The final bell rang, echoing through the hallways like a starter pistol.
Evan didn't waste time. He grabbed his bag and moved fast, weaving through the crowded halls, ignoring the snickers, the glares, the whispered insults. None of it mattered now.
Only one thing mattered: finding Lena.
At the side exit of the school, near the broken fence, he spotted her. Hands shoved into her pockets, hoodie pulled up. She didn't wave. She didn't smile. She just jerked her head toward the woods beyond the parking lot.
Without a word, Evan followed.
They crossed into the trees, where the air was cooler and the world went quiet, muffled by moss and dead leaves. Evan kept glancing over his shoulder, half-expecting Marcus and his gang to jump out — or worse.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Lena stopped in front of a gnarled oak tree with roots like claws digging into the ground.
She knelt, brushing aside a patch of moss, revealing a rusted metal hatch.
"This is it," she said.
Evan stared. "This is what?"
Lena gave him a sly smile. "The entrance."
Before he could react, she yanked open the hatch and disappeared down a ladder into darkness.
Evan hesitated only a second — then followed.
The metal rungs were cold and slick. His heart hammered as he climbed down, the light from above shrinking to nothing.
When his feet hit solid ground, he blinked, adjusting to the dim glow of old lanterns lining a narrow stone tunnel.
Lena waited for him, arms crossed. "Welcome to the real Crestwood."
They walked in silence until the tunnel opened into a wide underground chamber.
And that's when Evan's world shifted again.
There were people here — dozens — some no older than him, others adults with hard eyes and worn clothes. Some were training with weapons, others huddled around old maps and monitors that flickered with static.
A mural covered the far wall: two interlocked rings, just like the flyer.
Lena turned to him, serious now. "This is the Hidden Circle. We protect people like you."
"Protect us from what?" Evan asked, his voice rough.
She leaned in, whispering, "From them — the ones who want to use you. Control you. Kill you."
Evan's blood ran cold.
"And now that you've awakened your gift," Lena said grimly, "they'll be coming."
As if to punctuate her words, a deep rumble shook the ground under their feet.
The monitors flared to life, alarms blaring.
On one screen, Evan saw black vans pulling up outside Crestwood's gates.
"They're here," someone shouted.
Lena grabbed Evan's arm, dragging him deeper into the tunnels. "No time to explain. If you want to live, you have to trust me."
For the first time in his life, Evan didn't feel like a loser.
He felt like a target.
And maybe — just maybe — something even more dangerous.
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