Chapter 5 Chapter 5

It had been a week since I, Elena Sine, officially became a freshman at Valleria University. That false name still felt strange in my ears, as if I was wearing a mask that was too tight. But on this crowded campus, no one suspected anything. They only saw a quiet new girl who sat in the back row and rarely spoke.

Yet trouble always seemed to know exactly how to find me.

That afternoon, the sun had just begun to lean west when I walked through the quiet hallway of the literature building. Only the sound of my footsteps echoed between the old brick walls. But then, from the far end of the corridor, I heard a trembling voice.

“Please, give my book back.”

I stopped. The voice sounded frightened.

In front of the bulletin board, three male students were surrounding a small brown-haired girl. One of them held up a book that was clearly not his, waving it around while the other two laughed harshly.

“If you want your book, take it right here,” the tallest one said, spinning the book on his finger.

“Come on, it’s just a little joke,” another added, patting the girl’s shoulder roughly.

She was on the verge of tears. “Please, that’s my assignment material.”

I stood at the end of the hallway, watching them. My hands clenched before I realized it. Something inside me stirred, not merely anger, but a deeper instinct, older than any human in that corridor.

I knew I should walk away. Kael had warned me again and again not to stand out, not to draw attention. But every second that passed only made my blood boil.

I continued walking until only a few steps separated us. I stood firmly, staring at them one by one without looking away.

“Put it down,” I repeated in a low voice that echoed softly through the quiet hallway.

The tall boy scoffed and stepped forward as if wanting to show who held power here. The scent of ego, sweat, and the enjoyment he felt in seeing others afraid stabbed my senses. He stood very close, close enough for me to hear his heartbeat quickening even though his expression tried to remain calm.

He opened his mouth, probably to throw out one of the cheap comments he used to intimidate others, but I did not allow it. I flicked my fingers slightly, a small movement barely visible to human eyes.

The world around us shifted instantly. The warm air grew cold enough to bite. A thin gust passed by as if it came from a place that did not belong in a campus hallway. The lights dimmed, as though the entire corridor was swallowed by shadows creeping along the walls.

The boy fell silent. His eyes widened. His breath turned shallow and fast.

Then I saw it. The same change that occurred every time a human faced something they could not understand. A blank stare for a few seconds, followed by fear rising from the core of their bodies like a fast-spreading poison.

He took a shaky step back. His gaze darted to the right as if something was moving there. He squinted, his body tensing as though he had seen something that should not exist.

His two friends panicked. One clutched his chest, as if hearing a whisper crawling into his ear. The other snapped his head upward, staring at the ceiling with pure terror as a dark flicker appeared and vanished like a creature peeking from behind the wall.

The whispers began. Soft, wordless murmurs. Faint cries that did not belong to anyone in the hallway. Thin shadows danced at the edges of their vision, like dark hands reaching for their ankles.

“What is that?” the tall boy whispered, his voice cracking. He dropped the book he had taken, his entire body shaking. “There’s something here.”

All three retreated at once. Panic overtook them completely. They turned and ran through the hallway without looking back. One of them tripped but forced himself up and kept running, as if something was chasing them from behind.

Silence returned.

The temperature slowly warmed. The lights steadied. The shadows dissolved, leaving the hallway looking as it had before.

I exhaled, feeling the thin ripple of power still trembling under my skin. It felt like an electric current that had not fully faded.

Rumors would likely spread. I had probably gone too far. But in that moment, I did not care.

I knelt, picked up the fallen book, and handed it to the girl.

“This is yours,” I said softly.

Her face was still pale, but she accepted it with trembling hands. “Thank you. I do not know what happened. They looked like they saw something terrifying.”

I gave her a small smile. “You are safe now.”

She nodded and hurried away.

I stood alone in the hallway, watching the shadows return to their normal shape. I felt the last pulse of power fade gradually.

Kael would be furious if he found out. But what was done was done. And I would never regret teaching people like them what true fear felt like.

The next morning, the campus atmosphere felt different. The air that was usually filled with casual chatter was now thick with whispers that pricked like needles against my skin. Whenever I passed a group of students, their voices lowered at once. Some glanced at me quickly before pretending to look at their phones.

I pretended not to care, even though my chest tightened.

The rumor spread with ridiculous speed. No one knew exactly what I had done yesterday, but the stories evolving around it grew far more dramatic than reality.

“Did you see the new girl with the long black hair? I heard she just stood there and those three guys ran away screaming.”

“She might have connections to the Italian mafia.”

“No way. Someone said she can hypnotize people.”

“Like a vampire in a movie.”

“Just be careful. That new girl is weird.”

A bitter laugh almost escaped my lips. It was ironic how close humans could get to the truth without ever knowing it.

When I entered my literature history class, every student’s gaze followed my steps. Some slid their chairs away. Some looked like they wanted to ask something but were too afraid. Even the girl I had helped yesterday quickly looked away when our eyes met at the door.

Kael would be furious if he saw this.

I took my usual seat in the back near the window and tried to ignore everything. But the whispers kept slipping through.

“She never blinks when she looks at people.”

“I feel like she can read minds.”

I pressed my temples, resisting the urge to disappear from the room entirely. These were just human rumors. They would forget all of this in two or three days.

Or at least, I hoped so.

Just before class began, the door opened gently. A male student rushed in, breathing heavily. His friend gave his shoulder a small push.

“You are late again. What happened?”

“I heard something.”

“What now? More about her?” He glanced quickly in my direction, then looked away.

“Yes. Apparently those three guys were taken to the clinic and still refuse to enter the building.”

“You are joking.”

“No. One of them said he saw a dark shadow following him.”

My back stiffened. Not from fear, but because I knew the shadow he mentioned was a remnant of the illusion I had whispered into their minds. It should not have lasted long, but perhaps they were too weak to handle it.

This was not good. Not good at all.

While I was lost in my thoughts, a vibration buzzed against the desk. My phone lit up.

A message from Kael.

We need to talk. Now.

I closed my eyes, cursing inwardly. Of course he already knew. He always did.

After class ended, I headed to the central courtyard. The afternoon air was cool, but not cool enough to settle my thoughts. I sat on a stone bench near the fountain. It was usually quiet there.

Footsteps approached.

Kael appeared from behind the building, dressed in a black hoodie and jeans, blending in like an ordinary human. But his eyes could never fool anyone who knew him.

He stared the moment he saw me, an expression full of frustration.

“Elena, what did you do?”

I opened my mouth to defend myself, but he had already sat beside me, too close, as if afraid someone might overhear our conversation.

“There are rumors all over the faculty. Those three boys were terrified as if they saw a ghost. Do you understand how dangerous that is?”

“They treated that girl horribly. I only helped.”

“By using your power.”

“I did not mean to scare them that much.”

Kael sighed heavily and looked at the fountain’s shimmering water.