The lumber yard smelled of fresh-cut wood and diesel, but every now and then, a stray breeze carried the faintest trace of the forest—a hint of wildflowers and musk, as if it were reminding him of Bee.

Nze worked methodically alongside Uncle Eli, the chainsaw's growl drowning out his troubled thoughts. Sawdust clung to his sweat-dampened shirt, grounding him in the simple physicality of the work.

"Hand me that measuring tape," Eli called out, his voice gruff but not unkind. He was a man of few words, which suited Nze perfectly right now. When Nze had shown up at his doorstep after missing curfew, Eli had simply nodded and pointed to his mother's room that had become Nze's second home.

"You still following those rules we talked about?" Eli had asked over breakfast, not looking up from his coffee.

"Yes, sir," Nze had lied, the words tasting like ash in his mouth. No wandering after dark or into the woods. No strange company. No getting mixed up in things better left alone. He'd broken every single one.

The weekend settled into a comfortable routine. Mornings in the lumber yard, afternoons running errands in town. The normalcy of it all felt surreal after everything that had happened. In town, Nze found himself studying every face, wondering if they too harbored secrets beneath their skin. Did that woman at the grocery store turn into something else under the moon? Could that teenager on his phone shift his shape at will?

Then Aunt Naomi arrived on Saturday evening, a day earlier than expected, her nun's habit traded for casual clothes but her face still radiating the same serene warmth he remembered. She swept into the house like a fresh breeze, bringing the scent of garden herbs and baked bread.

"Arinze!" she exclaimed, pulling him into a hug that smelled of rosemary and comfort. "You've grown taller since last week, I swear it."

The kitchen soon filled with the sounds and smells of her cooking – familiar, safe, human. She moved with practiced grace between stove and counter, telling stories about the convent's garden and the new batch of novices while preparing her famous jollof rice.

"You're quiet tonight," she observed as they sat down to dinner, her keen eyes studying his face. "School keeping you busy?"

Nze nodded, pushing the rice around his plate. "Just... lots of changes lately."

"Changes are like seasons," she said wisely, passing him the pepper sauce. "They come whether we're ready or not. The trick is learning to weather them with grace."

Eli grunted in agreement, focused on his food. But Nze caught the way his uncle's eyes flickered to the darkening windows, the way he checked the locks twice before bed. Nze realized he had forgotten to ask the one question Bee had urged him to: What happened in October 1999?

That night, in the safety of his room, Nze lay awake listening to the sounds of the house settling. Everything here was so normal, so wonderfully mundane. The ticking clock. The humming refrigerator downstairs. The distant sound of Aunt Naomi's soft singing as she prepared for bed.

But even here, in this haven of normalcy, he couldn't forget the feel of Bee's lips, the wild scent of her, the impossible truth of what he'd seen. His hand went to his phone, thumb hovering over their last messages. He wanted to text her, to ask if she was safe, to demand more answers.

Instead, he watched as the moon rose outside his window, nearly full now, and wondered if somewhere out there, Bee was watching it too – perhaps not even in human form. The thought should have terrified him. Instead, it filled him with a longing that felt deeper than his bones.

Tomorrow he would have to return to Holy Cross, to a school where students vanished, secrets festered, and shadows moved in places they shouldn't. For now, he let himself be comforted by the sounds of his aunt's hymns and his uncle's snoring, even as the feeling of unseen eyes pricked at the back of his neck.

He tried to ignore the part of him that felt more alive in the dangerous dark with Bee than here in the safety of normalcy.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚

Monday morning came crashing in, a hurricane of students scrambling to outrun the first bell. But to Nze, it all felt off. The usual chaos of school life now seemed like a cheap disguise—a too-thin layer of normality stretched over something darker, wilder, and far more complicated lurking just beneath.

He was arranging books in his locker when Iza materialized beside him, her red braids decorated with new wooden beads that clicked softly when she moved.

"So the prodigal son returns," she teased, leaning against the neighboring locker. "Weekend at Uncle Eli's?"

"Yeah," Nze managed a smile, grateful for the normalcy of their interaction. "Aunt Naomi came home early. Made her jollof rice."

"Ah, living the dream while we suffered cafeteria food." Iza clutched her chest dramatically. "The betrayal."

They fell into step together heading to class, their conversation drifting through safe, ordinary topics: the upcoming Chemistry test, Mr. Okafor's ridiculous new bow tie, the cafeteria's suspicious attempt at serving something they called 'fusion cuisine.'

"Oh!" Iza suddenly grabbed his arm, her eyes lighting up. "You have to promise me something."

"That sounds dangerous."

"Stop it," she swatted his arm. "My aunt's been asking about you. You know, the one who does the weird tea readings? She says you need to come visit next weekend. She was very specific about it being next weekend."

Something in her tone made Nze pause. "Your aunt who does divination?"

"Don't say it like that," Iza rolled her eyes. "She prefers 'intuitive consultant.' Anyway, she's usually right about these things. Promise you'll come?"

Before Nze could respond, a ripple of masculine attention swept through the hallway. He followed the collective gaze to a girl he'd never seen before, walking with casual confidence through the parting crowd.

"That's Kitty," Iza supplied, noting his interest. "New girl. Started while you were away. Pretty, right? But there's something weird about her. She doesn't talk much, and Spacko vanished right after she ignored him."

Nze studied the newcomer with more than casual interest. There was something about her that seemed... familiar. The way she moved, perhaps. Or something in her eyes when she scanned the crowd, as if she was searching for something specific.

"Don't you dare," Iza warned, misinterpreting his scrutiny. "I refuse to watch another friend make a fool of himself. Besides..." she lowered her voice conspiratorially, "rumor has it she shot down even Spacko before he disappeared."

Nze's attention snapped back to Iza. "Spacko?"

"Mmhmm. Apparently, he tried his usual charming routine and she just..." Iza made a dismissive gesture. "Completely ignored him. Next day – poof. No more Spacko."

Nze's mind raced. The timing couldn't be a coincidence. But before he could process this information, Iza was tugging on his sleeve again.

"So? Promise about next weekend? Aunt's really insistent about this one."

"I... yeah, okay. I promise."

"Good!" Iza beamed, then glanced at her watch. "Shoot, I'm late for Bio. Don't forget – next weekend!"

She hurried off, her beads clicking a syncopated rhythm, leaving Nze standing in the slowly emptying hallway. When he looked back, Kitty was gone, but he could have sworn he caught a flash of knowing in her eyes just before she disappeared around the corner.

He pulled out his phone, thumb hovering over his last messages with Bee. The screen remained stubbornly empty of new notifications. Behind him, the warning bell rang, but he barely heard it. Something was happening – something bigger than missing students and mysterious new girls. And somehow, he was caught in the middle of it.

Next weekend suddenly felt very far away.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚

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