A New Friend

Zara stood at the front door, her hand hesitating on the handle as she tried to come up with an excuse. Six hours, she thought, biting her lip. School had ended six hours ago, and she knew Zaheer would be worried if he noticed. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open, trying to walk in as quietly as possible.

The house was still. Maybe he's not even home yet, she hoped. But as she stepped into the living room, she saw Zaheer lying on the couch, fast asleep. His books were scattered all around him—ancient, weathered texts mixed with loose papers filled with notes scribbled in his tight handwriting. His brow was furrowed even in sleep, his body tense, as if the weight of his studies clung to him even in his dreams.

Zara couldn't help but shake her head, amused despite herself. "Of course," she muttered under her breath. "Of course he spent the entire night studying."

She knelt beside the couch and shook him gently. "Zaheer, wake up," she said softly. He stirred, groaning in annoyance as he slowly opened his eyes, blinking against the light.

"Zara?" he mumbled, rubbing his face with both hands. "What time is it?"

"It's late. You should eat something instead of drowning in those books," she replied, glancing at the chaos on his desk. Old spiritual manuscripts, loose sheets of notes, and piles of books covered the surface—Zaheer's obsession with finding the truth was written all over the room.

He yawned and stretched before lazily pushing himself up to sit on the edge of the couch. Without even looking at her, he reached for one of the books on the table and started flipping through it, as if he had never stopped reading in the first place.

Zara hesitated, watching him for a moment. Her instinct was to tell him everything—about Sofia, about the spirits, about the fact that they both might have this strange energy inside them. But she stopped herself. What if it's too soon? she thought.

Her mind drifted back to her conversation with Sofia, her words still fresh in her mind.

Flashback

"Sophia," Zara began, her voice full of doubt, "should I tell my brother about all of this? He's related to me by blood, so he must have this spirit energy too, right?"

Sofia had paused, thinking carefully before responding. "I understand why you want to tell him," she said slowly. "But you need to be sure first. You can't just assume he has it because he's your brother. Spirit energy varies from person to person, even within families."

Zara frowned, feeling a bit lost. "But... how do I know for sure?"

Sofia gave a small, reassuring smile. "I'll teach you how to sense spiritual energy during your training. Once you learn that, you'll be able to tell if your brother has any significant amount of it. If he does, then you need to tell him—he'll need to know to protect himself. But for now, keep it to yourself. Don't say anything until you can be certain."

As Zara stood there lost in thought, Zaheer interrupted her. "Why are you staring at me like that?" he asked, his tone curious but not annoyed.

Zara blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. "Oh, sorry," she said quickly, trying to mask the worry in her voice. "I was just thinking about something." She turned and hurried toward her room before Zaheer could ask any more questions.

The next morning, the school halls buzzed with the usual morning energy, but Zara felt a bit off. As she entered her classroom, her eyes immediately went to Ren's empty desk. He hadn't shown up today, and for some reason, that made her feel a little sad. He's probably just sick or something, she thought, but the lack of his presence left her feeling more alone than usual.

By the time lunch break arrived, Zara was sitting by herself, lost in her own thoughts again. She absentmindedly picked at her food, her mind wandering back to everything—Sofia, Zaheer, the energy she hadn't yet learned to control. Just as she was about to sink deeper into her thoughts, a voice startled her.

"Mind if I join you?"

Zara looked up, and standing in front of her was a boy she vaguely recognized. His hair was messy, and he had a calm, easygoing smile. She hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Sure."

The boy sat down across from her, setting his lunch tray on the table. He seemed comfortable, as though he had done this a hundred times before. "You're Zara, right?" he asked, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Yeah," she replied, a little surprised he knew her name. "And you're...?"

"Kaito," he introduced himself, flashing another friendly smile. "I transferred here about a month ago."

Zara nodded, remembering seeing him around but never really talking to him before. "I didn't realize you were new."

"Yeah, trying to settle in," Kaito said with a shrug. "I noticed you were sitting alone, so I thought I'd come over. This school can feel a bit... overwhelming sometimes."

Zara smiled faintly. "Thanks. I guess I could use the company."

They ate in companionable silence for a few moments, and Zara found herself relaxing a little. Kaito seemed easy to talk to, not prying too much or asking uncomfortable questions. Just someone to sit with, and that was exactly what she needed today.

As they ate, Kaito glanced at her, his tone casual but curious. "So... what's been on your mind? You looked pretty deep in thought when I walked over."

Zara hesitated. She couldn't exactly tell him what was really going on, not with everything involving spirit energy and Sofia. "Oh, nothing important," she said, deflecting. "Just... school stuff, I guess."

Kaito chuckled. "Yeah, school can be a lot. But hey, if you ever need someone to talk to or just hang out with, feel free to find me."

Zara smiled, grateful for the offer. "Thanks, Kaito. I'll keep that in mind."