Chapter 6: New Encounters

Asher's eyes snapped open, and he sat up with a start. He looked around, disoriented, and realized he was in the school's gymnasium. But something was off. He was half-naked, and his clothes were scattered all over the floor.

"What the...?" Asher muttered to himself, trying to remember how he got there.

As he scrambled to gather his clothes and get dressed, the gym doors burst open, and students flooded in for their morning gym class. Asher's face burned with embarrassment as he tried to cover himself.

"Hey, Asher, looks like you had a rough morning!" someone called out, snickering.

Asher's eyes locked onto Kaelin, who was standing nearby, a smirk on his face. "Shut up, Kaelin," Asher growled.

The gym teacher blew his whistle, signaling the start of class. "Alright, let's get started! Today, we're going to be playing dodgeball. Let's divide into teams!"

Lena found herself paired with Kaelin. As they stood together, Kaelin scanned her, his expression unbearable. For a moment, Lena felt a splint of disgust emanating from him, as if he was repelled by her very presence. She felt a sting of embarrassment and looked away, trying to shake off the feeling.

But as she glanced back at Kaelin, she couldn't help but wonder why he always seemed to be around her. Ever since he arrived at school, it seemed like he was always there, somehow connected to her.

She thought about the way he stood up for her against Asher, and a shiver ran down her spine. But then she remembered the way he made her feel - like she was worthless, like she didn't deserve to be near him.

Lena's thoughts swirled with confusion. Why did Kaelin keep giving her mixed feelings? One moment, he seemed to be looking at her with disdain, and the next, he was acting like he cared.

Just as Lena was starting to relax, a dodgeball hurtled towards her. She tried to dodge, but it was too late. The ball hit her squarely on the chest, and she stumbled backwards.

Cherry, a popular cheerleader, sneered at Lena. "Clumsy much, Lena?" she taunted.

Lena's face burned with embarrassment as she struggled to regain her balance. Kaelin rushed towards her, but instead of helping her up, he simply caught her by the arm, his eyes locking onto hers for a moment.

Then, without warning, Kaelin's expression turned cold, and he dropped his hand, leaving Lena to stumble backwards on her own.

Lena's eyes widened in shock as she felt a surge of humiliation wash over her. She quickly turned around and ran out of the gym, leaving the other students staring after her in confusion.

Aria, Lena's best friend, rushed after her, concern etched on her face. "Lena, wait!"

Asher watched the scene unfold, his eyes narrowed in frustration. He couldn't understand why Kaelin had acted that way towards Lena.

'Asher's mind flashed back to his encounter with the mysterious woman. "Lena's fate is tied to Kaelin's," she had said. "And yours, Asher."

He thought about the woman's words, trying to make sense of Kaelin's behavior. Why would he treat Lena with such disdain, when their fates were supposedly intertwined? Was Kaelin trying to pretend that he didn't care about Lena? Or was there something more sinister at play?

Asher's eyes lingered on Kaelin, his mind racing with questions. What was Kaelin's true intention? And why did Asher feel like he was caught in the middle of something much bigger than himself?

Cherry, on the other hand, gazed at Kaelin with a flirtatious smile. "Hey, Kaelin, nice catch," she said, batting her eyelashes.

Kaelin barely acknowledged her, his eyes scanning the gym as if searching for something - or someone.

As Aria caught up to Lena outside the gym, she wrapped a comforting arm around her friend's shoulders. "Hey, what happened? Are you okay?"

Lena shook her head, feeling tears prick at the corners of her eyes. "I don't know, Aria. I just feel so... confused."

Aria's expression turned sympathetic. "We'll figure it out, Lena. Together."