The day at Ravenwood School began as if nothing had ever happened the night before.

  Students gossiping about the latest trends, that one kid dropping his books in the hallway, everyone oblivious to the chaos that had unfolded just hours ago.

  Silas showed no signs of dwelling on the previous night. He moved through the halls with his usual calm, collected air, hoodie up but not over his head, hands tucked into his pockets. Evan, however, was vibrating with energy, a little too loud for the quiet morning.

  “Can you believe it?” Evan whispered as they walked past the lockers. “We actually pulled that off! I mean, did you see her face when—”

  “Evan,” Silas interrupted, his tone flat, “we’re walking, not narrating a victory parade.”

  Evan grinned. “You have no sense of celebration. It’s a gift, really.”

  Before Silas could respond, the classroom door opened, and in walked a girl. She moved with a strange kind of casual confidence, like the hallway had no rules that applied to her. Hair slightly messy, untucked shirt, sneakers scuffed from somewhere that definitely wasn’t the school courtyard. She didn’t look at anyone as she strode forward, but the air around her somehow commanded attention.

  “Good morning, class,” Ms. Caldwell said, her voice polite but tinged with uncertainty. “Today we have a new student joining us. Her name is Riley Carter. Please welcome her nicely.”

  She gave Silas a glance — one of those looks that said, pay attention — before signaling Riley to introduce herself.

  Riley turned to face the room. “Hi. I’m Riley. And, uh… one interesting fact about me is that there isn’t any other interesting fact about me. That’s it.” She said it flatly, without changing expression, posture, or tone.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  A ripple of snickers went through the class, but Riley ignored it entirely, dropping her bag into the seat next to Evan — Leah Kate’s old spot. She plopped down with the kind of careless ease that made it look like she owned the place, then turned her head slightly toward Evan, studied him for a moment, and looked away, expression unreadable.

  Evan leaned over to Silas, whispering with a mischievous grin. “I don’t know, man, but I think she likes me.”

  “In your dreams,” Silas muttered, keeping his eyes on his desk.

  Evan shrugged, chuckling, and returned his attention to Riley, who had already begun flicking through her notebook like nothing mattered in the world — but Silas noticed the subtle way she annotated her margins, neat, precise, intelligent. She was reckless, messy, almost like Evan, but sharp. Dangerous in a quiet, calculating way.

  The rest of the day passed in a blur of normalcy — Math, English, History — though the subtle tension of the previous night lingered just beneath Silas’s awareness. Riley stayed beside Evan, making occasional sarcastic remarks during class that only he seemed to hear, smirking when he responded with equal energy. Silas kept his eyes on her intermittently, noting her smirk, the way she leaned back in her chair, and the faint glint of curiosity in her eyes.

  By the time the last bell rang, the hallways were filled with the usual chaos. Silas approached Evan, who was packing his bag.

  “I don’t know if this is a good question,” Silas said, face serious, “but can Elena stay at your place for a while?”

  Evan didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, sure. My mom’s overseas, and it’s just me and my helper here. My dad… well, he’s mostly busy.” His voice trailed off, but he caught himself.

  Silas raised an eyebrow, silently prompting him to clarify.

  “Never mind,” Evan said, quickly changing the subject. “When’s she coming?”

  “In a few hours,” Silas answered.

  Evan shrugged, tucking his bag under his arm. “Alright, sounds simple enough. I’ll set up a spot for her, nothing fancy."

  As they left the school together, Riley’s gaze flicked over them once, curious, as if she already sensed there was more going on beneath the surface. Then she turned back to her own things, indifferent — but Silas couldn’t shake the feeling that her calm, chaotic intelligence would be a problem… or maybe an asset.