"I would give my life for you, . I would take a life for you,"

The air in the classroom felt heavy, as if it carried the weight of unspoken words. James shifted his stance, his fingers clenching the straps of his bag. "Shh... don't let them know," he murmured, his voice low yet firm.

Ama frowned, tilting her head. "What are you saying, James?"

He took a deep breath before replying, "I don't want people knowing that I'm leaving for Germany."

Ama crossed her arms. "Okay, but you don't have to say it in a way that makes you sound like some kind of menace."

James let out a deep chuckle, shaking his head. "Apart from jokes, I seriously want to tell you something." His expression darkened, turning solemn.

Ama sighed. "I'm not falling for your trap again." She folded her arms tighter, tilting her chin up in defiance. "I know you too well."

"No, Ama." James' voice was steady, but there was something raw beneath it. "Not this time. I need to say this."

A strange, sinking feeling settled in Ama's stomach. She knew what was coming. She had seen the way James looked at her, the way his eyes lingered when he thought she wasn't paying attention. She had always ignored it, brushing it off as meaningless, as something fleeting. But now, with him standing there, staring at her as though she was the most important person in his world, she couldn't ignore it anymore.

"Ama Watson… or should I say, my little koala?" he chuckled, but there was a tremble in his voice, betraying

the weight of his words. "I love you. I have loved you from the beginning—when we were kids, when you saved me from those bullies. I loved you when you loved someone else. I have always loved you. Madly. Desperately. And I always will. Till my last breath."

Ama's breath caught in her throat.

"I would give my life for you, Ama. I would take a life for you," he admitted, his eyes darkening. "I never had the guts to say this before. But now, as I stand on the verge of leaving, I can't bear the thought of regretting this forever."

Ama felt her chest tighten. Her mind screamed at her to respond, to say something, anything. But her voice betrayed her.

James continued, his gaze unwavering. "If you accept my love, I will stay. I will throw away my dreams, my plans—everything. But if not… then I will disappear from your life forever. You will never see me again. I know what your answer will be. I've always known. But a small, foolish hope inside me still wants to believe… maybe, just maybe, you will rethink."

He took a step back, as if distancing himself from the inevitable pain. "My flight is at 8 AM tomorrow. If your answer is yes, you just have to send me a message. One word. Anything. But if your answer is no…" His voice faltered. "Then forget I ever existed. Erase me from your story like a chapter that was never meant to be written."

Ama stared at him, her heart pounding against her ribs. She wanted to scream, to tell him that this wasn't fair. That she needed time. That she didn't want to lose him, but she couldn't give him what he wanted either.

But she said nothing.

James took one last lingering look at her before turning on his heels and walking away, leaving behind an emptiness that threatened to swallow her whole.

The classroom suddenly felt too small, too suffocating. Her chest felt heavy, as though a

thousand unspoken words were pressing against her ribcage, trying to claw their way out. She had lost him. A wonderful chapter of her childhood—a best friend, a safe place—was slipping away, and she was letting it happen.

Her feet felt like lead as she dragged herself out of the classroom. The corridor was alive with hushed voices, snippets of conversations blending into a murmur. She barely paid attention until something caught her ear.

"Did you hear? Kayol didn't take her own life. She was murdered."

Ama froze mid-step, her blood turning to ice.

"Yeah," another student whispered. "And the officers are saying the murderer is the same one who killed Jade."

A cold shiver ran down Ama's spine. Her mind raced back to her vision—the one where she saw Kayol's death. But Jade… she had died before Kayol. Was it connected? Had Jade died because Kayol was supposed to be in that room instead?

A sickening feeling churned in her stomach as she realized something terrifying.

She was missing something. Something crucial.

And whatever it was, it was lurking just beneath the surface, waiting to be uncovered.