The night had felt like it would never end. Obi lay awake, Zara's voice and that unsettling message from the girl still echoing in his mind. Everything had blurred together into one exhausting nightmare, making it impossible for him to close his eyes for more than a few minutes. Shadows seemed to creep and swell in his room, the air thick with Zara's promise of destruction. When morning finally came, Obi felt like he was floating, barely tethered to reality.
With dark circles beneath his eyes, Obi made his way to school, his mind still churning. At the entrance, he spotted Kira and Meriam waiting for him. They both looked nervous, clearly uneasy after last night.
"Obi," Meriam started, concern filling her voice. "What happened last night? You didn't seem like yourself."
"Yeah, dude," Kira added, though trying to sound light-hearted, a thread of worry evident in his tone. "You kind of… scared us. What were you talking about? Who's coming back?"
Obi wanted to answer them, to tell them everything that haunted him, but the words stayed stuck in his throat. He clenched his jaw, looking at their expectant faces and struggling to give them any sort of explanation. He shook his head, muttering, "It's… hard to explain."
Their expressions shifted, disappointment mingling with worry. Obi quickly broke eye contact and walked ahead, trying to silence the nagging guilt. Kira and Meriam exchanged a quick glance, then followed behind him quietly, respecting his need for space, even though concern was still etched on their faces.
The rest of the day passed in a fog until he walked into homeroom and was jolted out of his daze by the teacher's voice.
"Class, we have a new student joining us today. Please welcome Higan Bana."
Obi's head shot up, his heart skipping a beat as he saw a girl with jet-black hair standing at the front of the room. Her hair was so dark it seemed to absorb the light around it, and she had an air of quiet confidence as she gazed around the room, her eyes finally settling on him.
When her gaze met his, a chill crawled down his spine. She gave him a slight smile, almost like she already knew him.
Higan Bana. The name tugged at something in the back of his mind, a memory he couldn't quite grasp. The strange familiarity of it unsettled him, and he spent the rest of the period glancing over his shoulder at her, unable to shake the feeling that her presence wasn't a coincidence.
Finally, the last bell rang, and he joined Kira and Meriam by the school gates, eager to go home and escape the strange tension he'd felt all day.
They were talking about Higan Bana, the new girl, as Obi approached. He could tell that both of them had been affected by her presence, too, though Kira seemed more curious than unnerved.
"Hey, Obi," Kira called, a mischievous grin lighting up his face. "So, what do you think of the new girl?"
Before Obi could answer, a familiar voice spoke up from behind him, sending another chill through him.
"Obi."
He turned to find Higan Bana standing just a few feet away, her intense gaze fixed directly on him. Her dark eyes seemed to pierce through him, as though she could see the turmoil twisting within him.
"I was wondering," she said in a smooth, confident tone, "if you'd like to go on a date with me."
Obi froze, taken aback. He barely knew her, yet her invitation carried a certainty that was both alluring and unsettling. Beside him, he saw Meriam's face tighten, her hands clenching at her sides as she looked from Higan Bana to Obi with thinly veiled resentment.
Meriam opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Kira, oblivious to Meriam's feelings, gave Obi a nudge and laughed. "Yes, he would!" he announced with a grin. "Come on, Obi, you can't say no to that!"
Obi shot Kira a look, half-frustrated, half-amused, but Kira only grinned wider, clearly enjoying the situation. He had no idea about Meriam's deep, hidden crush on Obi or the jealousy simmering beneath her calm exterior.
Obi stammered, caught off guard. "Uh… sure," he managed, though every instinct was telling him to be cautious around Higan Bana. Her smile widened slightly, the glint in her eyes as unsettling as ever.
"Great," she said, sounding pleased. "Tomorrow, then. I'll meet you here."
Without waiting for an answer, she turned and walked away, leaving Obi staring after her, wondering what he'd just gotten himself into.