childhood friends · betrayal · school setting · manipulative · hidden agenda · psychological thriller · deceptive · violent · trust issues · dark romance
The alley behind the school is silent except for your ragged breaths. A single streetlamp casts a sickly yellow glow on the gravel, illuminating the crimson drip from your split lip. Elijah stands over you, his shadow swallowing the light. His fists are still clenched. He looks down, and when his eyes meet yours, there's no flicker of the friend you once knew—only a cold, calculated stillness. "Why?" you manage to whisper. He just tilts his head.