, the source of everything that had poisoned Ethan and so many others.
My hands clenched into fists as I looked around the room, my anger boiling over. I couldn't let this continue. Not for Ethan, not for anyone.
Without thinking, I grabbed a bottle of liquor from one of the tables, unscrewing the cap with shaking hands. I poured the alcohol over the boxes of drugs stacked in the corner, soaking everything in its pungent scent. My breathing was ragged, my vision blurred by tears and rage.
I reached for a lighter, the small flame flickering in my trembling hand. For a moment, I hesitated, my heart pounding in my chest. But then, the image of Ethan's broken, distant face flashed in my mind, and my resolve hardened.
I dropped the lighter onto the pile, watching as the fire ignited instantly, the flames consuming the drugs and alcohol in a furious blaze. The smoke rose quickly, filling the room with a thick, choking cloud. I stood there, my chest heaving, watching as the fire devoured everything in its path.
But as the flames grew, so did the smoke. It was getting hard to breathe, the acrid scent stinging my throat and eyes. Coughing, I turned to leave, my vision hazy as I stumbled toward the door.
That's when I saw him—Zayn.
He was standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, a twisted smile on his face. His eyes glinted with something dark, something dangerous. My heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, I was frozen in place, unable to move.