Sebastian's eyes widened, the fluorescent lights of the hallway reflecting off his pale face as he slammed his locker shut with a metallic clang. The echo reverberated through the corridor, drawing a few curious glances from students down the hall. He spun around, his expression caught somewhere between fear and reckless excitement. "You guys saw the killer?" His voice trembled, cracking slightly at the end, betraying the panic simmering beneath his words.

Liza, leaning casually against her locker, paused mid-swipe of her shimmering pink lip gloss. The scent of strawberries wafted over, mixing incongruously with the stale air of the school hallway. She arched an eyebrow and looked up, her gaze lazy but laced with an edge. "Ez found the killer," she said with the same indifference someone might use to comment on the weather. The corners of her glossed lips turned up in a half-smile, but it sent a shiver down my spine. The memories from last night—the snapping of twigs, the shadow that loomed just out of sight, the blood—flashed through my mind like lightning.

"So, what do we do?" Sebastian's voice rose as his eyes darted from Liza to me. "Are we going after them, or—"

"Are you kidding?" Hazell interrupted, clearing his throat sharply. His tone was the voice of reason, rough and gritty as if he'd swallowed his nerves but couldn't hide the tremor. "Do you want us to be next?" His words fell into the air like stones, heavy and unrelenting, but Sebastian's brow only furrowed in confusion, letting the warning fly straight past him as usual.

Sebastian's lips curved into a grin that didn't match the situation, a wild spark in his eyes that made my stomach clench. "I say we go back there, trace his tracks, and see what really happened in those woods last night." The idea dangled between us, reckless and tempting, as if daring someone to take the bait.

A silence so thick it felt suffocating filled the hallway. The world around us buzzed on with the sound of chatter, lockers clanging, and sneakers squeaking against the linoleum, but in that moment, the four of us were the only ones who existed. The danger was no longer something distant; it was real, and it was waiting for us out there in the dark.

"Not a chance," Verma interjected, her eyes narrowing as if daring him to challenge her. He exhaled a shaky breath, letting his back slide down the cool metal of the lockers until he sat on the floor. "There's something I never told you, and if any of this leaks beyond this room, we're done, all of you. The truth is—I'm pregnant. I have no clue who the father is. It might have been Thomas's, but I never took the paternity test. And now that he's gone, we'll never know."

Liza squealed, the kind of high-pitched, piercing sound that could shatter glass and definitely made me wince, my fingers instinctively plugging my ears for a second. Her eyes darted around, scanning the hallway to make sure no eavesdroppers lingered. The fluorescent lights above cast harsh shadows against the row of lockers, adding to the tension thrumming in the air.

"You're pregnant?" she hissed in a voice that barely qualified as a whisper. The usual playful glint in her eyes was gone, replaced by a mix of shock and curiosity. "How far along?"

Verma's face flushed, a storm of emotions flickering behind her eyes—fear, exhaustion, and defiance all at once. She drew in a deep breath, the metal locker at her back rattling slightly as she leaned into it for support.

"Far enough that it's getting hard to hide," Verma admitted, her voice strained.

"My god," Sebastian poked her gut with his index finger. "You're not even showing."

"I know?" Verma laughed. "Perfect way to hide it from my family for the time being until I can figure out a good way to tell them."

"So, now we have a baby to protect," Liza said.

"Sure," Verma said back. "Just as long as none of you end up dead too."

"So," Sebastian cleared his throat. "What time are we going to the game tonight?" Verma scoffed, lightly shoving his shoulder in shock.

A strained laugh broke through the tension like a crack in glass, and it took me a moment to realize it came from Verma. It was sharp, almost manic, and made my skin prickle with unease. Sebastian blinked at her, oblivious as usual, his smile growing wider as if he'd just cracked the greatest joke of the year.

"Are you serious?" Verma shot him a look that could melt steel. "You think we're still going to the game tonight?"

"Why not?" Sebastian shrugged, the grin faltering but refusing to fade entirely. "We can't let this ruin everything. We need a distraction. You need a distraction."

Hazell muttered something under his breath, and I didn't have to hear it to know it was an exasperated curse. The shadows seemed to lengthen, creeping along the lockers as if they could feel the dread tightening in my chest. Liza shifted her weight and crossed her arms, the sparkle of her lip gloss catching the light as she regarded Sebastian with disbelief.

"You don't get it, do you?" Her voice was cold now, the casual air gone. "This isn't a game, Seb. People are dying. Thomas is dead, Verma's carrying a secret that could wreck everything, and the killer knows we're close. If we go to that game, we're not just risking being seen. We're putting a target on our backs."

Sebastian's grin finally faltered, his eyes darkening as realization washed over him. He glanced at me, his confidence wavering for the first time. I couldn't find any words to reassure him. The truth was, I wasn't sure what we were supposed to do either—go back into those woods and risk everything or pretend that normalcy was still an option.

Verma sighed, rubbing a hand over her face as if trying to wipe away the exhaustion that had settled into her features. "Look, if we're doing this, we need to be smart about it. No impulsive moves, no stupid risks."

A silence fell over us once more, heavy and suffocating, the hallway noises fading into a dull hum. For a moment, we just stood there, four faces reflecting varying shades of fear and determination. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting long, jagged shadows against the lockers.

Finally, Sebastian nodded, the playful light in his eyes replaced with something somber and resolute. "Alright," he said quietly. "But we have to come up with a plan. And fast."

Verma pushed herself off the locker and stood tall, a flicker of strength lighting her eyes. "Then let's do it. But remember—this time, we're not going in blind. We're finding out who's behind this before they strike again."

And as we walked away from the hallway, the knot in my stomach twisted tighter. There was no going back now. We were in too deep, and the killer was watching.