Chapter 15

Sara still felt confused after Alan had hugged her. Sitting next to him, she felt her cheeks burning. Luckily, he couldn't see her face; otherwise, she would have been even more embarrassed. She hated her own character for getting shy too easily, which made it difficult for her to connect closely with others. Although she had tried to overcome this and was no longer as timid as when she first came to the center, she still wasn't fully satisfied with herself.

She envied Laura's personality and her fearless attitude. Laura could straightforwardly say whatever was on her mind and acted without hesitation. Besides, Laura was well-liked at the center, while Sara often got carried away by anxiety. People had chosen Sara as a scapegoat, yet she was lucky to have found some friends who helped her. Without them, she didn't think she would have survived another day there.

A smile crossed her face as she recalled the moment Alan had stood up for her. Even though she was afraid of him and didn't want him to get into trouble, she was still grateful. He had thumbed his nose at the crazy guy who had accosted her—in front of many people. Even though Sara hated being the center of attention, that was the first time she had wanted everyone to see what Alan was doing for her. She had felt that someone actually cared about her.

A warm feeling spread through her stomach when Alan accidentally touched her leg. After a moment, he apologized, claiming he hadn't meant to, as he was feeling all abrasive. Her heart pounded wildly, and feeling him so close, she thought it might leap out of her chest any second. All it took was for him to touch her body for a split second to send a flutter of butterflies swirling inside her.

Was this what love felt like? She had never experienced it before. Alan was the first guy to steal her heart. In the past, she hadn't been very interested in boys—partly because of her shyness, and partly because no one had caught her attention.

She didn't know how Alan had managed to do it, but beyond the good first impression, he had certainly earned extra points by helping her many times. She had fallen in love, even though she never expected it would happen to her. Unfortunately, she wasn't brave enough to take the next step. All she could do was hide her feelings and cherish every moment spent with him.

"Do you think someone will find us here?" he asked unexpectedly, snapping her out of her thoughts. She grunted in response, embarrassed. Luckily, he couldn't read her mind, or she would have sunk through the floor.

"I guess we'll have to start banging on the door. You probably wouldn't want to leave here during the day when students were walking down the corridor. Who knows what they might think," he said with amusement, making her blush.

"I don't care what all those idiots say behind my back, but I've noticed you're very worried about it, so it'll be better if a teacher opens the door for us."

"That's true. I'd rather have a teacher open it. But you can't leave here. They want to take you to the General, and no one knows what that man wants. He's a monster. He

A forced smile appeared on Alan's face.

"Honest but true. Do you think I'd just give up that easily? I only ran from the room because I saw how frightened you were. I didn't want you to get into trouble. I wasn't worried about myself — I was worried about you, Sara."

Only after a moment did those last words really reach her. He had admitted he was worried about her. Did he really care? She had suspected it before but wasn't sure — maybe he only cared because she was his friend. Or was she just making things up?

She thought he must think she was hopeless. She wasn't beautiful, and around the other girls, she looked completely average. So, did she have any chance with a boy? Especially one as good as Alan?

She immediately rejected the thought.

"Why are you so quiet? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, of course not. It just hit me that someone actually cares about me," she whispered, the words barely leaving her lips.

She had blurted it out foolishly, as if she were grieving. Sometimes it was better to bite your tongue to avoid burning with shame later.

"You have very low self-esteem. I noticed it early on, which is why people at the center tease you. They see it, and making you uncomfortable brings them joy. You have to believe in yourself. You can't show weakness—just face them. I don't understand why you feel so badly about yourself when you're a pretty and kind girl." After saying this, he fell silent, and she felt her cheeks burn again.

Alan sighed, and Sara was thankful for the darkness. At least she couldn't see his face, because after his confession, she wouldn't have known what to do with herself.

He stayed silent for a long time, confused. She decided to break the silence.

"You're one of the few people who's helped me survive here so far. You've helped me many times, and I never got a chance to thank you. I really appreciate it because it's been hard for me to make friends. I'm lucky you're here."

She was surprised she had gathered the courage to say that, but she wanted Alan to know how grateful she was. He had been kind to her from the start, and she could always count on him.

"It's nice to hear that. If only everyone were as kind as you, Sara. You're different from the rest—that's why I liked you. I've gotten to know you a little, and I know you'd never stab me in the back. You're someone I can trust."

Sara's eyes widened as Alan took her hand. Her heart pounded harder, and she bit her lip nervously. She hated how awkward she was, but she was brave enough not to pull her hand away. A while ago, she probably would have.

"What should we do to get out?"

Alan released her hand, and she stood up from the floor. She walked to the door and pulled on the handle.

"They open outwards. I should've tried this a long time ago," he said, then suddenly kicked the door with all his strength. The loud bang made Sara jump. He tried a few more times, and she sighed in relief when the lock finally gave way. Light flooded the room, and Alan helped her up.

"We need to get away quickly. Someone's sure to come after that noise. My room is closest, so you can hide there for now. Let's go," she said, grabbing his arm. But he pulled her back into his arms, causing her to stumble into him. She looked up and saw him watching her closely.

"This chance might never come again," he said, leaning toward her, then unexpectedly kissed her.

For a moment, Sara didn't know what to do. Her legs went numb, and she couldn't move. She stared blankly at his face. This was her first kiss. Her heart hammered like a hammer, and she felt a pleasant tingling in her stomach. His lips were wonderful. She closed her eyes and shyly returned the kiss.

But the moment didn't last. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. She pulled away and fell to the floor. Alan immediately crouched beside her, confused. She couldn't stand the pain.

Alan looked over his shoulder in panic when he heard footsteps approaching. He scooped Sara up in his arms and ran upstairs to her room. He laid her on the bed and turned on the light, ignoring her roommate.

Laura rubbed her eyes.

"Sara, can you tell me what hurts?" Alan asked carefully, placing a hand on her cheek.

"The scar," she whispered with difficulty. He immediately rolled up her sleeve, seeing the swastika mark glowing red.

The ghost of an orphan appeared before Sara.

The phantom pointed at Alan and shook her head. Sara didn't understand what it meant since she had helped the spirits escape the underworld earlier. Why were all the ghosts against Alan? Was it because of his relationship with the General?

"Why?" she whispered.

"He's like that man," the phantom said, and a chill ran down Sara's spine. Why had that scared her? After all, Alan was the opposite of the General. He was a good man, nothing like his grandfather.

"You will unleash the beast in him, Sara. His true nature will come to light, and then he will hurt you."

After those words, the phantom vanished, and the pain in her arm eased. Sara wiped tears from her cheeks and turned to face Laura and Alan.

"It doesn't hurt anymore," she said, noticing their worried expressions. She forced a smile at Alan. The phantom's words clearly troubled her, and although she tried to push them away, she couldn't. She knew Alan's true character, and it was impossible he would hurt her. He was not like the General.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go to bed. I want to rest," she added after a moment, pulling the covers over herself. She turned her back to them and pressed her face into the pillow.

If she trusted Alan so much, why did she feel such anxiety after the apparition's words?

*

In class, she had been unconscious. That night, she had not slept at all.

She felt Alan's gaze on her, along with Oliver's, who took a seat on the same bench. The teenager wondered if she looked so awful that they kept watching her because of it. Besides, she still couldn't stop thinking about the kiss and the phantom's words warning her about the General's grandson.

"Sara, are you all right? You look like something's bothering you." Oliver's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. With half-open eyes, she looked at him and forced a smile.

"Everything's fine. I just didn't get enough sleep."

"Laura, can you stop kicking Julia?" Matthew turned to the brunette, facing her. The girl snorted, still furious at him for what he had done to her. Besides, it drove her crazy that he wouldn't stop staring at Julia, protecting her like a princess.

"I can't help it. I'm nervous and need to move my legs. It's not my fault that this zebra is sitting right in front of me," she replied, a smug smile on her face. Simon, sitting next to her, threw her a furtive glance. He was still waiting for Laura to get over Matthew and stop humiliating herself like this.

"I'm sick of it already. Let Julia be — she hasn't spoken to you in ages. Stop bothering her."

Laura glanced at her friend, who looked outraged by her behavior. He began pretending to focus on the lesson. The girl knew he resented her for not returning his feelings. She loved him — but only as a friend. She couldn't imagine anything changing. Simon was critical of her, so she preferred to keep their relationship as it was.

"Are you still angry with me?" she asked, but the blond didn't even glance her way.

"Focus on the lesson, or you won't know anything again."

Sara watched their exchange. She was still angry with Laura for only seeing Matthew. The boy had upset her deeply, but it didn't seem to affect Laura.

Sometimes, she wondered if her friend was obsessed with him.

Class was nearly over, so she left the room to avoid running into Alan. After yesterday's incident, she felt too embarrassed to face him. However, her plan failed, as the blond caught up with her immediately after she left the classroom. He grabbed her hand, and she closed her eyes, unsure how to behave.

Tentatively, she turned to face him.

"Are you avoiding me?"

She shook her head quickly.

"I have a feeling you're angry with me. I thought you weren't against it. If I was wrong, I'm really sorry," he said, and she blushed again.

She lowered her head when she noticed Oliver standing at the door, watching them the entire time. She felt strange, as if she had done something wrong.

Oliver walked toward them, and Sara opened her eyes wide, wanting to run far away.

Of course, she wasn't angry with Alan. It was just that in his presence, she didn't know how to act.

"Forgive me, but I need to talk to her now. It's important," Oliver said, snatching her hand from Alan's grasp. Sara shifted her gaze to the blond and saw the outrage in his eyes.

"First, you were rude to her, and now you pretend to be her friend? What a joke," Alan snorted, throwing Oliver an angry look. His expression softened when he looked back at Sara. "If you want, we'll talk later. No pressure," he said with a friendly smile and walked away. Sara put a hand to her chest, trying to calm her racing heart.

"Are you all right?" Oliver asked, and Sara nodded.

"I noticed you were embarrassed, so I came over."

"Yes, thank you." She smiled at him.

Standing against the wall, Alan watched them for a moment before walking away, distractedly dodging the General.

The old man shifted his gaze to Sara. She froze as he stared into her eyes. At that moment, a flashback hit her — the cruel man she remembered from the past, hurting innocent people in sadistic ways.

Oliver followed her gaze, squinting at the General.

"He scares me more and more," the 17-year-old whispered. Oliver forced her to look away.

"I know you're afraid. I'm afraid too, but you mustn't show it. He's a man who tears weak people apart. Just ignore him."

She nodded reluctantly, but the scene she witnessed moments later gave her goosebumps.

"Watch how you walk, kid." The General turned to Julia, brazenly grabbing the back of her shirt. The girl's eyes widened in fear as she realized who she had bumped into. The old man glared sternly and suddenly squinted at her face. "It's you. You're the granddaughter of that whore," he spat without inhibition.

Sara went pale. She looked at Oliver with concern as Matthew pushed through the crowd. Boldly, he knocked the old man's arm away, pulling Julia back and placing a protective hand on her waist.

"You nasty reptile," Matthew stammered through clenched teeth, angering the old man. The General slapped him across the face, and Sara covered her mouth with her hand.

Oliver put an arm around her as she watched the scene with horror in her eyes. She had a bad feeling. Things were growing more dangerous, and she sensed it would only get worse. Something cruel hung in the air, and they had no chance to escape.

They were trapped.