CHAPTER 29: SENSATIONS AND FEAR

The sound of his phone vibrating on the table jolted Semiel awake. He had spent the entire day feeling strange, like something was about to happen, like everything around him wasn't real. He hadn't gone to university for a week now. He couldn't. Ever since what had happened with Antonella, the feeling that something worse was coming had been too strong to ignore.

With a sigh, he sat up in bed and grabbed his phone. Several notifications lit up the screen. Messages from university group chats, mentions on social media—but what caught his attention was a message from Saval in their private chat. Just two words.

—Call me. Urgent.

Semiel's heart sped up instantly. He sat up straight and, before making the call, checked the rest of his notifications. Something told him everything was connected. He scrolled through the screen until a pinned video in the university group caught his eye.

—Every story has two sides.

His pulse quickened.

He clicked on the video, a knot forming in his stomach. His image appeared on the screen, his voice… his voice saying words he didn't remember ever saying in that way.

—We have to make everyone hate her. It's the only way to win.

Semiel felt his stomach churn.

No. No, no, no.

It was his voice, but it had been edited. He knew it. He had never said those words like that. They had been taken out of context, cut and stitched together with a clear intention—to make it seem like they were the villains.

The video continued, showing Antonella with teary eyes, an expression of pain that was a masterclass in manipulation.

—I never wanted this to happen… I never wanted to hurt anyone. But some people just can't accept the truth and would rather paint me as the villain.

Semiel clenched his teeth. Damn it! She had done it. She had struck first. Now, everyone was seeing them as the aggressors, as the ones attacking her for no reason.

He jumped out of bed, running a hand through his hair. He couldn't stay still. He couldn't…

He grabbed his phone again and searched for Santiago's contact. After two rings, he answered.

—You saw the video, didn't you?

—I saw it a minute ago. Antonella is a fucking psychopath!

Santiago let out a heavy sigh.

—I knew she was going to retaliate… but this was fast. She didn't even give us time to react.

—Now everyone sees us as the bad guys. Even I look like the worst one in that video! —Semiel started pacing back and forth in his room, his heart pounding—. Santiago, we have no proof to defend ourselves. How the hell do we fix this?

—First thing, don't panic.

—Don't panic? Did you even see what she did? People are going to believe her.

—I know this looks bad, but we need to think carefully about our next move.

Semiel clenched his fists, feeling powerless. Then, he took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. Santiago was right about one thing—they couldn't let desperation take over.

—Saval sent us a message.

—He messaged me too. He wants us to meet him.

Semiel nodded, even though Santiago couldn't see him.

Semiel stared at his phone for a second before taking a deep breath.

—I'm heading to his place now.

—Me too. See you there.

The call ended.

For a brief moment, Semiel closed his eyes, trying to gather his thoughts before grabbing his wallet and stepping out of his room. His mind was in chaos. Antonella had thrown the first punch. Now, they had to decide whether to strike back or let her dictate the game.

And deep in the back of his mind, a thought that terrified him began to take shape.

If Antonella had managed to pull this off in such a short time… what else was she capable of?

As he made his way to the front door, his father stopped him in the hallway.

—Hey, you okay, kid? —his father asked, concern written all over his face.

Semiel hesitated. He couldn't explain everything, but he didn't want to lie either.

—I don't know, Dad. I just… need to step out for a bit.

His father studied him for a moment before nodding.

—Just… be careful, son.

Semiel nodded in return and left quickly. He needed air, needed to move. His thoughts ran in circles, replaying everything—the video, Antonella's words, what people must be thinking after seeing it.

By the time he reached the street, Santiago was already there, leaning against a lamppost with a tense expression.

—She really screwed us over, —Santiago said flatly.

—Yeah. And she's not going to stop, —Semiel replied.

They exchanged a look before silently starting their walk to Saval's house. The cold wind against their skin did nothing to settle the storm raging inside them.

They knew one thing for sure—this was just the beginning.

And Antonella never played fair.