who are you really?

Ritu watched silently as Alonie left the teacher's office. She moved like a figure out of a dream, her elegance casting a stark contrast against the dull, fluorescent-lit hallways. He felt a faint pull toward her, though he didn't understand why. She was like a shard of glass cutting through the monotony of his life-sharp, beautiful, and dangerous.

"Ritu," Mr. Dek called sharply, breaking his trance.

Ritu stepped forward and handed him the late homework without a word. His face was blank, his eyes dull and unrea-dable, as if his mind was elsewhere.

"Finally," Mr. Dek muttered, dismissing him with a wave.

Ritu left without responding, his footsteps echoing down the hall. As he wal-ked, he heard snippets of conversation from a group of students gathered near the lockers."The new substitute is insane. She's, like, model-level hot."

"Right? I couldn't even focus when she introduced herself in the other class."

"She's gotta be the prettiest teacher we've ever had."

Ritu ignored them. He didn't care about gossip or beauty. He barely cared about himself.

Back in the classroom, Ritu took his usual seat at the back corner of the room. The space around him felt like a bubble of isolation, a wall that kept everyone out. He pulled out his notebook, but the words on the page blurred together, meaningless.

Ten minutes later, Ms. Ina walked in and clapped her hands to get the class's attention.

"Listen up, everyone. Your English teacher is on maternity leave, so we'll have a substitute for the rest of the semester. Please welcome Ms. Alonie."

The door creaked open, and Alonie stepped in.

The air in the room seemed to shift.

The students stared at her, some in awe, others in disbelief. She exuded a quiet confidence, her long black hair falling perfectly over her shoulders. Her eyes scanned the room, and for a brief moment, they locked onto Ritu.

He stiffened as her lips curved into a soft smile, the kind that seemed to see straight through him.

"Good morning," she said, her voice smooth and steady. "I'm Ms. Alonie. I'll be your substitute for English. I look forward to working with all of you."

The room buzzed with whispers, but Ritu didn't join in. His mind was racing, trying to piece together the strange coincidence. What was she doing here? Was it really just chance, or was there something more to her sudden appearance in his life?When class ended, Ritu shoved his books into his bag and made a beeline for the door. But before he could leave, a classmate called out to him.

"Hey, Ritu! Don't forget-it's your turn for cleaning duty."

He stopped, his face unreadable, before silently grabbing the broom. Cleaning was a chore he despised. His body was frail, his movements sluggish, and every task felt like it drained what little energy he had left.

It took him over thirty minutes to finish.

By the time he was done, the classroom was empty, and the hallways were bathed in an eerie silence.

As he packed up to leave, faint voices reached his ears. He followed the sound, his curiosity overriding his exhaustion, until he reached the teacher's lounge.

Peeking through the narrow glass window, he saw them.Mr. Dek was leaning against the desk, his posture too casual, too predatory.

Alonie stood rigid, her arms crossed, her expression cold but visibly uncomforta-ble.

"Come on, Alonie," Mr. Dek said, his voice dripping with false charm. "You're new here. You need someone to show you the ropes."

"I'm fine on my own," she replied, her tone sharp.

"You don't have to act so tough," he pressed, stepping closer. "We'd make a great team, don't you think?"

Ritu's nails dug into the wooden frame of the door as he watched. The scene stirred something dark and familiar in him. Memories of his father surfaced

—his father's loud, mocking laughter as he brought a strange woman into their home, his mother's absence like a gaping wound.The memory twisted and morphed in his mind, merging with the present. His breathing grew shallow, and his hands trembled.

The past and present blurred.

When Ritu opened the door to his house he didn't step inside immediately. He stood there, the rain soaking his hair anc clothes, staring into the void of his home It was as lifeless as always.

Why should he care? About anyone, anything?

He walked to his bed, collapsing onto the mattress. His mind felt like a storm, chaotic and endless. As his eyes closed he drifted into a restless sleep.

In his dream, he was drowning. The void was endless, pulling him deeper into its cold, suffocating embrace. He didn't struggle-he let it take him, let it consume him."Ritu," a voice called.

It was faint at first, then louder.

"Ritu."

He turned, and through the darkness, he saw her. Alonie. She reached out to him, her face illuminated by a soft, otherworldly glow.

He jolted awake, his body drenched in sweat, his chest heaving.

Back at school, in the teacher's lounge, Mr. Dek's tone had grown darker.

"You're making this harder than it needs to be," he said, his voice low.

Alonie backed away as he stepped closer. His hand reached for the hem of her dress—

But before he could touch her, another hand clamped down on his wrist.The grip was unnaturally strong, almost inhuman.

Mr. Dek turned and froze. Ritu stood behind him, his face shadowed by the dim light. His eyes burned with an intensity that made the room feel colder, his expression twisted into something that wasn't entirely human.

"Take your hand off her," Ritu said, his voice low and unsettling.

Mr. Dek blinked, startled. "Ritu, what are YOU_"

"Take. Your. Hand. Off," Ritu repeated, his voice dripping with venom. His eyes glinted like a predator's, sharp and unrelenting.

Mr. Dek's bravado faltered. He stepped back, adjusting his tie with trembling fin-gers. "You'd better keep this to yourself, Ritu," he warned, his voice shaky. "If you say anything—""Sure," Ritu said, his lips curling into a slow, unsettling smile. It wasn't a smile of reassurance-it was the smile of someone who enjoyed watching others squirm.

Mr. Dek hurried out of the room, leaving Ritu and Alonie in silence.

Alonie stared at Ritu, her heart pounding He looked different now-darker, more dangerous. The boy from the bridge, the one who had offered her chocolate, was gone. In his place stood someone she couldn't quite recognize.

Without a word, Ritu turned and walked out into the rain.

Alonie followed him to the doorway, watching as the downpour soaked him.

He didn't seem to care. He didn't even flinch.

"Who are you, really?" she whispered, her voice lost in the sound of the rain.