Chapter 12: A Brutal Attack

Alex walked out of Rachel's dorm room, feeling a mix of emotions. He was relieved that he had finally been honest with her, but he was also worried about how she would react.

As he walked across campus, lost in thought, he didn't notice the group of guys following him. They were a rough-looking bunch, with scars and tattoos covering their arms and faces.

Suddenly, they surrounded Alex, their eyes gleaming with a menacing intensity. "You're the one who's been messing with Rachel, aren't you?" one of them sneered.

Alex tried to defend himself, but he was outnumbered. The guys attacked him, punching and kicking him to the ground.

As Alex lay there, helpless and bleeding, one of the guys pulled out a knife. "You're going to pay for what you did to Rachel," he snarled, raising the knife.

Alex tried to scream, but his voice was hoarse from the beating. He felt a searing pain as the knife sliced into his side.

Everything went black as Alex lost consciousness, his body lying limp and bleeding on the ground.

Meanwhile, I was walking across campus, unaware of the horror that had just unfolded. I was thinking about Alex and our conversation earlier, wondering what the future held for us.

As I turned a corner, I saw a group of people gathered around something on the ground. I quickened my pace, my heart racing with a sense of foreboding.

And then I saw him. Alex was lying on the ground, his body covered in blood. I felt a scream rising up in my throat as I rushed towards him, my heart shattering into a million pieces.