Chapter 59 Fifty eight
The One felt the hallway closing in around him like a fist. The fluorescent lights buzzed too loud, voices overlapped into white noise, lockers slammed like distant gunshots. His head throbbed—sharp, rhythmic pulses behind his eyes, as if Koda were hammering on the inside of his skull trying to get out. Again.
He leaned against a row of lockers, arms crossed, breathing slow through his nose. The pain wasn’t new, but it was louder today. Sharper. Like the mating bond with Harper had only quieted Koda for a moment, not killed him.
He needed silence.
He needed something.
His gaze drifted through the crowd and landed on her—a junior girl, long dark hair tied back in a messy ponytail, earbuds in, walking alone toward the girls’ bathroom at the far end of the corridor. No friends. No one watching. Perfect.
He pushed off the lockers and followed.
The crowd parted without noticing why.
She slipped through the bathroom door.
He waited ten seconds, then stepped inside.
The bathroom was empty except for her. She stood at the sink, pulling her phone out to check her reflection. When she saw him in the mirror, she startled—then smiled, bright and nervous and starstruck.
“Koda,” she said, turning. “Oh my god. I’m your biggest fan.”
The One tilted his head.
A slow smile curved his mouth.
“Then you won’t mind if I do this.”
Her brow furrowed. “Do wha—”
His eyes turned black.
Pure void.
No white. No iris. Just endless nothing.
The girl’s smile vanished.
She gasped—sharp, terrified—and spun toward the door.
He caught her wrist before she took two steps.
Lifted her clean off the floor.
She dangled—legs kicking, free hand clawing at his arm.
“No—no please—”
He pulled her close.
Mouth hovering over hers.
She screamed.
He inhaled.
Not air.
Something deeper.
Her scream cut off mid-note.
Her body jerked once—hard—then went limp.
Silver soul-light streamed from her parted lips into his.
He drank it slowly, savoring the warmth, the faint sweetness of fear and youth.
When it was done, her eyes were dull glass.
He opened his hand.
She dropped.
Lifeless body hit the tile with a soft thud.
He turned.
Looked straight at the security camera in the corner.
The lens cracked—spiderweb fractures spreading outward.
The red recording light blinked out.
He smirked.
Power hummed under his skin—stronger now. Sharper. A fresh thread of energy weaving through the body he wore.
He walked out.
Left her on the floor.
Door swinging shut behind him.
Meanwhile, Harper and Catherine were heading toward the cafeteria when the Terrible Four blocked their path.
Ryan at the front, red hair spiked, arms crossed. Silas, Nikos, Jacob behind him—silent backup.
Ryan’s eyes locked on Harper.
“Meet us on the rooftop,” he said. “Fifth period ends. Be there.”
Harper frowned.
“Why?”
Ryan’s smile was thin.
“You’ll see.”
They turned and walked away.
Catherine grabbed Harper’s arm.
“Don’t go.”
Harper watched them disappear into the crowd.
“I stopped Molly from bullying that girl earlier,” she said quietly. “Lila. Molly was going to push her off the roof.”
Catherine’s eyes widened.
“Oh my god.”
“Yeah.”
Catherine squeezed her arm.
“That’s why. Molly reported you. The Terrible Four—they’re known for this. They don’t just bully. They hurt people. Broken arms, hospital trips, kids transferring schools. They get away with it because no one talks.”
Harper sighed.
“I’m not going.”
Catherine nodded—relieved.
“Good.”
But ten minutes later, Harper was walking alone toward the math wing.
Kayla—one of the quieter girls from her trig class—had stopped her in the hall.
“Mr. Ellis wants to see you,” Kayla said, eyes flicking nervously down the hall. “Said it’s about your last quiz. He’s in room 214. Sounded urgent.”
Harper frowned.
“He emailed me already?”
Kayla shrugged.
“I just saw him. He asked me to tell you.”
Something felt off, but Harper was already late for study hall. She sighed.
“Fine. I’ll go.”
Kayla gave a quick nod and hurried away.
Harper turned the corner toward the math wing.
The hallway was quieter here—fewer lockers, more closed doors, fluorescent lights flickering like they were on their last legs.
She passed the girls’ bathroom.
Heard footsteps behind her.
Too many.
Too fast.
Before she could turn, a hand clamped over her mouth from behind.
Another arm wrapped around her waist.
She screamed—muffled—thrashing hard.
More hands grabbed her legs, her arms.
They lifted her off the ground.
She kicked. Bit down on the palm covering her mouth. Tasted salt and sweat.
The person cursed.
Someone laughed—low, mean.
They dragged her.
Up stairs.
Through a heavy metal door.
Cold wind hit her face.
Gravel crunched under boots.
The rooftop.
They dropped her.
She hit the ground on her knees, gravel biting through her jeans.
The rooftop door had barely slammed shut behind them when the hood was yanked off Harper’s head.
Cold wind slapped her face, stinging her eyes. Gravel crunched under her knees. She blinked against the sudden light—gray sky, chain-link fence, four-story drop to the parking lot below—and saw them.
The Terrible Four stood in a loose semicircle, blocking any path back to the door.
Ryan in the center, red hair spiked, arms crossed, smirking like he’d already won.
Silas and Nikos on either side of him, cracking their knuckles in unison.
Jacob behind them, blocking the exit completely.
Molly stepped forward, flanked by Claudia and Amy. Claudia was already filming on her phone, red record light glowing. Amy leaned against the low wall, arms folded, grinning.
Harper’s stomach dropped.
No Mr. Ellis.
No quiz.
Just them.
And the edge.
Molly crouched in front of her, close enough that Harper could smell her vanilla perfume mixed with cigarette smoke and spite.
“Surprised?” Molly asked sweetly. “You really thought Kayla was telling the truth about a quiz?”
Harper’s voice came out hoarse. “What are you people doing?”
Molly laughed—short, sharp.
“What does it look like? Teaching you a lesson.”
Harper tried to stand.
Silas shoved her shoulder down.
She hit gravel again, palms scraping.
“Stay on your knees,” Ryan said. “Fits you better.”
Harper glared up at him.
“You’re pathetic,” she said. “All of you. Picking on freshmen. Dragging girls to rooftops. What—did Molly cry to you because I stopped her from murdering someone this morning?”
Molly’s smile vanished.
She lunged forward and slapped Harper—hard.
The crack echoed across the rooftop.
Harper’s head snapped sideways. Cheek burned. Copper taste flooded her mouth.
Claudia laughed.
Amy zoomed in with the phone.
Molly grabbed Harper’s chin, forcing her to look up.
“You don’t get to talk about me like that,” she hissed. “You think you’re some hero now? Pushing me around in front of everyone? Making me look weak?”
Harper spat blood onto the gravel.
“You are weak,” she said quietly. “You need four guys and two friends to corner one girl. That’s not strength. That’s cowardice.”
Molly’s face twisted.
She slapped her again—other cheek this time.
Harper’s vision blurred for a second.
Ryan stepped closer.
“Strip her,” he said.
Claudia and Amy moved in.
They grabbed Harper’s hoodie sleeves.
Yanked.
The zipper tore.
Fabric ripped at the seams.
Harper thrashed.
“Get off me!”
They laughed.
Molly stood back, arms crossed, watching.
“Make sure everyone sees what happens when you cross us,” she said.
Claudia pulled harder.
The hoodie came off in shreds—left Harper in her thin T-shirt, arms bare, goosebumps rising in the wind.
Amy grabbed the hem of the T-shirt.
Harper kicked out.
Caught Amy in the shin.
Amy yelped, stumbled back.
Molly snarled.
“Hold her!”
Silas and Nikos stepped in.
Grabbed her wrists.
Pinned them behind her back.
Jacob took her ankles.
Harper bucked.
Screamed.
They dragged her backward—toward the edge.
Gravel scraped her bare arms.
Wind tore at her hair.
The drop yawned behind her.
Molly leaned in close.
“Last chance,” she said. “Beg. On your knees. Or we push you. And trust me—no one’s gonna cry over you.”
Harper’s heart hammered so hard she thought it would crack her ribs.
She felt it again—that power under her skin, humming, waiting.
Stronger now.
Hotter.
She looked Molly in the eye.
“I’m not begging,” she said.
Molly smiled—cold, victorious.
“Then you fall.”
She nodded.
Silas and Nikos tightened their grip.
Jacob lifted her legs.
They dragged her back another step.
Her heels hit the low wall.
One more push.
Harper closed her eyes.