Shitting yourself again ?

Kaiser shook his head, amused.

"It was obvious it was gonna end badly. But admit it, it's bold."

They continued teasing Carter, who grimaced, bitterly regretting his move. But the mood quickly shifted when he turned serious.

"At least it's not as bad as finding out weird creatures actually exist," he muttered.

Silence fell.

Kaiser tensed slightly before whispering:

"Yeah… It's scary. At least what I saw… I wasn't as crazy as I thought."

Ben looked at him intently.

"So you see them all the time?"

He suddenly turned to Carter and narrowed his eyes in a mock-suspicious way.

"Maybe he's one of them too…" he said sarcastically.

Kaiser shook his head.

"It works randomly. And only when I don't take my meds."

Ben raised an eyebrow.

"My advice? Stop taking those meds now."

Carter crossed his arms and nodded slowly.

"What bothers me is that my crazy grandmother was right…"

Ben and Kaiser stared at him, intrigued.

"When I was a kid and spent my vacations in Congo, she made me take baths with weird leaves and plants. She said it was to protect me from evil spirits." He shrugged. "Maybe they exist too. Who knows?"

Ben tensed slightly.

"I don't really want to talk about this, guys."

Kaiser sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Anyway, there's no turning back. Once you've learned about the supernatural world, you can't ignore it. We need to find a way to protect ourselves."

He paused before adding more seriously:

"What happened to me the other day… It could happen to any of us."

Carter stayed silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Yeah… I'm out. My mom's gonna kill me if the administration tells her what I did."

Without waiting, he dashed down the hallway, disappearing into the crowd of students moving between classrooms.

Ben and Kaiser watched him leave before exchanging a worried glance.

"It's crazy to think the world we live in isn't as simple as we thought," Ben murmured.

Kaiser didn't respond right away. His gaze drifted into the void.

Then he sketched a slight smile.

"We don't have a choice. Might as well make sure we survive—and it's exciting."

"Huh? Maybe you should take your meds after all. Damn junkie."

Kaiser: "Yeah, right, you manga-obsessed loser."

Ben: "Speaking of which, did you watch the latest episode?"

Kaiser: "No, couldn't be bothered."

"Seriously, in the episode, Itachi unleashes his Susanoo, and you think, 'It's over for Sasuke,' but then you know what happens next. It's insane!" Ben explained, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Kaiser nodded unconvincingly, his thoughts wandering elsewhere. Ben continued his story, gesturing to mimic the ninjas' movements.

Suddenly, the conversation was interrupted by a smooth, oddly melodic voice: "Ben?"

The two boys stopped, and Kaiser turned to see who had spoken his friend's name. A girl stood before them, leaning casually against a locker. It was Sabrina.

*'The queen of bitches...'*, Kaiser thought, eyeing her figure.

Long, perfectly straight brown hair, a slender silhouette… but everyone knew she had a sharp personality and manipulated those around her without scruples.

"Oh, Sabrina..." Ben froze slightly, surprised by her appearance. He tried to stay natural, but his posture betrayed a slight nervousness. He attempted to hide his unease by running a hand through his curly hair, a tic he had when he felt uncomfortable.

Sabrina, a smile on her lips, pushed off the locker to approach Ben. She ignored Kaiser, as if he didn't exist, and locked her green eyes on Ben's. "So, how's it going? Got any plans this weekend?"

Ben, caught off guard by the sudden attention, stammered slightly. "Uh… not really. Why?"

Sabrina played with a strand of hair, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I'm having a little party at my place on Saturday night. Just a few friends… you know the type. You should come, it'd be fun." Her voice was soft, almost seductive, and her gaze lingered a bit too long on Ben, as if assessing his reaction.

Kaiser, who had been silently observing the scene, narrowed his eyes. He'd already labeled Sabrina's character, even though he'd only spoken to her twice at most. Whatever she had in mind, it wasn't innocent. Maybe the guy would have something to chew on for the weekend.

*'Like Hugo would say, just go with the flow and enjoy. You've got nothing to lose.'*

That's what Kaiser thought. He obviously despised romantic stuff but would still support his friends in a relationship without falling in love himself—just enjoying the perks. That's what it means to be a Hardy boy.

Ben, on the other hand, seemed troubled by the invitation. His eyes quickly scanned the surroundings as if looking for an escape.

"I don't know, Sabrina…" Ben began, hesitant. "I was planning to rest a bit this weekend."

Sabrina slightly furrowed her brows, but her smile didn't fade. She took a step closer to Ben, closing the distance between them, and spoke in an even softer voice, almost a whisper. "Come on, Ben, you don't want to miss this, do you? We could have a good time…"

Kaiser elbowed him discreetly but firmly in the ribs, a gesture both to snap him out of his daze and to encourage him not to refuse. Ben turned to him, surprised, but Kaiser gave him a look that said it all.

[Don't be an idiot, and accept or you'll end up shitting yourself again?]

Kaiser said casually, a barely perceptible smile on his lips. "I've got something to take care of, so I'll leave you with... whatever."

Without waiting for a response, he walked away, leaving Ben alone with Sabrina.

Ben, now alone with Sabrina, tried to regain his composure. He took a deep breath, trying to hide the slight panic that was starting to set in. He was well-known for his love advice and often boasted about his supposed experiences, especially thanks to his mixed-race looks that had earned him some popularity with girls. But, in reality, when faced with a girl, he lost all his confidence.