Chapter 93 Pretend Normal
Luna’s POV
The next day
Today was supposed to be a normal day. Normal halls, normal classes, and normal people worrying about normal things. Not monsters and not possession. Not the fact that something ancient and terrifying had just learned how to wear the face of the boy I…
My chest tightened, then I pushed the thought away as I stepped through the school gates.
Crescent Valley High looked the same as always.
Students gathered in clusters, laughing too loudly, arguing over assignments, and complaining about teachers. Lockers slammed. Phones buzzed. Life moved on as if nothing had changed. Or like I hadn’t changed. Like last night hadn’t happened.
I adjusted my backpack and kept my head down; I pretended everything was fine.
I would blend in as usual and survive. That had always been my rule.
But today… It felt impossible.
Every sound was sharper. Every movement too fast. My senses were still heightened, like my body hadn’t gotten the message that the danger was over. Because it wasn’t. Not even close. “Hey, freak.” so I heard.
I didn’t stop walking, I didn’t react and I didn’t give them anything.
Mara’s voice followed anyway. “Wow, ignoring me now? That’s new.”
Her footsteps quickened until she fell into step beside me, her friends trailing behind like shadows. I could feel their eyes on me. They were judging and waiting. “Rough night?” she asked sweetly.
My fingers twitched. Don’t.
“I’m fine,” I said flatly.
She hummed, pretending to think. “You don’t look fine.”
“I didn’t ask.”
Her smile sharpened. Wrong move, then she stepped in front of me, blocking my path just like always. But today felt different. Everything felt different.
“Careful,” she said, lowering her voice. “People might start thinking something’s actually wrong with you.”
Something inside me stirred, it was not fear and not anger. It was something colder and something that wanted to push back. The air around us shifted slightly and subtly. But enough.
Mara hesitated. Just for a second and then she laughed it off. “Whatever. Come on,” she said to her friends, brushing past me again, with her shoulder hitting mine. Pain flared. And this time, I almost reacted. Almost.
A pulse of energy flickered under my skin, ready to snap. But I forced it down.
Not here and not now.
They walked away, with their laughter echoing behind them.
I exhaled slowly. That was too close. “Careful.”
My entire body went rigid, because of that voice. I turned slowly and Kai stood a few feet away. Watching me. It felt as if my heart stopped. For a split second, I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, and couldn’t think. Because he looked… normal. Exactly like he had yesterday. The same posture, same expression, and same eyes. They were blue, calm, and looked human. But now I knew better.
“Luna,” he said softly.
My pulse spiked. Ethan’s words echoed in my head.
You don’t know that anymore. I took a step back.
Instinct. Pure instinct, then something flickered in Kai’s expression. It was not anger and it was not confusion. Something… calculating.
“You’re avoiding me,” he observed.
I swallowed. “No, I’m not.”
A small smile touched his lips. Too smooth. “You are,” he said. “And I get it.”
Do you? Because I don’t even understand it. “You scared me,” I said carefully.
His gaze held mine. “I know.”
Silence stretched between us heavy and uncomfortable. “You said it wasn’t you,” I continued.
“It wasn’t.”
The answer came too quickly, too easily With no hesitation and no struggle. That same chill crept up my spine again. “Then what was it?” I asked.
Kai tilted his head slightly. That same movement. The one from last night.
My stomach dropped.
“You already know,” he said.
I felt my breath caught. “I want to hear you say it,” I whispered.
Something flickered in his eyes for a second, it was just a second, and something darker moved below the surface. Then it was gone.
“Something tried to use me,” he said calmly. “Just like it tried to use you.”
Tried. That was past tense. Like it was over, but I didn’t believe that. Not anymore.
“Is it gone?” I asked quietly.
He stepped closer. Too close and my body tensed instantly. “Yes,” he said.
And that should have reassured me. It should have made everything better.
But instead… It made everything worse. Because I didn’t feel relief.
I felt wrong. Like standing too close to the edge of something I couldn’t see.
“You don’t believe me,” he said.
It wasn’t a question. I hesitated. That was enough. Then Kai exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t blame you,” he said. “After what happened…”
His voice softened and sounded familiar. Dangerously familiar. “I wouldn’t trust me either.”
That hurt more than I expected. Because part of me still wanted to.
Still wanted to believe him and still wanted him to be….
Stop. Don’t go there. I thought to myself. “I just need time,” I said.
It was the safest answer I had. Kai studied me for a long moment.
Then he nodded. “Okay.”
That was quite simple and easy. Too easy. “I’ll give you that,” he added.
Another pause followed and then…. “But don’t take too long.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
His gaze didn’t waver. “It means things are moving faster than you think,” he said quietly. “And you’re right in the middle of it.”
A chill ran through me. “I didn’t choose that.”
“No,” he agreed. “But something chose you.”
Those words again. My grandmother, Kai, and the forest. Everything was starting to connect in ways I didn’t understand.
“Luna.”
I stiffened. It was Ethan. He stood a few feet away, watching us, tense and alert. Like he had been there longer than I realized. Kai’s posture shifted instantly and subtly. But I saw it. The air between them tightened. “You’re following her again,” Kai said calmly.
Ethan didn’t deny it. “I’m making sure she’s safe.”
“From me?”
“If necessary.”
Silence followed sharp and dangerous. I stepped between them before it could escalate. “Stop,” I said.
Neither of them moved and neither of them looked away from each other.
“I mean it,” I added.
Slowly, and reluctantly, Ethan’s gaze shifted to me. “You okay?” he asked.
I nodded. He didn’t look convinced. “I’m fine,” I repeated.
That was another lie. Kai let out a quiet breath. “You should get to class,” he said.
Normal, pretend normal like this was just another school day, like nothing was wrong and like he wasn’t possibly…I pushed the thought away again. “I’ll see you later,” he added.
I didn’t answer. I just turned and walked away, down the hallway, past the lockers, past the noise, and past everything that used to feel real. But now, nothing felt real anymore. Because behind me…
I could feel it. Kai’s gaze. It was steady, unmoving and he was watching me.
And I couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t just watching me like before.
Not curious, not protective, and not conflicted. This time…
It felt like something was studying me, learning
me and also waiting. And the worst part, was that I didn’t know if I was walking away from him, or straight into whatever he was becoming.