Danger

Morning arrives, and Evelyn meets up with Kate and Alice at school. Kate can hardly contain her excitement.

"We are so making the team today, right?"

"You're way too excited." Alice chuckles.

"What about you, Evelyn? Are you excited too?"

"...Yeah, I think so."

Just as the girls are about to head into class, they hear someone call from behind.

"Hey, Evelyn, remember me?"

Turning around, Evelyn sees Daniel walking over, wearing that same relaxed smile from the day before.

"Of course, I remember you, Daniel."

Kate and Alice look at her, stunned. Kate leans in, whispering, unable to hold back.

"Evelyn, who is this guy?"

"Girls, this is Daniel. I met him yesterday in the woods."

"The woods?" they both echo, startled.

"What were you even doing out there?"

"I… well…" Evelyn hesitates. She couldn't just tell them that she uses that path to get home, or they might realize she lives in the abandoned house from the rumors.

"We were both out there taking nature photos," Daniel jumps in, as if sensing her hesitation.

"Photos? I didn't know you liked that, Evelyn."

"...It's more of a hobby—I take nature photos sometimes."

"Didn't feel like just a hobby. Like I said yesterday, I could see your passion in your eyes. So, have you thought about it? Joining the photography club?"

Evelyn doesn't answer right away. She had promised Kate she'd try out for cheerleading with her. She glances at Kate, who stands quietly. Noticing the tension, Alice steps in.

"Evelyn, if you love photography, I say go for it."

"I... I don't know…"

Daniel gives her an encouraging smile.

"If you're still not sure, why don't you come along while I shoot today? I can show you the ropes, and you can decide afterward."

"Alright then. In the woods again?"

"Yeah, I'll be back there tonight since I want some evening shots."

"Alright, I'll be there."

"See you then."

Daniel waves and walks off, leaving Evelyn glancing back at Kate, feeling guilty.

"Kate… I know I promised I'd try out with you for the cheerleaders, but…"

"Don't worry about it. I only suggested it because I thought you'd never want to join any club. I just wanted you to have a chance to make more friends. So don't worry about me—if you love photography, go for that club."

Evelyn stares, surprised by Kate's words. Maybe I overthink things, she thinks.

As they chat, they have no idea someone is eavesdropping on them—Jesy, from Jane's group. Jesy grins and heads straight for Jane, waiting in the courtyard, repeating everything she overheard word-for-word. Jane smiles, thrilled with the info; it's exactly what she needed. Now she knew Evelyn would be in the woods that evening.

She pulls out her phone and texts the guys she'd hired, letting them know Evelyn's location. Their reply is immediate.

"So, what do you want us to do to her?"

"She needs to pay for messing with me. Scare her so badly she never steps outside again."

"There's gonna be another kid with her too, right? What about him?"

"I don't care about him—do whatever you want."

Unaware of what's being planned, Evelyn gets ready to head out that evening. The twins watch her with little grins. Noticing this, she smiles back at them.

"What's with the looks, you two?"

"Oh, it's just that Evelyn-sis never goes out for anything other than school. We're proud of you! And… you're going out with a boy!"

Evelyn's face turns red as she protests, "Hey, Daniel is not my boyfriend, okay?"

The twins exchange a knowing smile.

"Sure, sure, whatever you say, sis."

"Hmph… Of course he's not."

Evelyn stands up, heads to the door, and calls out to Serena.

"I'm heading out."

Serena glances at her, a bit of worry in her eyes. "Alright, but be careful, okay?"

Marcus, overhearing, smirks and chimes in.

"When are you going to introduce us to your boyfriend?"

"Like I said, Daniel is not my boyfriend."

"Oh? So his name's Daniel, huh? Good to know."

"Ugh..." Evelyn rolls her eyes and heads out, meeting Daniel at their spot. When she arrives, she finds Daniel already there, setting up his camera gear. Surprised, she speaks up.

"You're here already? But I'm not late—I came at the exact time."

Daniel smiles at her. "You're right on time, but I got here early."

"...Why?"

"I didn't want you to get bored watching me set up, so I came early and did it all myself."

Evelyn is genuinely impressed. His timing was perfect; he'd finished setting up right when she arrived. She wonders if this was just luck or if he really was that good at planning.

After about fifteen minutes, Daniel is showing Evelyn how to frame shots, use angles, and capture the best perspectives. Evelyn picks it up quickly, surprising Daniel. It's like she'd known all of this for years. This must be what people mean by 'natural talent,' he thinks.

Just then, three men start walking towards them. Evelyn doesn't notice, but Daniel catches their smug expressions and senses something is wrong.

"...can l help you?" Daniel asks, stepping in front of Evelyn protectively.

One of the men grins. "Not you, hotshot. We're here for the girl."

"What?" Evelyn says, confused and starting to feel uneasy.

"Don't you dare touch her," Daniel warns.

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it? Call the cops? Or maybe you think you can take us on with those skinny arms?" The men laugh loudly, making Evelyn even more nervous.

"What do you want with me? I don't even know you!" Evelyn anxiety rises.

"Such a clueless little thing," one of them sneers, moving closer. With every step they take, Evelyn feels more and more afraid. Daniel quickly grabs a metal rod from his tripod and swings it at them.

"Evelyn, run! Get out of here!"

"What!? I…" But Evelyn is frozen in fear, her hands and legs trembling. She can't move, and she can't just leave Daniel alone. The men overpower Daniel, holding him down as one rushes at Evelyn.

"Evelyn!!!"

Daniel fights back, trying to free himself, but one of the men loses patience and slams his head into a nearby tree.

"Daniel!!!"

Seeing Daniel collapse, Evelyn starts to cry as fear and helplessness overwhelm her.

"Alright, like she asked, let's just scare her, so she never—!!!"

The men stop, stunned. They're witnessing something they've never seen. Evelyn's hair and body are glowing in a bright, golden light. The man closest to her steps back in shock.

"...Hey, she didn't say anything about this!"

The leader eyes Evelyn carefully, then smirks. "Looks like we found something way better than we thought. Forget scaring her; we're taking her."

"But…"

"Relax. All she can do is glow; she's harmless."

The men exchange glances and nod. As they approach Evelyn, who's still watching Daniel, snow suddenly begins to fall around them.

"What? Snow? Isn't it way too early for snow?"

"Look again! It's only snowing here. You think the girl is doing this?!"

"No, idiots, I am."

The men freeze, looking toward the source of the voice. Evelyn turns as well, recognizing it immediately and calling out tearfully.

"...Marcus…"

Marcus steps forward, each of his footsteps freezing the ground beneath him. His gaze is ice-cold, sharp as a blade.

"So, you're her big brother or what? Guess you've got powers too, huh?"

One man pulls out a knife, but Marcus's expression doesn't falter.

"Ever heard of frostbite? Cold can hurt just as much as fire," Marcus says, voice low and dangerous.

The men hesitate as Marcus steps closer. The one with the knife lunges, but Marcus easily dodges, grabbing the man's arm. Instantly, the man feels an intense, biting cold and collapses unconscious. The others panic but barely have time to react before Marcus swiftly takes them down with his freezing powers.

Taking a deep breath, Marcus walks over to Evelyn and wraps her in a comforting hug.

"You're safe now, Evelyn."

Evelyn clings to him, breaking down in tears, and as her emotions settle, the golden glow fades away.