The bus hummed steadily along the road. The atmosphere inside was heavy with exhaustion. Passengers dozed, their heads nodding with the rhythm of the ride.
But suddenly, Sofia stirred. Her eyelashes were trembling before her eyes slowly opened. She lifted her head from Lys's lap with a soft motion.
Lys froze, "Sofia..." His voice cracked, "Are you alright? How are you feeling?" His hands hovered near her, unsure. "I'm so sorry. I never should've left you there. I should've checked. I'm so, so sorry."
The others on the bus watched quietly. Lys, usually reserved, stoic and playful, now radiated concern. Really a beautiful sight.
He asked again, this time more urgently. "Do you need water? Anything?"
Sofia opened her mouth as if to speak, but instead—
bleughhshhh jleehhh
She vomited. All over Lys.
The silence that followed was awkward. Everyone was too shocked to make any sound.
Sofia wiped her mouth, "Yeah, I'm okay."
The tension broke as Lys smiled faintly. "That's great,"
From the back, Sia groaned. "Lys, think about yourself for once, you idiot. Your shirt's a mess."
The supervisor sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Simon, pull over at the next convenience store, would you?"
Simon glanced at the rearview mirror, taking in the scene of Sofia trying to clean Lys up while he smiled like a lovestruck fool.
"Sure, boss," he muttered. "Though if I see more of these two, I might vomit next. Cringey ass fools."
The bus soon rolled to a stop outside a small convenience store. Its fluorescent sign was buzzing faintly and the air outside was crisp, carrying the earthy scent of nearby bushes. Moths flitted around a flickering streetlamp.
Inside the bus, the supervisor stood and addressed the passengers.
"We're taking a short break. Grab what you need, but remember....this is Sector 21, not our home. Be careful what you say and do. Thank you."
Students filed out one by one. Lys guided Sofia gently, helping her down to a wooden bench beneath the glow of the streetlamp.
"I'll get you something, okay?" he said softly.
Sofia wrinkled her nose, her lips quirking into a smirk. "Babes, please change first. The smell is driving me insane."
He chuckled. "Anything for you." Leaning down, he placed a quick kiss on her lips before turning to her friends. "Watch her. If she needs anything, make it happen. Understood?"
Her friends all nodded in unison as Lys bolted toward the washroom to change.
As the group fell into a moment of quiet, Kalli approached, a water bottle in hand. She offered Sofia's friends a tight, polite smile. "Mind if I have a moment with her?"
The hesitation was palpable. But after a beat, they nodded and stepped away, leaving Sofia alone on the bench.
Kalli sat down beside her, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry. For everything."
Sofia blinked, her stomach still churning. "Was it really you? You locked me in there?"
Before Kalli could speak, a shadow fell over them. Jenna stood a few paces away, her expression pinched with guilt.
"It wasn't her, bro." Jenna said, her voice trembling. "It was me. I locked you in. Kalli just... took the blame."
Kalli whipped around. "Jenna, don't-"
Jenna raised a hand, "No, I need to say this, bro." She turned to Sofia, "Sofia, it was supposed to be a prank..... I didn't know about your condition....I didn't think. Kalli and Sia don't like you, and I got carried away trying to teach you a lesson..... I'm so, so sorry. Honestly, my two brain cells couldn't figure out how badly I'd mess up, bro."
Sofia was silent for a long moment before standing and placing a hand on Jenna's shoulder. "It's okay. I'm fine now."
Jenna stared at her in disbelief. "You're not mad at me for doing that?"
Sofia smiled. "No. You're a beautiful girl....just misguided. Don't worry; I'll help you find the right path."
For Jenna, burdened with guilt, Sofia's words felt otherworldly, almost divine. As she looked at Sofia, she didn't just see a girl.... she saw a goddess as if wings were coming out of her butt.
She fell at Sofia's feet. "Yes, Master."
Kalli gawked. "Master?"
Sofia laughed softly. "Good girl. Now go fetch juice for your master."
Jenna barked like a dog before running into the store.
Kalli stared, "Did you just gaslight her into worshiping you?"
Sofia leaned back with a sly smile. "She really made my Lys worry. No way i am leaving her without teaching a lesson."
Kalli : Evil Woman.
"Not evil," Sofia said, her smile unwavering, "I accepted her flaws with smile, anything but evil for sure."
But her tone darkened as she added, "Kalli i could care less about the harms you bring to me. But never dare to do anything to my Lys. I won't spare that. "
Kalli stared at the ground, "I fueled Jenna's hatred. That's on me. I'm sorry for what happened."
Sofia's smile returned, softer this time. "It's fine. You didn't act; Jenna did. You hated me, sure, but that's something time can change. I can only give you nothing except a chance to redeem yourself. Lys told me that once haha."
Kalli huffed. "You and that guy… I'll never understand what goes on in your heads."
Sofia laughed. "We just see the world differently. And I'm sorry for Lys. I know he probably went overboard."
Kalli recalled that slap and the sting came back, "Yeah. He definitely did."
"He just loves me a lot," Sofia said, gazing at the stars. "And when he finds me in danger, he just turns blind eye to everything else. After his mom's death, his overprotective nature towards me, just boosted to an uncomfortable extent. Like tell me, who gets this aggressive in a relationship?"
Kalli smirked. "You're one to talk. You're just as intense."
Sofia shrugged. "Maybe. I love him too you know. But whatever, he shouldn't have treated you like that."
Kalli sighed, "It's fine. He hates me, anyway. Mom, too. All of them do. I can be a burden sometimes."
"No, he doesn't," Sofia said gently. "Remember 10 days ago, you wanted to join the army and your mom said no?"
Kalli nodded.
"Lys tried convincing her to let you. Even if he failed, he tried. He cares, Kalli. Just not in the way you expect."
Again back at Alena's house...
Kostas continued his search from room to room. And finally, His footsteps brought him to the basement door.
It was locked.... Secured not only with a heavy padlock but also reinforced with two nailed planks.
"Alena!" he yelled, "Bring the basement key and a hammer."
Moments later, Alena appeared, clutching a hammer and a bundle of keys.
Kostas's eyes narrowed as he noticed the hammer. Dark stains glistened under the dim hallway light. "Is that... blood? Alena, isn't this your hammer?"
Alena's voice trembled. "I-I don't know how it got there. I found it in Kate's room. Kostas, I swear, I don't understand any of this. What's happening?"
Kostas sighed, taking the tools from her. "Hmm yeah I'll figure it out. For now, just stay here."
He used the hammer's claw to pry the nails loose. The planks fell to the floor with a thud. Then, he selected a key from the bundle, sliding it into the lock. The mechanism resisted at first, but with a firm twist, it gave way.
The door creaked open, the sound sharp and grating.
"Okay here I go." Kostas exhaled, pulling the flashlight from his belt. Its beam flickered to life, casting long, trembling shadows against the walls.
Alena lingered at the doorway, clutching the frame, "Be careful, Kostas."
"Yeah I will try."
Saying so, Kostas descended slowly, the wooden steps groaning beneath his weight. The faint glow from the open doorway above grew smaller with each step, as though the shadows were swallowing him whole.