CHAPTER 9

The week passed in a sultry fog of fear and despair. Lina tried to focus on the small positives, but the constant threat of Max gave her no peace. His malicious grin and constant provocations seemed to follow her everywhere, even in her dreams.

Lukas tried to support her, and the conversations in the café were always a welcome distraction. But as they sat there laughing, the darkness always lingered in the back of her mind. Lina felt torn. On the one hand, she didn't want to give up on the hope Lukas had given her, but on the other, she knew Max hovered over her life like a shadow.

One afternoon, as she walked to the library after school, she noticed Max watching her. His gaze was cold, and a shiver ran down her spine. She sat down at a table in the back corner, far away from him, and tried to concentrate on her homework. But the words on the pages blurred before her eyes, and fear tightened in her throat.

As time passed, she saw Max approaching. He sat down at the table next to her and gave her a mocking look. "Why so shy, Paulina? Are you afraid of me?" he asked with a grin.

Lina tried to stay calm, but adrenaline pumped through her veins. "I just want to be left alone, Max. Leave me alone," she replied, hoping her voice sounded firm.

"That's sweet how you think you can just ignore me. You know I'm always here, right?" he said, leaning back as if enjoying her fear.

At that moment, Lukas walked into the library and immediately saw something was wrong. He approached her desk and stood next to her. "Is everything okay here?" he asked, his expression worried.

Max looked at Lukas, and his grin widened. "Look who came here. Your little savior. Do you really think he can protect you?" he sneered.

"I don't need protection," Lina said, leaning on Lukas for courage. "I can speak for myself."

"We'll see about that," Max murmured, standing up. Before he left, he gave Lina one last look. "Remember, I'll always be there to show you what you're truly worth."

As Max left the library, Lina felt the pressure in her chest increase. Lukas sat down next to her and took her hand. "I won't let him scare you. We'll find a way to deal with this," he said firmly.

"I know, but I feel so powerless," Lina admitted, lowering her head. "He's killing me."

"You're not powerless, Lina. You're stronger than you think. Let's just stick together and pull together," Lukas assured her, wrapping her in a hug.

The hug gave her some comfort, but the constant fear of Max remained. Lina wanted to believe in the hope Lukas had given her, but the reality was hard to ignore.

After school, she tried to distract herself by spending time with her friends, but Max was still on her mind. She knew she would have to face him eventually.

The pressure grew, and as she went to bed, she felt the darkness creeping in again. She closed her eyes and tried to think of the positive aspects Lukas had brought into her life. But the constant fear wouldn't go away, and the darkness threatened to swallow her up again.

The days dragged on in an endless rut, and the darkness surrounding Lina seemed to settle around her like a heavy cloak. Her thoughts constantly revolved around Max and the manipulative power he exerted over her. It was as if he lived in her head, ever-present, even when she tried to distract herself.

One evening, she sat in her room, the windows tilted open to let in fresh air, but the scent of approaching autumn brought no relief. Lina stared at the wall as memories of the past few months washed over her. She felt trapped in a vortex that was pulling her deeper and deeper down.

The messages from Lukas, so encouraging at first, now seemed a distant dream. What if he discovered how fragile she truly was? What if he no longer wanted her when he saw the darkness lurking within her? These thoughts made her heart race, and the pressure in her chest intensified.

A soft knock on the door tore her from her thoughts. Her mother entered, a worried expression on her face. "Hey, Paulina. Are you okay? You've been so quiet lately," she said, sitting on the edge of Lina's bed.

"Yeah, it's all good," Lina lied, forcing herself to smile, even though the words felt bitter on her tongue.

"I'm worried about you. It's not easy, I know. If you want to talk..."

"I don't want to talk," Lina interrupted, feeling despair rising within her. Her mother looked at her for a moment, then nodded and stood up. "Okay, but I'll be here when you're ready."

As the door closed, Lina sank back into her thoughts. She felt so alone and misunderstood. The loneliness enveloped her like a protective, yet suffocating, veil.

The next day at school, she saw Max again, and fear struck her like a lightning bolt. He was standing in the cafeteria, surrounded by his friends, all laughing loudly and having a good time. He was the center of attention, and that intimidated her even more. Lina just wanted to get away, but there was no escape.

Suddenly, her gaze met Lukas, sitting at the other end of the cafeteria with his friends. His smile was like a ray of light in the darkness, and for a moment she forgot everything else. But then she thought of Max and the constant threat he posed.

She decided to join Lukas to distract herself from thoughts of Max. "Hey, can I sit down?" she asked, trying to sound as normal as possible.

"Of course, Lina! How are you?" Lukas asked, and his gaze was warm and inviting.

"I'm fine..." she began, but the words caught in her throat. Instead, she simply sat down and tried to keep the conversation going.

The conversation flowed, and for a while, Lina felt safe. Lukas told jokes and stories from his week, and she laughed with him. But deep down, the fear of Max was still present, like a shadow that wouldn't let go.

As recess ended and the students made their way to their classrooms, Lina's nervousness gripped her again. What would Max do next? How far would he go to torment her? These questions nagged at her as she hurried through the halls, thoughts of Lukas still lingering in her mind.

She knew she had to do something before Max completely took control of her life. But what?

The next few days were a battle against the darkness that continued to close in around Lina. She had lost herself in a spiral of sadness and despair, and every message from Lukas, which had once been a ray of hope for her, now seemed to only remind her of the gap between them. It was as if an invisible chasm had opened between them that she couldn't cross.

On one particularly gloomy afternoon, with rain pelting against her window and gray clouds obscuring the sky, Lina decided to take a different path. She knew she was looking for distraction, but on this day, she was ready to leave it all behind.

Max was always there, and in the last few days, he had crept up on her again. His behavior was manipulative, and even though she knew it, she couldn't help but be drawn to the attention he gave her. In her weakest moments, it felt like a comfort. It wasn't the love she desired, but it was an escape from her inner darkness.

When she met Max by chance on that rainy day, he seemed like a lifeline. He smiled charmingly and invited her to come with him. "Come on, Paulina, let's just have fun and forget everything for a moment," he said, extending his hand.

She knew it wasn't right, that she would be hurting herself, but the need for closeness and the urge to distract herself from her pain overcame her. The following night, they found themselves in Max's apartment. The room was dim, the light dim, and as they sat next to each other, a strange mixture of nervousness and familiarity forced its way between them.

The moments that followed were like a rush. Lina closed her eyes, leaving everything behind, and sank into the feeling of connection she felt in that moment. It wasn't what she had wanted, but it offered a temporary escape from the reality that oppressed her. It was a decision she regretted in the silence of her mind, as the shadows of the night enveloped her.

The next morning, waking up alone in her room, she realized she had plunged herself into an even deeper sadness. The moment of pleasure had passed, and the emptiness she felt was overwhelming. Lina had further jeopardized her connection with Lukas, and the thought of him hurt her more than ever.

The feeling of having sought and lost Max's closeness at the same time led her further into the darkness. Her thoughts revolved around the previous evening, and the word "mistake" echoed in her head. She felt like an imposter, and shame washed over her like a wave.

She knew that she was now only moving further away from what Lukas meant to her. But at the same time, she knew that the loneliness and sadness she felt were no longer bearable. She wanted things to get better, and with each passing day, the gap between her and Lukas was even more palpable.

The months passed, and although there were many setbacks, she clung to the hope that the darkness wouldn't last forever. There was a wish in her heart that one day she would once again become the person Lukas had seen, the person he might still be able to see, if only she could find herself.

The weeks dragged on, and Lina continued to fight against clouds of despair. Max hadn't become any less manipulative after the night they'd spent together, but she still found herself in his clutches time and again. The connection she'd formed with him gave her a temporary sense of control, but at the same time, she was overwhelmed by the fear that it would never be anything more than that.

The situation at school didn't get any easier. The months of loneliness and pain had changed her. Lina often felt like a ghostly presence in the crowd. Her eyes instinctively searched for Lukas, but the more time passed, the more unattainable he seemed to become.