It was already afternoon, and the sun was about to dip in no time.
Kalli's eyes scanned ahead and noticed their old bus parked in the distance, its frame standing like a lone sentinel against the barren canvas.
Simon led their small group. Beside her, Jenna struggled to keep her balance under Sia's weight. Sia leaned heavily on Jenna's shoulder, her face pale and drained of color.
Kalli's voice broke the tense silence. "Sia, I thought you were with Sofia. How did you even end up with those… goons?"
Sia let out a bitter laugh, "Fuck Sofia. That rich princess wanted some fancy cream... So, I left the group to grab some of it from a store.... And guess what? Those bastards came out of nowhere and cornered me."
Simon, who had been silent until now, glanced over his shoulder as they trudged on. "Those shrimps made me sick to my stomach. Are you girls okay now?"
Sia's eyes narrowed, "You could've come faster."
Simon shrugged. "I hope i am not being disrespectful, but it's not my job to babysit everyone."
Jenna's temper flared. "Bro, what the—"
"Let it go," Kalli cut in sharply, "I'm done with this." Without waiting for a reply, she climbed onto the bus.
From the doorway, she paused and turned back to the group, "Simon, you might be here for just one trip, but don't ever use that tone with my friends again." She leaned forward slightly, "Or I'll bury you."
Before Simon could respond, a voice called out from outside. "Kalli."
Simon's head turned, his brows furrowing as a young man approached. His dark hair, streaked with a vivid red, stood out against his deep complexion.
Simon blinked, "You… you're Lys, right? From the beginning, I wanted to—"
Lys cut him off with a small nod. Then, he turned his attention to Kalli. "Hey, Kalli. Could you maybe run back to the beach and grab Sofia's bag? She left it behind. We completely forgot about it." His voice was apologetic.
Sia's face twisted in frustration, "But she just got here! Let her re—"
"Don't." Kalli's sharp tone sliced through Sia's words. "Just… don't." Turning to Lys, her expression hardened. "You're an asshole."
Without hesitation, she threw her own bag at him. "Guard this. And don't lose it."
Before anyone could stop her, Kalli sprinted off, disappearing down the road toward the beach. Lys caught the bag with ease but didn't say anything as he boarded the bus.
Simon muttered, "Dang, she only takes that type of tone from her brother. But wait..."
Curiosity got the better of him, and he followed Lys inside. "You're the Lys, right? The singer? I've seen you on that young talent show."
Lys turned slightly, forcing a tight, almost strained smile. "Yeah, thanks," he said, his voice clipped. "But I kinda don't appreciate this type of attention when i am spending quality time with my girlfriend. So kindly fuck off."
The sharpness in his tone left Simon momentarily stunned. He blinked as Lys walked past him and headed straight to his seat without another word.
"So… they're not real siblings?" he mumbled, mostly to himself.
"Nope," Sia replied flatly. "Lys is adopted."
Simon exhaled, "Still, they've both got that same attitude, for sure."
Jenna added, "Bro, they were literal cousins before Kalli's mom adopted Lys. Guess that's where the similarity comes from."
Simon tilted his head, "Do you all get along?"
"Lys, yeah," Sia said. "He was cool. Until he got with that… bitch."
"Come on, don't start now," Jenna interjected.
But Sia was on a roll. "No, seriously. Sofia should get struck by lightning while eating pizza. And the pizza should stay intact so I can eat it afterward, using her ashes as extra cheese."
Jenna and Simon froze, their faces a mix of shock and disbelief. It was hard to decide whether they were impressed or thoroughly disgusted.
Jenna sighed, shaking her head as if to shake off the mental image. "That… that's enough. Let's just get on board. My shoulders are killing me."
Sia muttered under her breath as they moved, her words venomous. "One day, I'll get revenge for all the shit she's put Kalli through."
Jenna : yeah yeah whatever.
In the meantime,
Alena was still deep in conversation with Kamala, though her mind kept wandering to the preparations for Lys's birthday. "I really need to hurry. I'll see you tomorrow."
Kamala chuckled. "Won't you invite me to the party?"
"It's just a small family thing. I'm sorry," Alena replied, shifting awkwardly.
"It's fine," Kamala said with a knowing smile. "But you know, Alena, even though I can't stand Freddie, I really wish you'd let others help you more."
Alena : I'm fi-
"No, you're not fine," Kamala interrupted gently, "Nobody is. Doing everything on your own doesn't make you strong. Sometimes, it just makes you look stubborn. There's nothing wrong with asking for help. And you know… you've got to let a little darkness in if you want the light to shine."
Alena let out a quiet laugh, the sound tinged with unease. "I can't. And besides…" She smirked faintly, a glimmer of humor in her eyes. "I'm nyctophobic, remember? So I'll stick with the light, thanks."
Before Kamala could argue further, Alena changed the subject. "Speaking of which, about that rogue from the radio earlier—the one supposedly roaming near our area. Is that still a concern?"
"Oh, that." Kamala waved it off. "Don't worry. Our team's all over it. From what we've gathered, he's probably moved out of the sector. We've got small groups combing every house and corner just to be sure."
"That's a relief," Alena said, exhaling.
Kamala smirked, her tone teasing. "And you better get ready, because I think Kostas has your house on his list. He might even be the one checking it himself."
Alena groaned, rolling her eyes. "Oh, great. I hate that guy."
Kamala laughed, shaking her head. "Come on, He's our boss. Don't worry. he won't be too strict with you."
"Yeah, you wish."
Alena gave her a small wave. "Take care, Kamala."
"You too, Alena. See you soon!"
The path to Alena's house was eerily quiet now, the wind having stilled. As she neared her house, her thoughts wandered back to the melody she'd been humming earlier, trying to piece together where she'd left off.
But.... then... as she came closer to her house, she saw something....
Footprints.
Deep, heavy prints in the dirt, leading straight to her front door. Her stomach clenched.
Her heart pounded as the realization hit her. Kate couldn't walk. And Lys and Kalli were both supposed to be out at a picnic.
No footprints leading away.
Someone was in the house. Still inside.
"It's Kostas," she whispered to herself, trying to reassure her racing thoughts. "Has to be. Or…"
Her hand instinctively tightened around the handle of the ax she carried. The warning on the radio. The rogue. The timing was too perfect to ignore.
And then, as if mocking her, the melody from earlier, resurfaced in her mind, the lyrics chilling in their sudden clarity:
"Don't you make me feel guilty ~ And suffer the pain."
Alena's breath hitched.
"Fuck."