Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

THERE WAS A NEW NEIGHBOR ACROSS FROM MY HOUSE, AND THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE BIG NEWS OF THE MORNING.

But it wasn’t.

“Good morning,” mumbled Mel Medarda, the anchor from Channel Eight and the main reporter of the morning news. “Today we report that authorities have recovered the lifeless body of Gert Mei Li, who disappeared two days ago in Zaun. Sources close to the discovery indicate that it was the so-called ‘Sun Stalker’ again.”

The image of Gert overshadowed Mel, clearly unintentionally. She had curly blue hair, freckles, and olive-toined skin with Asian features. She was the first foreigner. Her smile was bright. She looked more like a model with dyed hair than the next victim of that monster. I hated that victims were reduced to numbers while the real monster made a name for himself, a documentary, and even a movie in some cases.

The victim was a number; the killer was the story.

“... Let’s remember that the so-called Sun Stalker was named so for his initial attacks in broad daylight and the ease with which he escapes the scene with total impunity, continuing to terrorize the Irish community of Piltover,” Mel continued explaining. “Multiple attacks have led to the conclusion that he has also kidnapped young girls at night, but his modus operandi is in broad daylight as if mocking the police. In addition to the brutality he demonstrates on the bodies found...”

The TV suddenly changed, making me jump a bit in fright. As I turned around, I almost had a heart attack at what I saw.

“I’m sorry,” Mylo mumbled in the hallway next to Mom. “She...”

“Didn’t you hear me?” Felicity, my mom, interjected, giving the TV a frustrated glance. “You know I don’t like you getting so involved in those news stories; it’s something very dark.”

“Why am I blue hair and have blue eyes like those girls?”

Mom set the groceries on the table while giving me an apprehensive look, as terrified as it was threatening. It was enough to make me get up to help her without saying a word. She was the typical mother who could convey thousands of non-verbal threats with just a glance. I passed by Mylo, who shrank in his place as he obediently followed her, too quiet.

He was a twenty-three-year-old guy with curly hair, olive skin, and some muscle. I never talked to him; I only saw him if my idiot father showed up or sent him with the excuse that he was too busy with work. Spoiler alert: he was always busy. And honestly, I didn’t want him in my life, ever. He was the son of one of her neighbors. I honestly didn’t even pay attention to him; I didn’t even know his last name.

“Don’t talk like that; it gives off bad vibes. I don’t like talking about that; they say it attracts bad luck.”

“I don’t believe in luck; I believe in facts,” I rebutted, placing the items on the table alongside Mylo.

“Machiavellian mind,” her eyes went to the young man beside her, smiling. “Again, thank you for helping me with the groceries since we ran into each other at the supermarket.”

“It’s no trouble, Mrs. Zaunite.”

“Still, you didn’t have to bother, young man. It was a coincidence that we saw each other at the supermarket. Shouldn’t you be with Marcus in London?”

“My father got sick, and I’m taking care of him on a farm outside of town. Mr. Marcus will be back in a couple of weeks.”

“I hope he never comes back.”

Mom gave me another warning look while I turned my eyes to the items sliding around the kitchen, with Mom ensuring that I put everything in its place. She was a bit obsessive in that regard; somehow, if I spent more than a millisecond doubting where each item went, she would throw a fit with the typical phrase: “You’re a tourist in your own house.” So I focused solely on that, not wanting to prolong this any more than it already was, ignoring the outside, which honestly looked pretty awful. I felt Mom tap me to say goodbye to Mylo without much enthusiasm while she continued kneeling in the kitchen, organizing the bottom of the refrigerator.

If I found out he had seen my butt, I would shove the groceries down his throat and cut off his head.

The bag of peas made me grimace at my pretty—and violent—mental image, as I placed the last item in a drawer in the refrigerator and closed it with a sour face as I watched Mom shake her head. The bag was a reprimand for my annoying behavior. By the time I finished, I wanted to return to my room to not have to organize anything else, but Mom stopped me again.

“For these things, I don’t help altruistically.”

“Did you see the new neighbors? I don’t know them; they seem to be an affluent family from what I observed. Remember the boxes from a few weeks ago? They were moving in!” Mom commented, almost drooling. “They had an apartment in Piltover. From what I heard, they lived in that and in the house for a month. They’re people of money. They have two luxury homes without breaking a sweat.”

“Don’t you know their names and allergies, Mom?”

She gave me a bad look while I simply looked away. She was a gossiping mother with all the neighborhood’s business and more. I remembered one time she found out that Vi, my best friend, was dating a girl named Dalia before I even suspected it. She always joked that Mom was a frustrated FBI agent. She would be the only one who could catch the Zodiac Killer without blinking while also extracting all the love gossip from his life and family. I could totally see her in the police station, happily commenting that the monster had been rejected by a girl because he brought her a dead bunny at twelve and that his favorite underwear were from Tarantino while the cops reconsidered their careers.

Yeah, I definitely saw her doing that.

She continued chattering while I moved closer to the window to see the truck where they were still unloading furniture and mattresses that didn’t quite blend with the simplicity of the town slash county of Irish and other European immigrants who formed this great town in various times of war when they became refugees far from their true home. Maybe the Sun Stalker knew this and had chosen a community with a higher-than-usual number of curly hair girls.

“One can never tell you anything because you’re so hateful,” Mom mumbled, still not understanding why everyone had to get so involved in each other’s lives, but she thought it was of utmost importance. “Anyway, I was just putting you in context. I bought a chocolate strawberry cake, and for your attitude, you will take it to them.”

Before I could look at her to reply, she pointed at the cake. Enough for today. So I simply nodded, not wanting to prolong the situation more than it was already costing me. I took the cake carefully in my hands. This is what happens when you watch TV. Mom was the living representation of an extroverted person, and as they say, everything you hate are your children. I was quite introverted because it was as if her God or whatever had punished her for whatever she had done as a teenager.

“And what do I say?” I questioned while standing in front of the door.

“What do you mean, what do you say?”

“Do I just give her the cake and that’s it?”

I could hear her sigh heavily in the kitchen, wanting to throw a shoe at me lamenting the little social spirit her daughter showed. In my defense, I didn’t ask to give a cake to strangers like I was a children’s entertainer or working at Cake Boss.

“Say hello!”

“And what else?”

“You could be nice!”

“I’m not in My Little Pony,” I muttered quietly.

“Did you say something, Jinx?!”

“No!”

I fled the house. I didn’t want a shoe in my head, for real. I adjusted the cake in my hands while glancing at the street, the first day of vacation, a Saturday, barely any people at that hour since they were at the nearby park or somewhere else celebrating the freedom of no longer being in classes or having graduated. The parties had started yesterday, and the last thing there were sober teenagers. Literally, just yesterday I had gone to school for the last time, which meant the parties continued all weekend. That very night, I would go skate to train for the “Spring Solstice” contest before wasting time at a party that would give me a migraine. Although I also had to go out at that moment with Vi and Viktor to celebrate the freedom of never going back to school and that I would never see geography again. What a good day.

I observed the renovations of the house that caught my attention as I got closer; it seemed they had a pool in addition to a pretty enviable garage, a green lawn, white paint with exposed wood in a warm cabin-style touch. In fact, their house was the prettiest in the neighborhood.

They just called me poor in six different languages.

My feet went towards where they were unpacking everything, and I avoided bumping into a sofa, maneuvering as if I were skating to not ruin the cake with the little space that path offered. They would kill me if anything happened to that piece of sugar and flour with frosting. My eyes followed a child running with a toy car into the house that appeared out of nowhere without noticing me; there were many blue objects and a soccer ball being carried upstairs. I stood in front of the door not knowing what to do when suddenly something startled me.

“Did you lose something?”

That’s when I met him.

Brown eyes that at that moment I didn’t know would be guilty, blonde-white hair, dark skin. Tall but not too much, he was short. He had a half-head on me. And with some muscles. He was a sporty guy. His eyes were what intrigued me the most in that fleeting moment because they were cold, dark, and insensitive. It was like a mischievous boy whose mischief had been abruptly sucked away. A pretty face with a frozen interior.

“I’m looking for the family moving in.”

“Why?”

“To charge you taxes, idiots.”

“Just tell me where they are.”

“Who are you?” he insisted. “And why would I do that?”

Because my mom thinks I look like Miss Sympathy.

“Ekko, don’t be rude!” someone exclaimed behind him as a much friendlier lady with a warm smile arrived. “Good afternoon, I’m Andromeda. What can I do for you, dear?”

“My...”—be nice—“My mom and I live across the street; we brought you a cake for your arrival.”

That’s where the conversation died for me. It was a success to have said that much. However, Ekko looked at me for a second as if I were actually collecting taxes, and his eyes went forward, slightly frowning. Well, I wasn’t The Queen, but I also wasn’t Charles III for him to look at me with so much hatred as if I had stepped on his dog while walking through his obstacle course that I barely managed to cross.

“Oh, dear, how lovely they are! I’ll put it away. Thank you so much. Tell your mother we’re very pleased with her gesture, and it looks delicious!” Andromeda laughed. “Would you like to stay, dear? Oh, but what nonsense am I saying? You’re probably going out with your friends! You know, I make a delicious apple pie; I’ll bring some over later.”

“Uh-huh,” I barely spoke.

What was I supposed to say?

Andromeda took the cake while giving a glance at the blonde boy who ignored her, proving my point. All parents had children with all the behaviors they hated. Karma? Probably. That had to be a stronger contraceptive than any biology class video for me.

“Ekko, say hello,” Andromeda kindly reminded. “Excuse my stepson; he’s had his head in the clouds lately. He’s usually more energetic; he’s just distracted.”

“Hello,” Ekko said, bitter and irritated.

“Hello.”

Everything died again there.

“Ekko,” Andromeda insisted. “Oh, but look at my manners! What’s your name, dear?”

“Jinx,” I introduced myself while they forced him to shake hands with Mr. Hate-the-Tax-Collector. My skin was darker than his since even I lived locked up or skating on ice. That made me think about going to the beach. “Jinx Zaunite”.

“Ekko,” he shook my hand. “Neighbor.”

Our hands separated, and I nodded goodbye to Mrs. Andromeda while she chatted with Ekko, who cast a not-so-friendly glance at the neighborhood as if he were looking at trash. I almost felt like telling him I was sorry for the poverty of the situation but that if he wanted better neighbors, he should spend the renovation money in another neighborhood. He was irritated to the max. I simply shut up; I had had a bad night due to the teenage parties, and I didn’t want to mess with him. I went up to my room at that moment while I told Mom everything Andromeda had said with the best mood I could fake, omitting Ekko. I took my phone and sent a message to Vi, telling her I was on my way. Then, I stood by the window of my room, watching Ekko grab a skateboard while ruffling his hair with his hateful expression starting to settle on his lawn. He wasn’t happy to be here.

And what do I care? Taxes.

I grabbed a sweater and my skates, heading to the other side to go skate at the Khione Center, practicing with the others on a busy Saturday night. Then I would go to various places celebrating the end of the secondary academic era.

Do you know that big event that triggers a story? Or the beginning of one? This was that moment. Do you remember how murder cases narrated from the victim’s point of view begin? Well, this was that moment. But I had no idea; I was just sleepy and in a bad mood. Not yet. I didn’t suspect it at that moment.

But I had just been with the traitor, on that day, in those damned twenty-four hours, and that day was the start of the countdown to my formal encounter with the Sun Stalker.

Because unknowingly, I was a number about to be counted on his list.

Dear reader, we just met a killer through me. And no, it’s not a horror podcast. That would be cooler.

And he’s going to betray me this cruel summer.

Chapter Text

I was born on a Friday. It was a rainy day, one of those days you wish to spend all day in bed or reading with a cup of coffee when you have no energy.

My childhood was relatively calm with Mom. I can remember the first time I went to the Khione Skating Center; I fell nine times. I was five years old. And I went on my birthday, in October. Until I learned to stand up while skating, feeling the rink like a home, I found a sincere love for figure skating.

I was an excellent student, but I would definitely never be a doctor. Biology was never my thing. Or political science. Or geography. Mostly because of the teacher who openly hated me. I have few but true friends. Two, in fact. I loved skating; that was definitely the highlight of my life. Why was I telling you this trivial stuff? Maybe as a desperate act for the victim to be important, not the attacker. It was something I had with me always, since I was ten and Miss Sevika played a podcast during a training session. I can perfectly remember how the music from Swan Lake mixed with the voice of Amber Tagus, a famous journalist narrating that event in a special podcast with a boy named Alexander. It was the JonBenét Ramsey case, and I remembered that the most important thing they highlighted was who killed her and how she died, not who she was and everything she had lived. Scarce. She was just a little girl. But it was her life.

The next case I heard was in the following section, Amelia Earhart, a feminist icon and the best aviator of her time. What was most remembered? Her disappearance.

Then I heard another, this time about Johnny Gosch, and I continued until every day I listened to podcasts about it, forcing myself to remember the faces of the victims and their lives beyond how they ended up or how they disappeared. And if the next day I were to be the next missing person, I hoped there would be another person in the world who would remember me as a girl who lived a whole life before having a tragic ending that didn’t define me. And that I was Jinx Zaunite, not the poor girl killed by some idiot. Of course, that didn’t start because I heard a case that I sought out myself; I became obsessed and wanted to do that. It was like when you hear a song without knowing it will become your favorite, and then you play it again, and again, and then you know it by heart.

Besides, I had something personal about not leaving a victim as just a number. I couldn’t.

“Another turn!” exclaimed Miss Sevika. “You have to lift your legs higher and jump higher!”

I spun in the air, quick and graceful, as I landed on my right foot, being propelled backward by the force. Then I looked behind me while concentrating on skating to the rhythm of the music; I had to focus. My feet seemed to glide on the ice as I followed the choreography; I jumped, did a pirouette, and then attempted the turn that always ruined me. I thought I had it. I believed it. But in the end, I stumbled, almost falling to the ground.

Again.

But Miss Sevika called me, catching my attention at the edge of the rink, giving me an understanding smile.

“At least we can blame ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ for you literally being on the ground,” she joked lightly, making me smile slightly. “You almost have it; you just have to let go.”

“That’s what you say to someone who just completely failed, but you’re not cruel enough to say it.”

“Oh, but how pessimistic; your name is too short.”

I smiled, taking a sip of water. Miss Sevika always put me in a good mood.

“I aspire to be a medalist in the Winter Olympics of the '79s,” I said, watching Miss Sevika. “Well, not the '79s because that was a while ago, but I want to reach the Winter Olympics. I can’t relax until I get there. We both know that.”

“You sound just like me a couple of years ago, but in the end, I learned the same lesson you will learn: to relax.”

“I still say that’s a weak argument.”

“But real,” insisted Miss Sevika. “Your muscles reflect the pressure, and you can’t nail that step because you’re too stiff. You have to loosen up more. Hey, you’re the best skater here, but if you can’t relax your muscles and let your guard down for a few seconds, you won’t make it. Skating is fifty-fifty; half is physical and everything you can train, but the other half is what’s inside you: mental health, confidence, and comfort.”

I watched Miss Sevika smile more as she finished today’s training when she opened the door leading to the rink. I sighed; if it were up to me, I would stay on that rink all day. I left the rink, sitting on the floor while I began to untie the tight laces of my skates to go to the next busier rink. At the Khione Center, there were two rinks: one for training and competition, and one open to the public where everyone went to have fun. To get to this rink, you had to pass through long hallways and go down to a lower floor; it had been built at the lowest point to have enough space to build comfortable seats and two dressing rooms with showers included. The training area was quite large. Although at night it was somewhat lonely, many skaters and their coaches preferred morning practices, claiming that the morning revitalized their bones or something like that. I couldn’t be lazier for that, so it wasn’t an option for me, and Miss Sevika said that the afternoon was not only peaceful but also the exact time when most competitions would take place, which would help me internalize them as simple training sessions.

Sometimes she seemed more like a therapist than a coach.

Miss Sevika’s story was quite special, and only a few people knew it, but she had gone to the Olympics of the '79s the same year as the Winter Games when the Soviet Union was still in an incredible surge. Naturally, she was the representative of the United States and a natural enemy of the CCCP, but then she met Ambessa, the favorite figure skater representing the CCCP, and it was inevitable that they fell in love in secret during the competition. Clearly, it was a secret, and it could never be proven that they fell in love because after a few years, they simply had to let it go since the Soviet Union wouldn’t allow them to be together (two girls? what a scandal). Miss Sevika looked well, but she never married; she just dedicated herself to teaching skating to great promises of the sport. However, I always felt something was missing from Miss Sevika, and that something had made her life in Berlin.

Whenever I observed her out of the corner of my eye, I remembered that.

Honestly, I felt a bit embarrassed by that story because the ending wasn’t tragic; it was disappointing and so gray that it simply seemed absurd that Miss Sevika hadn’t gone to Berlin when the wall fell, knowing how much she still loved him.

But it wasn’t my story, nor my business. And it had been long past.

“Aren’t you going to take a little longer, Jinx?”

“Honestly, yes, I need to stretch,” I mumbled. “And maybe even sleep a bit more.”

I heard Vi huffing while simply tying her shoelaces, following me to the public rink where Viktor would surely be waiting for us, my other friend. I said goodbye to Miss Sevika while I briefly saw her watching a news segment about the Sun Stalker after changing something about Berlin, and then she stopped me.

“Jinx!” she called. “Be careful; don’t stay out too late.”

“I won’t, Miss Sevika,” I said goodbye. “See you tomorrow.”

And there she was, the worry in her eyes with that anxious look at her hair. You’re a blue hair girl; you’re his target. No one had told me, but since the first victim was reported, everyone discreetly looked at me, asking me to take care. Oh, why doesn’t anyone say, “Don’t kill, you psychopathic bastard”? Still, I simply nodded, moving after Vi while placing one of my hands in the sleeves of my loose hoodie, which revealed the skirt I was wearing. There were many curly hair and olive-skin girls in Privet Drive, and many were nervous.

I heard Vi chattering about a new move that I could bet she would finally land in skating while I teased her sometimes.

“…And then I did it!” she assured. “But I don’t understand how the hell you do the double turn so well; you’re like the damn daughter of Nancy and Tonya.”

“Don’t say it so loudly; I’ll break my leg.”

“I thought they’d shoot you.”

“Maybe I’d get royalties for a movie,” I continued, with a slight smile. “Since everyone looks at me like I’m literally Nancy waiting for a Tonya to kill me.”

“Hey, I know it’s uncomfortable, but everyone is paranoid about that bastard who’s been lurking around the city. Just relax.”

“Sure, paranoid.”

“Exactly. Besides, it’s a big city, and it’s a town of mixtape people. You just have to worry halfway; there are more girls.”

“That shouldn’t be the answer,” I retorted, glancing at her. “Nowhere.”

“No, but it’s where we live. Especially us.”

I gave her a look as I walked alongside Vi, shaking my head. She was nervous for me, especially knowing why I couldn’t just ignore this and was trying to distract me. Until a new voice interrupted our chat.

“How are my favorite pink and blue girl?” greeted Jace, placing an arm over Vi’s shoulders. “Did you get something, Jinx? I like it.”

“I’m not giving you ten dollars, Harry.”

“But…”

“I can smell the damn poverty from here.”

“Language, Vi.”

She rolled her eyes. Many times they were mistaken for a couple or siblings, even though they were just friends. Vi was a brainiac who only had eyes for girls, even though. And Jace, although he only have eyes for one person; Viktor. And he was quite loyal; I would trust him with my skates. Viktor was just calm, peace and deeply in love with his boyfriend. I sat down as soon as they reached a part of the bleachers in the middle, and then I started changing my shoes while listening to my friends chatter about anything happening.

And then something caught my attention, like a reflection. My movements continued untying my laces when I focused on my neighbor, Ekko, just arriving at the Center. He was serious, but he immediately caught attention. He was new.

“…And then they’re going to play hockey,” Viktor was saying. “But they’re also going to play soccer afterward, or whatever. I didn’t hear well, but Claggor was going to be there because he met a guy who is amazing at playing soccer, although he said he was a man of few words.”

“Who?” I interjected. “Claggor is the best.”

“A new guy, I don’t know; I just heard something about him transferring.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And have you seen him, Jace?”

“No, but he sounds cool.”

“I hope he’s not like Mr. Tax Collector,” I muttered, getting my skates ready. “I wish I had smashed that cake in his face, and he would have hated me less.”

Jace laughed. Bad friend.

“As you are a cuddly bear,” he teased, earning a hit on the back of the head from me. “Okay, I was kidding. You know I love you like this; you’re my favorite girl.”

“And you’re the favorite blind person of no one.”

Jace made an offended grimace, placing a hand on his heart.

“You offended me, Ramona Flowers.”

“Jace, he was also kind of rude,” Viktor intervened, on behalf of reason.

“Although Jinx isn’t that nice, " Vi say " She brought them a cake; she has the right to be a little upset.”

“Upset,” Jace repeated. “Ooh la la. Madame French, do you want to be one of my French girls, Jinx?”

I hit him again, and he complained loudly.

“Crybaby,” I finished, giving a glance at the rink with those in it. “I’ll be down.”

“Don’t be Nancy.”

“Don’t get a Tonya.”

I gave them a look, shaking my head as I went down, hearing their laughter behind me. I entered the rink, putting on a Taylor Swift song to start skating. With headphones included. Then I put my phone in the pocket of my sweater, starting to skate, trying to let go. It sounded so easy, but it was so hard. I took a push while making a simple turn, reaching an empty spot, remembering a half-finished choreography that I began to execute just for fun.

You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye  
And I got that red lip, classic thing that you like  
And when we go crashing down, we come back every time  
'Cause we never go out of style, we never go out of style

A small detail: I loved skating so much that I simply forgot where I was or what was happening at that moment. I made a simple turn while moving to the rhythm of the music; I was frustrated. About everything. For not landing that damn jump and for not being able to be calm on the street without a killer lurking. It was killing me! I spun, made a small jump. I turned again, lifting some ice when I observed the crowd, finishing the choreography with Vi’s smile in my field of vision.

But my eyes went to Claggor watching me alongside the tax collector with a competitive glint in his eyes.

“Practicing so early to beat Cait?” 

“Something like that.”

“If you played hockey, we’d win without practicing,” Claggor insisted. “Ah, I’m going to introduce you to… Where is he, man? Here. This is Ekko Shannon.”

I looked at the tax collector with a bit of a bad face, seeing that he seemed more irritated than before. He had a worse temper than I did.

“I already knew him.”

“Really? Great. He’s into soccer, anyway. Good luck with practice.”

As soon as he left, I fixed my eyes on Ekko and how he avoided me like I didn’t deserve his gaze. I felt the need to annoy him, solely because of the taxes and because he was just as grumpy as he was.

“So you’re following me,” I pointed out, glancing at him. “I think now you’re the one wanting to collect taxes from me.”

“You wish, blue girl.”

“You made that nickname too natural for it to come out of nowhere.”

Finally, Ekko looked at me, slightly tensing his jaw as he crossed his arms.

“I’m creative, and it’s your type hair; only 7% of the population has it.”

Very specific.

“Not very creative; everyone seems to remember my hair color lately. And ask me to take care.”

“Why?” Ekko asked, making me look at him, narrowing my eyes as if he were stupid.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“If I’m asking, it’s not.”

He’s just as annoying as you.

“The Sun Stalker,” I replied finally. “The daytime killer who targets redheads.”

“Ah. I guess you should take care.”

“Guess.”

“So you moved to the neighborhood next to the Sun Stalker without knowing who he is? You’ve never heard of him?”

Ekko placed his hands behind his pockets, shaking his head as if it were something as trivial as not knowing what time it was. He could be a first-class antisocial, but everyone had heard of the Sun Stalker through the police, the media, the internet, word of mouth, or local warnings. It was too suspicious that he didn’t know, and yet, since Ekko seemed to outdo me in my level of annoyance, I let it go this time. Since he seemed like a spoiled rich kid who didn’t want to get dirty with the poverty of those beneath him.

But I didn’t forget.

“No, he must be new.”

“He attacks in Zaun.”

“So you’re safe.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because he hasn’t gotten bored of Zaun yet,” he twisted, serious and dark. “Sometimes killers change locations in search of a new victim, but he hasn’t reached Piltover yet. Maybe he’ll attack Noxus.”

“Why there?”

Ekko shrugged at my suddenly intrigued look.

“Because it’s unexpected.”

I watched him in silence for a moment until he suddenly became more serious than he was, leaving me with the words in my mouth. It was as if he had simply finished the conversation. Anyone would have left it there, like a simple comment. But something echoed in my ears when I heard his voice announce that it would be unexpected. Maybe it was coincidence. Maybe stress. Maybe it was that event from years ago. Or maybe I hadn’t relaxed at all with that unusual answer.

“Did something happen?” Vi asked, coming to my side. “Did he say something now? Because he’s going to hear me.”

I shook my head.

“Nothing; he’s just annoying,” I replied, giving her a confident look. “Nothing I can’t overcome, like your turns, for example.”

“Jinx Humble Zaunite.”

I winked at her, making her laugh as we spent the day with Jace joking and having fun until we were tired with his arm twisted in Viktor. It was a perfect afternoon. But when I got home, I couldn’t help but glance at my neighbor’s window for a moment, his words fresh in my mind like new paint.

And then, that afternoon before the sun went down, Eve Purnell from Noxus disappeared at the hands of the Sun Stalker.

Chapter Text

I know that Moment when you’re quite sure you’re beautiful, but you look in the mirror and think: what happened to me?

Well, that happened to me every morning when I looked in the mirror with sleep in my eyes, drool marks from when I slept too deeply, and my hair... I wouldn’t even try. Although being a natural straight girl meant have certain control over it, other times it was a tangled mess that the brush would snag, pulling out a chunk of hair and potentially leaving me bald. I looked like Chucky after everyone stabbed and burned him.

I finished brushing my hair after take a shower while washing my face when my phone vibrated on the shelf next to the toothpaste. A bit tired, I picked it up and then found a message from Vi, saying they had found a body. That paralyzed me. The previous one. I looked at the image of a stretcher with a light white blanket on top, and then I left the bathroom, squinting at the light coming through the window at seven in the morning. I hated Mondays. And even more, the whole situation.

And there I saw him. My dear neighbor. Ekko at the window, turned away.

Normal, right?

Well, his shirt was covered in dirt. A lot of dirt. It was as if he had bathed in it, and then he closed the window angrily without looking back. Again, he had a worse temper than I did. I was going to ignore him when my mind sparked with electricity as I looked at my phone, and the image was clear: a forest. An isolated one. One that was hard to access. A place full of dirt.

Could it be...?

“Get up, Jinx!” Mom yelled, interrupting me. “ Jinx! Jinx!”

“I hope you get pharyngitis,” I murmured, grumbling.

“Jinx, come down right now!”

“Damn it,” I mumbled, grabbing a hair tie while quickly tying my hair into a ponytail and rushing down as fast as I could. Still finishing the damn ponytail, I said, “Done, I’m up. Happy?”

“One can’t…”

You can’t say anything because you come out with such hostility.

Ha. I didn’t even know the nine times table that well.

“Okay, sorry, I’m just in a bad mood because it’s too early.”

“It’s seven in the morning, Jinx.”

“Exactly,” I insisted. “Early is two in the afternoon.”

Mom grimaced while she added sugar to her coffee as I picked at a piece of bread, searching for a cup to drink milk.

Sometimes I surprised myself with how lazy I was, but I couldn’t help it. If it was edible, I ate it without too much fuss.

Finally, I gave up, and with quick movements, I helped Mom with the formal breakfast, even if it was just stealing some cream cheese. We both sat down to eat with the TV in the background when everything got complicated as soon as the topic of that idiot Marcus, or Mark, came up. Honestly, I couldn’t decide which name or nickname was more ridiculous.

“He called.”

“And he won’t come,” I deduced gratefully. “Or better yet, he moved to Japan and will never come back. We both know it’s better that he doesn’t come near this house.”

Mom huffed. Her relationship with Marcus was complicated. Much more than mine, which was pure hatred. Neither of us talked about it, especially Mom, and the last thing I wanted this summer was to deal with that scum.

“No. He wants you to spend the whole summer with him in Puerto Rico.”

I took a bite of toast while shrugging.

“I don’t even speak Spanish,” I mumbled. “And I have the competition at the end of the summer. No way.”

“Even if I don’t want to, you’re going with him.”

“Why? For the fifty dollars he sends every two months when he remembers he has a sperm that crossed with an egg and unfortunately fertilized?”

“Jinx Zaunite,” Mom growled. “I like this situation less than you do, but you know how intense he is. And he could take this to court; just please him once to get his approval for college.”

That irritated me. And I controlled myself as best as I could.

“No.”

“That wasn’t a question, Jinx.”

“Neither was I,” I insisted. “He hasn’t come to my competitions for as long as I can remember; he wants me to be some kind of lawyer, and don’t make me continue. This competition is important; there will be coaches of Olympic caliber, and this is my summer, not his.”

“He’s your father.”

“So what?” I twisted, almost amused. “As if that gives that idiot any rights. Now he remembers I’m his daughter, right? But with child support, I’m not. Not at other times.”

“I order you to go with him,” Mom intervened, firm, and completely serious with her demanding voice. “They found a young woman this morning. It’s best that you stay away until they find that crazy guy. That’s what I’m telling you.”

“And I’ll be better off with Marcus, according to you?”

“Don’t talk to me in that tone.”

“Will I be better off with him than with the Sun Stalker?” I repeated, looking at her tensely. “Are you really going to make me say why I’d be safer here?”

“That’s… past,” Mom retorted. “Many years ago. It will never happen again. He went to rehab. And don’t threaten me.”

“Why can you talk to me like this, and when Dan is here, you don’t even say ‘Hello’ to him?” I insisted, getting agitated. “It’s my last competition here, and the most important one. I didn’t even mind when you divorced because I knew how bad he was for you; I supported you. Even Sevika. And I will never be with him as a guardian. Support me for once.”

Mom stood up, with furious eyes and an angry voice. Great. I had really pissed her off. Unfortunately, I had learned from a young age that arguments that started quietly and ended the same way were the most destructive. And the most lethal.

“I’m supporting you by preventing you from being the next one,” she hissed. “I will not bury a daughter.”

I held her gaze, something out of my mind when I let slip what I didn’t want to say:

“And I won’t be beaten by someone who claims to be my father,” I mumbled. “Nor will I let you suffer again.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief before she left. I shouldn’t have said it that way, but I couldn’t help it. I looked at the food with a bitter taste in my mouth while taking a deep breath to tense my jaw.

I love mornings, Mom.

My relationship with her was normal, like a simple snowstorm in Alaska, but that idiot was a snowstorm; dangerous, leaving everything cut off and impossible to deal with. I hated him with all my being, but for some reason, Mom still clung to him a bit. Even though he had betrayed her several times. And that was a long time ago. That was always the argument. At a time when he was lost, and he hurt her with his actions. But it didn’t matter, did it? Because he was a man, and everything he did or didn’t do was perfectly justified by saying it was a moment in his life that didn’t define him.

But for me, that defined him quite a bit.

Still, I got up to wash my dishes alongside Mom while grabbing a bag with my phone, a pair of headphones, water, my skates, and a hoodie. I barely had comfortable pants that, although they were homewear, could perfectly work as sports pants. I left the house, holding back the urge to slam the door while observing the shining sun of EastWhite.

And as always, skating drowned out all the problems I might have. Or at least it aimed to do so. Because a poster of Eve Purnell stopped me, about her disappearance, and that tasted more bitter than the whole breakfast combined.

“MISSING; EVE PURNELL

LAST SEEN BEHIND THE DAY-TO-DAY SUPERMARKET IN HOGSMADE. CLOTHING; TURQUOISE DRESS, HAIR IN A HIGH BUN, AND WHITE SNEAKERS WITH A DRAGON DESIGN. ANY CONTACT, CLUE, OR SIGHTING REPORT TO THE POLICE AND THIS NUMBER…”

I tilted my head, glancing at her face while her smile seemed to burn me. I put on my headphones and hit play on the latest mystery podcast, walking away from Eve’s portrait, feeling guilty. Something about sirens was what I heard in the background. And then I walked to the Khione Center, trying to look everywhere for someone with those characteristics, but it was useless.

Eve wasn’t around.

I arrived at the slightly lit hallway that connected to the other rink faster than I thought, the training rink, and felt a chill in my neck that made me look back violently, turning off the podcast abruptly.

Someone was there. I could feel that someone had looked at me.

I took a step back, knowing it wasn’t wise to follow that noise unless I was stupid. And I hadn’t reached that point yet. I took another step, feeling my back sweat cold.

“Because it would be unexpected.”

I heard something. I’m not sure what. So light that anyone would think I was crazy, but it was a breath and a shelf moving. I felt that it had been enough to give me the huge signal to run. I was scared. I ran until I reached the training rink when someone crossed the threshold of the door.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, somewhat tired, taking a step back. “You don’t skate, Mr. Tax Collector.”

Ekko stepped forward; he was tall and slightly muscular. He was impassive, with his eyes fixed on me with scrutiny.

“What happened to you?” he asked, without answering me. “You look pale, scared.”

Another step.

“It’s too early, and you didn’t answer me.”

Another step.

“Neither did you,” he insisted. “You’re going to slip if you keep backing up.”

Another step.

I felt a chill in my back, and my skates twisted in my hands tightly in case I needed to attack or flee. He seemed to realize it, looking at my skates and evaluating them.

“Oh, come on, Jinx!” Miss Sevika interrupted the scene, almost giving me a heart attack. “What are you doing here so early, Jinx? Training is at four.”

“I just asked him that.”

“Oh, Jinx, I found him here early, and yesterday I saw him with Mr. Silco, so he offered to help me with some equipment,” she laughed jovially. “I feel like I woke up on an opposite day with two young people almost at dawn in the Center. I’ll leave you two alone; I’ll go get some keys.”

I watched Draco finally walk away, turning his back to me. He was in a black hoodie. I had to admit; my blood pressure had dropped or something with that terrible feeling that I was in danger. Maybe it had been a mix of everything that worried me at that moment: Mom, Marcus, the summer, Eve, the podcast. And maybe I had hallucinated. Still, as I regained my breath, I tried to think more clearly. Even with my skates as defense.

“Were you following me? I can swear someone was behind me.”

Ekko didn’t flinch, going for some things on the rink.

“You seem to hear things.”

“I won’t hear them unless they’re true,” I cut in, very sure of myself. “Didn’t you see anyone or...?”

“No. It was just Miss Sevika and me; maybe the wind or something out of place scared you.”

The wind. An object. Neither of those breathe and make footsteps at the same time.

“Maybe.”

“Yes, it happens when people are under stress.”

“I didn’t know you were so interested in Mr. Tax Collector that you analyzed me to reach that conclusion. You flatter me.”

Ekko turned around, slightly offended while he continued arranging some things. He was even more bitter than I was. Still, he gave me a slightly irritated look.

“I don’t pay attention to you.”

“Well, one doesn’t know that people are stressed just because.”

“And why are you stressed?”

“Why don’t you ever answer me?”

“And why don’t you either?”

We both stood face to face, while I didn’t take a step back, nor did he move forward. Normally, I wasn’t so explosive with people I vaguely wanted to tolerate, but in my bloodstream, the fear from that brief moment in the hallway and the colossal fury of the morning with Ronald was pulsing. A bomb. And Ekko wasn’t helping; in fact, he was fueling my explosion with gunpowder.

“Are you always this impulsive, blue girl?”

“Do you always talk to people like you’re collecting taxes, Mr. Tax Collector?”

Ekko tensed his jaw; his eyes were cold and dark gray.

“Are you always scared of ghosts?” he whispered, in a low, husky voice, getting closer. “Be careful with ghosts; by invoking them so much, you might run into one.”

“I’m not afraid of ghosts.”

“You should be.”

“Good thing I don’t care about your opinion, Mr. Tax Collector,” I growled, giving him an irritated look. “And it’s getting late; you should leave.”

I passed by him, bumping his shoulder, ready to put on my skates, finally more relaxed when I heard him mumble loudly:

“Sure, you should start playing.”

“Playing?” I repeated, turning around.

“Yes, playing. Skating isn’t a sport.”

“Skating requires as much or more effort than soccer, Mr. Tax Collector. You should be even more in shape and be more than you think,” I replied, tired of that conversation, getting closer, angry. “If figure skating were easier, it would be called soccer.”

Uh. That pissed him off.

Ekko’s eyes sparkled dangerously, as if the coal in them had been coated with gasoline, waiting for a spark to ignite. I faced him; I wasn’t going to be scared. They had treated me like that my whole life, and I was tired of it.

“Believe me, blue girl. Soccer training makes you quite agile, fast, and strong. You could easily break.”

“I bet you something, Tax Collector,” I began, getting even angrier. “An obstacle course. Third row of seats around the rink. And yes, even though your old knees hurt, you’ll also go over the seats. The first to reach the exit wins.”

“And what do I win from it?”

Ekko’s voice became even more dangerous than his eyes, almost mocking. I shrugged.

“What I win from it, you mean,” I corrected him. “You’re going to admit that skating is a sport while you give me twenty dollars for an amazing ice cream with chocolate syrup that I’ll enjoy in front of your defeated face.”

Ekko smiled slyly, as if my words amused him. It was a slight devilish grin. And nothing looked more like a dangerous demon than him at that moment.

“But if I win, you’ll do whatever I ask you to do at any time.”

“If there’s anything sexual or a porn video, you can be sure that what you’ll get will be a skate in the face because I’m practiced with idiots.”

“No. Nothing sexual. Just a small favor whenever I want. Deal, blue girl?”

I looked at him for a moment. It was a stupid idea from any angle, but every extreme emotion I had led me to that moment. I wanted to vent. And for him to mock the sport I dedicated so much effort to, that was the drop that overflowed the glass for me.

“Deal. Just don’t cry, or kill yourself. No more free points in the infirmary.”

“You should go left,” he suggested, as I headed that way. “It’s shorter for you; I want to give you an advantage.”

“I’ll go right, so your precious advantage doesn’t get lost. And maybe you’ll fall.”

We exchanged a slight glance as I left the skates in the first row, stretching a bit. Ekko turned around, shaking his head. I was angry. I also left my phone next to the headphones, although I hesitated a bit. Something I had omitted was that I had created that routine when I was bored, or when I was eight and the conviction to exercise on my own took over me during my moments closest to the Rink. I had done that circuit a thousand times. I positioned myself on the opposite side of Ekko in his own row of seats since both converged at a certain point that would be the climax of the race.

“You can still give up, blue girl.”

“And you won’t spend twenty dollars on ice cream,” I replied. “On the count of 3... 2...”

1.

There the disaster began.

We both started running on the seats with quite a bit of agility and speed. For me, it was like being on the rink with the same balance required for jumps and spins. We both glanced at each other to realize I was winning, and that didn’t please him. I ran harder, almost slipping on a broken chair when I recovered instantly while that disadvantage gave Ekko an advantage as he jumped.

We were almost there.

We both quickened our pace, face to face as we ran to the exit, literally neck and neck when Ekko’s long strides and a slip on the floor made me fall behind for a valuable second.

And then, he won. By a damn millisecond.

“What were you saying about your twenty dollars, blue girl?”

“No wonder they only charge you taxes,” I mumbled reluctantly, while I looked at the floor I had come from.

There was a slight liquid trail on the ground where I had slipped at the last second. A puddle. It was impossible for it to be wet, but I didn’t think too much about it. I was too busy cursing my defeat against the Tax Guy. Although it was strange. I had taken that path because Ekko had strategically cut me off to leave me in that space, and if I had stepped right in the center, I would have really hit myself pretty badly.

Maybe I was just a sore loser.

“Blue girl,” Ekko called, making me look away from the puddle. He was too close to me, offering me a hand that I rejected. “I hope you’re ready for my little favor.”

“And you for continuing to screw it up with your mouth every time you talk.”

Ekko gave me a look, impassive, while he placed his hand in his pockets and walked down the hallway, leaving me alone. Well, with my anger and my defeat.

It piqued my curiosity, and I was somewhat impressed that he had defeated me so easily. Just when I was about to look at the liquid again, Ekko's voice caught my attention once more, making me look directly at him.

“It is a sport,” he commented, almost breaking into a smile as he leaned against the hallway. “You’re not that bad at it, blue girl.”

I shrugged, not responding, feeling half victorious. The ice cream was what interested me the most, honestly. And then I slightly forgot about his experience in the hallway as Miss Sevika arrived, starting to change her skates while chatting about techniques, numbers, and uniforms.

Although I didn’t know why, I felt that whisper, slightly innocent from that day, would turn into a very dark scream that would make me regret not having silenced that white whisper in time.

Chapter Text

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WINDOW, EKKO SHANNON COULD BE SEEN PLAYING IN THE YARD.

“What if it turns out to be like the video for Call Me, Maybe?”

“It can’t be,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.

“What do you mean, Call Me, Maybe?”

“Well, that he’s gay,” Vi replied, somewhat obviously, glancing at Jace. “And that he likes you.”

“Really?” Jace smiled, flattered. “I’m important.”

“Irritating.”

"But I love Viktor. Pass. "

I watched my neighbor again, playing soccer quite skillfully. He was good. Something about his figure was magnetic but also mysterious. He was stronger than an average soccer player should be. And tall. He was a bad boy, although to me, he looked more like a shiny toy with a fairground teddy bear price tag.

He never looked at my house or any of the block in general; he barely played soccer or went out, and he certainly didn’t pay attention to my window. Sometimes his was closed, and when it was open, he didn’t even bother to look, use curtains, or show any awareness that someone could see everything he did.

But there was something about him that I simply couldn’t ignore.

“Are you guys going to the Center tonight?” Jace asked, changing the subject. “It’s the early summer party; I promise I won’t ask you for another party again.”

“I hate parties,” Vi muttered, gaining my attention. “There are no girls, everyone is sweating and smells bad, and the lights give me a migraine.”

“Is there going to be food?”

“Burgers,” Jace blackmailed. “And pizza. And sweets and Coca-Cola too.”

“You’re blackmailing her!”

“Shh!”

“Is Caitlyn not going?” I finally asked, glancing at the computer where the video call with the other two was. Right, they weren’t in my house as such. I watched Vi pretend nothing was happening. “Relax, I know you like her.”

“When did that happen?”

“Jace, it’s obvious; you just have to look at it.”

“Again; when did that happen?”

“She’s your enemy.”

“In skating,” I corrected almost automatically. “We’re friends and teammates, even though we compete sometimes, not like in My Little Pony, but I like her. And you’ve liked her for months. Or years.”

“When did that happen?!”

“You just have to see the details, Jace; glances, smiles, touches.”

“You really are Mrs. Felicity’s daughter.”

“I think if I didn’t have at least some perceptiveness, she would give me up for adoption,” I looked at the window again. “The new one, Ekko, why did he move?”

“And she asks me having Mrs. Felicity as a mom.”

I sighed. Jace could be kind of an idiot sometimes.

“Because the university was closer here? Jinx, it’s normal.”

“He has no friends,” I whispered, watching Vi. “No one has visited him even though I’ve been introduced to him three times. It’s like he doesn’t exist.”

“Maybe he’s just as antisocial as you.”

I shook my head. Something didn’t add up.

“No one enters his house. Not even his parents let visitors in. It’s like a fortress.”

“Maybe they’re like my parents and have that ridiculous thing they saw on H&H about wearing socks instead of shoes in the house but to the extreme,” Jace proposed, uninterested. “Relax, Jinx, you’re tense.”

“I suppose.”

“Jinx, leave the poor antisocial guy alone,” Vi scolded. “You don’t even let us visit you more than occasionally.”

“Well, but they come sometimes,” I twisted, sighing. “So, are you going?”

“Sure. I just hope no one sweats.”

“Those are my girls! See you tonight.”

He disconnected excitedly.

“Jinx,” Vi began. “It’s okay to be sad and angry; it’s okay to feel that way about…”

“I’m fine, Vi. Just stressed,” I used the words I had been receiving lately. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Vi smiled, nodding. Although not too convinced.

“I know telling you not to think about it is telling you the opposite,” she sighed. “But you’re not alone. You have us.”

“See you later,” I insisted, not in the mood to continue that conversation.

“See you.”

The video call ended as I quickly switched to YouTube upon seeing a notification for a new video from my favorite channel about crime and mystery. I vaguely read the description while giving it a like, observing the victim's face just moments before it went away. I felt a small knot in my throat thinking that Eve Purnell would end up there, in a run-of-the-mill case, and under the name of the Sun Stalker.

I couldn’t allow that.

“Hello. Welcome back to my YouTube channel. Today we have the incredible case of Mare Mcnimakra. A highly requested case due to the resolution that arose thanks to one of these videos. My name is Vicky Espósito, and without further ado, let’s begin…”

My eyes went to the front room; white paint with slight hints of navy blue. Maybe everyone was right, and I was just paranoid. I was antisocial.

“… The most surprising part of this case comes when Marissa, a nursing university student, recognizes Mare when she was in the hospital with her attacker, Scooter Ross,” Vicky continued on the computer. “Marissa is a frequent consumer of podcasts, documentaries, and YouTube channels like this one, and she remembered that Mare’s face had been in one of the unsolved cases she had watched months ago. Likewise, Marissa asked to go to the bathroom and searched through the videos until she found her photo and notified the authorities…”

What if he is the killer? You have to be alert.

Ekko kicked the ball hard, catching my attention, while I saw the little boy I deduced was his brother entering the house. He even carried him. He looked like a protective and loving father. Ekko looked like a loving brother. No, I was just tired. And stressed. I needed to breathe before thinking that my neighbor was a ruthless and sadistic serial killer.

Wolves dress as sheep.

“Let’s remember that Scooter was a loving father of three children and an exemplary husband; it was a huge blow to his community.”

I shook my head; I was already going crazy, and I felt my muscles so tense that I could be a Barbie doll with no mobility. The kind that barely moved its arms and legs. Then, I turned away, not paying any more attention after closing the window with a lost gaze until I returned to my computer.

I just needed to think clearly.

( • • • )

It smelled like a grill.

And my stomach growled in approval.

I took a plate with hamburgers while bringing the soda glass to my lips and headed to where Vi and Jace were. The party looked pretty good. I mostly attended for Jerincho's hamburgers, the same ones I savored with such intensity while my stomach celebrated. They were hamburgers full of content: grilled meat, strips of bacon, yellow cheese, lettuce, and slices of tomato, with three sauces plus a special cheese sauce and fries. Oh, it was the love of my life.

“I hate you both,” Jace muttered when she saw us almost marrying the hamburgers. “Just look at you two eating.”

Vi shrugged while chewing.

“Look on the bright side; you carry the sodas. Here.”

Jace took the soda with angry eyes while Vi took another bite. I was going to speak, but I had to swallow a piece to do so, so I finally decided.

“It’s not our fault you have cramps from red days,” She defended herself, grabbing my soda too while Vi shot daggers at me. “Nor that it just arrived today.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that I hate you.”

“Hate your uterus,” I pointed out. “It was the one that left you hungry.”

Jace was going to laugh when Vi gave him a smack that reached me but also caused both of them to laugh. We were going to keep joking when a new figure appeared, capturing Vi's attention almost completely. It was her. I took a bite of my hamburger when I felt a gaze fixed on me, but that gaze was also strange, heavy, and suffocating. My eyes immediately went to Vi, who was ignoring me, Jace was kissing his hamburger, and then looking around slightly confused without seeing anyone watching me. Maybe it was the famous stress.

But that gaze had been horrible enough to be more than just a simple chill. It was as if someone wished me dead with it.

“It can’t be Cait, right? Black?” Vi reproached her while I returned to the conversation. “There are millions of dyes.”

“I know!” Caitlyn lamented, smiling sheepishly. “I tried to use black on the tips after the news about the Sun Stalker, but being a blue hair uses up too much dye. Still blue. Besides, it’s just a hair color.”

Caitlyn’s British accent came out with a guilty giggle. I adored that accent. We both exchanged half-smiles while I continued with my cheeks puffed like a squirrel from the piece of hamburger still in my mouth.

“It looks good on you, Caitlyn.”

“Thanks, Jinx,” she smiled. “What do you think, Vi?”

“I like it; it suits you.”

“Te gusta.”

I looked at him amused, understanding her Spanish well enough to feel proud of herself. Jace laughed before taking another bite of his hamburger. Vi looked at him as if she were going to kill him, but Caitlyn just smiled.

“You shouldn’t worry so much; there are like a hundred serial killers in the whole country and many blue hair girls. You’ll be fine.”

“I know; it just feels different,” Caitlyn insisted, but then she smiled again without worries. “Maybe it’s just stress from the competition.”

“Relax, Caitlyn; you know I’ll beat you.”

“No, Jinx. I will win.”

“Dreaming is dreaming even if it’s not real.”

I made a grimace, making Caitlyn laugh while she shifted her attention to Vi until they both moved away, leaving their drinks. They made a cute couple. And then, Jace sighed after swallowing another bite of his hamburger while I finally finished mine.

What good hamburgers.

“I feel lonely.”

“I’m by your side, idiot.”

I was going to laugh when a reflection crossed my eyes, making me look up to see Ekko arriving at the party, barely holding a soda.

“Not like that,”

"It's just one night Viktor came late and you hate me, auch".

"Sorry, I'm in love. "he muttered. As his eyes caught what I was looking at. “Oh, do you like him? Don’t tell me. Do you like someone for the first time for real? I’ll be the divorce lawyer; I’ll get you the house and the car.”

“He doesn’t like me,” I replied. “He just seems a bit odd.”

“Well, that means you like him, and it’s the first time it’s happening. It’s not like you’re sick, Jinx.”

“I’ve liked someone before,” I reminded him, though going to another point. “He just left the country the day after I realized I liked him.”

“I won’t even tell you how sad that sounds. But at least you’re not me trying to talk to boys.”

“I still can’t believe you’re just have a boyfriend.”

“Neither can I,” Jace lamented. “Do you know what I said to Viktor? ‘Hi, you’re, I’m like…’ Why am I so weird? God, shoot me.”

“Maybe he thought you were cute.”

“Don’t lie to me, Jinx.”

“Well, and an idiot,” I admitted, putting my arm around his shoulders. “But a cute one. And also, he must be loved you if you're two are boyfriends”

“You're right,” he whined. “I miss him!”

I observed the people at the party while taking a sip of my drink until I spotted a boy I half-knew. Thanks god Viktor finally came to the daam party.

“Hi, Viktor, finally,” I smile to him. “I already saved you the 'miss my bf era', bye. Nice night together.”

Jace insulted me in Spanish, but I was already far enough away for it not to matter while I finished my soda, blending into the crowd to drink some more soda. I was alone now. Although my only achievement was being a skater, I wasn’t popular; I was just observant. I knew the names of everyone in my class and many second-year students as well as recent university graduates, but not many had enough to talk like it was nothing. Besides, solitude was relaxing. And I had enough confidence to just stand there eating at a party.

Still, I wanted another hamburger.

At least Mom wasn’t scolding me about my posture or telling me to greet everyone who carried me when I was a baby with love. I hated that.

“Your friends left you alone.”

“And you deduced that you should come talk to me because of that.”

Ekko didn’t flinch while I stood in line to refill my cup.

“Always so cute?”

“Only with you?” I asked. “Always.”

“I’m here to refill my drink.”

“Don’t tell me,” I whistled. “Did I ask you? And you’re also using me to skip the line, aren’t you?”

“I notice you’re tense; maybe it’s because of your defeat.”

“Or stress,” I added, giving him a glance. “Maybe I’ll hit you to release it.”

“Don’t let losing hurt, blue girl. That’ll give you indigestion.”

“You care about me.”

“I just want you to be good as new for when I collect my favor because I will soon.”

“Fine.”

I looked away, almost rolling my eyes while we got to refill our drinks at the same time, taking a long sip of mine. We both moved away from the line while my feet led me to a calmer place where he followed me. On the way, my gaze searched for my friends succumbing to the party fever at the start of the night. They were already infected. I drank again while my kind, involuntary companion spoke again.

“Jinx,” he repeated. “What does it mean?”

“It’s exactly what it means. Its dark, I guess. My mom don't talk english when she had me.”

“It suits you,” he commented. “Although darkness is overrated regarding its bad reputation.”

“Nice way to compliment me,” I joked, finishing my cup. “Why?”

Ekko shrugged.

“They fear her; they think she’s dangerous and try to eliminate her with light,” he explained, glancing at me sideways. “But the light is what ends up burning in the end. And the earth is dark; the sun only gives it a fleeting moment of light.”

“So you think light is equally or more dangerous than darkness?”

Ekko smiled in a strange way of describing it. Maybe amused but at the same time honest.

“Everyone is alert in the dark because they think that not seeing makes them vulnerable, but in the light, everyone trusts too much, even though eyes aren’t always the answer.”

“So you’re not afraid of the darkness? Not even when you were a child?”

“No, I know what to expect in the dark. What you should fear is the false security of the light.”

I gave him a look for several seconds, trying to decipher his words, but I only found a sly smile while his dark eyes shone in the night’s darkness. What an irony. Something didn’t add up. Something about Ekko didn’t add up, as if he had a huge secret on his shoulders. And I vaguely remembered why we had ended up talking about that when something came to my mind.

“You said it would be unexpected.”

“What?”

He pretended not to remember. I would hit him later.

“Eve Purnell. Nexus,” I recalled. “How did you know?”

“Monsters are somewhat predictable, especially if you know them.”

“Have you met one?”

“Are you very curious, did you know?”

“If the cat died knowing, I’ll do the same. Seems like a good death.”

Ekko seemed to tense up, but he hid it quite well until his eyes went ahead, focusing on a man in the distance.

“Shit. He knows my father.”

“And?”

“He’s not supposed to be here,” he said, observing him. “I need you as an alibi.”

“Ah?”

“Come on, blue girl, you owe me.”

“According to you, everyone owes you, Mr. Taxes.”

His eyes sparkled.

“You took too long.”

“And you messed it up. Hand to hand.”

“You really are a blue girl.”

I shrugged.

“I exude kindness.”

“You have to say yes.”

“Maybe I have cramps and need to go to the bathroom.”

Ekko looked at me amused.

“You don’t have cramps.”

“I do, idiot.”

“No, you don’t, or you would have hit me already. I know how they work.”

What a smart idiot, Taxes.

“Fine, what do we do?”

“We’ll leave the party for a while. Come on, and when we get back, you say we spent more time together.”

“Where to?”

“Say it, blue girl.”

I thought for a moment. Why was I helping him? No idea. But Vi liked him a bit.

“There’s a skateboarding and biking rink around here; follow me,” I finally agreed while Ekko smiled sideways, taking his skateboard. “If you’re dying to fall, I’m telling you it’s not my problem, and legally nothing will happen to me.”

“Same goes for me.”

I shook my head while we were just leaving the place; I noticed Harry winking at me, which was enough for me. At least if something bad happened, they knew it was Ekko.

Nothing should happen to me. This shouldn’t be like this.

Then, I felt it again. A slight feeling of heaviness in the place, so I looked around without really seeing anyone returning my gaze. Again. Although this time I felt it closer than before.

“After you, blue girl.”

I turned around, watching Ekko as he passed me, not realizing that being his alibi, I had been indirectly infected by the party fever since Ekko was the only one looking at me, using me as an alibi. 

Chapter Text

“WHAT'S THE WORST THING YOU'VE HEARD?”

I thought about it for a bit. I had heard many bad things; from my father and from that moment. But he shouldn't know. So I shrugged while Ekko set his skateboard aside.

“Your voice is pretty close, but I don't know,” I confessed, giving a crooked smile while joking. “'Congratulations, miss, it's a healthy girl?'”

“Your birth, I understand it quite poorly.”

“And you?” I asked. “What’s the worst thing you’ve heard?”

Ekko seemed to tense up for a couple of almost ephemeral seconds, finally giving me a smile as imperceptible as a reflection against a lens in the middle of the night in the dark. I had noticed he was quite tense.

“I've heard a lot of bad things.”

“There's always one that surpasses them all.”

“One day you'll know.”

“Ah, how nice,” I mumbled upon seeing that he didn't explain, evading me. “Mysterious taxes.”

“Curious little blue girl.”

I watched as Ekko did a couple of tricks on that skateboard while I analyzed him. We had been there for about ten minutes, casually chatting while he was on his skateboard, according to his own testimony, waiting for his father's mysterious friend to leave. I noticed that while he was doing those tricks, he seemed to relax more than he usually did, and even in those brief moments, I had quite liked him.

“A discreet photo would last longer,” Ekko said, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Don’t pretend you didn’t see me; you can look all you want.”

Not too embarrassed, I looked him in the eyes:

“I wasn’t going to pretend; I did see you,” I admitted. “You need to lift your foot more when you do the turn on the ramp; a little lower and you’ll get a nice scrape.”

“So you know about skateboards too.”

“Yes, I just hope my comment doesn’t annoy you and make you think I’m charging you for the hospital in advance.”

“Are you always this friendly?”

“Do you always avoid the questions you ask yourself?” I insisted, sitting cross-legged. “What’s the worst thing you’ve heard, Ekko?”

He ignored me, performing the trick on the ramp perfectly while with that momentum he returned to the ground, stopping it quite well. He was really good at it. And his light eyes gave me a quick glance as he approached.

“I told you you'd know.”

“I can know it now.”

“Don’t you want to know more about me?” Ekko asked. “Because you seem to be everywhere; I think you like me.”

“Are you Megan Fox?”

“What?”

“It’s relevant information.”

He smiled amused, as if he hadn’t expected that question.

“What do you think, little blue girl?”

“Dylan O'Brien.”

“Brunettes. What a taste.”

“Oh, got it. Zuko?”

“I still don’t have a burn for my honor.”

“Exactly. I don’t like you.”

“Wait,” Ekko started. “Two brunettes and a dark-haired one? You’re discriminatory against blue people.”

“Discriminatory is the world for being bi and not having anyone. Go ahead, ask the usual question when they find out I’m bi: Why aren’t you more flirty?”

“Because it’s you; I already know the answer. Your charm made it very clear.”

“Oh, Romeo Taxes,” I sighed dramatically. “Your romantic side has left me speechless.”

Ekko winked at me while I saw him squinting his eyes.

“Do you really not want to know anything else about me?”

“No,” I admitted. “I already told you. If you’re not them, I don’t want to know much about you. Although your bank account number and password would be nice.”

Ekko burst out laughing while he looked at me more relaxed.

“I’m sorry to tell you no, little blue girl.”

“How disappointing, Taxes,” I huffed. “Where did the Taxes boy from the cake go?”

“You’re still not my favorite person, but you seem happier at night.”

“You too.”

“I told you I like the darkness more; everyone has their defenses up.”

“That’s contradictory because then you don’t like a vulnerable world in the light,” I pointed out. “You like the alert darkness.”

“You’re very observant, little blue girl.”

“And you honestly seem more bitter than I am,” I traced my fingers down his back while he had a jacket covering a white shirt. “And also more stressed; give me that skateboard and I’ll teach you how to do an air turn.”

I heard the giggle that escaped Ekko's lips behind me; I couldn't see his expression, but I wanted to silence him. He wasn't the first, nor would he be the last.

“Do you want to lose again, little blue girl?”

“Maybe. But if I win, you’ll tell me what’s the worst thing you’ve heard.”

“Quite insistent,” Ekko murmured, turning around while his eyes seemed to shine with gasoline. “Deal. But when I win, I’ll want a favor.”

“Speak.”

Ekko laughed, leaning closer to my face while he whispered in a low, cold voice:

“A moment of light.”

“A weakness,” I deduced, somewhat amused and irritated at the same time. “Deal.”

“You're good at deducing things; that might save your life one day.”

“Why? Are you speaking from experience?”

Ekko didn’t respond; instead, he handed me that black skateboard with a snake engraved on the bottom. He was indeed obsessed with darkness; I hoped he wasn’t a vampire or part of a Midsommar cult because I would be in big trouble. I took the skateboard, evaluating its weight while I ran my eyes over the freshly painted wood and the worn wheels. He had used it several times, but he had also repaired it carefully and covered the original green color.

At the same time, I remembered a terrifying truth; I was alone with him in a little-trafficked place without having explicitly told my friends where I was going, and the memory of the Sun Stalker ran down my spine with force. I remembered that, making me more scared.

I didn’t know why, but it was as if I somehow knew I would be one of the victims. I was sure I was on the list.

Years ago, I had read a book for Mrs. Silco's Spanish class, a book called “A Perfect Ending.” I barely remembered exact details of the plot other than it had been a mediocre read, but with an interesting premise. A man sent a letter to three redheads telling them they were Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, and just like in the story, they had been specially chosen to die. No date, place, or how it would happen. Just a murmur that seemed like a bad joke but alerted the three redheads.

Maybe I hadn’t received a letter, but I felt as if I had. And I didn’t know why I felt that way.

I walked to the ramp while I securely put my phone away and took a deep breath like before any competition, and adjusted the skateboard well enough to do the trick even though I hadn’t done it in years.

I waited a moment.

And before anyone could breathe, I let myself drop onto the skateboard as I reached the other end of the ramp, performing the trick perfectly and with the same momentum making another jump in the continuous flow to finally land in the middle. I lightly kicked the tip of the skateboard and caught it in my hand, giving a glance to Ekko, also releasing the air I had been holding in my lungs, calming myself a bit.

“Are you going to ask me, Taxes?”

“I know you’re going to tell me.”

I handed him the skateboard while I ran my hands through my hair.

“No. You’ll know later.”

Upon using his own words, Ekko seemed amused while he hid his hand in his half-zipped sweatshirt. His white shirt was very clean. His hair was also slightly disheveled as always. At that moment, I realized he was a head taller than me.

“The sun has blessed you; welcome home,” Ekko said with a chilling voice while looking at the ground. “The light has saved you.”

It was forty-seven letters. Two sentences. And a single chilling voice, but something pierced deeply between my bones as if suddenly a wintry breeze had blown, making me shiver with cold, waiting for a snowstorm. Despite wearing a sweater and it being summer. Ekko’s eyes were as dark as a candleless night mixed with his terrifying words, creating the perfect horror scene. And his tone of voice was so flat, like a slight threat, that it really scared me.

“Who told you?”

Ekko looked at me with tremendous darkness and intensity.

“That wasn’t part of the deal, blue girl.”

Before I could reply, he seemed to remember something so bad that it made his jaw tense as he straightened up. As if nothing had happened, even with his shoulders slightly tense. Again, he was tense. Something had changed.

“He's gone; I have to leave. I have a matter to attend to,” he gave me a smile that I deciphered as tense. “Don’t go out too early, little blue girl.”

“Now you know about the Sun Stalker?”

Ekko approached me, looking calmer but just as dangerous.

“I know you’re in danger; that’s why I’m telling you to be careful.”

Before he left, I stopped him.

“How did you know he would attack in Nexus?”

“Monsters are predictable when they have a pattern.”

“And what’s that pattern?”

Ekko stepped back, almost ignoring me again. But in the end, he gave me one last impenetrable look.

“Curiosity.”

And he left, while I simply nodded, returning to the party where Jace and Viktor dance together. I couldn’t speak due to the fear that invaded me, feeling something bad had just happened, and I didn’t know exactly what. The rest of the evening was calm, and Vi’s father drove us home before eleven at night. The city lights were dim, with yellow bulbs that more than illuminating seemed to cover and in some cases daze those who looked at them for too long. I liked white bulbs more; they were more peaceful.

“Goodbye, Mr. Vander,” I said as she got out of the car. “Thanks for bringing me.”

“Don’t mention it, Jinx. Say hi to your mother; how is she?”

“Good.”

“And you?” Vander insisted. “Soon it will be the competitions; do you have the choreography and the outfit ready? I ...”

“Dad,” Vi intervened, saving me. “She has everything under control. See you tomorrow, Jinx.”

“Yes, thanks again. Bye.”

“Goodbye, say hi to Felicity.”

I watched the car leave the driveway while I returned to the path, opening the door of my house and locking it behind me with double locks. I was the only one who did that, since Mom used three keys. I walked through the kitchen until I opened the fridge, taking juice in my hands, pouring it into a glass while I glanced around the place.

And I remembered Ekko when I looked at the house across the street where the lights were off. He wasn’t as much of an animal as I thought; he even made me feel pleasant.

I needed to relax.

“Mom!” I called as I climbed the stairs, reaching her room. “Mr. Vander sends her regards.”

“Oh, Jinx, I just showered!” she shouted through the door. “Good thing you’re back; I just made some cookies for Mrs. Shannon and her husband. She’s a lovely woman. Oh, did you greet Vander?”

“Yes, Mom, I greeted him.”

“And did you ask how he was?”

“Why would I when he spent the whole way talking about a discount he got on meat at Día a Día and not at Walmart? Of course he was fine.”

“Those are basic manners!” Mom huffed. “I hope you behave at dinner with the Shannon's this Saturday after your practice.”

“The what?”

“Cho hasn’t invited them yet, so I’ll be the one organizing the splendid welcome dinner. They might even decide I should be their dentist,” Mom rejoiced, laughing. “They’re quite nice and wealthy people; I don’t understand why they moved to such a normal place.”

“There’s a serial killer in the neighboring neighborhood, Mom. We’re not that normal.”

I heard her huff. As she came out, looking quite good for her age. I loved Mom's hair; a deep blue, braided to the waist worn to the side. She was an elegant woman.

“I hope you’re not that rude to their son, Ekko, and the younger one,” she grumbled. “She’s amazed by the neighborhood; she says her son adores it and is always researching it. It seems he’s not very extroverted; I didn’t tell you this, but I’ve heard the rumor that something happened where they lived that made them decide to move.”

“And what was it?”

Mom made a grimace, shrugging her shoulders.

“I don’t know; maybe there was just a rivalry accident in football and he decided to leave.”

“He’s not that much of an animal; he went to the party.”

“Really?” she perked up, as if I had told her I had gotten into modeling. “He’s a very handsome young man and single. You could offer to be the girl who helps him adapt.”

I gave her a look, frowning.

“It’s been a lot for me these days; enough.”

“Something is better than nothing,” Mom agreed, patting my back as she walked toward the kitchen. “Come on, the cookies are cooling!”

And everything could have ended there, a simple encounter with Ekko that led to nothing more. The end. Everything would have gone well. A dinner that would surely be neutral while they occasionally talked, and maybe by the end of summer, I would have a little crush that wouldn’t lead to anything if I got creative. Nothing was special that night. Until midnight arrived.

Making everything that could have been normal, not be.

It was four in the morning, and I was the only one awake with the curtains slightly open and the lights off. Ekko’s room was the same. I was listening to music on my phone while watching funny videos when I suddenly sat up, stretching and heading to the bathroom with the urge to pee. A simple decision that would trigger everything for the summer. Upon returning, I continued with the lights off when a light in the room across from mine caught my attention.

And Ekko appeared with his white shirt stained red.

I froze as I detailed how he calmly took it off while changing into a navy blue pajama. He took that visibly stained shirt with red and some brown, grimacing as he threw it somewhere in his room. I watched as he opened the window while smoke billowed out. He was burning the shirt. Why didn’t he just wash it?

Maybe, up to that point, he would have been just another weirdo. Until that same morning.

When they found Myrtle Warren's body three blocks and ten minutes from the center of Khione. Bathed in blood. And with a lot of dirt in the place. Moreover, her time of death had been that same day from ten to two in the morning. And they found a letter on top of that horrifying scene for the first time since the Sun Stalker began to attack:

“The light has freed her.”

There, I suspected that my mysterious neighbor was a killer who was stalking his next victim. And that victim was me.

That was the letter from the Big Bad Wolf telling me I had to stop him or die.

Chapter Text

I HAD NEVER BEEN SO TERRIFIED AS IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED.

Ekko was the Sun Stalker.

Shit.

Every detail, every word, every gesture, and everything made sense in my mind the next day as I learned more about Eve Purnell. Or at least, what little was available to the public. I was terrified. And more so because that day I went to the boys' practice, realizing that he was a beast on the field.

I could see him while I hid under a hood among the crowd, detailing how his eyes shone with contained fury as he ran and kicked the ball. The sweat on his shirt and his hair mixed with the darkness of his eyes gave him the appearance of a bloody fierce wolf. The times I had seen him training and hitting punching bags in his garage until his knuckles turned red came to mind. How had I not seen it before? He was the killer.

And having him in front of me with my type of hair made me sick.

This was overwhelming.

I tried to think that no, I was exaggerating, and it was all the fault of the only evil that truly stalked me; my stress. But for a podcast addict of mystery and crime, everything was as evident as two plus two equals four. Not to mention that incident years ago. I felt more nervous than usual, with a pressure in my chest that seemed to choke me. A rope pulling me. I was in the middle of the woods, alone, and a fierce wolf was coming for me since I was Little Red Riding Hood.

I was on the list.

Miss Sevika was shouting instructions at me while I followed them as best as I could until a ten-minute break came, during which I sat down, taking a long sip from my water bottle with a whirlwind of worries in my head. The air was cold but burned in my lungs due to the effort. I could hear the sound of skates hitting the ice in the background. The instructions. The steps. It was all a perfect environment to stress out just from the competition, but for my delicate situation, it was like being in the eye of the hurricane. I was about to vomit.

“Are you angry?” he asked, almost making me choke. “Are you okay?”

Before I could react to Ekko's presence behind me, I coughed and spoke while wiping the remnants of water with the palm of my hand, trying to avoid looking terrified.

“I have my period; it’s cramps.”

Had I said that out loud?

You're such a brainiac. Nobel Prize.

The nerves were consuming me, so I didn't care what I said and only worried about him moving away. To my misfortune, Ekko's reaction was to act funny and raise his arms in a sign of surrender, looking quite unashamed. I shook my head, taking another sip of water. I ignored the fact that the green eyes of the Fierce Wolf were soft, impossible for a wolf.

But he had dressed as Grandma to fool Little Red Riding Hood. Traitor.

“Are you always this honest when you’re angry?”

“If you don’t get away and shut up now,” I started, putting down the water bottle, “I’ll make you feel cramps manually. Do you want that, Taxes?”

The look I gave him must have been quite terrifying because he backed away, wiping the smile off his face while I took another sip of my water.

You’re a curly brown hair, stupid. You’re dead.

I couldn’t stop thinking that this guy had four victims and counting. I tried to believe that I was just exaggerating, but the evidence was so overwhelming that only a blind and deaf person would ignore the alarms.

And sometimes, they saved your life.

“I notice you’re more stressed than usual.”

“I’ve fallen twice with cramps; you know how to add facts, right?”

“And we’re backtracking; I thought we had made some progress at the party,” he commented from behind me. “Did something happen afterward?”

If I didn’t hit him, it was because I was terrified.

“I can’t land a jump; that’s all,” I lied. “What, were we friends and I didn’t realize?”

“How can you not miss that genius, don’t you think?”

I stopped looking at him to get up on my skates as I returned to the rink. What was I supposed to be doing? Fighting with a serial killer of blue girls while I was one? Maybe I wouldn’t even make it through the day. Still, I moved toward the rink while sighing; I needed to relax. Miss Minerva had been searching for some things for a few minutes while I was alone on the rink at that moment. I could see Caitlyn at the other end doing good spins and jumps.

Her outfits were always in deep blue and white; those were her signature colors. While I wore blue, pink, or black tones. We had worn them since we were eight and did Swan Lake on ice where clearly one ended up being the black swan while the other was the white swan. In more technical aspects, and for anyone who didn’t know us, I was the villain and she was the heroine.

“Have you tried using softer music?” Ekko asked. “Or try doing that one that’s a spin, like three times or whatever.”

“A triple loop,” I corrected. “Is that so? The music that gets me going is Taylor Swift. From then on, if you change it, the blade of the skate will go through your throat.”

“Remind me to go on vacation the days you have your period.”

“And to me every time you’re around.”

Ekko chuckled lightly. As he returned to the rink, skating quickly until he crossed paths with Caitlyn. We were both going to do a duet. And we were still figuring out what to do exactly. We were rival-friends. Even though everyone who attended our competitions thought we hated each other since we were practically the best in all the regional competitions, neither of us hated the other. We were friends.

“I see you have a new admirer.”

“Admirer is the same as stalker,” I said, turning with a bad mood. “Why is he here again?”

“He helps with the maintenance of the rink in the morning; he arrives early and is the one who drives the Zamboni. He’s very quiet.”

“Sure.”

“Really, it seems he only knows how to talk when he’s with you,” Caitlyn admitted. “Though he’s polite. He praised my hair color.”

“In this day and age, have hair and being a girl shouldn’t be polite.”

“Oh, Jinx,” she laughed softly. “Relax. We’re safe. We’ll be fine. You just have to relax.”

At this rate, I was going to suffer an embolism instead of my long-awaited relaxation.

“Layback spins?”

Caitlyn laughed as we began training until half an hour later there was a break where the rink became slightly empty again. I skated to the edge where my sealed water bottle was. But immediately my attention went to Ekko, quite engrossed in the practice of some skaters a few meters away as they also left. He almost looked like a helpless puppy trying desperately to join the pack and failing awkwardly.

But he wasn’t a puppy; he was a fierce wolf. And he was stalking me.

There was no place where I felt more protected yet unprotected than on the rink. Wearing a skirt over my sheer tights with a light sweater covering my arms. Some wore pants, but honestly, skirts were more comfortable for competitions.

“If you keep watching me, I’d say you’re the one stalking me.”

“And if you see those girls, you continue to be a stalker,” I replied. “Though honestly, I feel like you’re stalking the skates.”

“No one has fallen.”

“A real observer, Taxes. I’m sure you’ll never need glasses.”

Ekko chuckled under his breath as he took a long sip from my water bottle. That rink was quite cold, but something I had developed as a habit was drinking ice water to relax even though Mom always scolded me when I accidentally bit the ice. Mom was extremely strict about oral care. She was a very renowned dentist, which is why she was almost never home, considering she wasn’t just prestigious but also helped the dental identification department of the police; dentist and forensics. That explained a bit of her behavior.

“Do they all skate since they were kids?”

“We’re Juniors. They will go to the regionals while Vi and I compete for the nationals. That’s why we can’t fall.”

“And your partner?”

He frowned, confused.

“My what?”

“Caitlyn came in the morning with a guy she does a duet with, and you?”

“I don’t have a partner,” I cut him off. “And do you know how to skate? Because if you keep staring at the skates, I swear I’ll start crying.”

“When I was a kid, a long time ago,” he excused himself, looking away. “It seems you need to know how to skate to have friends here.”

“This whole place turns to snow from October; it’s part of the charm. And you have the football team, star boy, many friends.”

“They’re not friends. And I play sometimes.”

“Sure, you win a game three to zero, and no one likes you.”

“You don’t.”

“Don’t do what?”

“Like me,” he repeated, looking at me. “You don’t like me.”

I froze. What if I didn’t like him? Please, the Sun Stalker hated me. I was his prey. Clearly, I wasn’t going to please my hunter. In what universe did Little Red Riding Hood become friends with the Wolf pretending nothing happened? A subtle thought crossed my mind that maybe if he cared for me a little, I wouldn’t be another prey.

But that was stupid. A psychopath didn’t get attached; they obsessed.

“Do you have skates?”

“Yes,” he frowned, diverting his attention to me. “What are you planning, blue girl?”

To see if it’s stress or not. If you’re the Fierce Wolf or I’m hallucinating.

“Since you think skating isn’t a sport, it shouldn’t be hard for you to make a lap,” I challenged him. “I’ll wait for you, Taxes.”

I moved away, hoping Ekko would just leave, although I had the slight perception that he didn’t as he really looked vulnerable. He put on a pair of somewhat worn skates. In the rink's light, he looked like a normal boy without friends. The cold continued to envelop us like a layer that froze with each breath. And with a simple push, he stumbled, almost falling.

Here he wasn’t a threat.

“I don’t want to hear you.”

“I wasn’t going to,” I defended myself. “Though I laughed in my mind.”

Ekko got up, frowning as he stood slightly still, watching how I skated until I played a song randomly from my Taylor Swift playlist in front of his dark gaze. I stopped in front of Ekko, giving him a look. And without saying a word, he adjusted his posture and skates as I watched him raise an eyebrow.

“This is easy,” Ekko justified. “You wouldn’t last running fifty yards.”

“Nor would you last a lap around the rink. Come on, Taxes, show me what you’ve got.”

Ekko looked at me seriously as he skated a couple of meters before falling, which I watched, amused. He quickly got up, going further. But he would never finish that rink if he kept skating like that.

“You’re doing it wrong.”

“I’m doing it right.”

“Sure, your falls are masterful.”

Ekko grunted. Just as grumpy as I was. I skated alongside him, moving my skates almost making him fall, and a spark of anger crossed the darkness in Ekko’s eyes. Quickly, I challenged him with my gaze. I had to prove that I wasn’t afraid of him.

“Feet apart. If you skate so close together, your target will always be the ground.”

“And you’d enjoy that a lot, Blue.”

I shrugged, unable to hide the truth.

“I love falling. Anyway, contract your arms; that makes you lose balance,” I ordered. “Arms folded.”

Ekko complied as he skated without wobbling, following me. He kept watching how I skated backward, even analyzing my movements. I had him mastered, so even though his expression betrayed how much he hated admitting it, I owed him that.

“I haven’t skated since I was five, with my mom.”

“Noted. Which state?”

“Ah, no. Canada,” he replied. “And now what?”

“Now you’re giving me cramps with your indecision; just go with the flow.”

Before either of us could react, I took Ekko's hands while pulling him onto the rink, making him spin. To the rhythm of “Wonderland” by Taylor Swift, I executed a perfect Lutz with a double spin while landing without stumbling. Ekko shook his head, but I helped him until he managed to make a spin while we circled. I continued helping him as we skated backward like Miss Jenn had done with me years ago.

“Not...!”

“Too late.”

A spin. As Ekko imitated the loose and elegant movements I was teaching him, it felt like we were dancing. A circle. We had traced a perfect circle with our skates when we slightly lifted our leg while doing a simple jump for Ekko to copy. Taylor Swift’s voice blended beautifully with the sound of the skates clashing against the ice in a melody that invited the unknown, to a wonderland.

Taylor is always right, and there’s a song that explains it.

“At three... two... one!”

We jumped at the same time, falling backward as I held his hands, giving him a look so he wouldn’t fall. Our hands remained together as we continued skating until I positioned them as if we were in a waltz. Ekko’s dark eyes looked at me intently as he placed his hand on my waist. That made me inhale deeply, searching for all the courage I possessed. We turned until I made a jump, freeing myself from his hand on my waist.

“That was dirty, blue girl.”

“Then copy this, Taxes.”

Both of us saw each other while we were side by side, taking various steps backward on the Wonderland bridge until we jumped and landed with our left leg extended, finally turning around to reunite in the center of the rink while with one last turn, we ended up face to face. And Ekko laughed, slightly, maybe nervous. I watched him in silence, slightly relaxed.

Our eyes crossed. Light and darkness brushing against each other in the color of our gazes. I distinguished the black in the gray of them, like coal waiting for gasoline to ignite and set everything ablaze. He had freckles, so subtle that I had barely noticed them. I tried to find any hint of the Big Bad Wolf that attacked by day, but I couldn’t identify the monster in them.

But it was alarmingly dark.

And although I didn’t confirm it, I couldn’t deny his guilt either.

“That was magnificent!” Miss Sevika applauded, making us separate. “Incredible! Oh, Ekko. I didn’t know you skated so well.”

“Jinx is a good teacher.”

Miss Sevika skated towards us while the air left my lungs as I realized how much I had held my breath. I was trembling slightly.

“That was so... Beautiful!” she applauded, wiping away a tear. “Your chemistry, your steps. No, I’m going to write you two as a duo in the Summer Solstice!”

What? Miss Sevika?

“But he doesn’t know how to skate, he fell like six times,” I blurted out. “And I only have my solos. We can’t do a duo.”

“Besides, skating isn’t a sport...”

I elbowed him instinctively.

“Exactly. It’s a tax-collecting gentleman who doesn’t even know how valuable skating is.”

“It’s not difficult. I just did that choreography like it was nothing,” he replied. “You wouldn’t last even ten minutes jogging, let alone in self-defense.”

“You know self-defense? Of course, you know self-defense,” I scoffed, bringing my hands to my face. “Running in a straight line to kick a ball in shorts must be so hard, my condolences.”

Miss Sevika laughed, watching everything while typing on her phone until she realized the looks she was getting.

“Oh, don’t pretend in front of me. I’m signing you up, this year a theme is necessary,” she laughed. “What would you like?”

“We’re not going to participate.”

“She wouldn’t last a day.”

“And you wouldn’t do a triple loop even if your life depended on it.”

“Jinx, darling,” Miss Sevika began. “This would boost your chances of going to the Olympics; they even offer a scholarship to affiliated universities. It’s a great opportunity if you win twice.”

“I’m not going to beg him,” I observed sideways at Ekko. “You’ve got the wrong girl, Taxes.”

“Wait... Are you really not going to compete? You did a beautiful choreography and your chemistry! I’ve rarely seen such intensity in a simple free routine.”

I shook my head as she went to the edge, taking off my skates under Ekko's gaze, perhaps waiting for me to plead. No, I wouldn’t do that. And I had just done something stupid. His dark eyes looked at me, eager to hear what I had to say, but I couldn’t. I thought he was a murderer, and I was doing a choreography with him.

“No.”

“But, Jinx...”

“He doesn’t want to, and I don’t either!” I shook my head, putting on my shoes. “He was late for lunch. See you later.”

Ekko looked at me in a way I didn’t expect; it was hard to describe, but it was enough to anger him. I had never seen him so angry. That left me somewhat disoriented. And he took off his skates with more violence than I did.

“Just leave it, Miss Sevika, I’m not a skater.”

“Nonsense! Everyone can skate,” her eyes pleaded with me. “Come on, please?”

“No.”

“Jinx, come on, just one...”

“No,” I shook my head firmly. “I won’t do it, Sevika.”

Miss Sevika huffed. I stood up while glancing back at her and left, leaving a furious Ekko behind me who walked away without a word. Why was he so angry? It was just a competition for something I didn’t see as a sport or beneficial. But at that moment, while taking a bus, I remembered his eyes and managed to decipher what had frozen my blood.

It was darkness.

Fury.

The gaze of a Big Bad Wolf seeing his prey hurt him, and there I knew it. He was the traitor. Or at least, he wasn’t completely innocent.

Chapter Text

“WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR LUNCH?”

“Where is Mr. Reck?” asked Vi, looking at the menu.

“He had an emergency,” the waiter shrugged, glancing at his notepad with the pencil tapping against it. “What are you going to order?”

“Two solar sushis with teriyaki sauce and two potato croquettes!” Jace chimed in. “Mine medium rare, Vi's raw. She’s a weirdo; she fell when she was little.”

Vi hit him while Jace complained. I was disconnected from the table and jumped when the waiter stared at me intently.

“And you, Jinx?”

“Mylo?”

“Just a Coca-Cola.”

Mylo looked at me for a few seconds, nodding. Although it seemed like he was staring a bit too long, which made me grimace as he turned to take the order, leaving with a somewhat grim expression. I found the food at the place uncomfortable; I really didn’t eat sushi, but it was Vi’s favorite. The thing I liked the most was a pink salad that reminded me of Patrick Star, which was quite unsettling if I analyzed it.

“I really miss Mr. Reck; we could have just told him the usual,” Vi lamented, sighing. “It’s weird that he’s not here.”

“I think he was at that new place that’s opening,” Jace replied. “Just give him a break; they found Eve a couple of blocks from here. He’s probably looking for something as far away as possible, like everyone.”

“I still miss him; he makes the best sushi in the world.”

“With two locations, he can’t be in both,” Jace responded. “Hey, Jinx, that guy asked you specifically what you wanted to eat. Don’t you think it’s a hint for you to say something?”

I hit him.

“His name is Mylo; he works for the monkey and now helps Mom with the groceries.”

“The monkey,” Jace laughed. “I love your nicknames.”

“It’s kind of weird,” Vi pointed out. “Or maybe he’s interested in you.”

“Pass.”

“You always pass.”

“Too meh,” Vi murmured, shaking her head as she read. “And why did you ask us to have lunch together, Jinx? You were supposed to have practice.”

“I wanted to spend time with my friends.”

Jace looked at me strangely, while my words were strange enough to disturb Vi, who put down her phone to fix her gaze on me. They really knew me. It even seemed like the café stopped, though it was probably my dramatic imagination. Mylo was attending alongside another young man, passing back and forth serving food. Plus, the kid behind me kept crying because he was bought a toy he wanted, and the loud laughter from the hockey team on the other side of the restaurant was hard to ignore.

The establishment was medium-sized, with tables that didn’t really resemble a sushi restaurant; it was also somewhat isolated from the rest. Its showcases gave the impression of being a typical American café in the middle of the road, only this time there were sound systems in the center of the place since at night it served as karaoke. I had never been to karaoke, but I was sure that after taking a look at those speakers, I wouldn’t hear my thoughts if they were cranked up to ten percent, much less fifty with the drunks eating sushi.

“What happened to you?”

I cleared my throat under Vi’s critical gaze.

“Stress?”

“You never admit that you’re stressed.”

“You manifest it,” I hit him. “Like this.”

I shrugged while my nails tapped nervously on the table.

“They’re going to tell me I’m crazy, and I’m saving myself from that.”

“We told you the same thing when you thought Taylor Swift would do the Super Bowl, and you believed it for weeks.”

I licked my lips; I hated them.

“I...” I leaned in confidently towards them. “What would you think if your neighbor was a serial killer who was after you?”

“That finally watching CSI: Miami would pay off.”

Vi rolled her eyes; I was sure she would hit him again, but she held back.

“Are you serious, Jace? This is serious.”

“And I am too,” Jace insisted. “If he doesn’t kill me, I’ll get rich writing a book like ‘Next to a Monster’ or ‘Someone is Watching You.’ And I’ll live off the royalties from the documentary series that Netflix will make.”

“Wow,” I joked. “How long have you been waiting to say that?”

Jace shrugged.

“Since you got obsessed with podcasts, Investigation Discovery, and I discovered how cool Horatio is.”

“Jinx,” Vi began after losing her faith in humanity. “Why would you ask that?”

“Because maybe...” I started, thinking about how stressed I would sound. “Maybe I think Ekko is the Sun Stalker.”

There was a moment of silence.

Until Jace laughed while Vi fixed her confused gaze on me, evaluating how serious I was. And when she realized I was quite serious based on my expression, she elbowed Harry, almost knocking the air out of him. Ouch. While I watched them without a hint of emotion, I could imagine what Vi was thinking.

“Your neighbor,” she repeated. “Do you think Ekko is a killer? And why?”

“Don’t make stuff up; it’s true. What name do you think is better for your book about this?”

I gave him a cold look sharp enough to silence Jace, who swallowed hard. He knew I was serious. And there, his demeanor changed.

“I’m serious,” I insisted. “It’s weird; he moved in strangely a month after the first attack. Many killers move like that after scouting the area. And he’s said weird things to me.”

“Like what?”

“He said the Sun Stalker would attack in Nexus, and the next day, Eve Purnell disappeared.”

“And do you think he would be that obvious?” Jace interjected. “He tells you, ‘Maybe I killed in Nexus,’ and bang! The next day he does it. That’s stupid, even for me.”

“He’s right. Why would he tell you that if he was going to make a girl disappear the next day, and you just happen to be a blue hair?”

“Reverse psychology,” I replied desperately. “It’s a subtle threat. He knows I know, and he wants to scare me.”

Vi looked at me doubtfully.

“Or maybe he’s just a weirdo who likes podcasts just like you, but he says it in a weirder way.”

“I told you they’d call me crazy.”

“Jinx, I love hearing you talk about cases, and having watched Dexter with you makes me feel like I’m being guided towards a medical career,” Vi honestly admitted. “But you also say very weird things sometimes; you literally designed a perfect murder while complaining about another. And if your argument is that he’s annoying, you’re a bit annoying too. Do you have any proof?”

Just my instinct.

“No.”

“Jinx...” she began, somewhat uncomfortable but calm. “What happened to Powder wasn’t your fault. No one could have known or prevented it.”

“I should have stopped her.”

Suddenly, they knew why I was so paranoid. And Jace shook his head, no jokes or anything, placing a hand over mine.

“No one would have known, Jinx. It was impossible to know,” he insisted. “Look, I’m not a woman. But I know how horrible it must be to live with that constant fear, but you can’t control it or you’ll go crazy.”

“You don’t understand,” I insisted, more forcefully. “It’s him. He burned a shirt full of blood the morning they found Eve; he told me... He told me what that note would say. He said it was the worst thing he had ever heard.”

“But he burned the shirt,” Vi twisted. “If we go to the police now, it’ll be ‘He said’ against ‘She said,’ and we’ll lose, and if it were him, you’d be in the spotlight now.”

I averted my gaze. She was right, as always.

I heard her sigh.

“I had forgotten,” I confessed. “But since he started attacking, I’ve had the keys in my hand tightly. This isn’t fair. And it’s him.”

“Then I’ll go with you every time you go out,” Jace proposed. “And Vi will drive us. Even Viktor. But you won’t go alone. Or we can go to group therapy, which is cheaper.”

I sighed. They didn’t believe me. How could they? How could they think a monster would be our age?

“It’s not necessary.”

“Hey, Jinx, you’re our favorite detective,” Jace encouraged, smiling a bit. “If one day I get to my book, I’ll call you for an exclusive. But you’re a bit...”

“If you say the word stress, I’m going to hit you.”

“That’s why I left it in the air; wasn’t that a great trick?”

Vi rolled her eyes.

“I really don’t know how we’re friends.”

“Me neither,” Jace confessed. “But I’m completely sure I’m the main character in a romantic comedy or a biographical movie about a successful businessman, and you two are the incredible best friends.”

“If it’s a biography...” I began, more animated. “I hope they kill the protagonist.”

“But in epic ways.”

There was laughter at the table as we returned to our usual humor. And then Vi gave me a sincere smile.

“Listen, you’re our friend, and we support you.”

“Yep.”

“So if Ekko acts weird or does something that makes you uncomfortable, take a picture of him,” she advised. “And if you see something strange, call us. We promise that if he says something weird again, we won’t leave you alone until we get a restraining order against him.”

“This is the part where you threaten to hit him.”

Jace laughed at my suggestion.

“Yeah, I think not. He’d knock me out with one punch but Vi had total chance to win,” he admitted, defeated but gave me a smile. “Although I’d record everything live on Instagram while using this pepper spray. I know. I’m everyone’s best friend.”

“Your order,” Mylo interjected, curtly, while his friends devoured the food. His eyes fixed on me. “Your drink.”

I nodded, somewhat uncomfortable. That guy was strange.

“Do you want anything else?”

“No,” I replied. “And tell the absent monkey not to send you anymore; it’s uncomfortable.”

“But...” he frowned.

“Don’t do it; I already made it clear that I’m not going anywhere this summer, and he’s not my father.”

Mylo nodded, suddenly in a bad mood as he walked out of my sight. Vi observed that, giving me a squeeze on the hand, which was enough for me; I didn’t want to delve into deep feelings at that moment, and Jace understood, making a joke that made us laugh, although he expressed his discontent with Ekko; he didn’t like him. They knew. And if there was a second time, they would believe me. I watched my friends while I laughed, feeling grateful for the friends I had.

But while I was lightly laughing at the story of the great rejection of a girl towards Jace, my eyes caught Mylo leaving angrily while dressed in civilian clothes, almost slamming the door. It was two-thirty.

He was a strange guy.

Likewise, after finishing with Vi and Jace, we walked, dropping everyone off at their houses while I said goodbye to them, realizing that I was with his mother. Jace and I continued until it was his turn a block from my house; he said goodbye with an enthusiastic hug and didn’t go in until he lost sight of me. When I arrived, I entered without looking back, arranging a couple of things in the living room, and noticed that Ekko’s room was wide open.

He wasn’t home.

“Jinx, could you come down for a second?” Mom called from somewhere in the house while I was in my room.

“I’m coming!”

When I went down the stairs, I found her with a bag of chips while her mother frowned.

“Can you put in the Netflix password? It logged out by itself.”

“Mom.”

“Oh please, your eyes are better than mine,” she shrugged. “Come on, don’t be so mean.”

I huffed. And I was the lazy one.

I entered the password while sitting next to her, glancing at the empty house. Ekko wasn’t that obvious, right? Because he would be a terrible serial killer if he were. I also started changing the movies at Mom’s request while reading their titles.

“2012, Battleship...”

“Oh, I love that one!” she admitted excitedly. “But I want something new.”

“Pride & Prejudice? Bride Wars?”

“Keep going, another one, another one.”

“Action? Comedy?”

“Any, keep watching.”

I sighed while skipping all the Transformers movies followed by the Star Wars ones. The remote reached the “Popular” section while I began looking at different genres in the same list.

“Oh, look, Catwoman!”

“Halle Berry, Mom.”

“Her, her,” she pointed. “She has great movies; the 911 one stresses me out. I love it!”

“This one is called ‘Seducing a Stranger,’” I read, focusing on the description. “It says a journalist infiltrates to investigate the unresolved murder of her friend, for which a rich businessman could be responsible. She pretends to be an employee and participates in a cat-and-mouse chase.”

Mom took a handful of popcorn that I didn’t know where she got them from while smiling, knowing I had chosen it.

“Put it on!”

I watched a bit of the movie while hitting play, sitting next to her with nothing better to do. My teenage life sucked. Mom liked this, and so did I. We always coincided at movie time; it was like our moment where there were no problems, just us and the movie. Besides, it was an excuse between us for any inconvenience. I really cherished those hours, especially when we watched series together. Soon I found myself immersed in that movie with a pretty classic quality from the 00s but quite intriguing.

And then, almost before the plot twist, Mom gave me an idea.

“It’s a good plan,” she admitted. “Just like the saying.”

“Which one?”

“Keep your enemies close but your enemies closer,” Mom replied, glancing. “Even Taylor Swift said it: ‘Your enemies will never be the ones who betray you.’”

“You just quoted Taylor Swift.”

“Because I like her; she’s a great artist,” Mom insisted while I smiled. “But watching someone sing for two hours overwhelms me. And twenty-four hours a year is excessive.”

I shook my head while watching the movie again, observing the big twist in the film. The identity of the traitor. I had to admit that I saw it coming due to a flaw in the killer, but the movie convinced you otherwise. Quite clever; I was still thinking about it and what Vi had said.

They were right; accusing someone without proof was a dangerous game of “She said” and “He said,” where I could easily expose myself to the traitor. It was like showing your cards in Uno.

And no distant enemy really made a strong move; it was always the close ones.

At night, at seven o'clock, I was listening to music when I saw Ekko return with no emotions on his face while observing his somewhat dirty clothes. Just like someone who had been in a fight. Also, the most striking thing was seeing a bruise on his arm. He hadn’t been invincible.

That’s when I decided. I would enter the competition with him to keep the killer close to me while trying to spin the twisted game of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, where I would lead him directly into a trap, keeping him closer than my own friends. Because if I stopped him, no other girl would be killed in vain because this Little Red Riding Hood was going to play not just for me, but for those who had gone.

And that day, when Ekko hadn’t been around all day, a new girl disappeared from two-forty to four in the afternoon. In broad daylight. From Nexus.

Chapter Text

CROSSING THE STREET HAD NEVER BEEN AS HARD AS THAT DAY.

“You do it for Gwen Brown.”

I kept repeating to myself as I crossed the street to the Ekko's door, taking a deep breath, which was the name of the next girl doing this. And just like that, Gwen's hair, just as blue as mine, echoed in my mind over and over again. My hands were in the wide pocket of my hoodie, contrasting with the heat of the day. I felt like I needed armor to stand there. I vaguely heard a car pass behind me while some kids played a few houses down from mine. The whole scene was so normal that I had to force myself into that normality even though it didn’t feel like mine.

I wished I had Miss Sevika's joy when reconsidering everything.

“Yes, Jinx?”

“I was reconsidering my decision...”

“Yes, I knew it!” Miss Sevika celebrated. “I’m so glad Ekko managed to convince you; a potential like his shouldn’t go to waste.”

“Did he convince me?”

“Didn’t he talk to you?”

“I was at that sushi place where Jace and Vi always go; I didn’t run into him.”

“Oh, it doesn’t matter,” Miss Sevika shrugged off. “I thought he had gone after you.”

“Why?” I tested the waters. “Did he come back after I left?”

“No,” she lamented. “From one until we closed. Why?”

“Nothing. I’ll see you on the rink.”

So, the Big Bad Wolf had anger issues that he took out on young girls, unloading all his frustrations on them. That made me sick. But I stood in front of his door, looking impassive. I had to do it. I had to be smarter.

I felt just like Little Red Riding Hood ringing the grandmother's doorbell, only I already knew the Big Bad Wolf would be the one to open it. And at that moment, as the doorbell rang, I knew I had to stop comparing everything to Little Red Riding Hood or I would need more sessions with a therapist after this, and honestly, I didn’t have that much money for it. Besides, I was already messed up enough without adding more things.

Two knocks. And a few steps later, the door opened.

“Hello,” he greeted, forcing me to lower my gaze. “Can I help you?”

“Uh, yes. Hi. Is your brother here?”

“He’s my stepbrother,” the boy corrected, giving me a look. “Are you a reporter, a bad girl, or a cop?”

I looked at him somewhat puzzled. Why would I be a reporter or a bad girl? I scanned the little boy, about five years old, with green eyes, tanned skin, and freckles, along with chubby cheeks in a loose Spider-Man shirt, not quite knowing how to take the whole picture of a kid who looked like this, Ekko’s brother, asking me that.

“I think I’m a friend,” I finally admitted. “Shouldn’t you not open the door to strangers?”

The boy looked at me, scared.

“Don’t tell my mom.”

“If you call Ekko, I promise I won’t.”

The little boy nodded, ready to disappear into the house, and I couldn’t help but say that. More out of panic than anything else.

“Hey,” I called him back. “Close the door until you come back with Ekko. Never give access to strangers.”

The boy nodded, giving me a look as he closed the door in my face. I took a deep breath. I shoved my hands back into the loose pocket of my hoodie again, letting out a sigh that came out more as a reaction to the nerves.

Stepbrother.

So, Mrs. Andromeda wasn’t Ekko’s mother but the boy, which explained why that kid thought I was a reporter or a bad girl. Weird. I remembered Vi’s little sister, who always asked if they were friends with his sister. Never those weird options. And his naturalness left me speechless, as if he were so used to it as playing with dolls.

Was Ekko a fugitive, and that’s why they moved?

Reporter.

Cop.

Or bad girl.

What was Ekko hiding? That only made me doubt more.

I kicked at nothing while balancing on my feet, looking at the door and its surroundings. I observed the closed garage, something uncommon in that area. Usually, it was left open with the internal door closed. On the other side, a couple of rocks with some toys. And from what I understood, there was a pool in the back since I remembered how Mom wouldn’t stop talking about how they had so much money that they built their own pool.

So much money. So many secrets.

A few steps indicated someone was approaching, and faster than I realized, the door opened with a furious Ekko ready to curse the world until he noticed who it was. His eyes changed emotion alarmingly fast as he scanned me in surprise.

“Jinx,” he said, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “What are you doing here, Jinx?”

He had to say my name twice to verify I wasn’t an illusion. I watched him, realizing that behind him was that little boy at the edge of the stairs, looking at me with curiosity.

“Yes, Jinx. You said it, and it’s me.”

“But you haven’t told me why you’re here.”

“You were angry yesterday when I refused; I hope you didn’t take it out on Zamboni.”

Ekko didn’t flinch. But he glanced at his stepbrother, who went upstairs.

“I didn’t get angry; I just stayed late at the Khione Center.”

First direct lie.

I nodded, knowing with total certainty that lie because Miss Sevika had inadvertently debunked it. I pretended to look at my feet and dodged his gaze, nodding again.

“Is he your brother?” I asked, testing the waters.

“Stepbrother,” he corrected. “His name is Scar.”

I nodded. At least he didn’t lie about that.

“I know I said no yesterday, but...” I began, trying to avoid his gaze. “I want to compete as a duo, and listen, I’m not going to beg you or anything, though I’ll give you a coupon in the...”

“Done. It’s fine.”

I looked at him, puzzled, finally locking my gaze on his chin. I couldn’t look him in the eyes.

“What?”

“I’ll do it,” he repeated, crossing his arms. “I’ll compete with you in the Contest. And my eyes are here, blue girl.”

“You really make me regret it, you know what? To hell with it. Goodbye.”

“No!” he exclaimed, startling me as I instinctively stepped back. “I mean, why so scared, blue girl?”

“And why are you so interested in something you don’t even consider a sport?”

Ekko smiled slightly.

“Because knowing you had to swallow your pride to come here is very funny, especially if we win.”

“We’re going to win,” I insisted. “But teammates have confidence, and you told me you didn’t know how to skate. Can I ask how you do a choreography without that?”

Ekko shrugged, smiling a little less.

“I told you I skated with my mom.”

“Not that you were slightly good.”

“You said I was good.”

“Slightly,” I corrected, giving him a glance without noticing his eyes. “And is she a very good skater?”

Ekko cleared his throat.

“Yes. Very good; she even wanted to be a figure skater one day.”

“Cool,” I replied. “So, will you do it?”

“I could make you beg a little more.”

“The colicky manual is still on the table, Taxes.”

Ekko nodded.

“Also, the part about you looking me in the eyes,” he remembered. “I already accepted.”

“Good.”

“Looking at me won’t kill you.”

It will, Big Bad Wolf.

I finally looked at him, for the theater, but Ekko just smiled. As if winning that was the whole thing; maybe that’s how he felt with all the girls when he broke them. Because that’s what killers did, take delight in breaking souls and wills, reveling in marking lives, relishing being like a bullet embedded in the back; never leaving. Leaving replicas, sequels, and never being forgotten for their cruelty. I knew it; I had seen it. And that was what I hated most.

My eyes fluttered at the memory, almost breaking, but I continued the theater, though sweating cold.

“Listen,” I cleared my throat, regaining control of my voice. “I won’t be soft; I’m going to break you because we’re going to win, and you have a lot to learn. Okay? So I don’t want any whining.”

“Yes, Miss Blue.”

“I’ll love to hear that joke again when you beg for a break,” I threatened, smiling while making Ekko’s disappear. “Tomorrow. 9 AM. Skates ready, and comfortable clothes. Your shift starts at seven-thirty, so you have plenty of time to stop by Zamboni and chicken out.”

“I’ll be there; relax. See you, blue girl.”

“Great.”

“C'est question is voulez-vous?”

“ABBA in French, seriously? Ugh. Well, I asked you.”

I nodded, rolling my eyes, taking a step back as I left when a noise made me look back at the little boy next to Ekko, who was watching us, evaluating what had happened between us without too much success. But I just limited myself to nodding silently at Scorpious, wondering what that house was hiding.

“See you.”

( • • • )

At seven in the morning, I was at the rink watching as Ekko got on Zamboni, cleaning the public rink and then the professional rink. He cleaned, arranged, and organized everything that was missing until exactly at nine, he was in front of me on the rink with a few little girls who would be at the other end. I wouldn’t say it, but being with those little girls and their coach gave me the confidence of not being alone with him.

“Did you bring the old skates?” I asked, seeing the new ones he was about to put on.

“Yes, but you’re not throwing the old ones away.”

“Then put on the old ones.”

“What?”

I rolled my eyes, moving closer.

“The new skates take ten days to break in; everyone knows that, idiot,” I growled. “So the new ones at your house or they’ll leave your feet bleeding. Come on, the old ones, now. And the new ones are for wearing at home and pretending to walk.”

Ekko obeyed, somewhat impressed by my seriousness. But he put on the same ones until he entered the rink. And his eyes went to that black padded shorts I threw at him with crossed arms.

“And what is that?”

“Your new girlfriend,” I exclaimed, throwing it at him. “Put it on.”

Ekko caught it quite agilely.

“I’m not doing that.”

“Fine, bruise your body,” I winked. “You’ll be begging for it.”

“Sure, Tronchatoro.”

I watched him tilt his head as Ekko handed the protective gear following the beginner’s dress code.

“Okay. All good. Let’s start with a Lutz,” I pointed to the rink. “Come on, delight us with one.”

“Yes, Miss Tronchatoro.”

The little girls laughed while their coach scolded them with a look as Ekko skated until he did a Lutz in the air but fell epicly on the landing, landing directly on his butt. The little girls laughed as I skated towards him, smiling without showing my teeth, throwing his new girlfriend completely amused by the situation.

“Get up, Taxes,” I ordered. “We don’t have all day, though those little girls must be pretty happy if you delight them with more falls.”

“My new girlfriend is vital, understood.”

“That's how I like it,” I nodded, smiling. “Move.”

The first half hour was quite disastrous with falls, demonstrations, and the girls laughing at Ekko’s uselessness while watching the eight-year-olds jump more perfectly than he did. I was getting tired of my stupid plan, and I had barely been at it for an hour. I sighed while covering my face as I watched him stumble while doing a simple turn.

And there died all the talent.

“Okay, stop,” I ordered, approaching. “I don’t skate with idiots, so stop. Let’s start from scratch because you won’t do anything if you don’t feel the rink as your own and those skates as an extension of your body. Do you get it, Taxes?”

“Understood.”

“Six laps. Without complaining. With each lap, increase the speed.”

Ekko nodded as he took a lap at the halfway point, increasing speed. I lied; it was twelve laps until I stopped him. And then we went back to light jumps where he fell at first until I demonstrated.

“Lift your leg more, like this,” I demonstrated, under his attentive gaze. “Bend the starting knee, take off, and turn with your arms towards you and fall with your arms extended.”

I did a basic turn until I returned to Ekko, who nodded, quite focused. I almost forgot he was the killer with the ridiculousness he had shown all morning.

“If it worked once, it’ll work again.”

Ekko took off until he did a pretty good jump without falling. I nodded. And we repeated it several times. By the time two hours passed, the girls were paying attention to the instructions I gave, imitating them in their basic beginner skating course. Excellent, I was a teacher for kids.

And when Ekko managed to do a Lutz, stumbling but not falling, the girls applauded.

But I analyzed him for a few seconds.

“You faltered on the turn, and your arms weren’t very extended,” I pointed out, obviously. “If I were a judge, with a three, you should feel grateful.”

“I missed that blue girl.”

“Two turns and a Lutz,” I ordered while smiling innocently. “Now.”

“If you do a demonstration, I wouldn’t complain.”

“The coach doesn’t play; come on, three and two Lutz!”

Ekko nodded as he followed my orders until it was twelve when Miss Jenn applauded him from the stands as the little girls left. We waited a couple of minutes until Miss Sevika arrived with her skates, smiling energetically. She looked at us as if we were Paul Rudd and Alicia Silverstone from her all-time favorite movie, Clueless, at a dinner.

“Oh, Jinx. I see you did the warm-up.”

Ekko gave me a look, searching for a joke, but none looked that way, so I wrinkled my nose slightly. He had to get used to it.

“If they’re not crying, begging to die, it’s not a training.”

“Oh, Jinx!” Miss Sevika laughed. “But yes, we’re a bit strict. Now, are you going to participate as a duo? You can’t back out. Yes or no?”

We exchanged a look, nodding.

“Yes.”

“Oh, what joy!” Miss Sevika clapped, giving us an enthusiastic look. “This year needs a special theme and not just a choreography; there were many, but since you arrived late, I took the most redeemable one.”

“If it’s Romeo and Juliet, I swear that...”

“No, no, Jinx!” she calmed me, letting out a giggle. “You’re free to choose the music; you just need to reflect the theme in your way.”

“And what is the theme?”

Miss Sevika smiled, almost unable to contain her excitement. Oh no.

“Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf!”

Ekko couldn’t contain himself and laughed but quickly fell silent under my icy glare as he shook his head.

So if there was a destiny, I hated it.

I went to look for a joke towards Miss Sevika but quickly realized there was none. Damn it.

“What other options were there?”

“Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, and...” she made a slight grimace. “Minnie & Mickey. And a kiss is mandatory.”

Crap.

“So...” Miss Sevika insisted, looking at us. “What do you think of a forbidden love story, my Little Red Riding Hood and my Big Bad Wolf?”

“A love story?” I interrupted, shaking my head. “If you remember the part where the Wolf wants to eat Little Red Riding Hood and not in a friendly way? Or that in most versions, he ate her grandmother? And not sexually.”

Miss Sevika huffed.

“Yes, I know. But it’s very predictable; he’s bad, and you’re the helpless smart girl,” she clicked her tongue disapprovingly. “Besides, there are versions that suggest that even Little Red Riding Hood was the Big Bad Wolf. Who says they couldn’t fall in love?”

“The fact that he killed my grandmother.”

“Oh, come on, Jinx! Imagine he’s a ferocious beast...”

“Done.”

Ekko looked at me confused as I realized how fast my response was. Oops.

“But misunderstood,” Miss Sevika explained, pointing at Ekko. “His whole life, he’s been terrified of what he is, fleeing from hunters, and the first thing that happens between you is the latent fear of what he is at first glance. But you know him, and you realize the sympathy and nobility in him. And what if he saved the grandmother from something else? Just imagine it.”

I was going to say that she had already imagined it for everyone present, even bought the costume while crying at night over this story that never was. But instead, I huffed irritably.

“It’s a good story,” Ekko intervened, scratching his head. “Just saying.”

Miss Sevika sighed.

“I already adore you. Jinx?”

“I suppose Minnie and Mickey is a worse experience,” I nodded, glancing at the Big Bad Wolf. “We need to warm up, voulez-vous?”

Ekko nodded, wearing a slight smile as Miss Sevika began to speak. And that day there were no disappearances because the Big Bad Wolf was with me playing with Little Red Riding Hood. 

Chapter Text

I SPUN AROUND AS EKKO IMITATED ME, FINISHING WITH A TOE LOOP THAT HAD A SMALL LANDING ISSUE WITH EKKO.

But the routine was over; Sevika applauded, smiling as she gave Ekko instructions while I left the rink to look for my phone. It was the fifth day of training from scratch for both of us. I felt eyes on me, but I didn’t pay too much attention, knowing who it was.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m talking to my blonde Russian girlfriend who is a millionaire.”

Ekko looked at me, taking a drink while running his hands through his messy hair, leaving him alarmingly handsome in a natural way. If I omitted everything about him and focused only on his looks, he was decent.

“I thought you were talking to the American blonde with the last name Swift.”

“You caught the vibe, Big Bad Wolf,” I blurted out unintentionally as I put in an earbud. “And I’m looking for the duo song, by the way.”

“You called me Big Bad Wolf.”

I tensed instinctively, but I knew how to hide it as I took a sip of water alongside him.

No, you called him Big Bad Wolf. 10/10.

“It’s part of the atmosphere,” I lied. “You call me blue girl. Very unoriginal, by the way. And you're Big Bad Wolf, okay?”

“Okay, blue girl.”

I nodded as I began to go to my Spotify from Taylor Swift’s debut album, selecting the songs. There was a long way to go, even though I knew most of them by heart. That blonde had a song for everything. The sound of skates hitting the floor echoed in the background as I heard people too. Ekko sat down next to me, curious.

“Does it really have to be a Taylor Swift song?”

“It always has to be a Taylor Swift song,” I insisted defensively, showing him the entire discography. “It doesn’t matter what it is; she has a song for it.”

Ekko nodded, looking somewhat serious at the place.

“This is lonelier, but up there,” he pointed to the completely empty second level, “it’s quieter.”

“And with a lot of silence.”

Just what a psychopath or a weirdo would think.

“It’s a good place to listen to all of Taylor Swift's albums again. Don’t you know them by heart?”

“It’s always good to listen to her.”

“Need help?” Ekko proposed, pointing to the second floor. “We’re a duo, voulez-vous?”

I fixed my gaze on him, realizing I had nothing better to do, plus I needed to get closer to Ekko to find out who he really was and, with a stroke of luck, maybe where the remaining missing girls were. Besides, there were people on the rink; it was slightly crowded. So I agreed, finishing taking off my skates as I went up to the second floor with my backpack while following Ekko, who had his hands in his pockets. I glanced at those left on the rink, trying to see if anyone was looking at me.

But only Neville was arriving, who smiled at me. At least I sighed, though maybe it was a misunderstanding that someone had seen her.

As we reached the second floor, we took a seat, putting our feet up without being seen by anyone. It was like an unused basement with only storage function. There was dust on some chairs, gum under others, and a few had slightly broken or rusty supports. It wasn’t that abandoned, though; I had seen people who arrived late to competitions come up here or fans placing their signs up here for better visibility.

“So...” Ekko began, sitting with his hands clasped in his lap. “What do you have in mind?”

“None. Because I know I’ll obsess over it even if it doesn’t fit.”

“And what about the last choreography?” he asked, glancing at my phone. “It’s good.”

“It’s called Wonderland, Big Bad Wolf, idiot,” I corrected, giving him a look as I rummaged through his Spotify, turning up the volume. “And I don’t know if you didn’t hear the lyrics, but it’s about Alice in Wonderland, so you got the story a bit wrong.”

“You called me Big Bad Wolf again.”

Crap.

“Get over it. And listen to Taylor.”

“Have you ever been to one of her concerts, obsessive blue girl?”

I laughed sarcastically, unable to help it.

“Of course, but first, I sold my kidney and the extra ribs I had.”

“Wait...” he shook his head as if the idea were impossible. “Are you a super fan of Taylor Swift without knowing her? I thought you liked her because you already knew her.”

“I like Spider-Man, and no radioactive spider has bitten me.”

“But then what do you like about Taylor Swift?”

I tensed a little as I scrolled through the albums until I reached the debut again. I shrugged, my body language clearly indicating that there wasn’t a great conversation to explore, which he seemed to understand. In those five days of practice, he wasn’t that stupid; I didn’t know why, but he was even pleasant in that facet.

Or maybe it was just theater.

“Some things are in your worst moments, and somehow you can relate to them,” I mumbled. “Anyway, Big Bad Wolf, this is Debut. For many, the worst album, and the truth is that no one does a perfect job the first time, but Tim McGraw is a great song, and we all owe it to her for starting in the music industry.”

“I can’t back down now, can I?”

“No. And shut your mouth.”

I sat down while Ekko frowned, listening to the entire album, which was quite country-style, and none of the songs stood out.

“The second one is Fearless, much more iconic with several themes that I’m sure you know,” I explained, unable to avoid it, excited. “But if you choose Love Story, I swear you and I won’t end well.”

Ekko nodded, amused, as the melody filtered into his ears with more romantic songs and at the same time more about heartbreak. The third was Speak Now, but it didn’t really stand out much, although I noticed how focused Ekko looked, paying attention not only to the melody but to the lyrics in general, which made me smile.

“And that one?” he pointed to the next one. “Its name inspires a lot of faith.”

“Red has potential. Although we have to discard All Too Well for time reasons,” I placed it, glancing at Ekko while smiling. “This song is general knowledge, so never steal a scarf from anyone.”

“Understood, the worst crime I could commit.”

Five minutes later, he understood, as he clearly liked the melody, although he tried to hide it. I looked at him triumphantly, tilting my head, waiting for him to regret it.

“I know you want to hear it,” Ekko accused. “But I won’t say it.”

“Say what exactly?”

“You know what I’m talking about.”

“No. No idea,” I shrugged, looking at him triumphantly. “Are you referring to...?”

“That it’s a good song and a good album,” he admitted, half-smiling. “And damn, she’s a good artist. I had never heard all her songs, just...”

“Her rumors about her private life,” I finished for him, to which Ekko nodded, showing a bit of embarrassment. “Most of it is the first thing you see about her and all artists in general. ‘Who is that album for?’ ‘Who does she love?’ ‘Who did she leave or who left her?’ I used to see that about her too.”

“And what changed?”

I sat cross-legged while I pondered a bit, trying to say it in a fairly ambiguous way.

“The first thing was that I really didn’t know how many romances she had, and when I discovered the real number, it was quite disappointing,” I explained. “And the second was realizing that she was an exceptional storyteller who took her experiences to as many metaphors as she could until she found herself and felt good about it.”

“Did you find yourself alongside her?”

“I just know that we spend so much time talking about other people’s private lives that we forget who we really are, and when you’re a woman, when you live in a world of women, you realize that we do everything to shut others up until we lose ourselves,” I replied, fleetingly. “And that being surrounded by people doesn’t mean having many friends.”

“Yours are Vi and Jace.”

I nodded, not quite knowing why he said that.

“And did you leave someone when you moved here?”

“No,” Ekko replied, evading the question. “I was homeschooled.”

“Cool. What do you think of Treacherous?”

“No. Definitely not.”

I nodded as we moved to the next album, 1989. And then something lit up in his mind.

“She lost him, but she found herself, and somehow that was everything,” I recalled as I changed the song. “This one. ‘Out of the Woods.’”

“And it hadn’t occurred to you before, blue girl?”

“I wasn’t going to turn you into a swiftie like that,” I teased, giving him a familiar glance. “Shh! Listen.”

Ekko focused on the lyrics until he smiled excitedly as we shared a close look.

“She really has a song for everything.”

“I already have the choreography in my mind,” I blurted out, excited and unable to contain myself properly. “We’d start with something soft, to the rhythm of the music; I hate it when they just do offbeat steps and leave the song aside. It’s vital. We could do some solos in the bridge and make a circle until we meet as the song ends. I thought of a triple jump, you lifting me, and even a couple of toe loops. Sevika loves parallels, so we’ll probably end up in the same initial pose but in a different context, literally out of the woods and...”

I stopped, realizing how I was talking and how intense I sounded. So I fell silent, locating who I was talking to, trying to pretend that this didn’t absolutely excite me; people don’t like to hear others ramble about things like this that they surely don’t understand. And especially not a killer. However, when I looked up, I found Ekko sitting upright, giving me his full attention as he followed along.

“What are you doing?” I asked, clearing my throat as he calmed down.

“You were really excited, and I was paying attention to you.”

“But you didn’t understand half of what I said.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he confessed, nodding. “It’s worth hearing you so excited.”

I swallowed hard, not quite knowing why I was so terrified of that comment. I realized we were close with a Taylor Swift song that was too uncomfortable for that moment, “I Know Places,” so I cleared my throat, distancing myself from Ekko as I unplugged my earbuds.

“Uh, yeah, great, we’re done,” I concluded. “Tomorrow is a rest day; see you on Monday. Bye.”

Before I could formally flee like Little Red Riding Hood, realizing I was in a pretty dangerous situation, the Big Bad Wolf agilely stopped me.

“Wait!” he stood up alongside me. “Are you coming to dinner?”

“What?”

“The dinner,” Ekko repeated, with his backpack. “Between your family and mine, the one your mom organized.”

When had Saturday arrived?

I shook my head, trying to keep my expressionless demeanor with my confusion to a minimum. We had spent five days coexisting healthily. The whole atmosphere managed to disguise it quite well; from my slightly shiny skin from the cold sweat due to physical activity, contrasting with my slightly red cheeks from the low temperature to the constant sound of screams from the lower part that more than once startled me unintentionally.

Though that was far from being what had me so scared.

“Oh yeah, the dinner,” I repeated, walking alongside him. “Cool.”

“You forgot it, didn’t you?”

“Of course not, idiot Wolf,” I replied defensively, clearly having forgotten about that dinner considering I was on a mission to unmask the Sun Stalker in front of me. “I was just surprised it came faster than usual.”

“Why did time fly?”

“Yes, I...,” I pulled away from him. “I have to go my way; my mom will freak out if you take me.”

“I haven’t offered it to you.”

“But you will,” I twisted, tempting my luck. “Yeah, what a shame, goodbye.”

I hurried down the bleachers as fast as possible, hoping to find a bus nearby, moving until I pushed the door that said “Push” until I was on the sidewalk, where I regained the oxygen that my quick guide had provoked. Ekko had a car; maybe I hadn’t even pointed it out since I rarely saw him use it other than to go to and from practice. I sighed heavily as the air left my lungs, finally feeling organic and not a reflex; even my legs trembled. But all that ephemeral calm was extinguished with a suffocating heaviness.

I was being stalked.

It was like at the party. A heavy, perverse, and suffocating gaze on me, I quickened my pace, but it was as if that heavy gaze was encouraged. Seeing its prey flee upon knowing it was in its sights. I looked down at each side of me, feeling strange when a voice startled me to death.

“Jinx, wait!”

It wasn’t Ekko; it was Sevika. And that almost made me feel safe.

But a “almost” wasn’t being safe.

When I turned around, I found Ekko a few meters away, watching me with those green coals that were his eyes. He had been watching me and relishing seeing me futilely try to flee. Just like a Wolf injuring a deer, forcing it to leave a trail of blood as it bled out, delighting in seeing its fear and instead of simply attacking, playing psychologically with it.

I had to play double then.

“Uh-huh?” I managed to say as he leaned against one leg.

“Why aren’t you going with Ekko?” Sevika asked, arriving next to the aforementioned. “Not to mention that you shouldn’t go alone with everything that’s happening; besides, he was a few meters away from you, and he has a car.”

“She didn’t want to,” Ekko replied, looking at me. “She prefers to walk.”

Sevika shook her head.

“Not a chance, Jinx! Ekko, young man, could you take this stubborn girl? You’re neighbors anyway; it won’t be much.”

“For me, it’s no problem,” Ekko observed me, waiting for my next reaction, amused. “And you, curly him?”

I hated him.

If I refused, my doubt would be evident. My fear of him. And the idea was to be close because, as Taylor had said, “Enemies have never betrayed me more than my friends.” I had to be close. I had to do it.

So I nodded, walking towards him confidently, almost challenging him.

“Done. I’ll be the co-pilot.”

“Thanks!” Sevika applauded, giving us a glance. “Tomorrow we’ll talk about your song, costumes, and choreography. I want you rested this time! Next week will be starting from scratch to tell the story of Little Red Riding Hood falling in love with the Big Bad Wolf. Take care!”

The trip was short. Although for me, it was too long. Still, neither of us said a word because there were two atmospheres in that vehicle that made coexistence difficult; that strange moment of both listening to Taylor Swift and establishing the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf for whatever had happened to make me decide to get into that car.

I would describe the model of his car if I knew anything about cars, but all I knew was that it was black, quite elegant, and surely had Harry drooling for two years just by telling him I had been in such a nice car. The air conditioning was on low, and the radio had a vague report about some gossip that didn’t interest us much. Ekko drove with his right hand on the wheel while his left was on his leg, his eyes fixed on the road with attention, and his features marked by the same concentration he paid to the path.

How could he be so cruel and so calm? Or was I mistaken?

I glanced at the back seat in search of something strange, although the trunk was clearly where I should look, even though that was very obvious. If I were a killer, I would use the victim’s car to cover up the facts and, contrary to cleaning it, I would dirty it a lot. Maybe I would even crash it on purpose. It would be an impossible mess to collect evidence.

Or I would create a whole scene suggesting a suicide. That was the perfect crime when you couldn’t prove there was a crime.

“Are you angry?” Ekko asked after a while of driving. “You’re looking at the back seat as if it insulted you.”

“I’m not angry.”

“You’re gripping the strap of your backpack while slightly frowning; something is bothering you.”

I looked at him, somewhat startled. He hadn’t even glanced at me the entire way, and he had noticed that.

“What me?” I asked. “Do you interpret body language?”

“I studied self-defense.”

“That has nothing to do with what I asked.”

“My teacher thinks that if you know what your enemy thinks, it will give you an advantage in manipulating their emotions,” he explained vaguely. “Some unconscious gestures betray what you think, and if you catch them, you can know if you’re in danger.”

“And what would one be?” I asked, watching him cautiously. “If I were in danger right now.”

Ekko shook his head, amused.

“You wouldn’t have a chance.”

“Why do you have the locks up, control of the car, muscle mass, knowledge of self-defense, and knowledge of what objects could hurt me without giving me time to react?” Ekko finally glanced at me for a second, slightly surprised by my remarks as he returned to the road. “You may be big and muscular thinking you know everything, but when you’re like me, you have to see everything.”

“I didn’t mean it was because you’re big; I know you would put up a fight.”

“And then?”

“You wouldn’t have a chance against me because you wait for the other to give a hint to defend yourself; you have to be the first,” Ekko pointed out, quite sure. “Let’s see, how would you attack me?”

“I wouldn’t have a chance with one hit.”

“Exactly.”

“But there’s the lever, the lock,” I corrected, pointing at him. “And I have my skates, so in a struggle, they would definitely end up outside cutting someone.”

I didn’t know if I just messed up as I said that. But it was the only thing I could think of.

“That’s feasible, but you forget the seatbelt behind you,” Ekko pointed out, as if correcting a lyric in a song. “If I got closer to you, you would grab it; you’d wrap it around my neck while pulling hard on both ends. And place your foot in the trunk for leverage. You have to last two and a half minutes. That’s how long it takes for a person to suffocate.”

I watched him, pretending to be normal, although those specifications alerted anyone, so I simply nodded. Nervous. Was it reverse psychology? Something told me that if he were the killer, he had something different planned for me.

Because it’s unexpected. That’s what he had said.

“Understood,” I evaluated for a few seconds. “And why wouldn’t I be a threat?”

“Because you’d see it coming; I told you, you’re not weak, and I’m sure that with the right strength and panic in you, you could easily break a neck,” he praised, his eyes shining with fascination while he looked strangely comfortable. “But you’re always on the defensive, and that’s boring for any attacker. So I wouldn’t try it, but when you’re unprepared, that’s when you’d be easy prey.”

“Why do I defend myself if I’m not a threat?”

“No, it’s that you’re predictable. That’s why you’re not.”

“And what would make me a threat?”

Ekko shrugged, amused.

“Being unexpected.”

Noted, Sun Stalker.

The rest of the way, I couldn’t talk much, not because I wasn’t passionate about discussing crimes, victim profiles, and killers or attacks. But because I felt stalked. I had to be unexpected. And so far, the most unexpected thing I had done was propose the skating competition to him.

But how could I be unexpected if I didn’t know what he was planning? I had to be ready for anything.

The rest of the drive was silent, and in ten minutes, we were parking in front of his house. Ekko said I could get out, so I had to go in with him, much to my chagrin. Climbing the stairs to his porch was pretty quick, and as he passed the keys through the door, we entered without asking for permission until we heard laughter from the dining room. He couldn’t do anything to me with so many people around, and that was my comfort. Ekko gave me a curious look.

I moved alongside Ekko until we reached the dining room, having a heavy day with a strange feeling but not stopping. And standing there, observing everyone gathered at the table was like my day had worsened a million percent because I would have preferred to be with the Sun Stalker than with that idiot.

“Pow-pow, my daughter!” Marcus, my dad, smiled, sitting at the head of the table as if he were the master of the house. “I’m glad you’re here; your mother and I were waiting for you.”

Chapter Text

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?”

I didn’t bother to hide my discontent, which quickly made Mom look at me with narrowed eyes, asking me to play along with an exaggerated smile above all. Ekko observed the serious man. I felt dizzy recalling his naturalness and smiles during training and in the car, only to see him so serious now. A drastic change in mood. And then I remembered that if he wasn’t with Scar or me, he was lucky to show any emotions.

But none of that mattered because that man laughed uproariously while pointing at me as if I were a king telling anyone offering gold that here was the princess to be sold.

“What do you mean, what am I doing here? Spending time with my daughter,” he observed the Shannon with a smile. “You know how teenagers are; they spend so much time in their own world that they don’t even notice us.”

“The last time I checked in my world and in general, you hadn’t bothered to show up for a year and a half and without support,” I recalled, not pretending how much I hated him while using his same tone. “You know, absent parents.”

Marcus clenched his jaw while Mom gave me a clear warning with her gaze. We both hated each other so much.

“Jinx,” she began, in a threatening tone with a smile. “Take a seat; it’s your favorite: meat with potatoes and Caesar salad.”

“Come on, Pow-Pow,” Marcus insisted. “Join us!”

“Jinx.”

“What?”

“My name is Jinx, not Pow-pow.”

“See?” Marcus diverted attention, laughing. “I used to call her that when she was little, and for some reason, they never grow up.”

Mrs. Andromeda laughed while her husband, someone I had never seen, nodded somewhat distantly from the conversation. He was a man identical to Ekko but older, who seemed as disconnected from dinner as I was. As if he couldn’t understand how stupid, forced, and fraudulent Marcus Zaunite was. I still stood there until Ekko silently took a seat, leaving me a space beside him while Mom urged me to sit down.

Maybe if I had eaten lunch, I would have told him to go to hell faster.

He had been sober for a year. At least.

If you’ve never been to dinner with a clearly dysfunctional family that hates each other, there are several key points that always repeat; the slight tension. You know something is going to explode, but you don’t know when or how. I took a seat next to Ekko, limiting myself to greeting the Shannon and nodding at the little one in front of me. Another thing about tense dinners was that the main source of discomfort clung to the idea of the opposite, becoming the main speaker at the table. And finally, the person who really realized that everything was going to go wrong and didn’t want to be there remained silent until, like a bomb on a countdown, it exploded.

I was the bomb. Eager to explode.

An hour and a half later, we had eaten, discussing trivial topics like the weather or the food. Ekko remained mostly silent, except for a few sporadic interventions that barely added up to twenty words throughout the dinner. He was uncomfortable. But the one who remained in complete silence was Mr. Wyeth Shannon, Ekko’s father. He kept calm, with dark skin as his son’s, except for his eyes, which were a mix between olive green and gray that I couldn’t define from where I was, not even with the lighting provided by the dining room. It made a clear contrast with his wife, Andromeda. A brunette with somewhat European features, olive-tail skin, a contagious smile, and light eyes.

I finished drinking the orange juice placed on the table while biting my tongue hard before responding poorly and ruining a chance for Mom to be the dentist for those rich people. But all I wanted was to take that juice and drown Ricky in it. Sometimes, Mom didn’t deserve me, and I didn’t deserve her, not after playing the perfect family one more time. But I also knew how much she liked a normal consultation over identifying the teeth of corpses in quite diverse conditions, which usually were things I would like, but Mom not so much.

But if Marcus didn’t shut up, I was going to forget all that in a second.

“Oh, Jinx,” Mom began, while ignoring him subtly. “I was talking to the Shannon about the holidays.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And how you’re going to Puerto Rico with your father on a trip this holiday season,” she laughed, looking at the Shannon. “She’s a very good student; she deserves it. And I would go, but I have an important job with the police regarding what just happened.”

Lie. Because Marcus has about six girlfriends in Puerto Rico to the point that he doesn’t even settle for one each night, as instead of alcohol, he now looks for women, wasting the millionaire inheritance his parents left him on alcohol and asking money from Mom and his brothers, who don’t want him even as decoration, and his only source of income is possibly from small scams he pulls.

A real gem.

“Are you going to Puerto Rico?” Ekko asked, observing me with a furrowed brow.

“No.”

I didn’t add a “why” “we already talked about this” or “it’s a misunderstanding.” Ekko relaxed, to the point that he hadn’t even noticed how tense he had become. The last thing that could happen to me this summer was losing the opportunity for that scholarship competition because Mom was pleased to accommodate Marcus and leave me in Puerto Rico as his maid. No. I was no longer nine years old to fall for those games.

“Actually,” I added, somewhat unexpectedly, “Ekko and I are going to compete as a duo this year in the Competition. We’ve been training for about a week.”

I waited for two reactions; silence or having gotten Ekko in trouble because his parents discovered that he was leaving football for skating. What did I find? A smile from Mr. Wyeth while Andromeda’s eyes sparkled, watching Ekko, who shrank a little in his seat, wishing the earth would swallow him.

Oh.

I hesitated for a moment.

As if at that moment I had been hit in the head. I was accusing Ekko of being a serial killer, a rapist, literally the worst scum in the world, and pretending to sit next to him as if nothing while his parents were warm with us. What was I doing? I tensed, realizing everything coldly.

Powder. I didn’t want to be Powder.

But, was I right, or was I making the worst mistake of my life?

“And why didn’t we know anything about this, son?” Wyeth began. “It’s excellent.”

“I was thinking of telling you next weekend.”

“Oh my god! That’s incredible news; you’re adapting very well, Ekko,” Andromeda smiled, quite proud. “And have you chosen costumes and music yet? We can go shopping whenever you want.”

Ekko looked at her, shaking his head, embarrassed, while he gave me a glance, noticing my sudden disinterest.

“It’s thematic,” he explained, with some concern in his eyes at seeing me. “Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf.”

“Are you going to wear ears, Ekko?” Scar asked, interested. “You’ll be a werewolf!”

“I’m not going to wear ears.”

“But you’ll be a werewolf!” he replied. “Do you think you can bite me? That would be awesome.”

“Scar, it’s not real.”

Scar huffed.

“Still, Jinx is awesome,” he smiled at me while eating, feeling isolated. “Are you going to have real food in the basket?”

“I’m afraid not, Scar.”

He huffed again.

“How awful.”

“But if we win, we’ll go for ice cream.”

“That’s awesome.”

Andromeda smiled even more, as if that were possible, while another smile escaped Wyeth. Both watching Ekko and me. Mom tried not to smile, but she did, realizing that he was really progressing by having a partner. It was all like a celebration that I couldn’t feel due to the knot that formed in my throat when I remembered Powder as if I had opened that wound wide.

Shit, what was I doing?

But, as always, every time Marcus Zaunite breathed, it was surely to screw it up.

And he laughed, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Didn’t you play hockey or football, son?”

“Well, I decided to change to a more difficult environment,” Ekko explained. “And someone told me that if ice skating were easier, it would be called football.”

I looked at him slightly amused and surprised, feeling even special that he not only remembered but had learned it. He was paying quite a bit of attention.

Shit, what were you thinking?

Vi was right. I was a bundle of stress without proof.

“And have you told your girlfriend yet, son?”

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” Ekko denied, looking somewhat tense at him. “Sir.”

“We're new in the neighborhood, and thanks to your daughter, our Ekko is adapting quite well,” Andromeda intervened. “Besides, our Ekko has never liked anyone. Though he’s handsome and charming.”

My eyes went to Ekko’s blush, who denied something scandalized, looking totally out of place when his parents talked about him. Like a shy teenager.

“You shouldn’t have said that.”

Andromeda laughed.

“I’m just very excited; I’m sorry.”

“Oh, Pow is quite the sensation!” Marcus jumped in while inhaling deeply. “She has always caught the male attention; she’s even had several boyfriends.”

“And girlfriends,” I added, tense. “And my name is Jinx.”

Marcus laughed uproariously; anyone would hate that laugh if they heard it even once. It was like the sound of nails scratching a chalkboard with a damaged audio. And it was driving me crazy.

“Boyfriends, what happens is that there was an absurd rumor years ago with no relevance,” he laughed again, uproariously. “But she’s not like this new trend of girls dating girls and so on. She’s normal.”

“The only relationship I had was with a girl, and the other one I was interested in was a boy,” I intervened, looking at him. “And I’m quite normal.”

Marcus clenched his jaw.

“You’re just confused, like I said. She and this boy...”

“Girl, Marcus. It was a girl,” I emphasized. “It’s a girl and it’s a boy. That you can’t process is far from being my fault.”

“You’re too young; you’re confused.”

“She’s not, Mr. Zaunite,” Ekko intervened, surprising me. “It’s her sexuality.”

“Marcus...” Mom finally reacted, finally speaking up. “Be good and go get more orange juice.”

“But...”

“I’ll go.”

I got up without much enthusiasm as I went to the kitchen, looking out the window. Oh no. I had to get out of that kitchen right then because I could only remember Alexa. Her face, her laugh, her life... And everything that happened.

“How bad are you?”

I jumped as I turned around to see Ekko standing behind me cautiously. I hadn’t heard him come. I shook my head, trying to divert attention.

“Excellent. His opinion is the last thing I care about.”

“I know that, but...” he hesitated. “Something happened to you; you were scared.”

“Is that why the question?”

“It’s obvious that you’re not okay.”

Powder. Powder. Powder.

I took a deep breath.

“I’m fine now.”

“Are you sure?”

“And why do you care?”

He hesitated, looking at me for a second in silence.

“Well, because we’re partners.”

“Yes,” I nodded, swallowing hard. “Listen, just... I’m just under a lot of stress. It’s nothing.”

Ekko analyzed me for a second, approaching while I inadvertently glanced at a knife. I was alert. Very alert. He stood in front of me, and I didn’t back down. I wasn’t going to be afraid and let him know.

“You don’t like me, Jinx.”

“No, you...”

“But I’m going to change that,” he assured, giving me a glance. “And you’re not going to keep hating me, and besides, we’re going to win that competition.”

“Why do you care what I think or don’t think of you?”

“Because I care about you.”

That fell in the room between us like a declaration of war. I heard dinner from here, but it went from a background noise to an echo. Ekko’s eyes were hard to read; they were too dark even if they were light green. And I was left speechless.

“I kinda like something about you,” I clarified, as if that were the best thing I could think of at that moment. “Nor do I care for you that way.”

Miss Subtlety.

“I’m going to stay.”

“Ekko, no...”

“Above the crowd, even if I have to scream at the top of my lungs or train all week from Monday to Monday,” he assured, looking at me in the darkness. “Until you notice me, like friends.”

“And what if I don’t see it?”

Ekko smiled a little.

“Well, why can’t you see me after all this time?” he quoted. “You should be with me.”

I looked at him for a few seconds. It was so confusing to be around him. Maybe he was bipolar. But as soon as his gaze lit up when he saw me approach him, I shook my head.

“You’re a weirdo; go get the drinks.”

I passed by him without giving him time to react when I stopped before going back into the house with his gaze fixed on me. I didn’t know what to do, but I knew I had to do something about everything that was happening.

“I wish you luck,” I replied. “But I don’t care how much someone is interested in me if I don’t like them; don’t use that blackmail with me. See you tomorrow. Big Bad Wolf.”

Dinner ended almost instantly when Ekko returned with a slightly amused and serious expression at the same time. The surprise of the night came with a date for Wednesday for Ekko’s younger brother, with Mom as his new pediatric dentist. I said goodbye to everyone, even going up to my room after refusing to see Marcus there, where I finally changed clothes with the door locked. And I watched the Shannon simply be in the driveway like a normal family. Maybe they were, although that didn’t explain many things about Ekko.

And then something occurred to me, as crazy as a stroke of luck; they knew.

Or maybe they were part of it all.

“I’m sorry, Jinx,” Mom apologized at the threshold of the door. “But you have to go.”

“I’m not going to Puerto Rico with him.”

“Jinx, really...”

“I won’t, not even for the Sun Stalker or whatever,” I insisted, looking at her. “And you better make sure he doesn’t stay here tonight.”

“He has nowhere to go.”

“That’s not our problem,” I replied. “Why do you want me to go?”

Mom leaned on one leg while remaining silent, something unusual for her, and finally let out a resigned sigh. She had lost her internal battle. Her footsteps were soft as she sat down beside me, her hands in her lap while crossing her legs. She didn’t look like the gossipy mom, not even like Mom; she had seen something that had crushed her soul to her feet.

And if it was Marcus. I was going to end up in jail at that very moment, but she seemed to sense it while shaking her head in horror.

“No, it has nothing to do with him,” she cut in. “I was added to the Sun Stalker case; I was the one who identified Eve Purnell, although it was just her dentition, and I didn’t see her body,” she shrank in place, her voice tense. “But yesterday I had a long shift, and I had to see her body; she had bite marks. Her attacker didn’t care about breaking his teeth; he cared about hurting her. No... I don’t want that...”

I placed a hand gently on her back while Mom sighed with her eyes glistening.

“They haven’t told the press, but it seems there are girls from other states,” she whispered, distressed. “What they did to that girl is inhumane. A monster. She had chain marks on her neck. It was like she was an animal. But it lasted little.”

“Little?”

Mom nodded.

“They presume she managed to escape, and that’s why the job ended so carelessly,” she muttered. “Chatting with Tobis, the coroner, Cassandra’s husband, who has the house in Nexus and had a barbecue on his daughter Cait’s birthday.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, I don’t know how they do it, but they recreate more or less what happened. And Eve injured the Sun Stalker,” she insisted. “In the abdomen, a kick. Here, maybe it wasn’t deep, but it surely left a mark. I don’t know how they found out, but it was something about her injuries and so on.”

“She defended herself.”

“Exactly. Listen, Jinx,” Mom began, taking my hands in hers. “You’re not going with Marcus; you won’t. I know what happened with Powder years ago still marks you, but... But promise me you won’t trust any strangers; that girl was very careful. And if the theory is true, she knew him or trusted him somehow. Don’t trust anyone, okay?”

I nodded, firmly.

“I will. I won’t be the next one.”

“I hope so; I don’t know if I could...” her voice faded, almost sobbing.

“How many are missing that they haven’t said?”

Mom shifted, somewhat uncomfortable talking about it. That was even weirder.

“Five in total. Gwen, Hailee and Nancy haven’t appeared yet, but there are two more girls. Sisters. They are called Serena and Sol Nunier; everything happened exactly the same. Although they were dyed. And they’re sure they’re related,” Mom observed me seriously. “This is not a game, Jinx; you really can’t be with strangers. Only with acquaintances. Who knows how they might betray you? No... I don’t want to repeat what happened with Alexa.”

“I will, Mom. I won’t trust anyone.”

Especially because I knew exactly the traitor was lurking particularly in her surroundings. But for now, I had to play at finding out who the Sun Stalker really was and prove or disprove if the Big Bad Wolf I knew was really the terror behind her. 

Chapter Text

NATURALLY, I HAD TO TELL WHY I AM SO OBSESSED AND DISTURBED WITH THE SUN STALKER AND WHY THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY MORE VICTIMS.

And it was a shitty, messed-up story.

I was nine years old. I had been on the Junior skating team for a year and a half, but the most beautiful, charismatic, talented, and radiant girl was fifteen years old on the Senior team. She was stunning, really stunning. I can assure you that at nine years old, she was a bit of my crush, but her personality also captivated you. She was the true popular girl because she genuinely liked you; she knew how to win people over without even trying, and she was talented.

Okay, I’ll be honest. Very honest about everything I’m going to say. If that girl, Powder Summer, had continued being a skater, she would have dominated the Olympics, the Winter Games, and every skating competition; she would have been the winner. She would have been that happy woman that you would love no matter her age. She would still have that magical spark she always had. She was more than talented; she was extraordinary. And believe me, over the years, I learned that what I once thought was easy was extremely difficult; she truly did it perfectly.

But it didn’t happen that way.

I remembered that day, particularly in December; she finished half an hour before the younger ones, meaning me. Whenever I thought of that moment, I found myself wishing with all my might to go back to that exact moment and tell her to wait a little, to go with me since I was also going home alone, that I had five dollars, and if she wanted, we could go for ice cream. Honestly, I wished for it with all my heart, and I could swear she did too, that we both wished it with all our being so that in the end, while I returned to the present without being able to change the past, I realized that things had already happened.

You probably think she died, as is the most logical conclusion, and if I’m being so honest that it borders on cruel, I don’t know if she would have had more peace or happiness with that fate. I doubted Powder would know how to answer that question; whether to die or live like that. It’s a messed-up answer, but life is not just one answer.

She was attacked. Three guys aged twenty-two, twenty-three, and twenty-seven. There were some stairs that cut the way to her house faster than taking the bus, and she was so tired that she went that way. She had just finished training for her favorite sport; she wasn’t dressed provocatively in any way nor did she have any jealous suitors. She was simply going home. They intercepted her, they did it; they raped her.

They also hit her with a rock, but they didn’t kill her or leave her unconscious; she just pretended to be so to survive. They left. They didn’t do anything more than that blow and the rape; over time, I would see much worse cases online, but it was still a rape of a fifteen-year-old girl by three men who undoubtedly left many scars.

It was a huge blow to the entire community.

It was something strong. They caught them, and they even got beaten up, which the local police turned a blind eye to. We are a large county, but united. Each sector depends on the other. I don’t know if it was Scandinavian culture, but it truly affected the entire Magical World County. Exactly two months passed when she returned to training, and if she had been murdered and I had found her corpse, I assure you I would have been more alive than that body that called itself Powder Pérez.

She was... so dead.

Over the years, I’ve heard many ugly crimes and testimonies from survivors; maybe I’m a bit fucked up because of it, but once I heard a police officer say a phrase that I will never get out of my head: “Rape is like a bullet in the back that will always accompany its victims, always; they may be eighty years old and remember it as if it were yesterday, be at their wedding and feel that way, an exam, even something happy. It’s a memory and a feeling that will never leave them. Never.” She was right; that police officer had caught more than twenty rapists, and based on everything I had heard and seen, I could affirm it.

Powder had no eyes; she could glance at you but simply didn’t look at you; she was gone. And angry. And sad. Constantly failing in her choreography while stomping on the ice, rejecting physical contact, speaking poorly and well in the same breath. At the next training session, she was very well made up, like porcelain, while isolating herself from everyone until she fell. No one spoke. We all held our breath when Powder took the skates with so much rage that she slammed them to the other side of the room while cursing fiercely. I expected her to burst into tears, but then she did something that made me feel worse.

She took a deep breath while getting up, searching for the skate and placing it silently. She smiled, and a tear slid down, which she wiped away, smiling again. As if nothing had happened. I felt terrible; I think all of us present felt the same. And the only one who could talk to her was Sevika.

She came for six more classes. Some good, others bad. On the seventh, I waited for her, but she didn’t come. Never again.

Her grades in school were a roller coaster. Mom knew because she was very gossipy. The police felt very uncomfortable about everything happening from the trial to public scrutiny; I didn’t know why, and neither did the people with Powder. No one knew how to deal with the situation. That’s when I learned something important: the police prefer a murder a thousand times over a rape, even if the victim can recognize the attacker. I didn’t know why, or why it was so fucked up. But it was like that; it was the truth. And Powder lost all her brilliance in the blink of an eye.

Maybe she tried to go to therapy. She tried to be strong. I heard she went to parties, sometimes drank and sometimes didn’t, argued over anything with the first person she saw, or simply left. She was lost. Even Mom took her some food once, but Powder said no. She was rude. A lot. She had changed so much, and not even because of her fault, that Mom didn’t scold her at all; she simply went home without mentioning anything more than just rejecting the gift.

Before the year was up, I saw Powder at the Khione Center. She was in the bathroom. It was almost empty, it was late, and I had had a long training session. She didn’t see me, and I never spoke to her. I don’t know if everything would have been different if I had spoken, but I couldn’t find any words to say out loud, let alone an idea for a conversation. She looked at herself in the mirror while her tears flowed with rage.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” she scolded herself, pulling at her hair. “You’re a damn weakling, damn it! Move on! It’s over! Just let it go! Just move on. Just forget it. Just let it go.”

She slapped herself, and her fingers trembled. She was a mess. Powder groaned and jumped to vomit, while she stayed there. A long while. I can’t tell you why I did two things: not intervene at ten years old or stay to listen to her cry loudly for an hour. I just know that every tear marked me. And that the memories of every tender, brave, talented gesture of hers slipped through my mind while fading away alongside what she had been.

The course ended. She left almost instantly. She improved, yes. In a very distant state, going to therapy too regularly; Mom found out almost by accident and told me, but she didn’t spread it any further. Powder faded away; she’s living her life, studying pharmacy, but she’s serious, sad, and that’s it. The thing is, it wasn’t that she was serious; it was that she was forced to be so, unlike me or any introvert. It was that they made her be like that. The last I heard was that she had managed to completely overcome everything, almost ten years later.

But I knew that wasn’t what Powder was, or how she should live or what she should do. She wanted to be a doctor or a skater. But it didn’t happen that way.

Maybe it was the shitty situation in my house during those years, that sudden blow of truth that opened my eyes to how the world really was, that I was a woman and that I could always, no matter where, when, or how, lose something constantly. Going anywhere or with anyone.

But it was what made me dig deeper and deeper into the subject until I became addicted, paranoid, and constantly grounded that it could happen to me. But I think if being a woman couldn’t be more fucked up, we’re all a bit terrified all the time.

So, naturally, listening to this, they knew that nothing about what was happening with the Sun Stalker felt light to me. And that he not only raped them; he killed them. That was the last thing they felt, saw, and experienced in front of a monster. That’s why I was so obsessed with stopping him, with not being the next one, and ensuring that no one else would be. I needed to stop him. I had to do it.

This might sound fucked up, but my greatest fear was ending up like Powder. If at fifteen I didn’t even leave the house all year remembering that happened to her at that age, I also never crossed those stairs in my life.

That’s what those three bastards left behind. And I wasn’t going to let another one roam free.

I was so frustrated doing the solitary choreography that I didn’t even realize Sevika was yelling at me until I stopped, looking at the stands:

“Jinx, Jinx!” she called, smiling somewhat tensely. “That was very good, although I prefer you to be more relaxed and happy.”

I grunted, irritated.

“I did well. End of story.”

“That was good,” Ekko added, finally earning my gaze. “Even though you hit the...”

“If it was good, leave me alone, and I can hit the damn air if I want,” I spat, much more acid than I intended. “What? Now I can’t do well while being bitter, or should I always be happy?”

“I didn’t...”

“Jinx,” Sevika intervened. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

I huffed, very irritated. I was in a terrible mood.

“Well, that’s how it sounded,” I exclaimed. “I’ve warmed up, trained, and more. What else?”

“Since eleven?”

“Yes,” I cut in. “Why my...”

My voice faded, trying to calm myself as Sevika’s gaze hardened a bit.

“Is he here?”

“I don’t want to talk about that.”

“How can he be here?” she repeated, completely serious. “No. You’ll sleep at my house, and he better not dare to come.”

“I don’t want him here either, damn it!”

Ekko looked at me doubtfully. He looked like a scared puppy.

“Is it about your fa...?”

“IT’S NOT!” I shouted, skating to the edge. “He’s a piece of shit who has sperm that crossed with my mom’s egg; get over it.”

“Jinx...”

I glared at Ekko, feeling so furious and frustrated that I could have jumped to kill him right there while leaving a braid half-tied. He stepped back a bit; I must have looked terrifying.

Look at you. Just like Dad.

That was my conscience. And it was shit because it irritated me even more.

“Enough, I’m leaving.”

“No, Jinx,” Sevika stopped me, serious, her gaze darkened. “I won’t let you be in a house with him alone.”

“Mom is there.”

Minerva didn’t budge.

“I won’t leave you in that house if he’s here.”

“Just let me go.”

“But...!”

I stood up, with my skates on my back while I looked at her more calmly. I was mega screwing up.

“I won’t leave her there.”

“Neither will I to you.”

I passed by her, while she tried to stop me, but it was useless. I slammed the door as I went outside, where my legs trembled with frustration. And then I sighed.

We had argued after dinner because Mom let him come back, and I told her many things, and he told me too.

Either way, I hadn’t slept, eaten, or done anything other than leave the house with my skates at eight in the morning to think about whether to go with Vi or with Jace. They would take me in without hesitation; I could even see Vi giving me a day of everything I wanted and Harry cooking with his best effort for me. But I was so irritated—though they had already seen that—that I didn’t want to insult them anymore. In fact, Sevika shouldn’t have come today. But I had to drag her along. And honestly, I just wanted to scream because he made me remember everything bad.

Every time he showed up, it was a waste of time. And since he arrived, I hadn’t stopped remembering Powder.

“Daughter.”

Fuck...

“I’m not your daughter,” I instinctively replied. “I’ll change my last name in December, and the last thing family is, is blood.”

He tensed his jaw, looking at me.

“Why do you always have to ruin everything?” he spat. “And also be so dramatic and apathetic!”

“Maybe if you were an idiot with two brain cells, you’d figure it out!”

His gaze darkened toward me.

“Don’t call me an idiot again; I’m your father.”

“No, you’re not,” I responded. “And nothing you say is true.”

“I just want my family to be well, and you can’t simply cooperate!”

“We’re not family; we never have been.”

“And all your little friends are?” he asked, pointing behind me. “That nosy old lady is family? She’s an exaggeration! The only thing she’s done is ruin your brain and leave you half sick!”

“Don’t you dare talk about Sevika that way; she’s done more for me than you could ever imagine,” I growled, pointing my finger at him. “And I’m not sick; I’m bisexual! Accept it!”

“You’re confused, and it’s all because of that old lady!”

“No, I’m very clear,” I spat, while my blood boiled. “But I can’t ask much of you when you hit your wife; it’s because neurons don’t exist.”

Oh. Now I really screwed up. And yes, when I’m irritated, my vocabulary is very colorful.

His gaze turned very dark as his jaw tightened. He was very angry, too much. Besides, everything was alone, and when no one was watching, he behaved exactly as he was because he wasn’t even half brave enough to be the shit he was in public with others. He was good at lying. Too good.

He took a step toward me, grabbing my arm tightly while I tried to struggle.

“Shut up!”

I was going to speak. But a whimper of pain escaped my lips, and at that moment, he abruptly let go when someone pushed him. His face went from wanting to beat me to simply surprise, and then to a smile.

It was terrifying. He was an incredible manipulator.

“Is something wrong, young man?” he asked. “My daughter fell; I was helping her, but she slipped.”

He said it with such confidence that if someone hadn’t seen the truth, they could have believed him perfectly. He put his whole life into his lies.

“Are you okay, Jinx?” Ekko asked, turning toward me, worried. “Jinx? Did he hurt you anywhere else?”

I shook my head and looked at the darkest gaze I had received in a long time from that being called my father. He ordered me not to say anything. Or Mom would pay. Always Mom. Because he would invent anything since he was sober to squeeze money out of her instead of using his old technique.

“Leave or I won’t respond,” I finally said, looking at him. “Get lost.”

His jaw tightened.

“I can’t leave you alone with this young man I barely know.”

“Sir,” Ekko interjected, his voice icy. “Listen to her; she doesn’t want you around. Leave.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’ll call the police; leave, now.”

He looked at me, still smiling a bit while adjusting his nonexistent wrinkles in his clothes.

“Teenagers, you know how they are,” he repeated, looking at Ekko as he approached. Ekko stepped in between him and me, making my father give him a creepy smile. “You better take care of her.”

“Get lost.”

He left. As he finally disappeared in his car down the road. I was going to leave, but I noticed Ekko turned worried, looking at my arm.

“It won’t leave a mark; I have some creams that can help with the burning and redness,” he commented, without touching me. “Did he hurt you anywhere else?”

“I didn’t say it was him. He could be right,” I replied, looking at him without emotion. “I could have fallen; you’ve seen me in a bad mood because of it.”

“You didn’t fall,” he affirmed. “I saw you in the choreography; that fall I would have done, but not you. You said not to put my arm in or I’d break it.”

“You have a good memory; great.”

“Jinx,” he repeated urgently. “Did he hurt you anywhere else? Should we go to a hospital? Come on.”

“I’m fine; it was just force. That’s all.”

Ekko looked at me carefully.

“The cream,” he ordered, looking at me. “You can hit me or yell at me on the way, but you’ll do it without that redness.”

I looked at him for a few moments, putting on a sweater while he remained silently there. Nervous. He had given a good shove, almost a hit. Of course, idiot, why would it be? Excellent, the two men I had seen throughout the day were gems after gems.

I shook my head.

“No. And to hell with your pity.”

I walked past him when he stepped in front of me again, sighing. He seemed to be struggling internally.

“You fell,” he repeated, looking me in the eyes. “We were doing a choreography; it went wrong, my fault, and you fell. That’s why I owe you the cream and an ice cream.”

“No...”

Ekko nodded, but something told me he would extort Sevika until he got information out of her; he would scratch his stress away or go after him if I didn’t accept his offer. He genuinely looked worried.

“Don’t talk about this with anyone, understood?”

He nodded. Almost sighing. And what about this?

You’re next, idiot.

I instinctively took a step back when Ekko got nervous again.

“Okay, okay. I accept. You decide where to go.”

I hesitated. I was seeing blue; I was seeing red. All the colors. Accepting could turn out worse than I thought. It was like accepting drugs from a stranger with the promise of feeling good.

I desperately wanted to go back and stop Powder.

If I accepted, would someone wish the same for me?

“We’ll go to your house,” I finally said, while he looked at me somewhat surprised. “End of story.”

He nodded, as dazed as I was. And I only wished one thing on that long journey.

Please, let no one be wishing in the future that I wouldn’t get into this car or get close to Ekko because I didn’t want anyone to see me like Powder.

And I just held onto that to avoid ending up with a bullet in my back.

Chapter Text

WE WERE IN LINE WAITING TO BE SERVED BY MCDONALD'S FAST SERVICE.

"What flavor do you want?"

I was forcing myself to be cordial, but I was simply very angry.

"The same as you."

"Uh, I don't think you'll like chocolate ice cream."

I finally looked at him. Ekko gave me a somewhat amused look.

"What kind of weirdo chooses chocolate?"

"The one who gets you to look at him and tell him what you want."

Ugh.

"I'm getting out."

"Vanilla," he replied, while earning my glare with a furrowed brow. "And chocolate syrup. It's the ice cream you bet. Remember?"

I huffed, irritated.

"Yes. Happy?"

"No, I'm paying."

"You won't," I cut in, resting my face in my fist. "I won't owe you anything."

"Well, I’m supposed to usually owe you things; I have to return the favor."

"I've never charged you for anything."

Ekko laughed, shaking his head.

"Sure, 'Mr. Taxes'," he joked, while I almost smiled as it was our turn. They greeted us, and then he ordered. "Yes, I want two McFlurry ice creams. And could you give me a cardboard crown? Because someone needs to cheer up."

Silence. I took the opportunity to give him a playful punch.

"A crown?"

"I'll pay five dollars for it!"

"You're an idiot."

"... Fine," the girl agreed, clearing her throat. "Anything else? The system doesn't..."

"I'll pay in cash."

"Okay, continue in line. Your order is 99."

As soon as we moved forward, I shot him a very bad look that provoked a bit of mockery from him.

"What? That always cheers people up."

"Let me guess," I started. "Your little brother?"

"Of course it cheers up."

I shook my head as we moved to where he silently placed the cardboard crown on my head while handing me the ice cream. The girl attending us smiled at us warmly. She must have invented six stories, a marriage, and a telenovela ending that Jinx would adore. I just stayed silent with the ice cream.

For the rest of the trip, the tension eased until he parked a few blocks earlier than expected. There was a pharmacy nearby. And there was no more ice cream.

"I know you don't want to talk about what happened..."

"No. And I'm pretty sure you don't want to talk about your life either."

Ekko swallowed hard. His life was a mystery to me that he didn't intend to unveil.

"Did he hit you anywhere else?"

"No. Just take me home or let me know so I can get out."

"Jinx," Ekko began, "I just... I'm just trying to help you. Tell me who to call, maybe your friends and..."

"No."

"Just let me help a little."

"No. And you're not a rehabilitation clinic, nor are they."

"What?" he exclaimed, confused.

He looked at me suddenly, not believing what I had just said.

"People aren't a rehabilitation clinic," I replied. "Mom thought 'her love' could change that idiot. And it didn't, because people aren't a rehabilitation clinic, and making me think that a hug and a 'I love you, Dad' will fix everything is a very movie-like version because that doesn't happen."

"Hugs don't change you; they just... they just let you know you're not alone."

"Sure," I said sarcastically. "Of course you know that."

Ekko swallowed hard. And I didn't change my opinion as I looked away. Tired. Angry. And very fed up.

Why did we always have to argue? In general, with everyone. I always argued, but Marcus irritated me beyond measure. It was suffocating when, no matter how much I wished he would stop coming, he came. I couldn't remember a single kind gesture he had towards Mom or me in my life, or a good time spent together, a gift, a chat, or a smile. Nothing. And that wasn't going to erase all those years of torment, violence, and manipulation I had endured by his side.

The police sum up a person's life to a specific moment where they ruin it, and they always talked about second chances, but Marcus hadn't had a moment; he had had his whole life. And that was enough for me.

I was about to open the door after he fell silent when Ekko timidly placed his hand on my shoulder and took a deep breath.

"My mom..." he began, tense. "My mom used to work with families like that. And I don't want you to stop being angry."

"I'm not..."

"You're overwhelmed," Ekko added. "And I want you to know that your situation is really bad, and I'll let you hit me if that helps you be the girl you used to be instead of isolating yourself until you get sick."

I fell silent as I found myself turning around, exhausted.

"He never hit me."

"I think it hasn't been necessary to hurt you. And you haven't even realized that you're shaking."

I shook my head while burying my face in my hands. I hadn't realized until he mentioned it.

"He never has," I finally said. "The only time he tried, he just ended up cutting me because Mom finally reacted and they struggled. And if you're asking if I reported it, believe me, more than I can imagine, but we share the same last name, with no physical evidence that he has hit me and with a natural talent for manipulation."

Ekko nodded. Honestly, I didn't know what he was going to tell me; I was already ready to leave when his voice froze me.

"I lost my mom seven years ago," he confessed, looking at the steering wheel. "She was murdered."

I didn't see that coming at all.

"Shit," I blurted out.

"Shit," he agreed.

Silence settled between us as if we had dropped two nuclear bombs. The air felt salty. The seat was much colder than when I got in. I didn't know what to say to him; he seemed like he didn't know either. And for as much as it sounded like shit, I tried to convince myself that he was a murderer and that maybe it was his origin story, but I couldn't. Because his voice sounded broken. He sounded broken.

He reminded me of myself telling Miss Sevika that Mom was a victim of abuse when I was nine.

And these two things are not something to play with.

"Shit," he repeated, shaking his head. "I shouldn't have..."

I leaned closer to him, giving him a hug. I didn't really know why I did it, but the words seemed unnecessary. He tensed a lot, and just before I pulled away, he reciprocated the hug without saying a word. It felt like something so private that, no matter how much I was a jerk who thought the worst of him, I couldn't be that insensitive; he sounded vulnerable. Ekko gave me a bear hug, as if his life depended on it.

When we separated after a couple of seconds, he looked at me with a strange expression I had never seen on him.

"Why did you tell me that?" I asked. "It sounds important."

"I trust you," he replied. "You told me yours."

Touché.

And in that moment, I smiled a little while giving his shoulder a squeeze.

"If you ever emotionally blackmail me again with ice cream and sweet words," I began, "I'm going to hit you, really hard."

Ekko seemed to exhale all the air he had been holding as he burst out laughing while I looked at him with a small amused smile.

"You're fantastic at changing the subject, have they told you that, blue?"

"I usually hear the hit and the person complaining to know that," I explained. "So feel privileged, Big Bad Wolf."

Ekko placed the crown on my head while smiling genuinely.

"I am."

I shook my head while looking out the street, realizing we were alone. I hadn't been scared at any moment. Not even when he stopped, just angry. He had bought me ice cream, confessed that about his mother, and had been honest. He really felt it. Besides, he had put up with me, which was hard in my experience.

"Ekko..."

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, immediately erasing his smile.

"No, just... thank you," I confessed honestly. "I know I've been a bit of a jerk..."

"A bit?" he asked suddenly amused.

I shot him a glare.

"Hitting you and stealing your car has never sounded better."

He nodded. I huffed.

"I'm sorry for treating you badly, and thank you for... for everything."

"You don't have to thank me for anything."

"Well, I won't owe you anything."

"Deal."

I nodded as he turned on the car.

"Do you want to go somewhere, or is my room still on the table?"

"Vi," I replied, giving him a look. "Don't abuse it."

"How could I abuse good luck?"

I playfully punched him in the shoulder, laughing. It was a good moment. Ekko sighed, his white hair slightly tousled as he looked at me with amusement.

"I'm trying to start over, and you're abusing it, Big Bad Wolf."

"It's just that you're laughing with me," he pointed out, almost obviously. "It's like the friendliest thing we've done."

"Start the car. Vi's house won't magically appear."

"Maybe," he retorted. "What if you're a vampire or a werewolf? The latter would be amazing; it would confirm that Little Red Riding Hood is the Wolf. And it would explain why you growl so much."

I growled as I paused when he took a deep breath.

"For the ice cream, the talk, and because my mood improved, I'll let you pass that," I threatened, returning to our relationship. "But if you tempt your luck again, I’ll make the track your bed."

"Is it very masochistic to say I missed your threats?"

"It's only been a day."

"Believe me," he sighed, turning on the car. "I've learned to appreciate every second, blue."

Neither of us said anything else except the directions to Vi's house, which I barely texted her to let her know I wouldn't be sleeping at home. She simply replied that it was fine, although we both knew the decision was up to her about whether I would return tomorrow or not. Still, Vi distracted me by asking me a thousand questions while cooking for both of us. Only a best friend can make you forget all the bad in a second.

After a few hours, we were in her room while she gave me a look, braiding my hair.

"This."

"Yes?"

I sighed, hesitating.

"Do you think I was wrong about Ekko?" I finally asked. "I saw him; his shirt was full of blood, dirt; it happened twice. And the note. How can it be a coincidence?"

She stayed silent for long seconds.

"I don't know."

"And if it is?"

"You'll catch him," she assured me, as she turned me to look at her. "Jinx, I can't tell you if he's guilty or innocent because I believe you. I do. But I also just saw him buy you a cardboard crown and an ice cream because he saw you with that idiot and even encouraged you despite how stubborn you are."

I hesitated for a few seconds. I had already told her everything.

"I know what happened with Powder affected me a lot."

"And we were there for you at that moment, even in the therapies you went to," she assured me, giving my hand a squeeze. "You weren't alone then, and you won't be now."

"What do I do?"

Vi evaluated me for a few seconds. It was like talking to an elder. And then, she looked at me with a determined smile.

"Maybe it's not Ekko; I feel like it's not."

"But if it is..."

"But," she corrected me, "nobody has more determination than you to find out who the Sun Stalker really is. So go find him."

I looked at her somewhat confused, taking a moment to understand.

"Do you think I'm a cop or what?"

"I think you won't stay still," she pointed out. "Find him, because he's still out there lurking. Do some investigating. And catch that murderer."

"Jace infected us too much."

"Yeah, for sure he'll even buy you red thread."

We both laughed a little when I looked at her with determination, more confident than I had been all summer.

"I'm going to find the Sun Stalker," I affirmed. "And I won't stop until I catch him."

Chapter Text

HOW WAS THE PERFECT MURDER?

The answer was simple: when there was no indication that it had been a murder.

Basically, it was to commit a murder that didn't look like or could be proven as one. Without a crime, there was no guilty party. Even Taylor had said it:

No body, no crime.

Sometimes when the murderer escaped, it was also a perfect crime, even when they were present with the police. But I found a flaw in all those systems, and it was that if nothing indicated that someone else intervened, no one would look for a murderer. A suicide was a big window. But the truth was that if everything was done voluntarily by the victim, it meant they knew their attacker because this person conveyed enough trust to lead the victim to a place where they knew nothing could be proven. And with everything that was happening, with everyone so alert, it was almost unreal that girls continued to disappear in broad daylight without witnesses.

So, how did the Sun Stalker attract his victims?

I needed to find out because, without realizing it, I was running out of time. Because every minute there could be another, and every second it could be me.

"Ekko, man, could you place your hand on Jinx's waist, and you, dear, stop hitting him?"

At that command, I growled, almost hitting him out of instinct, but I held back. He was being nice. And that was enough for Ekko to look at me amused.

"His hand is right where it should be."

"Miss Sevika is the choreographer," Ekko mocked, placing his hand on my waist. "It's right where it should be. Weren't you going to be nicer?"

"Don't abuse it."

"Me? I'm just following orders."

"I'm going to stab you with the skate in the..."

"Jinx," Miss Sevika began, clapping. "From the beginning. Remember, the starting position is the first encounter of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, scared, filled with negative desires, and through the song, they will improve until they return to the starting position where there is already trust. So the Wolf ends up with Little Red's hand on his waist and her hand on his chest indicating their closeness. Understood?"

I wanted to argue that it could end differently; I had even suggested that in the end, the Wolf could die and Little Red would end up next to the corpse crying. To me, it was a valid ending. It was quickly dismissed under a disapproving look from Miss Sevika, and gradually Ekko took advantage of this to add more elements to the sudden love story between Little Red and the Wolf that I just wanted to be more about hatred.

What could keep me on that path were the growing suspicions of how the Sun Stalker had remained calm since Gwen, and that scholarship that could be mine with two formidable performances alongside Ekko, who was currently in a gray area.

We both started the routine again as we stopped when Ekko had to jump, which Miss Sevika corrected, then because I didn't coordinate with him. In the end, because we were separating too much. Then we did a step perfectly and stumbled when I got a bad grip. Miss Sevika made us repeat it from scratch while Ekko and I got back into the starting pose.

We looked at each other as I extended my hand toward his cheek, which he brushed away with a rough gesture, earning my startled look as he advanced and I retreated. The choreography continued as we turned, where he had to catch me in the air while I spun on my skates. Every time it happened, I prayed he wouldn’t let me fall, but Ekko was very strong. I had noticed that.

He let me down as I backed away, fleeing to what we continued skating, doing various tricks that Ekko was improving. I did a double spin while falling, watching him as he followed me until he pulled my hand, letting me go abruptly as the choreography dictated. And then, he turned around, making it his turn to flee as I had a second to watch him go.

"Ready! Exactly!" Miss Sevika clapped, capturing our attention. "Now we just need the interesting part."

"Again," I replied. "Why does he pull my hand and I have to pretend to be in love because of that?"

Miss Sevika huffed.

"Because he’s saving you," she scolded, almost looking for a board. "The wolf scares Little Red at the beginning while trying to undo his action as she flees in terror; there, he’s saving you. And you see that he’s more than just a terrifying Big Bad Wolf."

"He’s still the one who ate my grandmother."

Miss Sevika groaned, frustrated.

"Why can’t you see it a little romantically?"

"I do it for both of us," Ekko interjected, looking at me. "I’m the most visionary here."

I shook my head.

"And what do you see? My grandmother in your stomach?"

"What if the Wolf never ate the grandmother?"

"It seems to me that substituting her and saying: 'Oh, sweet Little Red!' and 'These teeth are to eat you better!' isn’t very romantic."

Ekko sighed.

"That doesn’t happen here."

"But it did happen."

"Look, what if it was a hunter?" he asked, handing me my water. "What if he was fleeing from a hunter who killed your grandmother and was scared? You’re looking at everything from a single perspective."

I watched him take a sip of my water while he sat down.

"And what other perspective do you suggest, the boy savior?"

"The perspective of the Big Bad Wolf, and the general one," he explained. "Based on humanity in general, I don’t blame him for being so distrustful and bitter because surely people have always tried to attack or kill him. How would he know you were good?"

"Neither of them would know."

Ekko nodded.

"Exactly. And both are the heroes of their own story while the other is the villain," he replied. "In your version, he’s the fierce wolf who killed your grandmother. In his, you’re just another girl who treated him badly and killed him."

I looked at him while I thought about it for a few seconds.

"You’re right; I won’t deny it," I admitted. "I guess that’s why Miss Sevika likes you so much. You’re hopeless romantics. And let me guess, your favorite book is Pride and Prejudice, boy savior."

He twisted his face in amusement.

"Actually," he smiled, "it’s Persuasion."

"Persuasion?" I repeated, not knowing. "No idea. I don’t read."

He looked at me as if I were crazy.

"You... don’t know what Persuasion is?"

"Should I?" I repeated. "I don’t know; honestly, romance books aren’t my thing. They’re Jace’s."

"Not even one current one?"

I shook my head.

"Not even one."

"You must be joking."

"Yeah. At least I know about Emma."

"Don’t tell me it’s because you saw Clueless," he replied, which made me shrug, nodding. "Weren’t you supposed to see it in class?"

"The closest I got was One Hundred Years of Solitude, and no thanks. The pig killed all my reading mood."

Ekko shook his head. Although he seemed a bit tense, as if telling me that was the worst thing he could say. Before I could speak, he stood up with his shoes ready while giving me a slightly serious look.

"Not all literature is like that," he replied, looking at me. "Listen... I have to go."

"If you’re going on a date, I hope you’re not dressed like that."

Ekko looked at me seriously.

"A date?"

"Drugs?" I asked.

"No. It’s nothing like that, just..." he hesitated. "If they ask, I was here with you."

"And who would ask?"

His eyes sparkled. He enjoyed it. Something didn’t sit right with me.

"Curious blue girl."

And he left. Leaving me speechless, which made me grind my teeth a bit.

"Oh, he’s a charming young man," Miss Sevika sighed beside me. "I think he likes you."

"Of course. I like myself quite a bit too."

Miss SevikaJenn shook her head.

"I mean he likes you a lot."

"Doesn’t it feel new?"

"The freshness of your humor," she replied, looking at me mischievously. "You two look cute together."

"Huh?"

"Call it whatever you want," Miss Sevika replied with a satisfied smile. "But the only person that boy looks at is you. It’s like everything fades away because you’re there."

I grimaced.

"You two make romance sound so murky that I’m thinking of going from bi to zerosexual," I denied while watching her go to the rink. "What would the prefix for zero quantity be?"

"It doesn’t exist."

"Oh," I smiled while adjusting my skirt. "That explains a lot about my love life."

Miss Sevika shook her head, amused.

And then, my solo practice began as a Taylor Swift song started. It had to be impeccable. I started practicing, knowing I had exactly one hour before Caitlyn arrived to end my practice. And in all that time, I could only think of one thing:

Where had Ekko gone?

( • • • )

Marcus wasn't home when I arrived.

And neither was Mom.

I was in my room listening to a Taylor Swift song when my eyes went to the house across the street, noticing that Ekko wasn’t there either. It felt like a low-budget horror movie. My eyes went to his yard where his room was, with the windows open. It was more of a fortress than a house.

I took a book while jotting down my ideas regarding the identity of the Sun Stalker. I didn’t know how to start, beyond the fact that he was a very good manipulator. He knew how to attract his victims. He also planned meticulously, meaning he studied his victims to make them disappear in broad daylight and had advanced knowledge to leave no trace of evidence on the bodies found.

He was a ghost. But I could be a specter.

Because it would be unexpected.

I thought about it for a moment.

I needed to skate to think better.

I took the book while hiding it behind a shelf, looking around while sighing. Yes, I was a bit paranoid. I took my roller skates until I reached the sidewalk, observing the pavement. It was all quite deserted, almost like a ghost town. The weather was overwhelming. It was cold. Vi was at that sushi place she loved, and Jace had a date with Viktor, which added up to another day of the cruel summer that these months represented for me.

I hoped Vicky would post a mystery podcast today.

I sighed when I turned around, nearly falling hard to the ground when a hand caught my waist, leaving me bewildered.

"Mylo," I pointed out, pulling away, but he didn’t remove his hand. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I..." he hesitated. "You were going to fall and hurt yourself."

"I was," I replied, almost swatting his hand away. "What are you doing here?"

He frowned, looking at his hand for a moment as if it had burned him.

"I came to see if you were okay."

"Oh. Well, I’m great."

He looked at Ekko’s house with suspicion, which caught my attention regarding his discontent. I hadn’t even looked at the Shannon' house.

"Is...?" he began. "Is he your partner?"

"Why? Don’t you like him?"

He shook his head, tensing his jaw.

"He has a bad reputation."

"What?"

He looked at me. There was something about Mylo that made me uneasy. Never. And that’s why I didn’t look at him. Knowing that Marcus liked him was enough for me to dislike him even if he wasn’t at fault. His eyes looked at me with a sentiment I couldn’t decipher as he nodded stiffly. He was the first person who seemed to genuinely hate Ekko and his family.

"Yeah. They say he slept with half the party from the last game," he spat, frowning. "Take the long way. He has no friends. He’s weird. He doesn’t give me a good vibe. I think... I think he does drugs."

"Or so goes the story," I replied, somewhat confused. "Anything else to say about Ekko?"

"Do you like him?" he shot back, as if it were a reprimand. "I mean, it’s not my business, but you should be careful with guys like him. Or well, especially him."

I nodded. "That’ll be my problem, Mylo," I replied, somewhat curtly due to the authority he had imposed on himself. "Look, if you have nothing else to do, you can leave."

"Jinx..."

"What?"

"Don’t be alone with him."

"Anything else?"

"I..." he sighed. "I’m just trying to be nice; trust me."

I looked at him in silence.

"If you’re going to say something, say it completely. But you’re nothing of mine to order me what I can and cannot do."

Mylo looked at me in silence before speaking; he didn’t like what I had said.

"I think he did something to..."

"Jinx!"

My gaze lifted to see Ekko approaching with a slight smile that faded when he saw Mylo. He was too close to me, so I tried to distance myself from the latter. What were these two thinking? Regardless, Ekko reached our side, looking at Mylo as if he were going to kill him. His gaze darkened so much that his gray eyes turned pretty dark.

It was the look he had on the football field. And I didn’t like it.

"Is something wrong?"

"We were just talking," Mylo replied, for me. "And you interrupted us."

He was racking up all the points for the hit I was dodging. I hated that they spoke for me.

"Did I?"

"I just asked..."

"I was asking Jinx," Ekko observed me, his gaze lighting up suddenly as our eyes met. "Is something going on here?"

"No," Mylo replied again, and that annoyed me.

"Mylo was just leaving," I replied, giving him a glance. "And tell Marcus to stop trying or I’ll break a gin bottle over his head. Besides, I can speak for myself."

"I..." he looked at Ekko, nodding tensely. And his eyes were pleading with me. "I’ll come back later."

Ekko followed him with an impassive look. It was incredible how little expression he could show despite being a cheerful guy who loved Persuasion. He looked scary like this; the darkness in his eyes was chilling. I stopped looking at him when my attention went to Mylo's truck engine leaving there tense. All I could see were his knuckles white on the steering wheel from the tension.

"Is he your friend?"

"No, Marcus’s," I replied. "Can’t I have friends without you giving me that death look?"

"It’s just that you were tense," he pointed out, looking at me. "Not like with the dark-haired guy. You were angry."

"And why did you come, or should I kick you out before you tell me like that one?"

He looked at me confused.

"Didn’t he tell you why he came?"

"Do I speak Russian or Chinese?" I growled, in a bad mood. "No, he didn’t tell me. And if you don’t tell me, you’re going with him. Do they think that just because I’m alone they have to accompany me or speak for me? I can do that perfectly on my own, thanks."

"I know, I know. I’m sorry," he apologized, regretful. "I... I just wanted to help you. I know you can defend yourself."

"And hit you with a skate in the face."

"Yeah, and more," he added. "I’m sorry for seeming like a caveman."

I evaluated him for a few seconds; either he was honest or a very good liar. I nodded, downplaying it a bit.

"Relax, I think Mylo won the caveman competition," I joked. "What did you come for, Ekko? There’s no training today."

Ekko nodded. But my response about Mylo left him scowling, filled with bad humor. He looked like a copy of me just waking up.

"I... I came to give you some cookies that Andromeda made," he extended them to me, hesitating. "I have to go. Bye."

"Wait," I stopped him, taking them. "Why cookies and why so fast?"

Ekko made an effort to smile that came out more like a grimace.

"Curious blue girl."

"I’m going to throw that skate in your face."

"I don’t know," he replied sincerely as he walked away. "I have to go. I’m sorry, blue; it’ll be next time."

I stayed there, cursing him with the cookies in my hand as he drove away in his car. Mylo had wanted to say something, and Ekko had wanted to do something.

And my question remained: what specters were haunting both of them to not tell me everything they knew?

Chapter Text

THE TRUTH IS THAT WHEN I WAS HOME ALONE, I COULDN'T SLEEP.

Or when everything was silent.

"What's wrong, weirdo?"

Everyone was sleeping in silence. At most, the TV was on. But I couldn't. And yes, it had been happening since Powder. I even went to therapy for it. It terrified me. I felt there was no state more vulnerable than being asleep. So I spent my nights until five in the morning staring at the ceiling with my heart in my hand, listening for the slightest noise.

Jace said I lived in Five Nights at Freddy's but in infinite mode. I hit him. Though he was right.

When Mom was home, I could sleep, and that was quite a bit of time, but still, I didn't know. My hours of sleep were few and intermittent. The truth is that Mom traveled regularly during her youth when she was a coroner. Something she had omitted a bit because she didn't like to talk about it. She had been a coroner until she decided to become a dentist. I didn't know what she had seen, but it made her very uncomfortable to talk about it despite her experience and qualifications. In the county, she was the retired coroner consulted for excellence. And that didn't make her very happy.

Maybe the mental issues ran in the family.

I sighed, staring at the ceiling as I got up. Mom was here. We hadn't talked much, but that night Marcus wasn't around. That was something. We didn't have an explicit habit of talking and resolving all our conflicts; they were more like things that happened, we distanced ourselves, and then we returned. I was going to keep wandering about everything that wouldn't let me sleep when I heard something. I immediately sat up in bed, looking at Ekko's window.

He looked... strange.

He was gone. And sad. A soul that was breaking. He wasn't crying, but I felt like he was. It was like... like Powder in that bathroom. Still, Ekko shook his head, leaving the window as he turned around and walked away. I couldn't help but watch him for a bit.

Ekko Shannon was an enigmatic wolf.

Before I could react, Ekko was in the garage with a punching bag, hitting it hard. I hadn't noticed, but more than being completely cold and furious, he hit it as if he really wanted to hit something else. It reminded me, again, and to my misfortune, of Powder throwing the skate. There was something Ekko wanted to overcome, something he didn't know how to deal with.

And I found myself wondering: Could the Big Bad Wolf be Little Red Riding Hood's ally who could save her from the real danger?

At seven in the morning. I had barely slept an hour when I felt Mom get up. I mimicked her. I let my hair down and put on somewhat decent clothes while hesitating for a second. But I went out to see Mom in the kitchen looking at me somewhat uncomfortably.

"Mom..."

"He's not here," she assured me, almost desperately. "He's gone."

"And for how long?"

"Jinx, honey, no..."

"Mom, I've spent my whole life trying to keep you away from him, but I can't keep doing it," I cut in, honestly. "The only one who can tell him not to come back is you."

"He’s been sober since that night."

I looked at her; sometimes when she talked about it, she didn’t look like Mom. She was someone completely different. What nobody tells you about domestic violence are the consequences, the shame, and how you simply don't admit it later because of public scrutiny, where anyone looks from afar and says, "How could she be so stupid?"

"Mom..."

"No, don’t leave again," she pleaded. "I know it was very hard for you, but it won’t happen again. I swear it won't. Nothing. I won’t even see him again."

I watched her, hesitating.

"Did he do something when you kicked him out?"

"No. No," she shook her head, moving a little closer. "Don't go, okay? I promise nothing will happen again."

"Do you remember the therapy sessions?"

"Yes."

"He’s not good for you, Mom," I concluded. "I’m not leaving. It's fine."

Mom nodded, finally giving me a hug.

"I'm sorry, honey," she whispered. "Now he can come with his whole family, but I won’t back down. Not this time."

I returned the hug in silence as we had breakfast more cheerfully. I couldn't stop thinking about the horrible paternal family I had and how my desire to keep being a Zaunite was dwindling. The truth was that sometimes I didn't know if I justified or understood Mom. If she loved Marcus or feared him. If it was an important factor that the Zaunite were relatively powerful so that she didn’t leave him in time and he got away with it. If something had changed, if Mom had reacted before Marcus couldn't sink any lower into alcohol after he hit me when I knocked all the bottles down.

That day he got very angry. It was the first and last time he raised his hand directly at me.

"That boy has boxer material," Mom murmured, looking out the window. "He hasn’t left that poor bag since I got up."

"Does he still hit it?"

"As if there were no tomorrow," she glanced at me, starting to rummage through the fridge. "He's such a mysterious boy."

I looked at my sandwich.

"Do you think he’s a good guy?"

"Well, if he helps at the Khione Center and signed up with you for that opportunity without getting anything in return, I think he’s not a bad guy," she looked at me, smiling a bit. "Do you like him? He’s so handsome."

And there was Mom back again.

"Ugh. No."

"What? But he’s so handsome and attentive!" she sighed. "You must be asking me if he’s a good guy for some reason."

"I depend on him to not fall, I think that's a minimum requirement."

Mom laughed, watching Ekko as he stood up by the kitchen window.

"His mother, or stepmother, came to thank me for having him so happy," she confessed, smiling brightly. "She said she had never seen him so happy."

"What?" I swallowed. "Did Mrs. Andromeda tell you that?"

Mom nodded.

"She was so cheerful; she says he’s a somewhat sad and unsociable boy but that since he’s been in the competition with you, he’s a different person," she glanced at me. "I think you do him good, and he does you. And I wouldn’t mind if you two went out."

"You just killed everything."

"They would make such a cute couple," she sighed. "I don’t know, but I feel like that boy hasn’t had it easy."

"What do you know, Mom?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"Mom..."

She huffed, turning away.

"I don’t know for sure, nor is it something I can confirm, but I think he’s moved four times," she explained. "And I think he hasn’t done very well socially; they even talk about a fight. But none of that I can confirm; I’m just repeating what I hear."

A fight.

"Do you think it’s true?"

"They must have their reasons as well as the truth of it," she replied, downplaying it. "Oh, poor thing, it must be terrible to move constantly without friends."

"Yeah," I replied dryly. "Terrible."

Mom continued talking more cheerfully as we returned to our usual relationship. I finished eating and looked for three cookies that I stuffed into my hoodie pocket. Everyone had something to say about Ekko Shannon, a terrible reputation, including me. So why, with a cool head, did something seem to not make sense?

Damn. Ekko was like Taylor Swift, and I was reading about sensationalist media.

Maybe I needed another approach.

I left the house with my skates on my back tied with the laces as I crossed the street to his porch. The sun still hadn’t fully risen; it was barely seven in the morning. I approached his garage where Ekko was still hitting that punching bag like it was his worst enemy. I swallowed hard. Wow, he had strength.

And scars on his knuckles.

Oh, Big Bad Wolf. What are you hiding?

"If you were the Sun Stalker," I began loudly, "what would your next attack be?"

Ekko tensed, stopping the bag and giving me a confused and dark look. He was impassive for having trained so much. He looked at me as if he hadn't heard me correctly.

"Jinx?"

"If you were the Sun Stalker," I repeated, with no intention of having a survival instinct. "Where would your next attack be? Here?"

He remained somewhat tense and distant while tilting his head.

"What’s with the question?"

"Well, I want to win an eight-inch horn and some wireless headphones, so I want to guess something I heard on the radio," I lied, with such confidence that even I believed it. "And you said you had experience because it was unexpected; you got it right once. So where would you attack now?"

For a moment, I felt like I really messed up.

I imagined myself fighting for my life at that moment, being the last one. Despite all the chaos, Vi reproaching my grave for being a stupid paranoid suicidal. And Jace realizing that there was someone more dumb than him.

"Curious blue girl."

"I'm going to hit you," I threatened. "Where would you attack, Ekko?"

He hesitated for a few seconds. I couldn’t process my adrenaline level.

"Nexus."

"Why?"

"It wouldn’t be unexpected anymore," he pointed out. "But they would be waiting for a new attack at the beginning of it all. And with how well it’s been going, he feels the need to mock the police. He’s unstoppable."

"Good thing you’re not the Sun Stalker."

Ekko tensed. Got you. Then he relaxed as he let go of the punching bag.

"No," he cut in. "Is that why you came at seven in the morning?"

"Well, you’ve spent like three hours hitting that bag enough for me to want to hit you."

His face turned into a poem.

"Did... did you hear me?"

"Yeah," I winked, tossing him some cookies that he caught with impressive accuracy. "Good morning, boy savior."

I waited for some sarcastic comment or for him to take the bag and kill me. Honestly, I was so full of adrenaline that I saw everything as possible except for his not-so-threatening reactions, which felt more like a puppy discovering the kindness of humans.

"Did you bring me a cookie?"

"If you don’t want it, even better," I rolled my eyes. "And I didn’t poison it, idiot."

"No, no. I know you didn’t," he shook his head. "Just... forget it, thanks. And yes, I want it."

"What a horror," I joked. "I was hoping you’d tell me no."

Ekko smiled, watching me as he approached, starting to play with the cookie between his hands. He looked better. There were no longer traces of what had happened at dawn at his window. It was so complicated.

"I was thinking we could train here today, or whatever, since we don’t have to today."

"Is it a date?"

Ekko looked at me weird as I openly laughed at his face.

"Conversations are your thing, blue."

"It’s a talent. And yes, I accept," I gave a glance at his garage. "Take another cookie."

"Are you calling me poor?"

I couldn’t help but laugh as I left the garage, giving him another cookie.

"The opposite. My plan is for you to feel guilty and buy me something much better to eat," I smiled, crossing the street. "See you!"

I walked away, going for a moment to my house for my dirt skates while saying goodbye to Mom. When I returned as quickly as I left, Ekko left the door open, so I paused for a moment at the entrance.

Nexus.

I took out my phone and sent a message to the group I had with Jace and Vi about what was happening. Vi's response was almost immediate.

If I see you in Nexus, I’m going to hit you, Jinx. Stay with Ekko.

"Great help," I muttered.

"Jinx?" I jumped, looking at who was talking to me. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Mr. Wyeth, good morning," I replied, trying to be cordial. "I was coming to train with Ekko."

His brow furrowed in confusion.

"I thought the competition was at the end of summer."

"There’s a semifinal next week," I explained. "It’s a choreography similar to the one we have; after the semifinal, we can be more relaxed."

"Interesting," Mr. Wyeth repeated. "Are you going in?"

I was already starting to sweat cold. Mr. Wyeth looked like any villain dad from any movie, and that just made my adrenaline drop, and possibly my pressure.

"I’m waiting for Ekko."

"Yeah, I saw him rush up," he replied, seriously observing the garage. "He didn’t sleep much."

"No."

Your disguise is starving you, Jinx.

"How’s your mother?"

"Good. She said her appointment with your son went very well," I replied. "She said he had diamonds for teeth."

"Yes, my wife is a very good mother," he praised, honestly taking a sip of his coffee. "I wish I were as good a father."

He had a gray coffee cup steaming with pajamas of the same dull tones. There was something about the Shannon and the color gray that didn’t sit right with me. I swallowed hard while shifting my weight from one foot to the other.

"Nothing could be worse than mine."

"I can imagine," he agreed. "But you’re a brave girl."

Sure, my ovaries asking Ekko if he was a murderer prove that.

"Why?"

"You have strong ideals that you defend without backing down, and I admire that a bit," he admitted, to my surprise. "I hope to see you more often, Jinx."

I didn’t know if I should say "Likewise."

"Yeah..." I started, losing a bit of color in my skin. "If I ask why you decided to move here, can you answer me?"

Mr. Wyeth tensed with another sip of his coffee while looking at me for a while, analyzing me. I couldn't handle my level of suicide. Vi would kill me. Still, he simply sighed. The living room was spacious, the wooden door ajar, the dining room next to it, which he leaned against with the stairs on the side that I couldn’t see because of the door. There was a chandelier. And some incredibly beautiful black leather sofas that made me want to throw myself onto them, blending with the color palette of their entire house: white, black, and blue in various shades.

Despite this beautiful atmosphere that gave me the feeling of being in a furniture exhibition, I felt the tension change everything with my question.

Mr. Wyeth seemed to think about it more than he could express, and then he took another sip of his coffee when he was about to respond.

"Dad," Ekko's voice came out. "What are you doing awake?"

He pointed at me with the coffee cup.

"I was just chatting with our lovely neighbor, Jinx."

Ekko rushed to my side, giving his father a look that was almost a scolding. I didn’t let that pass. His dad looked at him tensely, almost reproaching him for something. Still, my voice pulled us out of all the tension in the air.

"Are you ready? Vicky is going to upload a video."

"Who’s Vicky?" he looked at me, forgetting his dad.

"Unfortunately not my girlfriend. So move."

Ekko cracked a small amused smile.

"Yes, ma'am."

"You’re going to fall pretty hard, Ekko."

We left when I paused, watching Ekko’s dad, who was looking at us with an unreadable expression. I didn’t know if it was good or bad. But I waved goodbye while Ekko looked at me as if he were freezing.

"See you later, Mr. Wyeth."

He kept that expression.

"See you later, Jinx."

Ekko hurried me out. And as soon as we reached my sidewalk, he looked at me with a furrowed brow.

"Did he say anything to you?" he asked. "What did he say?"

"He greeted me," I replied, confused. "Look, just because you have no manners doesn’t mean others don’t either."

He looked at me offended.

"Ouch," he shook his head. "And... didn’t he say anything else?"

He was going to tell me something.

I shook my head, pretending I didn’t know anything. But it seemed to relax him as if keeping me ignorant was to his benefit, which created doubt about what information his father could have. Ekko Hall had many secrets. Too many. It was like the rest of the world was black and white, but for my colorblind eyes, he was in flaming colors that only screamed guilt.

"No. Why?"

Ekko shook his head, walking beside me.

"It doesn’t matter," he downplayed it. "We need to train for the semifinals."

Or we need to pay attention to what you’re trying to ignore, Big Bad Wolf.

Chapter Text

"YOUR HAND ON MY WAIST."

Ekko looked at me somewhat amused.

"Now what?"

"If you let me fall or I lose points because of you, you will wish you hadn't," I barked, while placing his hand on my waist. "Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am."

We performed the jump. The choreography again, and Ekko was tense. Usually, he was always tense, but at a level that could match mine. I just needed him to stop being so tense. On the fifth jump, he almost stumbled because of the trunk that was his abdomen that I collided with. Ekko was a statue. And at that moment, I couldn't continue.

"I'm sorry," he jumped, giving me a look. "Are you okay?"

"We've been at this for three hours, and you look like a statue. I think not," I huffed, thinking it over. "Come on, you need to stop being tense."

Ekko was a poem as he watched me.

"What will you do?"

"Curious Big Bad Wolf," I repeated, mimicking his tone of voice as we entered my house. "Help me move the furniture."

That confused him even more.

"What will you do?" he repeated.

I moved one with all my effort while I stopped, panting. I was so lazy.

"It's not like we’re going to do it on the floor, so relax. Or do it in general," I joked, trying to move the furniture more. "It's a technique Miss Sevika taught me to relax."

I was about to curse that sofa until it felt bad when it moved with Ekko helping me as if it were nothing. Of course, he was very strong. How could I not know that? Self-defense, a football star, skating, and strength. Sometimes I wanted to throw everything away, jump on his back, and try to choke him, but something stopped me beyond my logical reasoning that I had no concrete proof or opportunity against him.

And that thing that stopped me was the same thing that was moving the furniture around us.

I should look for a manual on how to know when someone might be a potential killer and how to act around them.

"What will you do?" he repeated for the third time.

"Dance," I replied, while I thought of a song that wasn’t explicitly by Taylor Swift because that would be the last straw. "You need to relax before putting on some skates, so you need to get used to my touch."

"I don’t dance."

"Better," I replied. "That way I have control, Big Bad Wolf."

"Ma Meilleure Ennemie" started playing loudly from my phone throughout the room. I turned around to see Ekko with his eyes completely dark on me, tense and doubtful. He looked intimidating. Very much so. As if he didn’t know what to do other than stay alert.

I swallowed hard, taking his hand as I placed it on my waist and put the other on his shoulder. It was like standing in front of a trunk. Ekko barely grazed my waist as we began to move around the room.

"You’re a bit tense."

"Mm," he repeated, looking at the floor. "I told you I don’t dance."

"Look me in the eyes," I ordered, as we swayed. "Just let yourself go with the song, and if you want, step on me. I’m not going anywhere."

"Are you sure?"

"Ekko," I repeated, adjusting his hand on my waist. "The only way I would leave is if you kept acting like a trunk. Come on, find your flow."

Ekko shook his head, amused, while we swayed with a bit more confidence. Even a turn where he caught me using a bit more strength. I even laughed when he almost stepped on me, and we repeated the same thing when his grip on my waist became more secure. I laughed when he stumbled, which made him spin me suddenly until he held me by the waist while leaning back, causing me to dig my nails into his shoulder.

"I’m not a trunk," he replied. "And I have a lot of flow."

I got up while he spun me.

"Not anymore, finally," we joined our hands as we continued doing completely random steps. "But you are a bit of a trunk."

"I thought I was the Big Bad Wolf."

"You’re multitasking," I summarized. "Congratulations."

Ekko let out a laugh as he spun me until we almost reached the end of the song, swaying to what it was saying. I hadn’t noticed the lyrics until that moment. Looking into his eyes, saying I wouldn’t leave even though I would. It was almost essential.

The song ended, and we stayed there for a moment.

"You’re not so bad."

"Coming from you, it means I’m really good."

"Nope," I insisted. "Another round."

I slid my hand from his shoulder to his abdomen, which made him jump in place with a whimper. I was just about to adjust myself when that made me alert as I saw him hesitate.

"It’s nothing."

"Ekko?" I repeated. "What happened?"

"Nothing."

"We both know that when we use that excuse, it’s much easier to tear it apart," I reasoned, watching him hesitate. "I have ice and creams."

He didn’t react, so I stepped away. I was going to get some ice when he huffed, lifting his shirt a bit.

"It was a few days ago," he grumbled. "It’s nothing serious, just a hit."

I looked at him; it was a bruise that was almost gone but... Damn. It was a bruise on his abdomen like my mom had told me. Eve had attacked him; she had defended herself. That was days ago, Ekko... Oh no, Ekko had a mark like that on his abdomen.

He must have seen my expression for him to cover up instantly.

No. It can’t be...

"I’m sorry, I have to go."

"Was it in a fight?" I asked before he left. "Or was it your dad?"

"Dad? No, never!" he denied, shocked. "He would never do that."

"Then was it in a fight?"

Ekko hesitated, shaking his head.

"Just forget it. It will go away."

"And how long will it take for another one to replace it?" I blurted, while inhaling deeply, almost trembling, and handing him an ice pack. "Ekko..."

"I’m sorry."

I was terrified. And confused. But still, I looked him in the eyes.

"I don’t know who you are, or if you’re good or bad. Nor how you got that, if it’s the first or the last, but we’re a team right now," I replied. "Just..."

My voice faded. I didn’t know how to say it, or what I wanted to say because: How could he be so cruel, violent, and sadistic looking like this? But the hit, Nexus, his blood-stained shirt. Everything pointed to yes.

"I owe you a cream," I murmured, almost trembling. "Take a seat."

"Jinx..." he began. "It wasn’t on purpose, it was..."

The fact that he couldn’t explain it silenced me worse than if he had told me. I had a lump in my throat, trying to nod.

"You can’t explain it, can you?"

"No."

"Then don’t try to lie about it," I replied. "I’ll find out when I have to find out. That’s how it always works."

Ekko slightly opened his lips while I applied the cream to any scrape he had from training. He was going to say something, but he held back. That frustrated him. I didn’t know how I knew it, but he was frustrated. I had no idea why it seemed that when I was finally going to reach the answer that I was paranoid and that he wasn’t the Sun Stalker, things turned upside down.

He almost growled when I turned on the TV while Ekko remained frustrated under my touch, which was almost done.

I didn’t know if in this story: I was going to kill the Wolf first or he was going to kill me first, but I was getting fed up right at the beginning of summer.

"Today we report a regrettable news," the TV said; it was Mel Medarda. "The lifeless body of Sol Nunier has been recovered from the garbage dump on the outskirts of Nexus by the Arcane highway. Details have not yet been disclosed, but close sources to the discovery claim that a local worker made the discovery of the body, which he described as: 'The greatest atrocity he has ever seen in his life.' It is presumed that the state of decomposition could be three to five days..."

I tensed.

Sol Nunier appeared on the screen for long seconds while I left Ekko there, half-healed. Her hair was dyed. After so many times I had seen Caitlyn dye her hair, I recognized it easily, although it was so natural. So much so that it must have been that her blue-green hair was almost perfect. She had freckles. In the photo, she was heavily made up, smiling, with birthday balloons behind her that said nineteen and a scholarship that I heard half of because I was frozen.

They didn’t know it was him, or they didn’t want to say it to alert the public more. But I knew.

I really knew, and more that I was very close.

He did it.

"Sources claim that there was some kind of message at the scene," he explained. "The police have not wanted to give details that could compromise the investigation. Let’s remember that Sol Nunier disappeared almost a month ago along with her younger sister, Serena. And this leads us to the question that the family and friends of both girls are asking: Will we have Serena alive or will we continue adding victims to a faceless criminal? Mel Medarda, Piltover TV."

I was trembling. I didn’t even know it until I felt Ekko’s hand, which I instinctively pulled away. His gaze crossed many emotions, and none helped me. He was confused, and I was left without answers.

"Jinx?"

"I’m done," I replied, somewhat dry. "I have to go with Vi; training is over."

Ekko nodded. Looking at me with some doubt, though he was tense, watching the news uncomfortably as if he hated to see it.

"Did I do something wrong?"

I don’t know.

I didn’t respond. I didn’t know if it was him or just my assumptions. But the truth was that I was terrified. I had just felt like I was taking six steps closer to the line of death from the Sun Stalker; that overwhelmed me so much that I simply changed the subject.

"Tomorrow there’s a party at the Khione Center with everyone," I replied. "Will you go?"

He had approached at the first party together. I needed to know if he was or wasn’t him. I had to confirm or deny it. And the only way was with the damn trust.

No one makes a friend expecting them to betray you.

"Will you?"

"Yes."

"Then maybe I’ll go."

He stood up, tense, while he reached the door with muscles so tight I could see them under his shirt, besides his hair being more disheveled than usual. If I looked into his eyes, they would surely be the color of clouds when a storm is coming. Everything about him had changed since I noticed that bruise on his torso. A bruise with as many answers as questions. I didn’t know what to do; after all, I was a teenager trying to do something for others, and more than being sure I was on the right path, I felt I was on a treacherous road full of shortcuts, obstacles, turns, and with a divided ending.

Still, I called him.

"Ekko?"

He stopped almost instantly, looking at me, although I didn’t return the direct gaze to his eyes.

"I hope you don’t have any more accidental bruises," I whispered. "At seven."

Ekko showed no facial expressions other than being irritated.

"At seven."

And he left. As soon as he closed the door, leaving with his skates, my legs trembled as I released all the air I had been holding. My phone buzzed with the news of Sol Nunier from Vi, Caitlyn, Jace and Viktor. Even Mom, who first arrived and gave me a loud kiss on the forehead with a hug.

But I only felt like I had lost without playing.

That night, I watched Ekko talk on the phone heatedly from my window. He looked irritated, desperate, and furious. All in one. I had never seen him so agitated, but whoever he was talking to was not going well. In the end, after many calls where he hung up or was cut off, he threw the phone onto the bed in frustration, running his hands through his hair like a caged beast that was hungry.

My phone rang. And I stopped looking at him.

It was a message from Vi. More than anything, an audio. I placed it to my ear.

"Oh no, Jinx. I... I don’t know how to say this," she mumbled, rambling. "Samuel, the coroner's son, is my neighbor. And today his dad talked to my mom and told her what the note said. That man was terrified. And I don’t even know why I’m telling you this to stress you out more, but I don’t know who else to tell if not Jace or you, but..." she hesitated, while I heard her breathing. "He said: 'The light has freed you, I'm coming for you.' Do you know what it means?"

Oh yes. I knew very well.

He had killed a girl to send a message.

A pattern. An ideal. He had accepted who he was, and his reloaded version was coming. And he had a specific target, a blue girl from the four counties, a prime victim.

And this Little Red Riding Hood knew who had done it, but I couldn’t prove it. Not yet.

Chapter Text

"I WOULDN'T EAT THAT."

"It's protein, Jace. And you shouldn't judge anything by its appearance."

"But it looks disgusting," he insisted. "At least Patricio Star's salad has some visual charm."

"I'm not very objective," I intervened. "When I'm hungry, everything looks and tastes good."

"It still looks bad."

"Jace," Vi pinched him. "Don't be reckless, we're in a restaurant."

"And so what? If I pay, I can say whatever I want," he denied, making a face. "No. Jace will not eat that. Today it’s two salads like Patricio Star."

"You know how that sounds, right?"

Jace nodded.

"The only thing I hear is my stomach growling with hunger and that Patricio will save the day," he sighed loudly. "Amen. And thank you."

Vi was going to kill him, but she sighed, giving me a look. She knew something was happening with me, so she nudged Jace. Soon the three of us knew we had to talk, even though I had no idea what to say concretely. At least the noise from the sushi place calmed my nerves a bit. Although that fish tank didn’t inspire much confidence.

But that red sauce, whose name I never learned, captured all my attention, along with Vi's scoldings for taking it by the dozens, insisting we shouldn't abuse the owner's good will. In my defense: it was delicious, and I was hungry. End of story.

"What are your advances on the Big Bad Wolf Project?"

Vi huffed, disappointed while I punched her arm.

"That's not talked about," I scolded. "And we'll just say it's research for a contest, understood?"

Vi nudged him again while Jace nodded.

"Has the emo prince done anything then?" Jace asked. "Has he punched a wall? Did he tell you that his dad or mom cheated on the other and that’s why he can't feel? Or has he shown you a tattoo or a cigarette?"

"I don’t think Ekko is like that."

Jace took a sip of his soda.

"Why?" he leaned in with his drink. "Did you see him in blue and not black, or has he not done any violent or completely manic act under the power of love for Jinx?"

"He bought her a cardboard crown and an ice cream."

"Well, that has its points," Jace admitted. "At least we know he's poor, because he didn't even choose plastic."

Vi grunted at Jace's laughter. I almost laughed remembering the renovations of Ekko's big house. My thoughts were interrupted by Vi's huge exhale.

"I really don't think he is," she insisted. "If he wanted to kill Jinx, who is the most bluest blue-haired in this place, he would have had plenty of opportunities. Too many."

"He could have killed me when he went for the ice cream and framed the monkey. Everything would match."

Jace drank more, shaking his head with a laugh.

"We'll make a Netflix documentary about this, incredible."

"And," Vi replied, "he didn't. Or he hurt you. He hasn't even forced you to get into a car. I even talked to him, and he's just as weird as you but much more socially awkward. He's like a stray puppy on the street."

"Ouch," I mumbled, looking at my menu. "And I... I'm not so sure now if he is, you know."

Jace laughed.

"Because he's sexy, right? I knew it. I should have bet on it."

"I'm going to stab you with a crown skate, Jace Tails," I threatened. That silenced him. And I sighed. "He hides something, and I don't know if it's good, but something tells me it's very bad, but like a murderer... Like him. I don't know. I think Ekko has more secrets than life. And that doesn't make me feel calm."

"What has he done?"

I hesitated.

"Mom said Eve defended herself and severely kicked her attacker in the torso," I explained. "And yesterday, while training, Ekko grimaced, and I saw his torso and... he had a bruise. I know how they are. I know how long it had been there. And it matched. Damn it, it matched."

"Do you think that's evidence?"

I shook my head. It was too easy to justify.

"No."

"The only way to know he's not the one," Jace intervened, "is if someone disappears, and he's with you."

"If you're telling me to sleep with him, I'm going to cut your..."

"No, no, no!" he denied, almost blushing. "And don't involve my bells in this. They're still new and can't announce the glorious moment."

Jace called his testicles "bells" because he believed they announced important events, something like cathedrals announcing a wedding. I couldn't find it more ridiculous. I even told him that maybe that was the answer to his sexual state, but he claimed that balls sounded vulgar and insulting. And that he was a man of class.

Nonsense.

"Get over it, being a virgin is in your plans for a long time."

"Sorry, active girls. There are people who wait for marriage," he huffed. "I'm just saying you must have figured something out about the time pattern of, you know, Voldemort, and that if he's with you, maybe even playing Mario Kart. It can't be him."

"That... that’s quite intelligent."

"Unless he has an evil twin brother and we're screwed. Or maybe he's an alien. A really cheap one."

"And that's Jace."

I considered that for a moment. He was right. Oh, I was so screwed or this was going to end badly. I nodded while he smiled triumphantly. If Ekko was with me, it couldn't be him. And maybe I could even make sure it wasn't his dad with a casual question about calling home.

It was a good plan.

"Reck!" Vi smiled. "We haven't seen him in a while."

"Please," Jace whined. "A solar special or something that isn’t that."

"If you cry a little more, Mr. Reck is going to kick you out."

He laughed. I turned to look at him, enchanted by our bickering. He had an old apron under his uniform with a stain of my favorite sauce on his chest and soy sauce on one sleeve. Far from looking unhappy, it seemed to make him happier.

"Oh, Jinx. I can't afford to lose one of my best customers," he replied, looking at us. "Why haven't you ordered? Is something wrong?"

"It's just that Jace can't decide."

"I already did," he replied. "You're the one who loves sushi."

Vi huffed.

"The usual. And another salad for Jace."

"On the way," Reck assured. "And how have you been? I heard about the competition, congratulations Jinx. You must be anxious."

"Not much. There are more distressing things."

"What things?" he asked. "Is someone heartbroken?"

Jace shook his head, amused. While I almost grimaced.

I preferred to remain bi-single.

"The Sun Stalker," Vi replied, shaking her head. "God, he's so disgusting."

"Oh," he grimaced, shaking his head. "Him. He's been a real problem."

"Oh yes. And a pain," Jace added. "He's sick. And they almost put a curfew because of him. I hope they catch him soon, or he gets a nasty diarrhea."

"I don’t even want to imagine the reputation you must have with this, Reck."

He tensed while his muscles relaxed with a sigh. He looked uncomfortable.

"Since they found that girl's body near my restaurant, things haven't been going well for me," he sighed. "The karaoke night suspended for two weeks has affected sales. Including everyone here. That girl... still gives me chills."

"Why?"

"Because if she had been here that day, maybe she would have sought refuge here. We could have helped her," he shook his head, sighing. "Maybe it wouldn't have changed much, but at least we could have tried to do something."

"How do you plan to recover?"

Reck sighed.

"Well, if you're not a cop or a forensic expert, things don't look good for publicity right now," he lamented. "Ah, I miss the days when you could leave the doors open and sleep in peace because no one would enter your house. Things have gotten a bit worse."

"If he didn't rape or kill," I grumbled, tense. "Nothing would be damaged."

Everyone fell silent. I couldn't sugarcoat the truth.

A monster couldn't ruin the community of hundreds. It couldn't be stronger than the police or us.

It wasn't.

"Tough times," Reck concluded as he picked up the menus. "A dessert to lighten the mood?"

"Thank you," Vi smiled. "We'll pay anyway."

"No, no. I've known you for years," he finished. "The house invites."

Mr. Reck walked away while Vi sighed, making a grimace.

"He's not in good shape," she said, her eyes drifting to someone else. "That's why he hired that one. I think he charges less; I don't know why."

I turned around, and it was Mylo, who happened to be watching me. That guy was a ball of tension.

"I think he works with anyone he knows because he needs the money."

"He gives me a bad vibe," Jace intervened. "I don't know. I say you tell Ekko that he gave you the eye and let’s see if he beats him up like the bad boy he is."

I rolled my eyes. That idiot.

"And why do you think Ekko is so bad?" I asked, irritated. "What’s Ekko's bad reputation?"

"To start, because of you," he pointed at me. "And I don't know, I think everyone was surprised he didn't go to celebrate the games he wins, that he doesn't talk to anyone, that he has a sour face, that he doesn't go out, that there are no records of his life, that he has no social media. Oh, and between us, that he's a psycho who kills blue-haired girl. How's that for a golden reputation?"

I shook my head, joking. He was just a weirdo. Although coldly, he had hit the nail on the head. I wasn't the only one who thought poorly of him. Even Mylo pointed him out, even more threateningly, but with reason. Something simply wasn't right.

Ekko Shannon.

Was it time for him to stab me in the back?

( • • • )

Caitlyn was simply beautiful.

And whenever there was an important event or when she wanted to stand out, she wore soft matte lipstick. Because that was her color.

Blue.

Besides freckles. She was like Silvermist from Tinkerbell. Even her hair was straight, perfectly styled. She used cream rinse and shampoo, and that was it. She was delicate. She was radiant. There were hundreds of thousands of adjectives to positively describe Caitlyn that I had heard all my life, and even I had thought to come to a conclusion: she was stunning, and her makeup was a damn crazy agility feat.

I was like Coraline and Hades in personality and Ramona Flower in hair. Draw your own conclusions.

It’s not that I wasn't fiery or beautiful. Because I was, to hell with insecurities. But talking about my character and my pulse with eyeliner was like talking about Europe and then about Latin America. I had almost poked an eye out trying to do this eyeliner, and my hair had put up a fight. Plus, I had to wash my face like three times because of the sleepies since I had been yawning several times listening to something Mom was saying about some neighborhood gossip that didn't interest me.

Damn, I hated sleepies.

And at that moment, while we were in the car, I yawned and then cursed.

"Sleepies, Marge?"

"I'm going to hit you," I threatened. "And I think I cleaned them."

"If you want some help, with alcohol no one will notice," he added. "Don’t even do a magnifying glass test. Alcohol is the solution."

"You're the happiest drunk in history."

"But I had a great time, I think!" he replied. "Do you remember when we tried the wine at Jinx's house and got drunk even with ponche crema and watched Bolt?"

"Yes," I smiled, amused. "You were having spasms crying."

"But it's so sad!"

"And not to mention when you hear the song," I continued. "The Niagara Falls."

Jace placed a hand on his heart.

"You offended me, Marinette, you offended me badly."

"Sorry," I apologized. "Bolt is the best animated dog that can exist."

"Thank you."

"But the cat is better," I twisted. "She is the movie."

Vi grunted, parking.

"Can you shut up?" she ordered us. "We're a meter away from Cait's house, and it's the first time I'm doing this."

"But..."

"Silence."

We both nodded. Vi turned around as she started the car. Jace and I sat in the back in silence, letting me drift into the thought that Caitlyn was simply beautiful.

And that this was a whole ugly party at the Center, an excuse to drink and eat.

She came down from her porch in a bluedish outfit, along with some spectacular indigo-colored sneakers. Jace was left speechless, and so was I. And Vi died six times as Caitlyn approached the car door.

"Um," I blurted out before Caitlyn could hear me. "I like your girlfriend."

"Same here."

"I told Viktor," she replied.

"I still gay, how barbaric, Vi."

Caitlyn opened the door, getting in the passenger seat while Vi ignored Jace. She looked stunning. She greeted us, but I didn’t even hear. We must have looked like idiots when she turned to Jace and me because she frowned a little without stopping smiling.

"Is something wrong?"

"Jinx has sleepies," Jace said, while smiling nervously. "Maybe she’ll go blind."

I elbowed him.

"Jace was saying stupid things," I replied. "And I was reflecting on it."

"Oh," she laughed a little. "I understand, it happens a lot to my friend Jaz. There are some great eye drops; if you want, I can go get some."

Vi would kill me.

"No, thanks."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," I nodded. "I just want a hamburger."

Caitlyn laughed as she settled into her seat, fastening her seatbelt while smiling at Vi, who reciprocated, intertwining their fingers.

"I think it will be something vegan. Or maybe sushi."

Vi smiled. They looked so ridiculously happy that even Jace got excited.

"They just called you single in sixty languages," he whispered to my side, and no one else heard. "And it was so nice."

"I'm gonna tell Viktor," I whispered. "I'll die alone."

"I know, at least Viktor and I love each other out of your sign."

The rest of the ride was spent joking among ourselves, although now and then the happy couple's bubble could share its oxygen with us. They hadn’t even kissed, but I felt like a motel lamp next to them with the sweet looks they exchanged.

Damn. How alone I were.

Upon arriving, Vi parked in the Khione Center parking lot as we entered the place. It had balloons, cut paper, and old music in the background from a guy who always worked as a DJ. I think it was "Americano" by Lady Gaga because people were moving pretty happily both on the dance floor and around it. Jace and I bought a hamburger while we sat on the dance floor, losing Vi, who hurriedly said goodbye, giving us instructions like a mom, and Caitlyn being an angel who even gave us a soda.

Ekko was nowhere to be found.

"This feels weird."

"What?" I asked, taking a bite of my hamburger. "The investigation?"

"Not coming from you," he tilted his head. "He talked about how there's no homework, and the next thing we’ll do is university. It sucks."

"Yes, it will be academically more..."

"I wasn't referring to that," he shook his head. "I'm going to have to socialize again. How am I going to do in the first group project? I’ll end up with the worst!"

I rolled my eyes.

"You must be kidding."

"I’m serious; how horrible," he huffed, while swallowing a piece of hamburger. "By the way, if you don’t like the Big Bad Wolf, who do you like?"

"No one. And he hasn’t even noticed."

"Are you sure?"

"Totally."

"And the exchange girl?"

I finished my hamburger.

"She went back to her exchange," I replied. "Why?"

"Because Claggor hasn’t stopped looking at you since we arrived, and I prefer Ekko," he drank from his glass. "He may be poor, but special. The cardboard crown was cute."

"How is it that we are friends?"

"No idea," he confessed. "But between us, I wouldn’t give Claggor a chance. Or maybe once. But I’m not so sure."

"I love your detail of analyzing my love life."

He raised his glass in a fake toast.

"Always at your service," he watched me while finishing. "I wanted to ask you, and this is going to sound super intellectual, so I apologize; it came to my mind with one of your cases."

"Go ahead."

"Do you think it’s Ekko because of Powder and because he’s new, or...," he shrugged, taking a beer, "are you as scared as I am that it’s someone you’ve known your whole life that you tried to ignore?"

Well. That hadn’t sounded like Jace in a thousand years.

I froze. The party seemed to quiet down at his sincere words while I didn’t know how to respond because he was right. Plus, I had spent all this time talking after the case of Dorothea Puentes and her façade of a sweet old lady. His argument had validity, and his response was a riddle.

One I didn’t know how to answer.

I shrugged, not knowing how to respond. And he didn’t seem to want an answer to a question he didn’t even know how to formulate.

"I don’t know. Not knowing him is the big answer."

Claggor laughed behind my back while Jace stared at him for a few seconds. He was away, I can't hear what he was saying even if I want. Also, Viktor was coming a bit late, and plus he didnt want to let me alone.

"I don’t think it is," he twisted. "If you grow up in a county like this, you think you know everyone. But he exists. And knowing he’s been here all this time pisses me off more than if he had come out of nowhere."

"Why do you say that?"

He looked to my left.

"Because something doesn’t give me a good vibe. And it’s your fault."

"Who?"

"I think that guy."

I turned for a moment to see Mylo in profile. Jace had never liked him, and he didn’t know why.

"Why do you think that?"

"The truth; no idea," he drank, smiling a little. "Good luck, Marge."

I was about to curse him when I noticed the entrance as Ekko made his appearance at the party with a serious, distant expression. He had come. Jace disappeared. 

And at that gathering, there was someone with blood on their hands

Chapter Text

IT WAS EASY TO CATCH THE FEVER OF A SATURDAY NIGHT.

Looking at him now. Everything seemed so simple. And I had caught it before Jace pulled me out of that fever that filled the place.

Ekko was there. Brown hoodie, with jeans and Converse. Disheveled. A Fierce Wolf even in those colors with his brown shoes. As soon as I noticed him, he looked at me as if I were the only thing he had come to find.

And he seemed so flustered to see me that I didn’t understand.

Maybe because the truth was that he was quite bad for me.

I pretended not to see him while I drank the last of my soda in one gulp. Shit. I felt terrified, but not because of him as such, but because of all the concepts and thoughts that encompassed Ekko in my head at that moment. It was so hard to know the truth or stay firm when people like Jace and Vi made me doubt.

Ekko looked so much like a bad boy at that moment that it was no surprise the glances he received over shoulders. Even from the female population who saw him as a shiny toy they could buy for a night. It was slowly killing me not knowing how to react despite having invited him, and at the same time, everyone always believing he showed up.

It was as if the devils were rolling their dice and the angels were rolling their eyes at that bet about what the hell would happen.

Before I could get deeper into my crisis created by Jace, a blue light blinded me, framing the figure of a man a few meters away. Everyone focused on him. It was Claggor, smiling. And I didn’t know whether to kill him or not.

"It's the crazy hour!" he bellowed. "Put on the music and the beers!"

He must be kidding me.

"Yes!"

"And get laid!" he shouted at the audience's drunken reaction. "Get laid, get laid, get laid!"

I put a hand to my forehead. He was such a drunken idiot.

I shook my head, getting up as I slipped through the euphoric crowd when I felt someone pull my arm. I turned around almost smiling with an insult when I froze:

"Mylo," I tensed. "What part of 'no' didn't you understand? I've said it three times."

"I want to talk to you."

"And I don't," I denied, moving forward. "Neither with the monkey. Nor with you. And next time, I'll shove the glass up your..."

You're such a sweetheart.

"I need to talk to you," he insisted, pulling my arm hard as he suddenly dragged me to a more secluded place. "It's something serious, I'm not joking."

Did he...? Did he just pull my arm?

No, he hadn't.

"I said no."

I planted myself, pulling my arm back.

"Jinx," he groaned in a lament. "It's urgent, come..."

And he pulled my arm again.

They must be waiting for Ekko to defend me or for something bad to happen. Honestly, that's an optimistic way to look at it.

I threw the glass at the back of his neck while pulling my arm, hitting him with my closed fist in the face, leaving him stunned. People around us turned, whistling in amusement. And I heard a shout to kick him in the balls. Not yet.

"I said no, and I don't care three hectares what you want if it's not what I want," I spat, angrily. "And the next time you pull my arm, I'll break your face and shove the skate up your balls."

I heard some giggles. I didn't care. It wasn't a laughing matter. Mylo tensed his jaw as he looked at me.

"Ekko is dangerous."

"I'm not talking about him, animal," I shot back. "I'm talking about you being a caveman idiot who doesn't understand 'no'!"

"But it's important and for your own good!"

"That your neurons don't understand the damn 'no' is not my problem!" I shot back. "Let this be the last time. I'm not joking."

Mylo looked at me in a way I could only compare to a beast trapped behind bars. He almost took a step back. Still, he looked directly into my eyes.

And I didn't like that feeling at all.

"Ekko is dangerous, ask yourself why he moved during such a strange time."

"If it's not my money, I don't care."

"It should matter to you; he's violent," he said. "Look him up. He left a guy in the hospital, he almost has a criminal record for fighting, and he was taken to a special police program for his violent behavior."

Shit.

My expression changed, wavering.

"How do you know that?"

"Because you have no idea how much I've worried about you," he admitted, almost desperately. "And it's not about Marcus."

"He..." I tried not to let him win. "He hasn't been violent with anyone since he arrived. He's just reserved."

Marcus hesitated, pulling up his shirt a bit to reveal a cut and a bruise. The mark was on his olive skin like a painting made with violence. It had its time. But undoubtedly, he had been hit harder than Ekko's bruise that he couldn't explain.

"Not violent, huh?"

Shit. Mega shit.

That left me speechless, but if both had that mark, they had fought. Between them. Everything was exploding in my face that night, and I felt dizzy.

Ekko, Ekko, Ekko...

"They both fought."

"He attacked me," he insisted, raising his voice as he lost patience. "Can't you see!? Someone has to go to the hospital for you to realize?"

"Realize what besides that he's violent?"

"That you shouldn't be near him, or with him."

"And I should be more with you," I deduced, as a coldness that didn't seem like mine took over my voice. "Because a tug on the arm and that bruise are very different."

Mylo looked at me as if he couldn't believe it, tensing his jaw. He was almost trembling with rage.

"And you defend him," he spat. "Why are you so stubborn?"

"Because it's not your fucking problem!" I got angry. "Yes, maybe he's violent or whatever you want to say, but you don't care because you're here now, not accepting 'no', pulling my arm violently, and saying anything that may or may not be real with the only goal of getting me away from Ekko to get closer to you. What do you think, huh?"

"I've known you for years."

"We're not even friends," I spat, pulling his hand off with a shove. "And I'll tell you one last time because I can't afford to go to prison; pull my arm one more time, and I swear you'll never have sex in your life again."

Mylo looked at me with a hint of coldness that crossed his gaze for a second before returning to his usual boyish demeanor. His breath reeked of alcohol. He was drunk. A lot.

"You have no idea how much I try to pro..."

"Yes, I do," I cut him off. "And I owe you nothing for it. Go take a cold shower."

Mylo tensed his jaw.

"Good, good!" Jace intervened out of nowhere, arriving at my side. "It's obvious that everything is not okay, but remember, Jinx, they don't play Taylor Swift in prison."

"I care little about that."

"We were ha..."

"Please, stay a little away from her. " Viktor intervened, gently pulling me away from Mylo. His voice was filled with peace.

"No," I cut in, looking at Mylo.

Before he could react, he clenched his fists and turned around, leaving. He was pretty angry. Jace still had his arm around my shoulders with Viktor beside me, but I realized that it wasn't his face I saw first.

"Are you okay?" Ekko jumped in, looking at my arm with a furrowed brow. "Did he do that to you?"

It sounded threatening. I was going to break his face.

"You and I are going to talk now."

"Jinx, my life," Jace intervened. "Prison is not good. Didn't you see what they do to the newcomers?"

"We are all a little disturbed? Right?." Viktor said. "Maybe we need some fresh aire. "

My gaze was fixed on Ekko's hoodie with many unanswered questions. But they were wearing me out.

"I need to talk to you."

Ekko hesitated; I saw it in his chest. I didn't dare look him in the eyes.

"Fine."

"I'll accompany you."

"No, be with Viktor."

"I must insist, Jinx " Viktor denied, looking at me. "We're going with you."

"Please..."

"Fine, I wouldn't hit him anyway, but I'd hide the body."

"Jace" Viktor scolded, looking at him. I signed, looking at them seriously.

"I'll talk to him, alone. You know where I am."

They hesitated. Jace's gaze did an intense ping pong between Ekko and me until he sighed, cursing in Spanish as he let me go. I felt his gaze until we lost ourselves in a place where the music sounded distant. The famous second floor. There was so much adrenaline that I hadn't noticed the slight pink color my arm had until I followed the intense gaze Ekko was giving it.

He didn't look calm at all.

"Does it hurt?"

"No," I replied. "His lip is more broken."

That calmed him less. And I couldn't hold back; touching wasn't my thing.

"Did you two fight?"

"No," he replied instantly. "He just... he just talked to me."

"Shannon..."

"Did I do something wrong?"

I looked at him finally. His eyes were too many emotions combined.

"Tell me," I replied. "I'll ask you again because I hate violence and lies: Did you two fight? Did you hit him or did he hit you?"

"No," he insisted, very sure. "He just told me to stay away from you."

It could be a lie, but if it was, I was facing the best liar in the world.

"Why did you move?"

He fell silent, looking away with a suddenly serious expression.

"It's none of your business."

"Was it because you hit someone?" I asked. "Did you leave him in the hospital?"

He licked his lips.

"It's not..."

"Maybe not before, but now it is!" I shot back. "My father, that idiot, hit my mom every time he ran out of money from a bottle. I saw my mom's skin in a thousand colors; I heard her cry and beg a thousand times, and he hit me in the face when I was ten. Do you think I want to be with someone who's the same or worse?"

Ekko swallowed hard.

"I..."

"No. Shut up," I threatened. "We're teammates; maybe you don't even see me as a friend, and to hell with that. But if you left someone in the hospital, I want to know that because from my side, the only thing I could hide, you already know. And... I don't plan to keep being scared, neither with you, nor with Mylo, nor with Marcus."

"Did I scare you?"

I nodded.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Do you know what's the most fucked-up thing about being a woman, Ekko?" I asked, tense with nerves. "That we're always scared because we can always lose something. Always."

Ekko looked at the ground.

Silence settled between us.

I was on the adrenaline edge. Angry, furious, helpless, and completely unhinged. The night had turned into a rollercoaster of emotions that had given me an incredible upheaval. Ekko had messy hair, and he ruffled it even more, running his hands through it in desperation.

I stepped closer to him, confronting him as he raised that dark gaze that started a war with mine.

Neither spoke. But after a few long seconds, I found myself having a voice.

"Did you leave a guy in the hospital?" I whispered. "Did you hit Mylo?"

Ekko looked at me in silence. A long, agonizing silence. He didn't even have an emotion. None. I was getting dizzy with nerves against the background music of the party. The old chairs around us, the memory of our first conversation there. I wasn't going to back down because the fact that he wasn't the Sun Stalker didn't stop giving me panic to be by his side, especially if he had violent tendencies. That wasn't natural behavior, in any case and under any justification.

He opened his lips almost a millisecond, but he fell silent. He gave me one last look before looking above me and leaving with his hands in his hoodie and a frustrated expression. I watched him go, realizing that my legs were trembling as I took a deep breath when my friends came for me.

I lasted a few more hours there, when I returned home to my room, the light was off. And I didn't bother to see when he came back. I just knew I fell asleep angry.

But that night, no girl disappeared, nor did any other appear. Everything was painfully silent.

Chapter Text

ON MONDAY, EKKO DID NOT GO TO PRACTICE.

Miss Minerva said he went on Sunday.

On Tuesday. He hadn’t gone. He was only going for the Zamboni so quickly that Miss Sevika didn’t even notice. He hadn’t been in his yard. That stronghold he had called home had turned into a kind of dungeon where the curtains in his room remained closed. I hadn’t even seen Scar or Mrs. Andromeda. Nothing.

There hadn’t even been bodies to recover that weekend or missing girls.

It was an alarming calm.

I was at the Khione Center training my duo under Miss Sevika's watchful eye, which, to my delight, was almost down to three or two. It was quite an achievement. My skate touched the ice with a loud sound as I traced a fine line after the perfect axel I had executed. I followed it with a double spin. I glided backward with my left foot crossed in front of my right, measuring my steps with utmost concentration, even though my mind wasn’t entirely there; still, I had to jump. I used the inside back edge of my right skate while keeping my feet crossed. This jump was particularly difficult since it was blind; if I did it with my eyes open, I would get quite dizzy, and I couldn’t detect my landing spot until I had already jumped.

I jumped. I closed my eyes. And I landed almost without stumbling or making my skate sound. It had been perfect.

But I hadn’t felt it as perfect as I should have.

I made a leap as if I were a dancer while falling, spinning on my axis until I stopped in the designated pose. My chest rose and fell. Tired. It had... It had been quite good. But far from celebrating, I simply skated to the edge where Miss Sevika was analyzing me.

"It was very good," she praised. It was her way of saying it had been almost perfect. "But it's the first time I've seen you skate like a board without emotions."

Ouch.

"I'll do better tomorrow."

"Has something happened with Ekko?" she asked. "The competition has been postponed to Sunday, but I need you both here. Even if he already has the measurements for his suit and you for yours. I need to see how that beta choreography has turned out."

"No," I lied. "You said he came on Sunday."

"And how confused he was," she lamented. "I don’t know if he was angry, sad, frustrated, or just misunderstood."

I placed my skate at the edge as I left the frozen rink. We had finished relatively early.

"Maybe he never wanted to be here."

"Jinx," she scolded. "Did you say anything to him?"

You scare me.

I put on my shoe while I started to untie the other skate.

"No," I replied. "If he doesn’t come by Friday, I’ll go solo, and that’s it. No problem."

"You didn’t say anything bad, did you?" she repeated. "Did he do anything to you?"

"I didn’t say anything bad."

Miss Sevika looked at me, not believing it.

"Maybe you just hurt him," she corrected me, with that which, of course, you didn’t say.

"See you later, Miss Sevika."

She sighed.

"See you tomorrow, Jinx."

I left that rink until I ran into Vi. I wasn’t in the mood to hear her, but she had also offered to accompany me. I put on a balaclava, almost rolling my eyes at the look Vi gave me; reproach. Of course, I was the terrible person for being honest and telling Ekko Shannon that I was quite scared around him.

When would be the next time, we would talk.

"Let’s go to the center."

"Why?"

"Because of your kindness, no," she cut me off. "Let’s go."

I couldn’t refuse. And then, we both went to the county center in her car, but she steered away from the truly important places to go down a long street where the cheaper and, in some cases, better quality things were. There was a shopping mall there, two stories tall with sixteen stores, and its parking lot was right behind some black gates. Vi didn’t even ask for permission to park there while I unbuckled my seatbelt.

"Venereal diseases?"

Her face changed to all the shades of the color wheel. I almost laughed.

"What?"

"That’s where the pharmacy is, and well, it’s the ghost zone and..." I explained. "Biologically, you can’t get pregnant with Caitlyn."

Vi shook her head.

"I have no idea how you managed to attract two girls and Ekko."

"Ouch. And I have plenty of charms, like honesty," I opened the door. "And I don’t like him. Topic eliminated."

Vi rolled her eyes.

"Sure, if you told him you were scared and threatened him," she smiled. "He must be thrilled to meet you."

I ignored her. We both began walking through the mall, visiting the stores Vi wanted. I bought a pack of cookies at the pharmacy while she bought ibuprofen. I heard the radio in that place talking about the weather before switching to fashion. In the aisle, there was a cat that I petted while Vi entered a jewelry store. She bought some earrings displayed in the window and finally looked at me with her purchases in a double bag that included a throat syrup, a blackhead mask, and that special blue cream that removed pimples, which I thought was snot the first time I saw it, receiving a scolding from Vi.

"Please take them to the car," she requested. "I need to go to the dry cleaner."

"And you don’t want me to help?"

"Take what we have to the car, make a round, and then come back."

"Do you want me to buy you a brownie from the corner, right?"

"No," she smiled, handing me the bags. "But that would be an incredible detail."

I took the bags and went down to the parking lot, opening the door to place the bags on the back seat floor. I arranged some things so they wouldn’t spill and closed the door quickly before passing the key to the car and setting off the alarm. A chill ran through my bones. It was cloudy, lonely, and the guard had just gone to the microwave with his lunch.

I looked around; there was no one. But I got nervous in that environment easily. I hurried out of the parking lot to the street where I crossed to the bakery when a blur behind me caught my attention.

It was Ekko.

He had a hood covering his head, hands in his pockets, walking confidently but stealthily. I almost thought he was a mirage. But he was there, not noticing me. I stepped away from the window, watching how he walked across the street until he disappeared down another street I didn’t know much about.

"Excuse me," I called to the lady at the bakery. "If I go down that street, where do I end up?"

She frowned as she followed my finger pointing to the street.

"To an apartment complex; several of them are offices and other things."

"What kind?"

"I think there was a private detective office, a lawyer’s office, a tourism site, and a psychology floor," she explained. "It’s five dollars."

"Here you go. Thanks."

I took the brownie, moving quickly down the street. Nobody went that way for those things. No one under thirty with a divorce. It was the least trafficked area of the whole county, and there he was. The only person who came here was Vi to the dry cleaner, but Ekko hadn’t gone there.

I reached the street that was almost empty except for three people walking their pets and moved toward the three connected six-story buildings with their gates open. The first was an aesthetics office. The second was tourism, and the third was where I saw Ekko checking in.

"Please go ahead and wait your turn."

He left. He moved quickly. While I followed him a little until he disappeared into the elevator. It was a quite beautiful building with marble decorations, an elevator, a lobby, a wall full of mailboxes with the apartment numbers, and glass doors.

The truth is, if it was a cult, I couldn’t judge much about why they entered. Even I wanted to spend time in that beautiful lobby.

"Can I help you?"

My gaze went to the receptionist girl; she was looking at me kindly. Yes, they were definitely persuasive like a cult. Her voice was melodic; I could see her in a call center mesmerizing you with the sweetest voice you’ve ever heard to switch to her phone line, even if it stank. And she had a prominent mole next to her red lipstick lips that drew all the attention to that area.

"That guy..."

"Who?"

"Ekko Shannon," I replied. "He recommended this place and..."

"Are you a journalist?"

There it was. Again. Why did Scar and this girl keep asking me the same thing if I was coming as a surprise to see Ekko? Had I left that boy in such a bad state?

"Huh?"

"Journalists, executive audiovisual producers, and anyone related to the media who might leak or harass anyone here are prohibited," she explained, without raising that angelic voice. "And police must have an arrest warrant or have been contacted by someone inside the building. Is any of that your case?"

My brain collapsed.

"Are you a cult?"

Her tone changed as surprise settled in her eyes.

"Excuse me? Is this a joke?"

"I don’t know," I confessed. "You almost asked me for a blood test to stand here; is this a cult or a government agency?"

"We cannot disclose information," she replied, calmer. "Building policies and special floor orders. Please, if you haven’t been invited or need to enter, wait in those seats."

I turned around; there were seats like those in a medical office. There was no one. My gaze returned to the beautiful girl attending me, and we both wished I would leave. I glanced at the elevator while hesitating.

"Is he...?" I continued watching the elevator. "Is he dangerous? Is that why he’s here?"

"Miss," she scolded, looking at me. "I cannot disclose any personal information about our clients; please take a seat or leave politely."

I had no reason to stay, so I nodded with my hood as I walked away from that street. I needed to investigate which apartment Ekko was going to. Vi thought I was just eating my brownie while walking around, but the truth was I couldn’t stop thinking about that building. And about Ekko’s back walking so differently than he used to.

( • • • )

On Wednesday. I had practice in the afternoon, zero desire to exist, and I was ready to go buy myself an ice cream or hang out with Jace. I hadn’t heard from Mylo either, and Claggor had an incredible hangover that even called me, confusing the names of a girl named Natalie with mine.

Without a doubt, Saturday had been intense for everyone.

I watched the case of Lorena Bobbit, then Suzanne Sevakis, and when I finished watching the last videos Vicky had uploaded, I finished the last episode of the Elisa Lam documentary.

"And we all wanted something extraordinary, a conclusion worthy of a Hollywood movie; mystery, murder, or something paranormal..." a YouTuber had said, smiling until she shrugged. "And I think that made us forget who Elisa Lam was, that she was a girl like all of us and that she wasn’t having a good time regardless of everything."

...

Damn Netflix spying on me, that made sense.

Do you think it’s Ekko because of Powder and because he’s new, or are you as scared as I am that it’s someone you’ve known all your life that you tried to ignore?

I looked through my window at his house without touching. I had a thousand theories. But at that moment, just one place to get answers.

I sent my location to Vi, who was at the Khione Center with Caitlyn. She would see later. I took a black hoodie while hiding my hair in a bun that concealed my shirt and a balaclava. I grabbed my keys, money, and hesitated, looking at the knife on the keychain on the table.

It was daytime. And I took it.

If I was right, or if I was wrong, someone had blood on their lies. My heart was still beating, my breath was still there, my mind was still restless, but I was running out of time. And the echoes in my mind could cry over the uncertainty of going out every day not knowing if I would be next or if someone I cared about would be.

The sky was wide open when I looked out the window; there was no place to hide from the shining sun. And that day looked perfect for a tragedy.

And I wouldn’t be wrong at all.

I opened the door. I walked to the bus stop that was almost leaving. I spotted a seat next to a lady that I quickly occupied. There was a silent pact on public transport among women to avoid sitting as much as possible next to any man. It was almost unconscious. Even somewhat misogynistic to think that a woman couldn’t perfectly rob you and be much worse than a man, but at first glance and first logical reasoning; woman with woman.

Girls and boys went alone to school. But I had always noticed that while a boy went alone most of the time, a girl had to be with another classmate; they located how close they were, made arrangements, and even in the front seat, I heard two twelve-year-old girls chatting kindly about their days while one observed the whole bus with some terror.

I had been that girl. After Powder, before therapy, I realized I was always tense, and I remembered what Ekko had told me:

I wasn’t prey, not yet, because I was always alert, and that made me as boring as interesting.

A moment of light.

"Excuse me," I was interrupted. "It’s my stop."

It was a couple of streets away. Good. I stood up to get off when I noticed the girls looking anxiously at a man next to them who wouldn’t stop staring at them. I frowned as I approached them.

"Where are you getting off?"

Both jumped, looking at me. One looked very terrified, barely able to speak. The other, with caramel-colored hair and honey-colored eyes, was the one who spoke:

"We don’t talk to strangers."

"That man," I replied, not even looking at him. "Is he making you uncomfortable?"

They fell silent. I nodded.

"I’ll get off with you; I’m in no hurry," I cut in, hesitating. "Don’t talk to strangers, or acquaintances who give you rides, but if you feel in danger, look for someone to help you. You’re not alone."

The girls nodded. And I could swear the most scared one trembled with relief.

I continued on the bus, talking a little with them until we reached their stop, where they hurried ahead while I got off behind them. I glanced at the man on the bus who had stood up to get off until I stood up.

And he returned to his place.

As soon as my feet hit the ground, the bus started moving while the girls muttered a thank you, almost running away with their keys in hand. That was a rule. When feeling threatened, having the keys in our hands.

No. That wasn’t right.

I turned around, walking with that hood until I stopped in front of the street as I saw Ekko disappearing down an alley. He was elusive; I gripped the keys in my pockets tightly as I followed him to that alley where I stayed at the entrance. There was no one, and I wouldn’t go in. I took a step back when I heard a crunch.

I jumped back, turning around to find Ekko serious, with a hood, hands in his pockets, and a furrowed brow. Upon seeing me, his reaction changed drastically to one of confusion and more kindness.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to buy a brownie," I lied. "And you?"

"Just walking."

No. He wasn’t just walking.

"You’re far from home."

"So are you."

Ekko stepped closer, and I backed away, and he stopped, almost scolding himself for what he had done. I was going to keep interrogating him when he faced me.

"I’m sorry I didn’t go to practice," he apologized. "I... I tried to learn not to scare you."

"Learn?"

"But I’ll be there on Sunday. I promise," he nodded, giving me a look. "And I won’t scare you."

"Huh?"

"Where are you going?"

"To keep getting to know the place."

"You’re in the wrong area, you know?"

"It’s the quietest."

"Because it doesn’t exist," I insisted, noticing how he hadn’t moved from his spot. "Uh, I..."

"You..."

"I’m not going to apologize," I cut in. "But I didn’t say it in the least way; I just... I just want to know that. I want to trust you."

Ekko hesitated, shifting his weight between his feet.

"I’m sorry I scared you."

"Ekko, I’m very stupid," I admitted. "I’m asking if you’re violent in a completely empty street, and I’m aware of it in addition to your bad reputation, but Vi trusts you just like Miss Sevika. And I just want to know one thing: Did you leave that guy in the hospital? Just answer."

I waited for him to leave, but he only spoke, looking me in the eyes.

"Yes, I hit him. I left him in the hospital; I broke a leg," he admitted, in a cold voice. "But you won’t be next, not you."

"Why should I believe that?"

His eyes seemed to turn darker than they already were.

"Because I wouldn’t," he replied. "Because I would never hurt you, nor anyone who doesn’t have a reason."

"What was his reason, Ekko?"

He didn’t answer, carefully pushing my hand away. And he simply turned halfway. Not even looking threatening, just cutting and enigmatic. Like a Wolf playing with Little Red Riding Hood to confuse her along the way.

He left again out of my reach, but after a few seconds, I saw him enter the same building, leaving me there with my breath in my throat. And then, I knew I had to go in there to get an answer. I returned on a different bus, watching the sun through the window when I noticed my phone with the available data I had upon seeing a notification.

And I froze.

Gwen Brown had appeared on the outskirts of Nexus with another note.

"The light has saved her."

Chapter Text

IT WAS THURSDAY. AND I COULD ONLY THINK OF THREE THINGS:

1. The stupid song by La Oreja de Van Gogh called "Jueves" that Jace repeated so much that I inevitably associated that day with the depressing song.

2. Eve Purnell's ceremony.

3. The discovery of Gwen Brown's body.

Today I had no practice. Miss Sevika had gone to the ceremony for Eve with her friends since they legally couldn’t cremate or bury her until the investigations were closed. They were simply gathering, sad and pessimistic, knowing that Eve would never come home again and that they had lost her, only wishing that justice could be served by finding the culprit.

The Sun Stalker.

The light has saved her.

I had gone to practice. Vi had been in that area seeing if Ekko was leaving or not. But the response from both of us was what alarmed me the most: Ekko couldn’t have left Gwen's body for one simple reason: it had been left in a landfill at nine in the morning. And Ekko had been at the Khione Center at that time. It had been recovered at three in the afternoon. And Ekko had left home from one to four, only going to the building because I had him in sight from one to two.

And from four until today, he had been at home.

The landfill only opened to the public from nine in the morning to two. There was a lunch break from eleven to twelve. There was security during that hour. Nothing added up for it to be Ekko this time.

And that made me dizzy.

I put on my boots, a black striped shirt with a loose skirt while covering myself with a coat that reached my knees, plus a balaclava. I looked at the notebook where I wrote everything down, and for the first time, Ekko was excluded. Besides his attitude yesterday, it was so complicated.

The next thing I knew was that Vi was taking me to that building at the same time Ekko had gone all week.

"Are you sure about this?"

I shook my head.

"Something... Something doesn’t add up," I replied, looking at her. "Do you think I should go?"

"He told you exactly what he would do," she reminded me. "If it’s not him, which I think it is, maybe I can prevent it for some reason."

I fell silent.

"And if it’s someone we’ve always known?"

"We wouldn’t know them," Vi countered, placing her fingers on the steering wheel. "I... I can’t stop thinking about Saturday and Mylo. It’s weird."

"Me neither, I think..." My voice faded as I realized something, looking at her. "Shit. What if it’s Mylo?"

Vi opened and closed her mouth repeatedly.

"Don’t tell me you’re going to make this a guessing game."

"No, no. Mylo hasn’t been around; he likes the monkey and..."

Vi placed her hand on my back; I was quite agitated.

"Jinx, you can’t point fingers at everyone no matter how strange it is," she pointed out. I hated that she was right. "I was thinking, you know, would you like to go back to therapy?"

"I’d probably end up hospitalized."

"Or you’d simply clear your doubts."

I hesitated. Maybe I was a bit... hysterical.

"No, after the competition, if they disqualify me, you can be sure I’ll end up badly," I refused. "So, why are you so determined that Ekko isn’t him?"

Vi shrugged.

"Well, I like him, and you just go there and see if he’s a normal guy or not. Or is he not?"

"Well..."

"Has he yelled at you?"

"No," my voice sounded more confident than I thought.

"Has he hit you or a wall?"

"No."

"Drugs?"

"No."

"Alcohol?"

"No."

"Any proven trait that he’s violent besides Mylo’s word?"

"No," I denied. "He’s not even on the internet."

"That last part is strange," Vi admitted. "But if you want to know something, ask him."

"I already did."

"I said 'ask,' not 'threaten.'"

I grumbled. We joked. And I gave in to reason.

As I got out, while I entered the building, I paused for a moment, feeling that same sensation I had when leaving the Khione Center. Someone was watching me, but it wasn’t a good look. I glanced around as I moved forward to enter the building where I saw the same receptionist.

And the gaze was gone.

Who was lurking around Little Red Riding Hood?

"Miss," she began. "You can’t enter without..."

"I’m waiting for someone."

"Girl, listen, I..."

"Just give me half an hour and then kick me out," I took a seat, burying my face in my hands. "I’m already messed up enough for coming here for you to reproach me."

"Then why did you come back?"

I hesitated, looking at her. And I didn’t have a clear answer.

Or at least I convinced myself of that.

Because the truth is that for one fact, one day, I couldn’t omit the other days, but at the same time, Ekko was like two people in one. And I was reaching a limit. I didn’t know exactly; I was sure that if someone else were me, I would be just as confused, if not more, because something simply didn’t fit.

How could an angel resemble a demon so much? Not even Lucifer was at that level of duality, or maybe I was trying to deny the cruel reality.

"Why did Little Red Riding Hood keep talking to the Big Bad Wolf even though she knew he wasn’t her grandmother?" I replied, dodging her question. "People do stupid things for no reason."

She didn’t reply. Mainly because she had to attend to an important lawyer who registered in a hurry, and I took a seat there. Silently questioning what I was doing while occasionally chatting in the group I had with Jace and Vi.

Stay connected.

If I turned off my phone, they would know something was wrong. At least we had that as a code. I was the bait for the Wolf.

I was counting the lines on the floor when Ekko entered with a dog’s mood so overwhelming that he didn’t even notice my presence. He spoke seriously with the receptionist girl a couple of words that sounded like: "I’m not rude, but I’m not your friend either. Don’t cross the line." She typed hurriedly; he thanked her and went to the elevator without blinking. I hadn’t even noticed his swift presence until I found myself in front of the receptionist.

"Is he always like this?"

She shrank in her place.

"It’s not like many people here want to come, really."

"And where is he going specifically?"

Her gaze judged me. Scolding me.

"I won’t tell you."

"It’s just a question because I’m still thinking about the cult," I replied, looking at the sheet where I barely noticed her signature. "Lawyer? Does he have legal issues or a restraining order to resolve?"

She shook her head, scandalized. I noticed her name on the computer: Avril.

"That guy? No, he should be the one asking for them!" she stammered. "I have no idea how he can handle so much."

"So much what?"

"Do you really want to know, girl?" she clicked her tongue. "Look, no matter how much you like that guy, I won’t help you stalk him. Enough has happened to him."

"First: I don’t like him," I denied, somewhat annoyed. "Second: I’m not stalking him; I just want a vital answer that would undoubtedly facilitate our coexistence. And third: what could have happened to him that was so bad?"

Avril looked at me for a couple of seconds. She gave me that look of disbelief at how stupid I was. Still, she limited herself to being cordial with that annoying voice that still sounded so good.

"If you want to know, ask him. Or wait for him," she advised. "He arrives right on time; it will be one or two hours."

I sighed.

"There are like thirteen different things here; it’s like a Barbie building," I replied. "How am I supposed to know which one he’s going to?"

"Ask him."

I growled. And I let myself fall into my seat, telling everything to Jace and Vi. I rested my head against the wall while I looked at the white-painted ceiling until I got bored rereading the multiple services that operated in the building. They were quite a lot. I was about to die of boredom when a nervous lady took a seat next to me.

And she wanted to talk.

"Are you here for a consultation?" she asked me.

"No, I’m waiting for someone," I replied. "And you?"

If my mom saw me, she would be proud of that "And you?" The lady nodded while remaining nervous. She was about my mom’s age, with chestnut hair and slight wrinkles on her face while holding her purse with a small tic of anxiety. Whoever she was waiting for, what was happening wasn’t doing her much good.

"Oh yes, my... my daughter."

"Legal problems?" I ventured.

"No, although among other things," she sighed, sadly watching the elevator. "Sometimes I just wish it were that. You must know more or less what I’m talking about."

"Uh, I..."

I didn’t know how to respond; I just smiled with my lips in a thin line, not knowing what to think. About half an hour passed while I remained silent, unable to think of what to say to her. And she didn’t resume the conversation either. Time continued to pass while I occasionally chatted with Vi on my phone. A blonde girl came out a few minutes after I sent a message to Vi, going to the lady; she had her eyes glued to the floor, but then her mom smiled at her with some calm while handing her a brownie from the corner. The girl seemed to calm down and relax a bit more while taking it and leaving.

Upon seeing her face, I realized I knew her name:

Savannah Munroe.

She had been kidnapped for nine months. She was found after managing to grab a phone and order a pizza using a special code since they had blocked 911. She was a smart girl. It had happened just a year ago. Vicky had uploaded it. I was left speechless as she almost fled the place.

What was Savannah doing here? She lived like nine states away, sixteen hours from here.

"Jinx, what are you doing here?"

I turned around, seeing Ekko looking at me totally perplexed. And my neurons short-circuited.

"I’m looking for a lawyer for cryptocurrencies."

"Really?" he asked, somewhat amused. "How much are you going to invest?"

Shit. I hadn’t paid attention in Vi’s class.

"And what’s it to you? I’m not charging you," I snapped. "What are you doing here?"

His gaze hesitated. And he evaded my question.

"How long have you been here?"

"Surely before you came in like a soul the devil carries to not notice me."

Bingo.

That left him without any argument because he could no longer say he had just arrived or something like that. But his gaze told me he knew I had no idea what I was doing there.

"Jinx," he repeated. "What are you doing here?"

Fine. To hell with it. I took a seat while he imitated me, somewhat frowning.

"You don’t like this place, do you?"

He remained silent, shaking his head.

"Is it something legal...?"

He hesitated. In silence.

"Have you been waiting for me all this time?"

"Yes," I admitted. "Ekko, that competition is very important to me, but... but if you don’t feel well, that’s more important. I just want to know something about you."

"My favorite color is gray."

I rolled my eyes.

"I’m talking about something more serious; we’ve known each other for about a month and a half," I replied. "Don’t just tell me directly why you’re here; just... how do I know if I can trust you?"

"I’d recommend you not to."

"Oh, look at you, super honest."

Ekko looked at me for a moment, hesitating.

"I’ve never had any friends."

"Are you saying that because...?"

"Because it’s true," he insisted. "I’ve never had any friends, just Scar. And I don’t know exactly how to deal with normal things."

"You’ve done something right; Vi likes you."

For some reason, despite knowing we were in public, I didn’t feel terrified, just neutral. Something in me clung to believing in Vi.

"That’s not enough," he grumbled. "I’m a weirdo who scares you."

"Is that why you pulled away?"

He nodded.

"Were you here all day yesterday and at the Khione Center?"

"Yes."

"Did you see the news?"

He nodded.

"I don’t know how you know, but... how would I know if I’m next?"

"What?" he straightened up. "Did you receive any threats or something?"

I shook my head.

"I know," I licked my lips, almost hugging myself. "I know I’ll be next; maybe not tomorrow, but he’s behind me."

"Jinx, you won’t be."

"I will," I cut him off. "If it’s not me, it could be someone I know."

"No. Trust me, he won’t."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Because I know; I can’t tell you how exactly, but I know you won’t be next," he assured. "You’re very smart, maybe the smartest person I know."

I looked at my hands.

"That doesn’t change the fact that I’m terrified."

"I don’t think it’s healthy to live like this; I’m speaking from experience."

I remembered his mother, to which I nodded.

"Do you think I’m a bad person?"

"You?" Ekko asked. "No."

"But I don’t want anything to do with the person who’s supposed to be my dad; I just don’t want him, I don’t care. And despite that whole situation, it’s had the least impact on my life," I replied, being honest. "I judge people very harshly; I think it’s easier to see their flaws than their virtues."

"Wouldn’t it be the other way around? That way it would be easier to justify the bad things they do."

I shook my head.

"If you know all the bad things about someone, you can know who they are because of that; when someone is too good, it’s a lie," I explained. "Maybe that’s why I’m so hateful. I think I’m not such a good person."

"If that were the case, no one would be a good person."

"Are you?"

Ekko shook his head.

"I think you know I’m not."

"I know I think many things about you; good, bad, terrible, awful," I admitted. "But none have been something you’ve done or said directly to me."

"I’m sorry for pulling away out of nowhere, and days before the competition."

"I think you needed it," I observed his gaze, on my boots. "What?"

"It reminds me of Gwen Stacy style."

"Well, let me see where I fall," I joked. "You said it somewhat fearfully. Have you never had a real friend?"

He shook his head. Our conversation had been based on nodding and shaking heads.

"No, I moved around a lot, and I haven’t been too good with people," he explained, with his hands in his pockets. "Was that okay?"

"When you have friends, you have a mental map of a hundred topics in a conversation, so yes. Well done."

"You and I...?"

He left the question hanging in the air while I watched him for a couple of seconds.

"You could say we’re friends," I frowned. "What’s your name?"

"Huh? What? Weren’t we...?"

"No, I know your name," I replied, following that line of conversation. "I just want you to know it too."

Ekko laughed, releasing the nerves. And then his hands remained still for a moment.

"Spontaneity, got it."

"And stupidity, plus comfort," I explained. "A friend is someone you can just talk to about a thousand things; you trust them, and you feel comfortable enough to just be yourself."

Ekko nodded.

"Spontaneously; why did you come and talk to me, blue girl?"

I shrugged, hating Avril with all my soul as I sighed.

"Because something tells me you’re not as terrible as I thought," I admitted, looking at him. "I propose something; you know more than anyone about him, the Sun Stalker, and self-defense. I’ll help you socialize a bit, and we can continue in the competition. Deal?"

Ekko watched me for several seconds before nodding with a smile.

"Deal, blue girl."

"Good."

"It’s getting late; do you want me to give you a ride?" he stood up. "I think you’re on the way."

"The boy savior is quite a comedian."

He shrugged as he pulled his hands out of his sweater.

"I’m very funny, even if you don’t notice."

I got up, following him while watching the receptionist Avril give me a puzzled look. Maybe Vi was right. My boots echoed behind him until the parking lot, which was getting darker. I watched as he got into the car while the doors unlocked.

I questioned many things at that moment; I searched for a feeling of fear but was surprised to find a feeling of nerves.

Because for the first time, I wasn’t so sure that the Big Bad Wolf was the one lurking around Little Red Riding Hood, and for the first time, while watching Ekko give me a smile, someone else came to my mind.

Mylo.

And something told me he had been watching where he shouldn’t have been looking.

Chapter Text

THE TONE RANG AS I PLACED THE PHONE TO MY EAR.

Ekko was in the yard with Scar playing. He seemed a bit happier than he had been all week. They were playing soccer. And I could tell that Ekko was winning while smiling like I had never seen him smile at the little one.

Maybe they weren't blood brothers, but they were brothers for real.

"Dr. Isha Lowe speaking, who is this?"

I cleared my throat; suddenly, my throat had gone dry, and I ran a hand through my hair. Damn. My room seemed much more interesting than it had just before I answered.

"It's Jinx Zaunite," I replied. "The annoying girl from the trauma years ago. You discharged me about a year and a half ago."

And you won’t believe this, but in less than two months, I already made six serial killer movies about my neighbor. Crazy, right?

"Oh, Jinx!" she laughed. "Of course, I remember you. What do I owe the call?"

Vi.

"I... I was thinking of scheduling an appointment or talking with you," I explained. "I think I'm a bit paranoid..."

"Is it about the Sun Stalker?"

I swallowed hard.

"Yes, I... I think I'm not handling it too peacefully, if you could say that."

"Oh, Jinx. Why?" she asked. "Has something special happened? Remember, you can't control the world; there are bad people, of both genders. The danger is always there, even if it’s not our fault, but there are also good people."

"I know," I insisted. "It's something different..."

"Different how?"

Quite different.

"How would I know if someone is a killer?"

There was silence on the line.

"Are you referring to the general profile of one, or to a particular person you know or want to compare to see if they fit what I’m going to tell you?"

Damn. She was good.

I took a seat on my bed, looking at the white wall of my room. It only had one column of a different color, and it was violet. Almost everything was in cold tones. And pink.

"It's no one in particular," I lied. "It's just that the Sun Stalker is someone I could know. I know it."

"How would you know, Jinx?"

"Because no stranger, with everything that’s happening, is going to attack without leaving a trace," I explained while staring at the ceiling. "He must convince them, know them... He has blood on his lies. And I think I could know him."

"Why do you think that, Jinx?" she asked, interested. "Is there something that makes you suspicious of a person?"

Ekko.

And I hesitated.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling that I shouldn’t be relaxed," I recounted. "And it’s an instinct. That he’s close, that he’s lurking, and that I don’t know how, but it won’t be the police who stop him."

"Do you think you’ll stop him?"

I shook my head. I almost hit myself for remembering it was a phone call.

"No, it’s just based on the cases I’ve heard," I explained. "A victim manages to create a flaw that unmasks everything. She will be it."

"But that doesn't excite you."

I swallowed hard.

"How many must there be for one to succeed?" I whispered. "How many girls are going to die?"

"Your fear is more than reasonable, Jinx. But I can’t assure you that everything will be fine, nor can I assure you that you’ll be next because it’s uncertain. For everyone," she replied. "Fear is part of our daily lives; I personally don’t think you need another section beyond this little catharsis to remind you that fear and panic make us see what we want to see, even if it’s not true. But if it makes you feel safer, you can come next week."

The first phase of the competition wouldn’t be there anymore.

"Okay, I’ll try to go."

"I’m glad, Jinx," she assured. "And if you need to talk, you know my number. Stay alert, but don’t lock yourself in fear."

She hung up. And I let out the air I had been holding in my lungs, staring at the ceiling, cursing softly.

"Damn," I grumbled. "Damn!"

I sat up. I had to train with Ekko all day, so I took my skates while adjusting my skirt with that bag I rarely organized but put my blind faith in that it contained everything I needed. I took the keys and checked every point in the house that could be wrong. It was part of that circle of feeling insecure until I finally nodded, making the keys jingle in my hand.

Nothing wrong. I believed.

I left before making a third round of the house while crossing the yard, watching Scar laugh as he moved happily.

"Take it, Ekko!" he cheered, excited. "We’re tied."

"Because I let you win."

"Lie!" he stuck his tongue out, his eyes landed on me. "Hi, Jinx! You’re back!"

"Hello."

Ekko turned, catching the ball at his feet with tremendous agility. I wasn’t surprised at how quickly he had learned the rhythm; his whole body seemed designed for sports and physical activity.

"Can you tell Ek that I was winning?"

"Please, Car," he replied. "Don’t run from your defeats."

"Then you face him," I shot back, tilting my head. "That kid destroyed you."

"That’s right, Jinx!"

"Ouch," Ekko replied. "I thought we were teammates."

"Well, I can’t lie," I defended myself. "That wouldn’t be a good example for Scar."

"That’s right!" Scar insisted. "I like this journalist, Ekko."

"The game is over; let’s go inside. Come on," Ekko cut in, while the word floated in my head like an annoying buzz. "It’s... Ah, I’ve never brought anyone home."

"Then say: 'Make yourself at home,' or just tell me where to wait," I explained. "Relax, I’m not my mom. She thinks anyone comes to houses to look for dust and microscopic places where it’s dirty."

Ekko smiled, nodding.

"Well, make yourself at home. I’ll be right back."

I nodded back as he left with Scar. I hadn’t realized I was inside his house until the cold seeped into my bones. It was a pretty cold place. There were no family photos everywhere; it was all as beautiful as a property exhibition.

I moved to the living room while my gaze drifted to the stairs, where I advanced without realizing. It was a spiral mahogany staircase. There were only two floors. And a door on the stairs indicated the presence of a basement or a shed.

I stopped halfway up the stairs, hesitating.

And then, I went down, approaching the kitchen.

"Eh, Ekko, I’m going to the bathroom."

"To your house?"

"Yes, just a second..."

"Third door on the second floor!"

You’re a terrible person, but very good at thinking.

I climbed the stairs to the second floor, where I entered to cover up my little lie. It was all ridiculously beautiful. I didn’t know if my curiosity was due to the harmonious, perfect, and rich design of the house or for reasons everyone knew but I preferred not to repeat.

I looked at myself in the mirror, washed my hands, and paused for a moment to think.

There was no attic. I couldn’t enter any of his parents' rooms, but there was one room that intrigued me.

I stepped out, looking at Ekko’s slightly open room, and I approached, hesitating a bit until I knocked on the door to fully uncover it. His walls were pale gray with a navy blue column brushing against black. There were shelves with various objects, and a soccer ball among them. His closet was closed. Everything was slightly organized, but there were many photos, newspaper clippings, and white sheets both on his bed and on his desk, while a quite professional camera lay on his bed. There was even a tripod.

It was a photo studio with a bed.

I moved a bit closer, seeing the photos that were hard to understand but divided by colors. Maniacal, no wonder Vi liked him. They were photos of wolves, dogs, a soccer ball, and one of a girl I didn’t recognize, seen from behind in a place downtown in black and white. They were quite good.

I took one.

It was a girl skating; the image was so good that she could easily move at any moment to finish falling to the ground after making such a jump. It was Caitlyn. Her deep blue hair stood out in the photo due to the color editing. I was about to leave it there when I noticed a newspaper clipping next to the photos.

"WILLA MARTÍNEZ AND HER STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE IN BROAD DAYLIGHT."

That had happened two years ago. In Piltover. Another clipping appeared:

"PSYCHOLOGY OF A KILLER: PROFILE OF THE MONSTER OF THE FIRELIGHTS."

I had no idea about that. I had never heard of that case, and if I had, it was under another name. I was going to take the clipping, which barely showed the title when my eyes went to Ekko, who appeared in the doorway with a smile that tensed when he saw me with the photos.

"I..."

"This one is good," I admitted, pointing to the one I had in my hand. "But I like this one more."

I grabbed a photo right next to that news about the monster of the lost lights. When I took it, I felt Ekko relax considerably, but maybe that was what I wanted to see. I held it out to him, and he smiled, amused.

"The one of a wolf?"

"I don’t know; I like it. It has its charm," I pointed out. "Somehow, I can distinguish its silhouette in the dark; it looks like a puppy."

"It was an adult."

"I know it sounds stupid, but did you take them?"

Ekko nodded, taking the camera in his hands, hesitating.

"It was on a trip years ago," he admitted. "And before you say anything, Caitlyn knows about that photo."

"It’s not that bad."

"I know it’s incredible."

"If that helps your self-esteem," I joked while continuing to look at the photo. "Although it’s more or less incredible."

"You admitted it."

"More or less."

I turned as I saw Ekko with the camera aiming at me, and I put my hand up, but I heard before that he had already taken the photo. He laughed while taking another, and I gave him the middle finger.

"Ouch, how rude."

"If you’re going to take a photo, make sure you’re in it," I shot back. "Come on, that way I can say I have a photo before the tragedy."

Ekko lowered the camera almost in slow motion with a doubtful smile.

"Do you want a photo with me?"

"You know that if we win, they’ll take one of us, right?" I shrugged. "I’ll go ahead."

Before wasting time, he turned the camera while taking a photo of us where I smiled without showing my teeth, followed by a photo where he captured an exact moment when I rolled my eyes while he laughed. And finally, one where I punched him on the shoulder while laughing jovially.

Ekko laughed quite a bit; I didn’t understand much why he didn’t laugh with the others. That was free.

"Now I’ll regret it," I handed him his new skates. "We’ll go sharpen these this afternoon, but now we train."

"Yes, ma’am."

I gave him a light punch on the shoulder.

"Let’s go, boy savior."

I left his room while he followed me, and I could see how he almost threw the newspaper clippings behind the bed. No one should see them. He left the camera in the same place while he took a jacket and went after me, closing the door.

Who was the monster of the firelights?

I couldn’t think too much about it because he said goodbye to Scar and Mrs. Andromeda, who was at the pool. I barely used my hand as I got into the passenger seat of his car, turning on the radio as I buckled my seatbelt when all my rational thoughts faded away.

"It has to be a joke."

"I love you 107.9!" I exclaimed, smiling uncontrollably. "Turn up the volume, uncultured."

Ekko rolled his eyes playfully as he turned up "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift. I knew it by heart, so I didn’t care about his chuckle.

"I can’t believe how you get when you listen to Taylor Swift," he teased. "Could you listen to her all the time?"

"I can’t hear you, shhh. It’s the best part," I ignored him. "Oh, remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night. I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're 'bout to cry. I know your favorite songs and you tell me 'bout your dreams..."

"You’ll win an Grammy."

I shot him the finger while watching him.

"I think I know where you belong; I think I know it’s with me."

Ekko burst into laughter while shaking his head at the red light that stopped us a couple of blocks near the Khione Center. I looked around while my eyes landed on a guy who was staring directly at me.

Mylo. And he was tensing his jaw as if he were going to break it.

He was watching me. And Ekko. Both of us. My smile faltered, but he left as soon as I noticed. It was like a reflection in the lens that played with my mind, like a bad whisper in the wind. That guy was always nearby. Ekko accelerated, carrying the memory of Mylo away for a few seconds.

Looking at him now, I remember thinking while I laughed naturally with Ekko if we were already out of danger, if I had already guessed right. And one thought accompanied me all that time.

Are we safe yet?

Chapter Text

I WATCHED MISS SEVIKA TIGHTEN MY SKATE WITH FORCE.

"If a single hair comes loose again, I swear I’ll cut it."

"Jinx," Miss Sevika scolded, finally looking at me. "Nothing has come loose; everything is fine."

I looked at my made-up eyes. Damn, the lipstick.

"Damn."

"Language."

"Spanish," I murmured. "Done."

I took the darkest lipstick from the palette of red, almost touching black, that Miss Sevika had while I applied it quickly. My hair was in a bun, all my fiery blue hair gathered there with a couple of silver decorations. My outfit was black with blue and pink gradients alongside Ekko, whom I hadn’t seen.

I took a deep breath. I was ready; my skates still had the blade protectors since it was still far from my turn. But I was nervous.

It was the first time I was competing in pairs.

"Ekko, dear!" Miss Sevika exclaimed. "You look so handsome; come here, I’ll help you with your skates."

I kicked my skate against the floor while watching Ekko, who had become somewhat still. I grunted. Today I was an ogre.

"Come here, idiot; look at your hair. You need to look good," I ordered. "Look at that knot; you could break your leg, and that skate won’t come off you."

"You look beautiful."

I grunted, giving him a light shove as I sat in front of him, pulling his foot while muttering under my breath.

"I’m going to stick this skate up your ass if you tie your laces that badly again."

"Hey, hey, fierce," he stopped me. "Relax."

"Say that again and..."

"You’re going to hurt me in a very graphic way," he finished. "I know. And your friends?"

I grunted, pulling on his other foot.

"They never come backstage with me, and my mom banned them from entering when she almost hit a mom who sabotaged others in the competition; I could barely compete, and she did pretty well," I explained while adjusting his skate and the guard. "No one can stand me in my pre-competition stress phase."

"You couldn’t warn me about this earlier, blue girl?"

I hit him, feeling satisfied as I released his foot. I took a deep breath, ready to curse him when I noticed someone behind Ekko with his family that made me curse quite loudly.

"Oh, shit. It's my ex-girlfriend, Lux."

Ekko's face was a poem.

"You had a girlfriend?"

"That's where the word 'ex' comes from, dumb guy..." I took a deep breath. "I'm going to kill someone."

"That's very likely," he shook his head. "I think she just saw you."

"Damn. That didn’t end well."

"What did you do to her?"

I hit him while making a face.

"Sorry," I barked. "But why assume it was me? She could have perfectly broken my heart."

"I don’t think so. You’re not that type."

I grunted, agreeing with him, but the topic was closed. I really appreciated it. They announced something over the speakers; I almost died from stress while watching Ekko. We were going out in half an hour. We were fourth. I hated that number. In fact, screw four.

Ekko must have noticed my stress because he smiled at me.

"Aren’t you going to ask me if I look good?"

"Of course not; I look amazing."

"Well, at least I know self-esteem isn’t something you lack."

I grunted, looking at him over my shoulder.

"You look good."

"Okay, now you’re worrying me."

I hit him.

"You look good, decent; I’m giving you a compliment. Okay? Accept it," I denied while glancing around the place. "Did your parents come?"

"Uh, yes, even Andromeda. And Scar. They’re in the stands."

"Relax; Miss Sevika will probably give them even mineral water," I joked. "I’m a bundle of stress; how about you?"

Ekko nodded, watching me.

"Good."

"Excellent," I nodded. "Because my consolation for you is that if you fall, I’ll kill you, so you won’t have to deal with too many consequences."

Ekko nodded again; he had alarmingly quickly gotten used to my pre-competition threats. Not even Miss Sevika could handle me, and with my pessimistic comments that if I fell, there would be an earthquake, a fire, a bomb, the skate would break, or I would break a bone...

No wonder Miss Sevika had left as soon as Ekko arrived. Incredible.

I heard over the speakers that the competition was about to start, and Ekko held out his hand to me as I stood up alongside him. I scanned him for any imperfections before finally feeling satisfied. It wasn’t Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, not exactly. But that didn’t change the fact that I felt like I was going to break something at any provocation.

Oh, no wonder Miss Sevika had given me skate guards.

Did everyone fear me? If so, that was sweet.

"Oh, Jinx," Jodi hissed. "Who is...?"

"Get lost, Jodi," I barked. "And if I see you near Caitlyn or anyone, I’m going to..."

Ekko pushed me aside while Jodi shot me a hateful look, heading to the rink with her new partner. Poor guy.

"I think you’re not handling this well."

"She tripped Caitlyn once," I explained. "And she’s going to lose. She still doesn’t realize it’s a skating competition and not a crab-walking contest. She’s unbearable."

"Calm down, blue girl."

I glanced at the audience next to Ekko while locating my mom, who waved enthusiastically next to Vi with Jace and Viktor. There were Ekko's parents, whom I pointed out, noticing a small smile on his face, although he still looked tense. I was about to say something when my eyes caught sight of a new person:

Mylo.

He was in the last row. Vi pointed him out with her eyes, shaking her head as if she were looking at the decoration, but I knew her well enough to know she was pointing. Something told me he had been there for a while. He was almost hidden by the darkness and lights but present. I got nervous seeing him there again.

Ekko and Mylo were here. Both of them. All day.

"Are you okay?" Ekko whispered. "Something’s bothering you."

"Why?"

"You frowned, and your lip..." he mimicked me. "You do that when you don’t like something."

"Observant Big Bad Wolf."

"Curious blue girl."

The competition started, changing the lights while I heard everything happening in the background. My gaze lingered on Ekko, realizing that I had joked with him literally three days in a row as if we were lifelong friends when I was still not completely ruling him out, but I didn’t know why; I could just talk so easily with him.

Damn.

I should also stop saying damn so much. Or stressing out.

As if you could.

"Look at that move," I whispered to Ekko, drawing his attention. "He’s going to do an axel, a triple, and he’ll carry her."

"How do you know?"

"Because that’s what Jodi always does," I shot back. "And here it comes."

He did exactly what I said until he stumbled while falling, shooting an angry look at his poor partner; he switched partners more often than clothes. The worst part was that it hadn’t been his fault; Jodi didn’t seem to synchronize or at least maintain her balance. I shook my head when they finished receiving at most a 67, which undoubtedly needed work. I noticed Jodi's technique was at 20.06, which wasn’t precisely a favorable score considering everyone else had an average of 69.55.

"Smart blue girl."

"I told you."

My eyes went to Caitlyn, arriving at the edge of the rink with Logan, her partner and brother. I nodded in her direction as she entered the rink. She had a indigo outfit combining white with makeup as harmonious and perfect as a princess. She always wore light tones that only made her have a calm and harmonious vibe. Her eyes went to Vi as they exchanged furtive smiles.

I was so alone.

And they were so lovely.

I couldn’t help but smile sincerely for both of them, even shouting when Caitlyn and Logan struck their starting pose. They were going to score almost perfectly. Vi definitely screamed. And as soon as the song began, the rink belonged to Caitlyn and no one else. It was so peaceful watching her, like any video you catch on Instagram, and you don’t know why it feels so good, but you watch it even if it lasts six minutes. That’s how it felt to watch Caitlyn skate, making it more than a series of practiced steps but a natural choreography.

I glanced at the crowd; it was almost the same audience as always, but someone was missing, Claggor. He never missed a competition. Never. That was strange, but feeling Mylo’s gaze on me, I looked back at Caitlyn to forget his existence for a few minutes.

"Armor" by Lando Austin played through the speakers as it mixed with the almost flawless routine of both.

I glanced at Ekko for a moment while he tensed a bit.

"You’ll do great," I assured him. "You learned everything quickly. You’ll be fine."

"You’re definitely sick."

I shook my head, almost hitting him.

"How did you manage to jump so quickly?" I whispered, realizing his monumental progress in every training session. "Did you use a harness?"

"No."

"Did you?"

"No, I’m just very good."

I shrugged, slightly amused.

"If you say so."

"I think you’re doubting me."

"No, I’m just saying that if you say so, I believe you."

"I think you’re doubting."

"No," I denied. "I just said that if you say so."

"Ouch."

"The upside is that since you’re not going to fall, it’ll be the only 'Ouch' you say."

Ekko shook his head, amused, letting out a chuckle while I shrugged. Talking to him was so spontaneous that it honestly scared me.

"Hey, guys!" Miss Sevika arrived, hugging us. "Your turn is coming up in a few minutes. And I have to give you my speech."

"Win, don’t lose. Look amazing. Done."

"Something like that," she hugged us while taking our hands; Ekko looked a bit out of place but tried to hide it. "Listen, I’m very proud of you. Okay? You worked so hard for this; your choreography is already a winner. No one would have learned such a level of complexity and achieved such excellence like you, Ekko; I’m more than proud of that. Incredible!"

Ekko just froze, nodding while trying to muster a smile as Miss Sevika hugged him enthusiastically until she turned to me, smiling with too much tenderness.

"I never thought I’d see you in a duo, and now I will, and it’s wonderful," she hugged me. "I’m so proud of my winner; I hope you take this boy to the Olympics."

"For that, I have to go."

"You will," she separated from us while watching us happily. "It’s a feeling I have; now go out on that rink and just think it’s just you two and that’s it. No one else. Nothing else. Just you two."

I nodded. I heard the applause in the background. It was almost our time.

We removed the protectors from our skates, which had the blades specially sharpened. I took a deep breath. I didn’t think I’d be so stressed about this. I looked directly into Ekko’s eyes as I nodded. It was a free topic before the real competition. It was just practice. It was just the two of us like all those times we had trained before.

"And now for routine number four, give a big round of applause for the newest couple from the Khione Center competing together for the first time," the announcer began. "Jinx Zaunite and Ekko Shannon."

We entered the rink as we positioned ourselves. I glanced at the stands where my friends shouted alongside my mom and Mrs. Andromeda. I noticed a strange look from Mr.Wyeth, an excited one. And I focused ahead, closing my eyes for a moment.

"You’ll do great, boy savior."

I found myself whispering to Ekko; I was about to start when I heard his deep voice respond.

"You too, blue girl."

Everything went silent for three long seconds until the music began.

"Haunted" by Taylor Swift started playing as our routine began.

We separated, skating until we turned while reuniting, making a zigzag line until the routine formally started. There was nothing more important in pairs figure skating than trust because at that moment, Ekko would hold my life in his hands every time he caught me for a jump or lifted me. I had to trust him. I took a deep breath; I trusted Miss Sevika, and she trusted him.

I took his hand as we did a simple step, as if we were dancing while skating in sync to the mysterious rhythm of the music; the story or feeling of the song was that I was literally fleeing from Ekko until he enchanted me, only to end up on the ground, defeated because Ekko had left.

We skated diagonally with our arms extended to each side while our hands remained joined until skating backward, I placed my hands over his as I propelled myself to perform a twist lift; halfway between a jump and a lift. Ekko launched me vertically, allowing me to rotate above him in a horizontal position. It came out perfectly. And Ekko caught me in the air before I landed, gently lowering me to the ground before pulling my arm as I tried to escape. I attempted to flee again, but as the music intensified, he held me until I turned around, doing a solo spin until we were face to face.

His eyes were as dark as the song described.

He placed his hand on my waist as he let me lean back until I stood up when Ekko moved away, performing an axel. Good. We were doing well. And now it was as if I was enchanted by what the pursuit had become, a dance between us where I begged him not to let me go.

We skated side by side; we did simple ballet steps while Ekko stood out, performing a salchow jump. We came together, dancing around the rink until halfway through, we executed a parallel jump, both members of the couple performing the same jump, a lutz. When we landed, it was my turn to pull his arm.

It was as if we were speaking, but I shook my head as Ekko released my hand, but I took it again as he grabbed my waist, leaning me back. We joined our hands as we formed a circle, being united solely by this.

And before we separated, I pulled him as my hands rested on his shoulders. He tried to break away, but then came the final part of our routine: Ekko took my hand as the balance of the relationship shifted while I spun around him, brushing the floor until I stood up; now Ekko grabbed my leg while his other hand was on my torso, spinning while I had one hand extended along with my other leg, and finally, we maneuvered to fall to the ground, spinning while our hands joined one last time.

It was my turn to do a triple axel while Ekko skated around me. I took courage and did it without blinking, almost perfectly landing on the ground while Ekko stopped in front of me, spinning around us until we halted.

We raised our hands as if they were about to touch, and Ekko bowed while skating away as the music ended, watching my hands as I saw him leave until I fell to the ground gracefully.

Everything remained silent for what felt like an eternity.

And then, while I watched everything go to hell in my mind, the applause became the only thing I could hear in the entire rink. I sat as Ekko’s hand appeared in my field of vision.

He said nothing. I took it as I propelled myself to see the euphoric crowd that brought a smile to my face while I focused on my mom, Jace, Viktor, Vi’s mischief... And Mylo. He was standing, and I looked directly into his eyes while his coldness alarmed me. It was a second before he clapped, out of obligation, but then his expression changed to a much more... odd one.

"Jinx Zaunite and Ekko Shannon, ladies and gentlemen, what a great debut for this season!"

That pulled me out of that horrible feeling while I watched Ekko, who had his eyes darker than usual. And I knew he had seen Mylo just as I had.

But then, as we exited the rink, I completely forgot everything when the judges announced our score:

"...Technique: 39.95," they exclaimed. "Total score: 72.59."

Damn.

I didn’t even realize what was happening until I hugged Ekko around the neck, celebrating while I let out an exclamation. We were in second place! By two points, Caitlyn and Logan were winning. Ekko caught me, somewhat confused, as I smiled completely out of my mind.

"Damn, not even sex feels like this!" I exclaimed. "We’re second!"

"What...?" he laughed, letting me down. "It’s good to know this is better than sex."

"It’s definitely much better."

Ekko shook his head, amused, understanding the position we were in as we stood face to face while I laughed.

"I told you, blue girl."

"Okay, you win," I conceded. "That was incredible, and you looked handsome. Be happy."

Ekko moved closer. I hated that he was taller than me, but that helped in the routines. I hadn’t noticed how many freckles he had until I had him so close, and I realized he hadn’t hesitated once when he lifted me.

I didn’t even notice how comfortable I was around him.

He was about to say something, but all my attention shifted to Miss Sevika, who caught me in a celebratory hug behind my mom and my two friends. They were euphoric. I couldn’t believe it myself. I could barely hear my mom when I noticed that Ekko looked somewhat uncomfortable with his parents until Miss Sevika intervened, lightening the mood. I noticed that his father gave him a pat on the shoulder while Ekko nodded, somewhat shyly, focusing on Scar, who wouldn’t stop chattering about how he flew through the air. Everything felt so good at that moment that for a second, while I heard congratulations and classified among the top ten as second, I forgot everything happening because I felt secure, because if I was in danger, I had the two boys there; what more could I ask for?

Even Mylo tried to approach, but I rejected him. He didn’t leave. He simply stayed there until everything ended.

I noticed him every second like an annoying fly buzzing behind you. Even when the other contestants did their routines, neither Ekko, Mr. Wyeth, nor Mylo moved the entire afternoon. Our score was close since Luz and her partner, Adrian, had a 72.50.

We barely shared a glance; there was nothing between us. Absolutely nothing.

We were about to celebrate when everything ended, and the judges began to thank everyone for participating today and said all the usual things. Jace started talking about enjoying the triumph while I took off my skates in the spacious room where all the families were talking, celebrating, and, in some cases, cheering for their skaters. That should have been the end of it, but then the story changed for me again when Irena McCarthy rushed in, turning on the TV where Mel Medarda appeared as I felt my whole world shake from a simple sentence:

"Breaking news," she gasped, looking into the camera. Her knuckles were white. "Natalie Murphy has been kidnapped by the Sun Stalker in the last few hours in Piltover."

Chapter Text

RED RIDING HOOD WAS LABELED AS INNOCENT AND NAIVE.

I had always seen her as curious. For me, her story was the long version of the mythical phrase: "Curiosity killed the cat."

Would curiosity also lead to death for this Little Red Riding Hood?

It was Wednesday.

Three days had passed since the competition, and everything was a damn mess in my mind because Ekko wasn't. He never was. I had just had the biggest misunderstanding of my life. Mylo wasn't either. And I was as terrified as I was relieved by that, so I hadn't even properly celebrated, except for Jace. Also, amidst everything that had happened in such a short time, Ekko had stuck to me, somewhat paranoid, since Monday.

He hadn’t gone to celebrate on Sunday. He simply looked at me and said:

"Take care, Jinx."

More than just a simple comment, it sounded like a desperate order. He looked at Scar, picked him up, and went first to his father's car. Scar had congratulated me quite enthusiastically. Mrs. Andromeda said goodbye warmly, with a hug and everything, while Mr. Wyeth gave me a nod after seeing Ekko leave.

"Thank you."

I frowned.

"Why?"

"For my son."

He said nothing more. He simply left, and I watched him thinking they had an alarmingly similar aura of incomplete mystery. I didn't know if that was good or bad, but it just happened. And I felt bad for some reason.

The police had said that if another disappearance occurred, there would be a daytime curfew. It was difficult to decree something like that in the middle of summer in a town of immigrants where the blue-haired population was considerably high, besides the jobs that could be jeopardized due to the restrictions.

Mom hadn't left my side until she had to work on Tuesday, so Jace and Vi stayed with me all day. Even Viktor. Still, in the mornings, I had to train with Ekko, who practically kept watch to make sure I got home before he left. I realized there was nothing to say about my damn instincts because Ekko wasn't, and Mylo wasn't either.

Not even Mr. Wyeth.

But I felt bad about it. Should I tell Ekko? Should I apologize?

On Tuesday, I had gone from seven in the morning until one at the Khione Center with Ekko to train. He told me to wait in the stands while he used the Zamboni, and my thoughts split again between the competition and the Sun Stalker. It was a horrible feeling to be in limbo, as if I didn’t know which way to go because all paths were dark. And none were safe.

It was like being lost in the damn forest.

"Are you okay?"

I looked at Ekko, who was watching me closely.

"Yeah," I lied. "I was thinking about the competition. I haven't thanked you."

"The thanks?" he asked. "Are you sick, blue girl?"

"No, idiot," I muttered. "It's just that you did incredible for having so little practice time. You don’t earn any candy with this."

Ekko nodded; those impassive gray eyes gave me a look I couldn’t interpret.

"Maybe I did win something."

"What?"

"The thanks you gave me," he replied, amused. "I told you that you had to know how to skate here to have friends."

"Well, friend," I grunted. "Between friends, I’m going to hit you the next time you ask if I'm sick because I thanked you."

Ekko laughed, shaking his head until he seemed to connect the dots.

"Are we friends?"

"Congratulations, Big Bad Wolf, you have an IQ of 160," I replied. "It's not like I go around giving cookies to strangers or classmates."

"Friends," he smiled, and that smile was contagious. "Do you want to train something, blue girl friend?"

"Okay. After that, we’ll have to work with mats for the more complicated jumps."

His face paled.

"The what?"

"Oh, friend Big Bad Wolf," I teased. "Now I'm going to make you cry for the long program. Let’s go."

I stood up next to him while he opened the rink door. And I had a strange feeling. I couldn't describe it other than skating with Ekko felt good. I didn’t know why, but admitting it finally wasn't a crime until I remembered everything I had thought about Ekko before really getting to know him.

We finished at one, and Ekko said he had to do something. He still hadn’t told me what that building was, and even though I searched for it online, there were about nine departments minimum he could be applying to. Even an internship, no idea. I was just waiting for Ekko to trust me and tell me.

I think I had made too many assumptions about him for a long time.

He drove me home in his car; he had to drop something off, and there I was. While Ekko parked his car at his house, I left my backpack with my skates in the living room, taking off my sweater while I stayed in a skirt, needing fresh air. I grabbed a bottle from the fridge and dropped onto the couch, completely exhausted.

The doorbell rang, and I jumped up, looking at the door of my house. I had no messages from anyone saying they would arrive early or even that they would come.

The doorbell rang again.

Shit.

I stood up, taking my keys in my hands as I approached the door, peeking through the tiny hole and knowing who it was, cursing everything I could curse in this life and fifty others.

"Pow, sweetheart," he started. "Open the door."

"You have to be kidding."

He huffed.

"Watch your manners," he grumbled. "I need to pick something up; I just want to chat."

"Mom doesn’t want you around," I shot back. "Neither do I, nor Mylo. So understand the no."

"I’ve been sober for months."

"Oh, yes. Congratulations."

"And what does Mylo have to do with this?"

I rubbed my forehead.

"He won’t stop following me, so I recommend that you..."

"And what do I do with what he does?" he growled. "Besides, you should be with him. He’s such a good boy, a real man."

"Just like you," I shot back. "Marcus, get out of here, or I’ll call the police."

"I don’t know when you changed so much, and for the worse."

I laughed bitterly.

"Sure, I’m the shit," I replied. "And you’re the next alcoholic Pope."

"It was a mistake from many years ago!"

"A mistake is that I come from your damn sperm," I assured. "Everything else you decided."

Silence. I heard him grumble.

"I saw you lost on Sunday."

"I came in second," I grunted. "And I did quite well; besides, you’ve never seen me skate."

"And should I, considering you lost?" he spat. "Please, Pow. Your mother accused me of losing my mind when I told you to opt for something that would give you money. Not that stupid artistic skating."

I leaned against the wall with my back, resting my head against it, with the door beside me. Great, as if I didn’t feel like shit. Marcus made it worse.

"I won’t give you money."

"Pow," he began, an expert in the art of "I’m sorry" and manipulation. "All I’m trying to say is that I care about you. I’ve made a few mistakes, but I’m sober. You know that. Don’t you think getting along would make your mother happy? She loves me. We can still be a family."

I shook my head. No.

"Marcus, leave," I insisted. "And I’m not the one who broke this family."

"Come on, Pow, open the door," he insisted against my will. "We can start over; you just need to be a little understanding for once in your life."

"Go away. I’m doing just fine."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"So you’re not sick anymore?" he spat. "Have you gotten over that nonsense with Powder?"

I froze, not knowing what to say, but that was enough for him to keep talking against my will. I constantly wondered which version of Marcus I would face each day until I discovered it depended on the money or alcohol he had on him. And there was no worse version than the one that had nothing.

"We both know she brought it on herself; she shouldn’t have gone out alone dressed like that, and she did," he continued. "Do you know how much you made your mother spend on that nonsense? We’re the same, Jinx. Just open the door."

"That wasn’t her fault."

"It was," he cut in. "If you don’t want to suffer the same, then obey and don’t do anything stupid. If you get into the wolf’s mouth, you won’t come out unscathed."

"You’re an idiot," I insisted. "I won’t let you in! I don’t care if you’re sober or want to relapse! Get lost!"

He hit the door. Once, twice, six times. While I slid down to the floor, staring into nothing. I hated when he did that because he had always done it whenever he was near.

Flattering me. Destroying me. Asking for money. Insisting on everything. It was a damn manipulative roller coaster.

"Come on, Jinx, open the door," he insisted against my will. "You took everything from me; now Mylo doesn’t even see me because of whatever you told him. It’s a talent you have! Did you know that? And you inherited it from me, pushing everyone away because you’re just like me."

I had told myself that same thing when my days revolved around everything I did. Because I thought it was genetic until the therapist made me accept it wasn’t. Because that was what he had left behind.

Maybe it was Mom and her blind guilty optimism that had secretly opened the doors all these years out of pity, or maybe it was him and his sick need to give love and then take it away. Because he had bought my first skates, only to break them in rage over some childish nonsense I’d done. He had hired Miss Sevika to avoid seeing me at home and deal with his daughter, but I had hated and insulted her when she cared more for me than he could in seven lifetimes.

It was a girl dealing with a scared and threatened mother who, deep in her heart, still loved this idiot. And who still had scars from all the hell he had put her through. Mom had tired eyes, adding to the long list of girls Ronald had drained and left lifeless. But I wasn’t anymore. Enough was enough.

"You’re an expert at asking for forgiveness and turning things around, so well that you got the police in your pocket," I hissed, sitting on the floor, looking angrily at the door that divided us. "I was never impressed by excelling in school, skating, or anything. And definitely, I see everything better now that you’re gone. Because we’re not the same."

"Why? Why do you have money now?"

"Because now I have love and care," I replied. "Even if I don’t deserve it."

Silence. I prayed he had left, but I just heard him huff.

"Is it because of that boy?" he denied. "Mylo stopped giving me money because of him and you! How could you? Since he has money, you don’t want your father to ruin that big prize, just like your mother."

"What boy?" I interrogated. "And I remind you that you drank all your glorious inheritance, right before threatening Mom with that money if she left you."

"You’re blinded by that boy."

"What boy, Marcus? And Mylo is far from being my problem."

"You new neighbor!" he blurted. "Mylo told me everything; violent but rich. Your tastes definitely improved. And he stopped seeing me because of you!"

That piece of...

"Don’t ever talk about Ekko," I threatened. "And what do you know about that? Now you’re trying to manipulate me to get money from him? And leave Mylo out of this."

"Why?" he roared. "I lost all my money because of you! Mylo doesn’t respond to me anymore because of the shit you did!"

"It’s not my fucking problem!"

"It should be, error!" he shouted. "You’ve always been a problem, but now you’re more. Much more. But since that boy, you don’t care!"

I held my head in my hands in frustration.

"And what will you do? I’m eighteen, you’re divorced, you have nothing."

"Your prince has legal problems, did you know?" he insisted. "I’ll take him to jail if you don’t stay away from him."

"He’s my friend," I replied curtly. "And you’re tiring me."

"Go ahead, call the police!" he bellowed. "And I’ll tell them everything your cute friend is; the boy who sent someone to the hospital, his enlistment, his connection to a crime, the beating he gave Mylo..."

Connection to a crime?

"I’m not going to believe you, Marcus."

"You should," he hissed. "You’ll regret taking Mylo from me. You’re going to regret it!"

He hit the door again. Several times. And then I heard him scream as he walked away. I checked to see if he had left through the window while I was on the floor, tired with glassy eyes.

It had to be a joke that had made my week worse.

I sent a message to Mom to take care of herself, omitting everything he said, until I finally heard the doorbell ring again. And I groaned, burying my head in my knees.

"Just get the hell out of here, I won’t give you alcohol or money!" I yelled. "And tell your dear Mylo to screw off!"

"Jinx," another voice began. "Do you want an ice cream?"

I shouldn’t have opened the door so quickly, but I did. He was standing there, in my entrance, with a worried look.

"Did you hear everything?"

"And I may have threatened him," he whispered. "Though maybe I shouldn’t have done that."

"Are you an idiot? Didn’t you hear the part where he threatened to send you to jail?"

"I also heard the part where that didn’t scare you at all because we’re friends."

I sighed.

"I don’t want your pity."

"I know," he replied. "But I owe you something for the cookies; I’m feeling guilty."

I shouldn’t have smiled. But I did.

I moved toward him with my house key in my pocket and my phone in my hand. But I stopped halfway.

"You have to go to your cult."

"No."

"Ekko..."

"I can skip a day."

I glared at him while locking the door behind me.

"We’re going to your cult, pyramid scheme, or maybe ballet group," I ordered, giving him a look without receiving admissions. "I like the secretary."

"What?"

"Didn’t you notice? Haven’t you felt our great chemistry?"

"Ouch. It’s a joke," I reasoned. "You don’t talk about this; I won’t talk about your cult."

Ekko nodded as we walked to his car when I stopped at my entrance, watching where Marcus had gone. Shit, Ekko had heard everything. And he surely wanted as many answers as I did.

I remembered what he said about Powder.

And that touched something sensitive again.

It was like draining all the anger through frustration and sadness.

Ekko noticed, turning around until he reached where I had stopped.

"Did you hear about Powder?"

He hesitated, finally nodding.

"Don’t you want to talk about it, right?"

"Lately, it’s all I do; I just..." I nodded. "I’m sorry."

"Don’t apologize."

I needed to.

Ekko had no idea I was apologizing for believing he was a serial killer. But I was a coward, and I didn’t know how to say it to his face.

Maybe I had some of Marcus in me.

"You’ll tell me after your cult, really."

"Jinx..."

"Shit."

"I hope you don’t apologize again, or we’ll go to the hospital," he cut in. "You’re not weak; you never will be."

I think I was really going to have to call Dr. Isha.

"Then put your butt in the car because you’re not going to be late for your cult."

"It’s not a cult."

"Pyramid scheme," I got into his car, locking the door. "And I want you to know that even though I’m feeling a bit down, I won’t buy anything you sell me."

Ekko grunted as he got into the car.

"I could scam you."

"Not looking like that."

"When I scam you, we’ll talk."

I shook my head.

"You’re also no good at ballet..."

Ekko huffed. He stepped on the accelerator, and then the road led to that complex of buildings called Belladona. But then, while driving through the city, the whole weather was gray and dark, just like I felt, no matter how much I tried to pretend otherwise.

And I could only think while trying not to break down that I needed to tell Ekko that I was an idiot.

He needed to know it.

Chapter Text

I WAS SURE THAT AVRIL HATED ME.

But she just stayed in her seat, almost speechless, when she saw me coming with Ekko. He gave her a glance and greeted her. I didn’t understand the significance, but for Avril, it was as if she now had different colored eyes. I said goodbye to him as I got into the elevator, and I sat there observing the lines on the floor again.

About twenty minutes later, Avril seemed to snap out of her trance:

"What did you do to him?"

"To Ekko?" I asked, confused. "Well, I accompanied him."

Avril shook her head.

"No, no... That guy never came, and the first few times he arrived late," she recounted. "He started coming regularly a few weeks ago, which was annoying, but at least he came. Since that day he saw you, he arrives at least a minute early. And he just greeted me; it seems like he even wants to come."

My throat went dry. I was a mess. And illiterate. I barely managed to respond.

"You said he wasn’t coming because he wanted to," I began. "Do you think he’s violent?"

Avril looked at me for a long few seconds.

"Based on his history; that guy has been surrounded by violence," she replied while arranging her papers. "But as far as I’ve seen, I don’t think he is. And if he is, he must have his reasons. I would be, for my reasons."

"Did you know that you just make me more curious?"

"I’m just giving you general data," she shrugged while typing on the computer. "You handle the details, girl."

She didn’t say anything else. I waited the whole time in the chair, watching different people come and go through that reception. There were people saying goodbye to others, leaving to return when the person they had left came out. It was approximately an hour and a half while I stayed in that chair memorizing the whole place.

I watched Ekko come out of the elevator, somewhat tense, nodding to Avril, who instinctively looked at me as I said goodbye. As soon as we got into his car, I looked at him directly.

"Can we get ice cream and go somewhere?"

He nodded. We looked for ice cream. Then, he followed my directions to go to the center of all Zaun. It was an atypical place compared to the rest of the County; with identical wooden houses following a dark green and white scheme, rocks on the ground with Scandinavian inscriptions. A church of the same colors. And a path of painted stones in the colors of the rainbow that led to the square located exactly in the center of the entire town.

There were wells nearby. And many cauldrons that followed the faithful Irish custom of a leprechaun guarding his treasure of gold at the end of a rainbow. There was also a bridge connecting the small island in the center of the square with the rest of the city. There were modern cars, and at the same time, rabbits or traditional outfits hanging in their windows.

It was a mix of the past and the future gathered in one place.

Ekko was amazed as he parked near the center. It was still not dark; it was four o’clock. The nightlife there consisted of pubs, bookstores, and throwing coins into the lake that surrounded the square. I unbuckled my seatbelt, glancing at Ekko, who couldn’t stop looking at the whole square that was undoubtedly not found anywhere else.

"These were the first houses of the Irish migrants," I explained. "It’s a law that this area cannot be altered. The costumes are because it serves as a tourist attraction on weekends. And the path of colored stones too."

"What does it mean?"

"In Ireland, rainbows mean blessings from heaven," I explained while pointing to the place. "It’s also a little plagiarism towards Dublin, but ssh. Do you remember the myth of the leprechaun, the rainbow, and his treasure?"

Ekko nodded.

"Uh-huh."

"There would be the treasure," I pointed to the square. "All that grass; it’s four-leaf clovers."

"You must be joking."

"Eh, go check, Wolf."

Ekko rolled his eyes as he got out, and I imitated him. I used to come almost all the time, although now I hardly had time. It was such a strange, peaceful environment. We both walked along the sidewalk, observing that even the businesses followed the color pattern, especially the bars, with barely a wooden sign indicating the name of the place. I explained everything to Ekko while he nodded in amazement.

"And this is Odin’s Rock."

"Like Thor’s?"

I hit him.

"Idiot, do you remember what Ireland’s culture is?"

"The Scandinavian," he replied. "It’s like Zeus; it doesn’t take away from the promiscuity."

"Well, let me inform you that Odin was quite different in Scandinavian culture, and also, he was the God of Travelers, so all this rock is his, and his portrait," I explained while taking a curious look at the rock. "The Vikings, or Scandinavians, had no written record of their history; it was only spoken from generation to generation. They preferred to use rocks for more everyday things or, in any case, to say that Odin blessed this place."

"Wasn’t he blonde?"

I shook my head.

"Redhead," I explained. "Thor was also a redhead. And others gods were blue-haired, pink-haired. You get an idea of why there are so many different colors here, right?"

"I didn’t think a place like this would exist in the middle of a place called Zaun," he pointed out, devouring his ice cream. "It’s... Warm."

I pointed to an apple stand further ahead while I continued explaining the Nordic names that were on the signs. I didn’t know the language completely, but there were some words I knew by heart. I was explaining something to Ekko about how Freya was the goddess of love when he threw an apple at me, which I caught.

"Oh, cutie," I smiled. "I accept."

Ekko looked at me confused.

"What, you little blue girl?"

"Proposing to me," I explained as seriously as I could. "In Scandinavian culture, when a man throws an apple at a woman, he proposes to her. That was very sweet."

Ekko’s face went through nine different colors until he smiled sideways with more confidence.

"Well, dear wife," he began, getting closer. "Is there no kiss to celebrate?"

"Get away, Wolf," I pushed him away. "I didn’t sign anything, so I reject the proposal."

"Ouch," he complained. "You just got Freya’s hopes up for nothing."

I burst out laughing.

"You do know that’s from Greek culture, right?" I laughed. "The Greeks had that. The Scandinavians were very correct with their sexual lives within their lands. How fun."

"I wish a lightning would strike you," he retorted. "How cruel you are, little blue girl."

I laughed harder as we walked until we reached the rainbow stones that led up to the bridge where I pointed out the coins that were wishes and so on. We arrived at the square where Ekko sighed upon seeing all the clovers in the meadow. We reached the lap of a tree that was clearly the national tree of Ireland: an Oak. And in its branches, there were red deer. It was a crime to harm one.

We sat at the foot of it while I explained some Scandinavian culture to Ekko, including the famous "St. Patrick’s Day." And finally, I showed him the clover.

"Sign of good luck."

"It’s incredible," he admitted. "How come the rest isn’t like this?"

"This place was just this, and a couple of houses that haven’t changed in Council and Nexus," I explained while playing with the clover. "More Europeans started coming in the early nineteenth century, and with World War II..."

"They didn’t need charm, just refuge."

I nodded.

"Half of the people here lost their families in the Holocaust," I explained. "Did you know that four hundred orphaned children arrived who were raised and adopted here? My grandmother was one of them."

Ekko settled into his place, more attentive than he had been. I was sure that the slightest stupidity I had told him he remembered as if it were the most interesting thing about this trip that felt more like a guided tour.

"Really?" he asked. "What was her name?"

"Eyra, it means health," I recounted. "I didn’t know her much," I added, playing with the clovers. "Her parents were taken to a concentration camp; they gave her to a couple who were as alone as she was. She died of a heart attack, although sometimes she had the feeling of being in a concentration camp; she would say: 'They are coming' or 'Hide.' She chose Ireland because her parents were Irish who went to Germany, a grave mistake."

"And your great-grandparents?"

"They died of old age," I added. "Mom says they were great. I don’t have much family."

"I do," he tensed his jaw. "It’s not very good in my experience."

I kept playing with the clovers while watching him.

"Do you miss your mom?"

Ekko nodded, looking away. I wasn’t going to say anything else when he continued talking.

"Her name was Inna," he whispered. "I called her Nina."

I settled in more comfortably, giving him my full attention.

"If you don’t want to talk about her, that’s fine," I assured him. "Just tell me what you’re sure you want to say."

Ekko looked at the ground, somewhat serious and tense. I was still surprised by how he could show himself so gentle, gallant, and sweet one moment, then be a wall without feelings that could kill with a glance the next. He was complex. He was enigmatic.

And yet, he continued talking to me.

"She was... She was beautiful," he began. "She had bangs. And I don’t know how; I never saw her messy. White hair like me. And her eyes were big and brown. Although sometimes I feel like I don’t remember her."

"As if thinking more about what she really looked like makes you forget faster."

Ekko sighed, nodding. I thought he wouldn’t add anything else when he picked a four-leaf clover while contemplating it between his large, rough hands. I had noticed something about his knuckles for a while, but up close, I could see fine lines that revealed distant scars that weren’t just simple cuts. He had a long one that went from the middle of his thumb to his wrist, as invisible as a simple game of shadows because of the position of the sun, but up close, its true nature was noticeable.

I wondered how many scars he had on his body, and what the real story was behind each one of them.

"I left the guy in the hospital, but I don’t have any legal investigation open," he said. "I just went to a military boarding school and finished my studies at home. My teacher was a retired Marine who retired from the DEA."

Shit.

"Why did you hit him so hard?"

Ekko dropped the clover while his shoulders tensed, and his eyes darkened like the sky behind him. It was impressive how he could change from warm to cold in an instant with the right word.

"Honestly? Because I could, and I wanted to," he admitted, looking directly into my eyes. "He said something that made me angry."

"And you won’t tell me what."

Ekko fell silent.

"It’s not the first serious fight I’ve had," he replied, evading my two questions in one. "And I know that even if I say that many of those I hit deserved it, the reality is that several didn’t, but I did it. It’s a shitty excuse."

"Totally," I blurted out as I settled on the ground, restless. "Do you enjoy it? Hurting others?"

Ekko shook his head without hesitation.

"No, it was never for that."

"It’s complicated."

"That’s another shitty excuse," he pointed out. "Just say it; the more you hide the truth, the more it slips from your hands and how it will affect you."

Ekko remained silent for several long seconds, during which I knew I was being somewhat hypocritical by demanding that he tell me the truth in a way. But, looking at him from the beginning, it wasn’t that I had believed something bad about him at first; it was when I could no longer hide that there was something strange about him. For better or worse. And many wouldn’t understand it, nor did I know how to make them understand, about that fear that generates the same fear; Powder. Because no matter the therapy, there would always be a splinter of all that in me making me more alert, paranoid, and stressed regarding what the rest might experience.

I was frozen in that exact moment, barely managing to move at a painfully slow speed, and Ekko had paid a bit of the price.

"I did it to vent," he admitted. "I’ve never had friends. I’m not the bad boy. I’m the guy who enters any class with a bad reputation, gets into trouble, no one approaches, but still gets invited to parties that he eventually leaves. Like a ghost."

"Were you frustrated with moving a lot?"

Ekko sighed.

"We moved because of my problems," he explained. "Jinx, you’re my friend; in fact, you’re my first friend since I was ten years old, and I’m completely honest with you right now, but I also don’t want to scare you."

"Why do you think I would be scared?"

"Because people don’t want to deal with the flaws of others," he replied honestly. "And because I’m not easy to deal with."

"Ekko..."

"The building, the cult..." he replied. "It’s a damn therapy. I’ve been in therapy for about a month."

His words fell in the small square like a bowling ball thrown into the lake that surrounded us. Ekko looked tense. I had never seen him so nervous and evasive. My gaze traveled directly to his eyes as the silence settled between us, with the soft whisper that we both hoped the other would speak. Suddenly, the temperature dropped, and I felt cold. It had darkened more. And that ray of sunlight made Ekko’s eyes look like coal soaked in gasoline, expectant for the spark to explode.

I realized that Ekko might not have any idea how dark and intense his gaze was, but he couldn’t help it because he wasn’t even aware of how much he conveyed with a simple look.

"Is it because of your mom?"

Something darkened even more in his gaze, and he nodded curtly. He had just trusted me with this, and he sounded quite honest about it. My mind was racing, reviewing each of his words as if I were weaving a quilt with all the threads he had just thrown at me, and I was left speechless.

I waited a couple of seconds, and before I could respond, Ekko shook his head.

"Forget it, little blue girl," he sighed, almost cursing. "It’s a silly..."

I gave him a hug while also giving him a friendly punch.

"It doesn’t change anything," I remembered his words while whispering in his ear; "you’re just not alone."

Ekko held onto me; he was completely aware of his fingers on my back and his face in my hair. He smelled like paint, some chemical I couldn’t identify, and lavender. That hug was like a declaration that the war had ended.

"I haven’t been a good friend."

"I think waiting almost two hours at the receptionist is something a good friend does."

"Maybe I took a walk."

Ekko inhaled deeply; his voice sounded hoarse up close. While I had him in my arms, I realized I had never hugged someone so many times in my life.

"We both know you didn’t take a walk."

"Ekko, I’ve also been to therapy."

He pulled away, looking at me with a slightly furrowed brow.

"Was it because of... him?"

"No," I admitted. "When I was ten years old, the most talented girl at the Khione Center was attacked by three men returning home after a training session. Her name was Powder, and she didn’t die, but she was hurt enough that there’s nothing that terrifies me more in this life than ending up like her. That happening to me."

"It’s not going to happen to you."

I shook my head; my voice had lost strength.

"It can always happen," he reproached. "And the Sun Stalker... Something tells me he’s coming for me; I know it."

"Jinx," he shook his head. "He’s not coming for you; he won’t."

"I’m scared, all the time, anywhere," I continued admitting while holding my head. "I need to defend myself; I need to know who he is before he attacks. Fear is not living."

Ekko took my hand. It was somewhat rough but warm. And he nodded. We had been as honest as we could be at that moment.

"I’ll teach you," he said, with admirable determination. "You’re going to hunt the Sun Stalker."

Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf had formed an alliance, as dusk fell at sunset, where symbolically, the moon defeated the sun to take its place in the sky. Ekko and I smiled at each other a bit as we spent the rest of the night together until we returned home as if it were the first time we had met. And looking at that night through my window at the moon, I realized something.

The Wolf was the animal of the moon, and the Sun Stalker was defeated by it at every sunset.

Chapter Text

“A SUSHI SOLAR WITH TWO SODAS, PLEASE.

“Oh, and that red sauce,” Jace interjects. “The one they use for meat-chicken-fish. Four packets, please.”

The guy nods slowly. I shook my head while focusing on Jace, who simply took a napkin and started playing with it.

“You’d be really easy to poison.”

“I know, that’s why you and Viktor are around,” he laughs, watching me for a moment. “While we wait for our girl to finish her date, how did it go with the paper crown?”

I rolled my eyes.

“Do you think we did it?”

“Of course,” Jace admits with a huff. “Everyone does except Steb, poor boy. Even a cat from my block has more action than I do, and he’s been neutered.”

“Maybe he's waiting for the right time,” I replied. “Would you rather be in a crappy relationship full of worries or just make napkin figures and watch Bolt as many times as you want while drunk?”

Jace nods, smiling. he's thinkg about Viktor.

“That’s a good point,” he admits. “But back to the one who enchanted you—don’t you like him? Because I saw a lot of chemistry.”

I kicked him under the table.

“We’re just friends.”

“Friends,” he repeats, laughing. “Come on, that guy likes you. And you like him too. Since we’re not in the red numbers, I think you can freely admit he’s sexy, shares your social skills, listens to Taylor Swift for you, and has a car.”

“I think you like him more than I do.”

“No one is going to date you two without me liking him,” he shook his head. “And you pointed out all the positives, like how you didn’t deny that you like him or what I said.”

“Friends,” I replied. “We’ve barely been friends for five days rehearsing. Besides, you and I are friends, and no one thinks we like each other.”

Jace laughed.

“It’s different.”

“Why?”

“Because we don’t look at each other like we’re a VIP entry to a Taylor Swift concert,” he pointed out. “You don’t see it, but you both look at each other that way. What’s wrong with saying it?”

“Maybe the part where I thought he was a serial killer who was going to kill me?”

“Well, if you liked him, he wasn’t going to be normal,” I hit him again. “And I believed you! But at the same time, I told you it could just be a fling that he liked you.”

I shifted in my seat, playing with my fingers while looking at the black nail polish left from the short program competition.

“Ekko told me something,” I admitted. “Trust me.”

“And you trust him?”

“I don’t know,” I replied honestly. “But I’m not afraid of him, just...”

“You still can’t stop thinking about the Sun Stalker,” Jace deduced. “That girl, Natalie, I remember seeing her at the disastrous party.”

“What?”

Jace nodded, downplaying it. My mind started racing while my heart beat so fast I began to hear it like the sound of a thoroughbred running.

Oh, shit.

“Yeah, you know, I think you even passed by her,” he recalled. “I don’t remember much, but she was at the party. She was on the dance floor.”

“With Claggor,” I whispered, looking at Yankel. “Natalie spent the whole night with Claggor.”

“Huh?” Jace asked. “What? We both know Claggor always has a different girl.”

“Because he’s perfect,” I whispered. “Oh, shit.”

“Oh no, you have that look that says I won’t make a documentary if it’s not a miniseries,” he mumbled. “What are you thinking?”

I watched Vi open the door of the place while looking determinedly at Jace.

“Hunting him.”

“Who are we hunting?” Vi asked, glancing around the place longer than necessary. “Ekko Shannon again?”

“Why him?”

Vi kept scanning the place, her cat-like eyes seemed to be looking for something in particular. Jace ignored her while finishing playing with the napkins, making a paper boat. Vi was distracted, as if in a daydream. And that shocked me so much that she must have noticed it in my gaze as she threw me a small look just as the waiter arrived with the order we had made earlier.

She smiled, but it was clear she was uneasy. And I didn’t like that.

“Curiosity,” she shrugged. “Just a guess.”

“About what?” I asked. “Vi, what are you looking for?”

Vi threw one more glance around the place while smiling more eagerly in my direction without losing that nervousness.

“Nothing,” she cut off. “Nothing, don’t worry. Just insignificant things. Come on, let’s eat.”

She started eating while Jace talked, and I relaxed a bit without stopping to observe Vi with doubt. Something wasn’t right, and I didn’t know what it was. I could only turn around to take a look at the relatively full place where the waiters were rushing to serve on a busy day. Then my gaze went to Claggor leaving the place while I stood there for a few seconds watching the door.

What were those insignificant problems?

( • • • )

Sometimes I felt like going out into the street was like being a gazelle in the middle of the forest. And with a predator that could smell you from miles away, like a shadow looming over its prey that played a little before attacking.

I hadn’t felt that way since that time outside the Khione Center, but I felt it again.

Someone was watching me; I could feel it on me like a heavy cloak while my heart raced. I was alone. I looked around, searching for someone, but the avenue was empty. I had just left Vi and Jace; I insisted on walking the rest alone. But something was wrong, and my heart began to beat like a drum.

I couldn’t explain where or why I knew it, but something wasn’t right.

The sun was setting, beginning to bathe the sky in orange and red. A panorama of blood. I took a couple of steps forward, realizing I was just a few houses away from mine.

I just needed time.

Because for the first time since Ekko moved in across from my house, I could bet my life that this time it wasn’t him. Nor had it been his eyes that time at the Khione Center. Maybe I was just terrified, crazy, or had lost my mind, but I was so sure of it that I just knew it was someone else. And the Sun Stalker ceased to have a face, becoming a shadow that was hunting me like a leopard after a gazelle.

I moved a little faster, almost running, while the keys to my house were clenched tightly between my knuckles. I was barely a block away when I crossed the street almost without looking. And then, I felt a tug on my arm.

Besides a honking behind me, a golden car that looked like a mini van almost hit me. I was going to thank this person when I found myself staring directly into brown eyes I didn’t want to see.

“Mylo,” I blurted. “I told you...”

“You almost got hit,” he exclaimed, obviously. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks. Now, what are you doing here again?”

He sighed. His face completely changed to a docile and remorseful one.

“I wanted to apologize.”

“Uh-huh.”

“For the party,” he admitted. “We were stressed.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “Goodbye.”

I started to walk away, wanting to run from that feeling on my neck when he stopped me again, stepping in front of me.

“Let me walk you home.”

“No,” I insisted. “I’m late; Jace and Viktor is waiting for me there.”

A lie. Jace was in a date with Viktor probably watching Flipped and kissing each others for two hours.

But that made him put his hands in his pockets, sighing.

“I want to start over.”

Good for you, champ.

“Better just let... be acquaintances. We’ll just pass by each other.”

“I don’t want to pass by you.”

“Marcus said a lot of things; you did too, and I did. It’s the healthiest thing.”

“Let me walk you home,” he insisted, taking a step forward. “It’s not safe for you.”

“Mylo, really, I think I...”

“I’ll walk you home.”

“Mylo,” I scolded, giving him a somewhat agitated look at our surroundings. “I’m fine. I already have company. Just let it go.”

“I just want to be near you.”

“And I don’t want you to be near me.”

He sighed heavily, with a voice so pitiful that for a second I felt pity.

“Is it because of Ekko Shannon? He is...”

“I know what he is and who he is; I don’t need you to repeat it,” I cut him off. “Look, I don’t want you to accompany me because my friends don’t like you. Not Jace, and especially not Vi. Just let it go; I’ll be fine.”

“But...”

“Hey,” I insisted one last time. “Mylo, I don’t know how the hell to say this nicer and calmer, but... Just leave me alone. Now.”

“I’m not like that.”

I stepped back.

“Goodbye, Mylo.”

“Wait!” he grabbed my wrist as he stepped closer. “Take care, please.”

I pulled away from his grip.

“I already do.”

Before he could follow me again, I hurried toward Ekko’s yard where I accidentally ended up at his closed garage. I was feeling a bit panicked about going to my house at that moment because Mylo could insist and knew every damn entrance to the house. I looked around, having that feeling hit me.

“Ekko?”

I almost died of fright.

“Mrs. Andromeda, hello.”

“What are you doing at the garage door, dear?”

I immediately stepped back, as if I were contaminated. I was rummaging through my brain for the right excuses to talk, but it seemed they had all left me; I had a thousand and one excuses, but I only managed to say one sentence.

“I dropped my keys while playing; I came to see Ekko,” I replied, lacking enthusiasm in my lie. “Do you know where he is?”

Andromeda nodded, somewhat dazed until she saw my hands where I almost screamed, jumping back. She rushed toward me while keeping her gaze on me, and I found the keys buried in my hand, releasing some blood. I had squeezed them so hard while coming here that I had lost feeling in it.

“He’s upstairs,” she announced. “Oh my God, I need to bring alcohol and cotton. Come, go in.”

“I’ll go home; it’s fine.”

“No way,” she dragged me into her house. “I’ll take care of that wound; come on. Jinx, come in.”

I felt dizzy. I wasn’t even feeling time correctly from that horrible sensation I had on me; of being stalked. Unintentionally, I glanced at the whole block, including my house, which had all the lights off. I didn’t feel well; I couldn’t explain it. It was like a slight breeze that was taking my oxygen away.

And the worst part was not knowing where it was coming from, and much less from whom.

I nodded, entering her house while I sat down abruptly in the living room of her home as she went upstairs for alcohol. I didn’t hear her call Ekko, but at that moment I didn’t care. I was terrified. And I almost threw the keys across the living room when I heard a door open on the stairs, the one I assumed was the basement.

It wasn’t a basement, nor an attic. It was a dark red-lit studio with many photos hanging from the ceiling. It was a photo-developing studio. And Ekko came out, frowning until he saw me sitting alone in the middle of his living room. My eyes tried to focus only on him, but two photos behind him caught my attention completely.

Two blue-haired girls. You could only see their hair. But despite the red lights, I knew they were blue-haired. Slightly wavy hair. From behind. And the one I could barely see in profile. But they were blue-haired girls. And that only made me feel more dizzy.

“Ekko, listen, I think...”

His gaze went directly to my hand, and he practically took two strides to be in front of me, eyes worried, taking it gently. I was going to explain something, but he spoke before I even reacted.

“What happened? Who hurt you?” he asked in a threatening tone. “Who did this to you? Did you come alone? And your friends?”

“It was me, with my key,” I replied curtly. “I’m fine.”

Ekko growled slightly. He was angry, and I had no idea why he seemed ready to send everyone to hell when he looked at me with his jaw tense.

“You’re shaking,” he pointed out; I hadn’t even noticed. “Jinx, who did this to you?”

Mylo.

“It was my keys in my hands; I had a horrible feeling a few minutes ago,” I explained. “It’s fine, Ekko. I’ve fallen many times much worse.”

That didn’t calm him too much.

“I have to take care of that.”

“Mrs. And...”

“Oh, Ekko!” she exclaimed. “I went to get alcohol and a gauze; look at that! Let me clean it.”

“I can do it.”

“No,” she took the alcohol from him. “I’ll do it.”

I shot him a dirty look.

“It’s my wound, my keys, and my blood,” I took the gauze, smiling at Mrs. Andromeda. “I’ll do it.”

“Then it’s my alcohol and my gauze,” he grumbled. “I’ll do it.”

“No, you won’t.”

“Yes, I will. It’s your right,” he replied obviously. “And by the way, you’re right-handed.”

“No, you won’t,” I grunted. “It’s my cut, and by the way, it’s my body.”

Mrs. Andromeda laughed nervously, glancing back and forth between us until she made us quiet.

“Ekko, go to your room, and if Jinx needs anything, you help her,” Andromeda ordered, looking at me. “Don’t you want me to call your mom?”

“No, no. It’s just my hand.”

“Are you sure?”

I nodded.

Ekko pointed to the stairs as we started to walk, reaching the halfway point when Andromeda cleared her throat loudly from the ground floor. She had an uncomfortable and nervous smile. Something wasn’t right for her at that moment.

“Ekko, honey, keep the curtains closed,” she ordered. “Please.”

“Was there...?”

“I already closed the garage,” he summarized, directing his smile toward me. And I knew he wasn’t saying everything because I was present. “Everything will be fine; Wyeth will arrive late.”

Ekko nodded somewhat curtly. We went up to his room, and I heard Mrs. Andromeda in the kitchen. Why had they closed the garage? No one with a garage kept it closed, but since they arrived, they were the exception. They barely had it open sometimes, but when I arrived, it was a fortress. I had many theories my hyperactive mind had just formulated to finally discard them when Ekko ordered me to sit on his bed while I opened the bottle of alcohol.

I didn’t ask him anything because I hadn’t told him about Mylo, but I was sure that for that lie, he would tell me three about his house, what photos he had in his studio, and why Andromeda was nervous.

“Could you let me help you?”

I shook my head while opening the alcohol bottle deeply.

Oh, damn it. I hope Scar is asleep.

“Bad question,” he sighed. “Would you let me help you with your wound?”

“Damn, damn,” I muttered. “And no. I’ll be ready in a moment.”

“Are you afraid of alcohol?”

I shot him a dirty look.

“No.”

“Good,” he crossed his arms. “Go ahead, blue girl.”

I grunted. I took a deep breath and cursed in many languages while pouring a bit of alcohol onto my hand.

The effect was immediate; stinging. And some foam that showed it was slightly infected, but a lot of stinging. So much that I jumped while letting out a whimper of pain, almost wanting to cut my hand.

I waited for Ekko to help me at least, but what he did was pour more alcohol on my hand, making me squirm, but he stopped me, pulling my hand away so it could fall without staining his bed. I was going to hit him when the foam began to dissipate, and the pain became more tolerable.

“If you do it in parts, it hurts more,” he pointed out. “This way, your skin gets used to the stinging and can take effect faster.”

“Understood.”

I took the gauze while cleaning some parts, making a grimace although it was more tolerable this time. Before I could react, Ekko took my hand in his with a different gauze, finishing drying some parts and took several band-aids he had on his nightstand, which he placed on my hand with great agility.

He placed three on me. One blue and other pink, and then took one that made him rummage in his drawer until he stuck it on my hand.

“You’re lucky it was colored for Scar,” he pointed out. “And that the purple one was still left.”

“I had no idea they existed.”

Ekko gave me a lascivious look.

“I hope you don’t do anything that needs a convenient purple band-aid.”

“For whom do you take me?”

“For a stubborn girl,” he replied. “Would you fall or something else?”

I shook my head.

“Did I stop shaking?”

“Yes,” Ekko admitted. “The alcohol was also for that.”

I looked at him wrong.

“The boy savior.”

“Stubborn blue girl.”

I stretched my hand while discreetly observing Ekko’s room, which was still almost like last time; photos, camera, and a pair of headphones but without a trace of newspapers. Just tidy. Mom would give me a hard time about this room for an entire year wishing he were her son.

“Jinx,” he started again. “What was the feeling you had?”

“It was awful,” I admitted, looking at my hand. “I was coming from the stop, but a couple of houses away I felt like... Like I was being hunted, I started to sweat cold, and I felt someone was behind me. I’ve felt it before; someone is watching me, and it’s not in a nice way.”

“Where else had you felt it?”

I hesitated a bit while looking at him. Our hands were so close that I accidentally brushed against him.

“The day you gave me a ride to dinner with Marcus and your family,” I admitted. “I told you; I’m being stalked; he’s coming for me.”

“Well, he won’t succeed.”

I stared at my hands for a long moment until Ekko took my hand with band-aids, earning my gaze.

“Ekko...” I began. “I want you to know that if the Sun Stalker attacks me, if he succeeds...”

“He won’t,” he shook his head. “Never. You won’t be his victim.”

“If he does,” I insisted, “I’m going to attack him in the face. I don’t know how or what it would be, any scratch or whatever. But I would hurt him in the face.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s not a part of the body that can be easily hidden,” I admitted. “It would be a clue, not a coincidence. It would leave something to follow.”

“Jinx...”

“If I’m not around, I need you or my friends to look for someone with an injury on their face,” I insisted, swallowing hard. “If it’s the last thing I do, it’ll be worth it.”

“Don’t say that,” Ekko scolded me. “He’s smart, but you won’t get to use it. He’s not going to attack you.”

Ekko affirmed that statement as if his life depended on it. I wanted to believe it too, but like in that book I read a long time ago; the letter had already been received, and I just had to wait. Even if we spent almost ten minutes with my mom learning basic self-defense moves, I kept waiting.

Because the next day, Natalie was found dead with a new note:

There are many stars, but only one sun. And this has illuminated her path.

Chapter Text

"EKKO MADE ME SPIN IN THE AIR WHILE CATCHING ME UNTIL I TOUCHED THE FLOOR SAFE AND SOUND.

"Well, well!" exclaimed Miss Sevika. "Although I feel we could remove that splitz and replace it with something from both. Maybe a crossed Lutz. Yes. I like it. From the beginning, Little Red Riding Hood!"

"Should I wear a cape?"

"It's the basis of your character, Jinx," she winked at me. "Five, six, seven, and eight!"

I skated to the center alongside Ekko while we were back to back. I took a deep breath. This summer was an hourglass sliding too quickly. The final competition was in three weeks and four days, but time had passed faster than any other summer of my depressing eighteen years; I had trained in the morning with Ekko until my right buttock had no nerves and Ekko had bruises all over his body. We had used the mat for jumps, and we were already using the rink, which was a mix of sweat, determination, and commitment to the most important choreography of this summer. But at night, he taught me self-defense to complete my loss of nerves throughout my body. He was quite good at beating people up, and my body was already in a state where my nerves had died years ago.

The few free moments I had were divided between Jace, Vi, Viktor, and Mom. Nothing else. It was the most depressing teenage summer of my legal adult life. And tired. I was really exhausted.

Marcus hadn’t shown up even once since that time.

Mylo simply drifted away.

But what worried me the most was that Vi had a suspicious attitude. We met every Tuesday night to watch movies at Jace's house, in addition to drinking and eating. But something kept her restless, even though it wasn't about Caitlyn. And that was making me lose a bit of sleep.

She said, "I'm fine. Just insignificant problems." But they didn’t seem insignificant to me, even when Jace or Viktor asked her. She denied anything. Something had happened that kept her nervous, but without proof, I couldn’t be sure.

And Ekko.

Damn. Damn Ekko.

We saw each other every day, too many hours; I was starting to know his quirks, his little gestures that gave away what he felt in certain situations, and more about who he really was. We were partners. I trusted Miss Sevika, who trusted him enough to put my life, my career, and my future in her hands by letting him throw me into the air, trusting that he would catch me.

I resisted trusting him completely. No. It wasn't even a possibility that it would get to that point; I just knew he was strong, agile, and not stupid enough to let me fall. I trusted Miss Sevika, not him.

Although since that time in the center, I didn’t find him so weird or so stupid. It was just a rivalry between us that could be considered friendly and was part of our friendship. Because he was a friend I didn’t feel afraid of. A friend.

"Are you okay, blue girl?"

I nodded. I didn’t even look at him as I began to hear "Running withe vwolves" by AURORA for the fifteenth time. It was a change suggested by Ekko; I was going to protest, but I fell in love with the melody. And I gave in, which made Ekko gloat about it. Anyways, anyone nearby should already know the song by heart. Still, I nodded while turning around, watching Ekko, who gave me a sideways smile that made me roll my eyes.

But although it was a show of disdain, he laughed. And I knew it was something organic.

This terrified me more than anything else this summer.

I looked into his eyes as the song began, trying to bring my hand to his face only to be rejected. He tried to get closer, but I backed away. And there began the routine as I waved the cape that would mark an invisible wall between us as the story continued.

Little Red Riding Hood had to give in first; she had to be the one to see beyond the beast. And it scared me how perfectly the choreography flowed.

We moved to the end, after executing everything we already had, where we had to end up face to face, but this time with Ekko having one hand on my waist, and I had to accept my hand on his cheek. I didn’t know how many times I had said that Ekko's eyes were dark, but so close to them, it was impossible not to feel overwhelmed by their intensity. I placed my hand on his cheek as he lowered his head, signaling the end of the routine.

"Don’t I have pretty eyes?"

I nudged him, pulling away.

"And a great humility."

"Well, well! I love that ending," Miss Sevika pointed out. "I think adding more steps that contrast with each other; the rink will be divided in half for you two, okay? All the jumps and steps together, I want them in the middle. Also, Ekko, lift your leg higher on the third Lutz, and I want you to be more intimidating."

Ekko nodded. And then, Miss Sevika looked at me.

"Jinx, dear, perfect," she praised. "I want you to be a little softer and more in love at the end. Perfect. Tomorrow at nine for the solo. I already have the order."

"Is the solo first or the duo?"

"Solo first," Miss Sevika replied. "Besides, the list of universities affiliated with the competition. This is a great opportunity for you too, Ekko. What do you want to study?"

Ekko skated to the end of the list as he left, looking as if no one had ever asked him that. And I realized I hadn’t either.

"Photography," he murmured. "Or maybe to be a detective."

"Oh, what careers!" Miss Sevika encouraged. "Without a doubt, this will benefit you; I think you’re talented at whatever you choose."

Ekko looked somewhat uncomfortable. I guess not many praised him, and he didn’t know how to respond; his eyes went directly to me, standing behind Miss Sevika, to which I nodded, uttering a word he repeated.

"Thank you," he observed to Miss Sevika. "I try to do my best."

I nodded. And Miss Sevika was satisfied as she placed the song for my solo. It was something dark. I had to go with my Little Red Riding Hood costume, and Miss Sevika wasted no time putting on "I Did Something Bad" by Taylor Swift.

It was a pretty complex choreography.

I skated to the rhythm of the music while performing each step with a mischievous smile. Here there was no love. Here there was power. My routine was of a witch who stopped being afraid to let the power dominate her. There was a step that wasn’t complicated, but it had to have some cheekiness that seemed to never come out of me.

I was facing away while stretching my arm, glancing sideways at the audience as I traced with my fingers the path from my wrist to my shoulder to the slow rhythm of a part of the song. I laughed. And then I began to skate in the shape of infinity until I performed a triple Lutz in the air while falling to the ground, spinning on my own axis as fast as I could until I stopped, tossing my hair back, or at least pretending to.

And I ended like Aaron Burr with a pose that went to the rhythm of the music, pointing to the ground until I pointed to the ceiling. A nice metaphor for how I had started and how I had finished.

Miss Sevika was obsessed with parallels.

I stood up, watching Ekko's smile as I gasped for air. He had a strange look. All his expression seemed strange to me. While Miss Jenn broke into applause, almost bouncing. I was dizzy from the continuous effort, but I managed to skate toward them, barely remembering what song Caitlyn would do for her routine. Jet Pack Blues by Fall out boy.

"You look like you’re drooling," I teased Ekko as I reached the edge of the rink. "What happened to you?"

"Always so pretty, blue."

"Always so stupid, Big Bad Wolf."

"Oh, please, Jinx!" Miss Sevika exclaimed. "That was beautiful! You did it on the first try, the mischievous smile, and the ending. It was wonderful!"

"You sent me to watch Hamilton; something had to come of it."

"I didn’t hear you complain," I grumbled. "You both are already my winners!"

Miss Sevika jumped, giving us a hug while Ekko tensed completely, to which I rolled my eyes, throwing an arm over his shoulders as he relaxed while Miss Sevika continued talking about how we needed to improve certain parts specifically and how perfect our chemistry, costumes, and song were with what we conveyed. Sometimes I thought she made up all those words, but it was inevitable to believe them, and with Miss Sevika, there was certainty that they were real.

I let myself fall into a seat, letting out a loud sigh.

"I don’t know if you have witch vibes, but your solo is pretty good."

"What can I say?" I let my hair down. "It’s a natural talent."

"Did it help with your skates, or do I risk falling under a spell?"

"Exaggerated."

"Blue girl, if you had magic, you’d use it a lot."

True.

"Feel honored that I don’t have it, then," I extended my foot. "Come on, before I regret it."

Ekko chuckled softly as he placed my foot over his legs while carefully untying the laces. He was going to untie the other one when I paused for a couple of seconds, watching Ekko, realizing he hadn’t hesitated for a second. It seemed silly, but I was very restless and wary of my things regarding skating. And I hadn’t even noticed how close we were, much less the comfort I felt at that moment.

No. I didn’t trust him yet.

Nor he me.

We were just partners. That was all. Passing friends. And that was it.

"Do I also have pretty hair?"

I huffed. Loud enough for him to hear; I had no idea how he had noticed my gaze since he was completely focused on the knots of my skate.

"No, you have slobbering hair. You should go to the hairdresser," I mumbled. "It’s a double knot. Look for the detail..."

Before I could finish speaking, he untied my skate while giving me a playful smile. Conceited. I lifted my other skate while he interceded, causing our hands to brush against each other for a long second.

They were rough. Strong. Large. They even had those little scars that I was now completely aware of. And they were warm.

We separated instantly while he untied the other skate. And I hesitated for another second, looking away from his hands while watching the rink where Maca was arriving to practice. I greeted her with a wave as she smiled at me, passing her eyes momentarily with complicity to Ekko until she winked at me. I shook my head. But she didn’t care; she just laughed as she turned around to start her solo routine.

I sighed. Although she started with warm-ups and stretches, which gave me time to relax.

"Do you have a section today?"

Ekko looked at me sharply. I didn’t understand why he tensed so much.

"Yes," he cut in. "If you want, I can take you home, and then I'll go..."

"I’ll go with you," I insisted, finally daring to look at him, noticing our closeness. "I have enough for two ice creams; if I were you, I’d accept it."

"I think you like going there more than I do."

"They're comfortable chairs."

Lie. They were a piece of crap; I felt my butt more squished than with every fall I had during practice.

"Are you sure? I already promised I would go."

"Sure," I repeated. "Come on, or you’ll be late."

Ekko shook his head while extending his hand to help me up. I took it as I stood up, brushing off the nonexistent dust from my pants with my other hand when I pulled my other hand. And both remained joined. It was something uncomfortable that felt comfortable. I pretended to adjust my hair while we released our hands and moved forward until we left, saying goodbye to Miss Sevika. And at the corner, that’s when I heard "Jet Pack Blue" by Fall out boy echoing throughout the Khione Center.

( • • • )

The next day. We didn’t have training. It was just Ekko, a mat, and me in his backyard while he was kicking my butt. He was terribly good at hand-to-hand combat; everything favored him. I tried to defend myself, but he stopped my hand so quickly that I only noticed when he turned and trapped me against his chest.

I grunted as Ekko laughed behind me.

"You’re very impulsive."

"And you’re a wall of muscles," I huffed. "I don’t even know what the Sun Stalker looks like, but I need you to teach me how to kick his ass."

Ekko let me go, stretching me a bit as he turned me around. We were in a gym downtown where he trained or practiced; I doubted there was much they could teach him about combat. Either way, we were done; I had finished. We left there and started walking down the street as the topic of the Sun Stalker came up when I began to look back with some insistence.

Something changed in him when I mentioned the killer. It was almost imperceptible, but I was sure it existed. A slight darkness took over him.

"What have you found out?" he asked as we stopped at a bus stop. He was looking around.

"I think it’s Claggor," I blurted out, unable to contain myself. "I’ve been trying not to be impulsive, thank you very much."

Ekko rolled his eyes, amused.

"You’ll never get over it."

"No, thank you," I grumbled. "But Jace said he saw Natalie the day of the party on Saturday, and I remember that the next day Claggor called me to apologize and a couple of other things I didn’t understand about him not being involved."

"And that’s it? Is that all?"

I shot him a look.

"No," I cut in. I knew this could mean many things, so I asked. I went through stories from that day, posts, and so on. And Claggor left the party with Natalie about three hours after I did; he was drunk, they were kissing in one post, in another she looked disgusted, and in another they both looked super in love, I explained while moving my hands. "But in one, when they leave the party, she is the one in love, and he looks pretty serious."

"It wasn’t a good night for either of them."

I recalled what I told him about Mylo and even myself. And I nodded sadly as I swallowed hard, although Ekko seemed to not be referring to that; it felt that way.

"The thing is, the day after the call, there’s not a single post of them together," I insisted. "No one saw them. But read this."

"When your friends are treacherous bitches, they always look for the closet to have more fun even if they never admit it. Leave that guy and get a life." Nail emoji, a knife, and three cute "X’s," he read, handing me my phone. "Do you think she’s referring to Natalie being a lesbian or that Claggor...?"

"I think it was her."

"And...?"

"Claggor hasn’t been around on the days when a victim disappears; he’s lived here his whole life, has money, a way to get close, and I’m afraid he has an alibi."

"What’s that?"

"Soccer," I explained, somewhat stressed. "Everyone knows he goes to a field on the outskirts of the city to practice; no one goes there to check, but he does. He can say that."

"And it would be a more or less valid alibi."

I huffed.

"Could you say more than I do and tell me, for example, your opinion?"

"What do you want me to say?" Ekko shot back. "Everything points to him, and you’re sure. Or not?"

"But you don’t," I twisted. "You said the Sun Stalker was going to attack Nexus; he attacked there. You said that phrase about the light; there was a note the next day. If there’s someone who knows how he thinks, it’s you. So tell me."

Maybe I messed up.

That was my first thought due to the expressionless look on Ekko's face for long seconds as he leaned against the wall of that bus stop while I stood in front of him, sweaty, hair a mess, and desperate. But it was the truth. And it was all I said.

"It could be him."

"And...?"

Ekko shook his head.

"It could be him, if he were stupid," he added. "But he’s not; he’s gotten away with everything in broad daylight. And is he going to attack the same girl he was drunk with that everyone saw and called another to apologize to?"

"Maybe it’s to distract."

Ekko shook his head, quite sure.

"No, that would be something a beginner would do or for personal reasons," he pointed out. "He acts under a pattern, random victims who only resemble each other physically and who he attacks only when they can’t emit an immediate alert of disappearance until two or three hours later."

"His pattern is blue-haired."

"Who are young and beautiful," he added. "None are over twenty-four years old. He’s not just any guy, unless he’s strong and knows how to subdue his victims, who are considerably weaker."

"They’re not a number," I grunted. "They’re not weak."

"Jinx, in front of him, of course, they are."

"They don’t even have to be strong, not weak. They just have to be living," I shot back, sounding tougher than I expected. "They were coming home, tired. Or going to a party. Maybe they were just coming back from shopping! But we have to have weapons on us because if not, we’re weak."

Ekko straightened up a bit.

"That’s not what I was trying to say."

"Right now, I’m weak," I shot back. "Look at this place; if you weren’t here, I’d go home alone. And do you know what I have to not be weak? My will to live, to run, to claw at whoever comes."

"Jinx, it’s not..."

"Don’t tell me they’re weak," I hissed, pointing at him. "Because Eve even kicked that bastard, and it wasn’t enough. No victim dies for free; the vast majority defend themselves with everything they have."

Ekko was going to speak; in his eyes, he seemed hurt and desperate to amend his mistake. But then, a new voice startled us both.

"She’s right, young man," he exclaimed. "I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation; I just arrived. My apologies."

"Mr. Reck?"

He nodded as he became visible. He had just arrived at the bus stop, but I was so busy scolding Ekko that I didn’t notice, and he, as always when someone else appeared, wiped all emotion from his face.

"Oh yes, I’m sorry again; the interruption is just that with everything happening, Jinx is right, young..."

"Ekko," he growled. "And how would you know that? When did you arrive?"

"A few minutes ago; I just heard Jinx calling you out on the weakness of the victims," he interrupted. "And she’s right; you have no idea how much determination someone can muster when their life is threatened."

"Exactly," I agreed. "They’re not weak."

Ekko was going to respond to me, but Mr. Reck got ahead of him.

"It’s even a biological process," he interjected. "But everyone calls it an 'adrenaline rush.' It affects people in wars, attacks, and even euphoric moments in life. You have no control over your body, only over achieving what has caused the adrenaline rush."

"You know too much about those processes, Reck."

He smiled gently.

"I studied pure biology, young Ekko," he explained, looking at me. "I’m the owner of the restaurant downtown, Chinese food. Everyone knows it as: 'Reck’s Sushi.'"

"Has anyone attacked or tried to kidnap you to know firsthand about the 'adrenaline rush'?"

I nudged Ekko. His tone had been quite hostile. And how Reckwould say something to Vi would kill me. It was her favorite food place in the whole county.

"No. Thankfully, but I’ve seen and heard about it," he replied, not losing his kindness. "It’s like animals; a pig doesn’t know it’s going to the slaughterhouse, it doesn’t know that no matter how much it fights, it’s its imminent fate, and yet it fights as much as it can between tantrums and kicks, but it’s not enough. Or fish; my business, they shake even after they no longer have air. It’s an instinct of every living being to survive."

"You must have experience with dead things."

"Every chef has it," he shrugged. "Are you going home, Jinx?"

"Yes, with Ekko," I replied. "Mom wanted to order some Chinese food for her work tomorrow."

Mr. Reck nodded, looking for a few seconds at Ekko, who had been incredibly more hateful than I was. And finally, he focused on me.

"Tell her I called, and I’ll be happy to deliver it personally."

I nodded as the bus arrived, and I got on, saying goodbye to Mr. Reck, who didn’t stop watching us while Ekko almost pushed me as soon as we took our seats. The bus started, and I groaned loudly.

"It’s weird," he said. "I don’t like it."

"If you treated him worse than I did," I muttered. "And you only say that because he agreed with me."

Ekko shook his head, arms crossed.

"No. I don’t like it," he cut in, looking at me for a second. "And it’s not that I didn’t agree with you; what I’m saying is that physically the Sun Stalker wins, which is why you need to use your wit."

"My wit?"

Ekko nodded.

"I saw that a girl seemed to have escaped him; all her physical mass beats her intelligence, that’s where they have a chance," he explained. "You need to be clever. And you already are."

I watched Ekko for long seconds while I remained silent for the rest of the ride, thinking about how I could act now. Because without a doubt, the Sun Stalker’s victims were young and beautiful, caught when they least expected it.

And I had to always be prepared.

Chapter Text

WEDNESDAY.

The training was suspended because they had to polish the skating rink. But they couldn’t notify me until I was almost taking off my shoes, to which I huffed; it was surely going to be a shitty day.

I was tying my shoelaces when a shadow covered my field of vision.

“Do you want to rest for a while?”

“Depends,” I replied, finishing the double knot. “Am I paying?”

“Half and half.”

“Interesting,” I admitted. “What does this rest have that my bed doesn’t?”

I observed Ekko; he was clinging to his backpack, smiling without showing his teeth. I had never seen him so happy. Since we had started acting as a team and as friends, it was as if something in him had ignited. It was weird. He was weirdo. We had never seen anyone so happy to be told to screw off or to be congratulated in the worst possible way, but Ekko was that never. And strangely, it pleased me a lot that he was my partner.

And maybe, my friend.

“Ice cream,” he replied. “And me.”

“The ice cream convinced me,” I sighed, standing up. “You being there, that really not work for me.”

Ekko laughed. I tilted my head, walking past him, shaking my head with the skates on my back. I moved towards the exit, pulling out my phone only to realize I had barely five percent battery left, and I cursed under my breath; I had plugged the charger in wrong and now I had to wait until I got home to charge it again. I barely managed to see that Jace was sending a thousand messages about how he hated babysitting but he was so happy to be with Viktor, and Vi responded by scolding him. I smiled a bit, writing that he shouldn’t kill her while I had no battery, and Jace simply sent some praying hands to say he should go to hell with the kids.

The next thing I knew, my phone was at 3%. So I turned it off, huffing.

“Did something happen?” Ekko asked. “You were smiling, and now you want to hit something.”

I had also noticed that Ekko was extremely careful and nervous in every little social interaction, especially between us. It was as if he overthought everything to avoid ruining it. Before, I could have had many terrible theories about it; now I saw that the safest bet was that he had social anxiety.

I really was paranoid.

“My battery died,” I explained. “So you better hope it’s a good ice cream.”

“Trust me.”

“Sure,” I mumbled, next to him, reaching the exit. “Willy Wonka.”

“C'mon, every time I choose what we’re going to eat, it turns out to be the best thing you’ve ever tasted in your life.”

“Eh, and what about yesterday? A glitch in the matrix? Because I swear I saw something move in the Chinese rice.”

Ekko paled. Bingo. Opening the exit door for both of us.

“Unexpected,” he cleared his throat. “And you also insisted on Chinese rice; my initial plan was paella. And you wanted that or at that sushi place that…”

I walked past Ekko while he kept babbling about how it hadn’t been his fault for yesterday’s food after training. I nodded, ready to respond when I felt a chill run down my spine like a whip of ice. I looked around for what was causing that feeling so similar to what I had felt that time when Ekko gave me a ride.

But it was impossible for it to be Ekko; it was dark. It was evil.

It was him.

The breath caught in my throat as I observed everyone in the street. There was a soccer game in the field next door; there were many people. Too many. I felt stalked, like a deer among the grass. I didn’t realize I had frozen until Ekko cleared his throat, gently taking my arm.

“Jinx,” he repeated. “Really, is something wrong?”

“No, I just remembered the Chinese rice, and it made my stomach turn,” I lied, shaking my head to get that feeling off while looking into his eyes. “Shall we go?”

Ekko didn’t believe me, but he hid it. His dark eyes simply remained alert as we reached his car, in which I got in first. We had fallen silent because of my fault, but I had simply left this matter behind. However, when Ekko turned on the car, my eyes shifted to the other side of the street where the last person I had believed was:

Claggor.

And he was looking right in my direction. Our eyes met. But all the fun, relaxed guy I knew was gone because his eyes were dark, filled with a feeling so heavy I couldn’t describe it.

“We’re leaving,” Ekko repeated, starting to drive down the road.

I watched Claggor, who broke eye contact, walking on the opposite side of the street. Far from the field.

“Yeah,” I whispered. “We’re leaving.”

( • • • )

It was definitely a day of surprises.

“I know it’s not perfect, not even good, but it’s a place I found, and it’s nice,” Ekko kept chatting. “There’s a cinema nearby. Also a pizzeria. Even the beach half an hour away. They’re all better places, I know, so we can leave and…”

“If anyone leaves here, it will be you,” I cut in. “Because I might move.”

Ekko looked at me cautiously.

“Do you like it?”

“I love bowling,” I admitted. “God, I... I haven’t been in years. Almost a decade here.”

“With you, it was probably at the 54's when it opened.”

I pushed him, genuinely laughing at his terrible joke while observing all the retro and warm vibes of the place.

“Shut up.”

“You’re laughing while threatening me,” he denied, clicking his tongue. “I’m going to help you move to this place.”

I shook my head, causing him to chuckle. We both walked ready to rent some shoes, and we were directed to lane number nine. The place was almost deserted because it was midweek, in the morning, and on a perfect sunny day to go to the beach. Perfect for us. I changed shoes while we began choosing names.

“Idiot,” I proposed. “Mr. Taxes.”

Ekko shook his head, laughing under his breath.

“Me yours and you mine?”

“Deal.”

Ekko typed something while letting me decide his fate after having decided mine.

If he put something about my butt getting hurt from falls, his head would be a bowling ball.

“Go ahead, blue girl.”

“Thanks, your brain almost melted thinking,” I teased while typing. “Good luck next time, the boy savior.”

“I like that nickname.”

“Oh no,” I lamented. “I should have really called you Mr. Taxes.”

Ekko shook his head while handing me a pink bowling ball, starting the first round. I took it, showing him a sly smile as I walked directly to the lane, releasing it while crossing my fingers, watching it advance with force.

And then impact.

Two pins remained standing, which was an incredible start.

“Yes!” I celebrated, taking another; "It’s two, it’s two, it’s two."

Boom!

No pins.

I turned around, smiling at Ekko, who clapped twice while I kept celebrating, extending the next black bowling ball with a smile. The lights of the venue bathed us in reddish tones, except for the lights attached to the lanes in white tones. There were twelve lanes in total, each with a characteristic color. And we got the purple one that covered the entire machine dispensing the bowling balls, the lane lines, and the pins’ distinctive, along with the TV announcing the score. The rest was caramel-colored wood. The chairs were for six people around the tablet to control the score, which was black. Behind, going up two steps was the shoe rental area and also a café on the left that sold pizzas, milkshakes, and regular drinks.

We had already figured out that the pizzas would take half an hour.

The venue measured a good number of square meters with its own parking lot twenty minutes from the main city. The air conditioners were on, giving a much cooler atmosphere than the summer that existed outside. There were only two more groups in the yellow and blue lanes three and four lanes away from ours. It was a somewhat private feeling to be there.

“Here,” I extended to Ekko. “Don’t lose it.”

“I have experience, blue girl.”

“That experience will never surpass mine.”

Thanks, Wii Sports.

I was going to keep teasing when he threw without hesitation. I had barely followed the path of the bowling ball with my eyes when he made a perfect strike, surpassing my record by one point. Ekko turned around, with a small smile while my excitement faded.

“Don’t say anything,” I threatened. “You bastard, Wii Sports.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You better not.”

Ekko let out a chuckle while I prepared to throw. I took a deep breath and released the bowling ball after taking two steps, making it wobble a bit but...

It was a strike.

Probably, later on, I would deny completely what I did. But at that moment, I didn’t even think about it.

I let out a joyful scream while I turned around so happily that I did a few jumps where I almost slipped, and before I could curse or threaten Ekko that this had never happened and this was a product of his imagination, Ekko Shannon did something I thought he wasn’t capable of.

He burst out laughing.

He had a laughing fit right there. Tears streamed from his eyes, small tears that were in his tear ducts holding back while his cheeks flushed from the pressure. He leaned over, clutching his stomach while he kept laughing.

And that was so ridiculously vulnerable that I couldn’t help but laugh.

Ekko Shannon acting like a teenager makes something inside me twist in a warm way. Almost suffocating, as if they tied me up. It’s so strange. But it feels good, and for the first time all summer, I feel like an ordinary teenager whose only concern is interpersonal relationships.

“I’m sorry,” Ekko said, stopping his laughter. “I shouldn’t have laughed at you.”

“But you looked so nice.”

Ekko looked at me, squinting his eyes, with a small smile.

“I’ll take advantage of your kindness before I beat you in the game.”

And there, I gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder, which he exaggerated, claiming I was abusing him. He threw again, this time leaving 3 pins standing that he knocked down on the next shot. Then I did the same, leaving only one pin standing. We were good, pretty good. We were also almost the only ones, except for the family in the first lane, strangers to us. But even though we were competing, knowing my competitive spirit, it felt good; I felt good.

I felt safe.

Ekko laughed after I left four pins standing in the last round; we decided it would be ten, then eat and return. I couldn’t help but grunt while shaking my head.

“I hate you.”

“I hate you more, blue girl.”

We went like this; Ekko had a hundred points, and I had a hundred and nine. It was impossible that with two moves, I wouldn’t manage to win. I looked at him, seeing my defeat coming like an old lady’s neck pain from my posture while Ekko took the bowling ball in his hands. It was incredible. I was close to winning; I had given it my all, and I told myself a thousand nonsense about people who lose and want to feel better, and I definitely wouldn’t say that in figure skating because losing meant I would die or be in a bad mood.

I was going to keep divagating therapeutically about being a good loser when the ball went down the lane, leaving me perplexed.

“What the hell...?”

Ekko took another ball.

“I tripped.”

“No, no. You’re really good at this,” I insisted. “Win, you deserve it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Are you going to ask for my approval to kick my ass?” I scolded him. “Ekko, do it. It’s fine.”

I saw him hesitate.

But finally, he moved forward and threw the bowling ball, which made a perfect strike. He was a bastard at bowling; I’d probably use him one day to gamble. I smiled, watching as the screen showed that “The boy savior has won” while Ekko turned around, looking somewhat serious. I couldn’t help it; I used to do this with my friends.

I hugged him.

“Yes!” I cheered. “Look at you, all your talent went into throwing bowling balls. What a twist.”

Ekko stayed a bit frozen at my touch, but he finally gave in, returning the hug while laughing.

“I’m better than you.”

“Don’t start; I’ll win the rest of the rounds.”

A deep laugh escaped his throat as we separated, facing each other. He was taller than me, so I had to lift my face to look directly into his eyes. But although I had always seen darkness in them, I found some warmth in them. Like a sunny day after a stormy season.

“I want to see that, blue girl.”

“You’ll see it after a pizza, wolf.”

Ekko smiled as we stayed for a few more seconds looking into each other’s eyes. I felt slightly dizzy, as if that feeling in my chest finally slapped me. I was so comfortable. I felt no fear. I felt good.

I felt stupidly good.

The butterfly lies in my stomach were chased away under his gaze.

And we moved away slightly as we went to order the pizza, leaving our things. We ordered a pizza with mushrooms and two sodas. We waited about fifteen minutes sitting in the restaurant, laughing at some silly joke I made and some stupid conversation that arose out of nowhere. All while my stomach hurt, and not because I was sick. Or maybe yes. For something worse.

“Objectively,” I began, not being sure how we ended up on that topic, “short-haired girls are prettier than long-haired girls.”

“No.”

“Yes!” I insisted. “It’s much easier to style with your fingers; it’s incredible.”

“I prefer long hair.”

I huffed.

“We were doing so well.”

I messed up his hair on purpose, catching him off guard while going to get the pizza that had just been served, using it as security, earning me an angry look that made me laugh. We thanked the waiter while returning to sit after a small race to see who would get there faster.

“I won.”

“Cheater.”

“Clever,” I corrected as we sat down. “Two more rounds? Then it will get late, and we have to train.”

“Who would have thought you’d be responsible?”

“It’s not history; I care.”

A smile appeared on his face.

I won one round, and he won the next. The pizza, however, was more mine than his. We ended up with a total of 289 points for me and 295 for him. I also realized that Wii Sports was a damn lie, but those were minor details that didn’t matter in how magnificent the whole afternoon had been.

We drove in his truck until we reached my house; I was alone, and he was too. We both entered mine.

“Finally.”

“What?” he asked, closing the door behind us.

I took off my shoes, remaining in socks while smiling, walking on the carpet.

“This,” I admitted. “There’s nothing better than this after a training session or those uncomfortable bowling shoes.”

“You could get a cramp.”

“Sure, sir,” I teased while my eyes focused on a grimace as I saw something on his phone. Mine was still dead. “Did something happen?”

“No,” he replied, looking up. “Did you have a cramp? Do you want me to carry you?”

I rolled my eyes.

“Come on, join me,” I challenged him. “Or maybe you’ll lose a foot, who knows.”

“I’m comfortable in my shoes.”

“Think of it as a choreography, and you can’t step on me,” I deliberately blackmailed him, not knowing where that impulse came from. “Come on, relax on the warmth of the floor. Let’s move the furniture.”

“Are you drunk?”

A cushion landed on his face while he looked at me angrily.

“It slipped.”

“Sure,” he repeated, not believing a word. He looked at his phone, typed something, and left it on the table while looking at me, letting out a sigh. “Now I'm the one who hates you.”

“I hate you more.”

He took off his shoes while I moved a piece of furniture to a corner, and he joined me, helping with the larger piece, which ended up against the wall. We both left the living room clear while I took a bow jokingly, which made him roll his eyes. He crossed his arms, looking at me with some amusement in his eyes.

“And the music?”

“In your heart.”

He shook his head, amused.

I extended my hand toward him while he took it; I placed my hand on his shoulder while adjusting his hand on my waist and taking his loose hand. Something shone in his eyes as the daylight surrendered to the darkness of the night filtering through the windows. We were very close; the air was thick like the best summer night this town had ever experienced. Maybe it was the weather or my intimate perspective of the warmth emanating from this room.

I felt him tense while my eyes found him sideways after a little sway.

“You’ve never danced,” I concluded, observing a hint of embarrassment in his dark eyes. “Do what I do.”

One foot and then the other. An imaginary waltz on that summer night with all the alarms blaring. Ekko moved one foot, then the other, and I turned without letting go of his grip while we kept moving without any apparent sound.

His hand made me spin twice while I ended up with my back against his chest, looking at him from the corner of my eye, while he turned me around, continuing with that silly dance. We swayed side to side, as if we still had the chance to rescue the summer. And for a moment, everything faded away. Nothing mattered.

It was just Ekko and me.

I laughed when he stepped on me, and he made me spin, grumbling while he joined the laughter, starting to relax until he allowed himself to fail freely alongside me. I spun, swayed, and we stayed close to each other. I could feel his breath on my head sending chills through my body.

We were face to face, with no light other than the last of the sun sliding over our skins after losing against the opaque light of the moon. I was face to face with Ekko, as we had been thousands of times, but this time it felt different. I was different. I could no longer hear what my insides were asking for.

I saw him lean in, but at the same time, he stopped halfway, doubting his next action. Ekko was a handsome guy who fit with me. And I admitted that a part of me wanted a little more. A small, hungry part. A small part that had been hunted by those dark wolf eyes.

I lifted my head, feeling his breath, and it felt like eons. I gathered my courage. Even if I was running out of time, those echoes in my mind pleaded for more, to seal what the hunting moon was observing behind us.

And I did it.

Our lips met. It was light, almost timid, but our lips fit well. I felt his hand on my waist tense while my hands remained on his shoulders.

I was kissing Ekko.

I was kissing the Big Bad Wolf.

And I couldn’t explain how that exploded within me until the doorbell rang, twice.

Ekko looked at me, breathing somewhat agitated. We had just kissed.

“I have to go; it might be my mom.”

“No, I’ll go with you,” he denied, coming back to himself while giving me a hint of a smile that darkened. “Jinx, your mom would have a key. It’s not your mom.”

The doorbell rang again, as if to back up his words.

I nodded, moving towards the door with Ekko behind me, who peeked out the side window and opened the door for me. I was facing the door, so it wasn’t a surprise when Jace entered without even noticing Ekko.

“Why didn’t you answer your daam phone?”

“I didn’t have battery; why?” I asked, looking at Jace as he entered the house. Ekko glanced outside. “Jace? What happened?”

“She’s not answering; she was supposed to come see me at home, and I thought she was with Cait, and then I don’t know, I…”

“Jace,” I repeated, making him take a seat at the dining table. I had been with him for years; I knew who he was talking about. “Where’s Vi?”

“I... I don’t know, Jinx.”

“When was the last time she talked?”

Jace looked me directly in the eyes, as if I had asked him about his worst nightmare.

“It was three hours ago. It was two in the afternoon. It was daytime.”

It was daytime.

And something hit my stomach when I realized something while searching for my phone and forcing it to turn on; I had missed calls from everyone—Jace, Viktor, Caitlyn, friends, Miss Sevika, Mr. Vander, my mom. Everyone. Except for one person.

Except for Vi.

All I had was an incoming message.

A 3-second audio from her chat where I heard her struggling. And I knew it the moment Ekko finished giving Jace a glass of water while looking at me alertly, almost anticipating it.

“She's missing,” I whispered, starting to hyperventilate. “The Sun Stalker took Vi.”

Chapter Text

IT WAS A SHOT TO THE HEART THAT DIDN'T KILL ME.

He did it.

He has her.

The police sirens echoed outside in the middle of the street. It was just another case, no doubt except for her hair color. But it had to be him, I knew it. It was as if I could feel it.

I had explained to the police as best as I could what I knew; Ekko was my alibi and I was his, besides the cameras at the bowling alley. It couldn't have been him. It was impossible for it to be him. I could only think of the last thing Jace had told me he knew about Vi:

She was supposed to meet him a block after the gym. She had said she was on her way at two oh seven. That had been her last message. A stupid thing. And it only made me feel more sick.

I felt my mom's hand on my back, but I didn't look at her or pay attention to her; Vi's father, Vander, was going crazy. Jace too, he couldn't stop crying while Viktor consoled him. Caitlyn was also arriving, agitated. Everyone was surprised; I even heard someone say they thought I was the missing one.

And that had me dizzy.

If Vi wasn't blue-haired, why had he taken her? Why her?

I had to catch him. I had to find the Sun Stalker.

"Water?"

I shook my head, not moving from the stairs. I couldn't speak; I just thought and thought. I was good at Clue, I had seen millions of murder cases; I should know, I should have an idea. I knew Vi. I knew this place. I had to know who. It couldn't be a coincidence. I had to know where she was because she was still alive.

Vi must have left something.

But she only left an audio, for me.

She trusted that I would know.

And I had to know.

"Jinx..."

An audio. Three seconds. She was gasping. Something falling. Vi wasn't blue-haired. Vi was strong; she was a girl who went to the gym, sometimes did boxing, she was strong. It couldn't have been on purpose; I mean, a truck while she was walking down the street? No. It couldn't be; Vi would have fought too hard, would have made too much noise. A stranger asking for help? No, Vi could be nice but not stupid; if she didn't know you, she'd walk right past.

"Jinx, hey, Jinx."

Vi wasn't a naive girl. She was smart. But Vi had instincts; she always had, she wasn't dumb. Vi had grown up with Vander, a damn ex-boxer; her grandfather had been a veteran. All I could remember was that if there was someone I thought could handle the Sun Stalker, it was her.

He was coming for me.

But then, why did he go for her?

"Jinx!" Ekko called me, in front of me. I barely blinked, watching him; he was trying to get my attention, but my brain was far beyond these walls. "Drink some water."

I shook my head.

"Vi maybe didn't have water."

"No," I pushed him away. "I need to..."

"Rest," Ekko finished, gently. I barely reacted to his touch. "You haven't eaten anything, Jinx; I need you to drink water."

I shook my head.

Vi sent me an audio of 3 seconds.

She could have called 911. Mr. Vander. Cait. Jace. Even Viktor.

But she chose me.

"I have to go where she disappeared; maybe there's a clue or something," I insisted. "I need to find her."

"Jinx, you need to rest."

"I need to find her," I insisted, my voice breaking at the end like shattered glass. "Ekko, please. Let me fi-find her."

I begged him.

Ekko hesitated, as if seeing me like this could convince him; I even took his hand desperately. I was barely aware of the time that had passed since we got home, not even conscious that my mom was behind me silently crying, or that I was sitting on the couch with Ekko kneeling in front of me. I couldn't focus on whether it was day or night, even if I could, but I knew it hadn't been long; I only heard the police sirens.

I blinked, wiping a few tears from my eyes, and at that moment, Ekko exchanged a look with my mother, who was standing nearby, her eyes red from worry. I hated that look, but I was tired. Paralyzed. With gentle hands, Mom prepared a cup of hot tea.

Ekko knelt in front of me again, urging me to drink.

"Just a little, Jinx," he whispered softly. "It'll help you find her."

I knew he was lying, but I was exhausted.

I barely registered what was happening. With a sigh, I took the cup and drank from the tea. As the sedative began to take effect, my thoughts became confused. I didn't understand it at first, as I kept biting my nail, thinking of every possibility of what had happened to Vi. I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me. It was like I was getting up suddenly after two days without eating.

I stood up, confused. And I barely registered when Ekko gently lifted me in his arms. He was muscular; I had always noticed that, but now it was confirmed. I wanted to refuse, I didn’t want to bother him; I just wanted to leave my house and find my best friend, my sister, but I could barely understand what was happening. The warmth of Ekko's embrace was comforting, and instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his neck. I felt him carry me to his room and lay me gently on the bed.

"Ekko..."

He ignored me while arranging something in the room. Sleep was overwhelming.

"Find her," I whispered, feeling the tears run down my cheeks. "Find Vi. Let me find her."

I felt his gaze as I fell asleep, one thought resonating in my mind: What did Vi want to tell me? The three-second audio message tormented me, a cryptic clue that I desperately needed to decipher.

( . . . )

Everyone lost their minds.

Vi's poster stood out above the rest.

"VI STEINFELD: MISSING."

I thought the worst thing that could happen to me was that the Sun Stalker would kidnap me, but I was wrong, like all summer, because the worst thing that could happen to me was that he had taken Vi.

"How do I catch you?"

I was in the parking lot. There was no security where Vi had last been seen, but her car was here. Close to everything. Literally everything. I thought of Vi fleeing here, but it was impossible. It was too public. Even for him. Too loud. Too daytime. No, it hadn't been here.

Too... weird.

No. The Sun Stalker wasn't coming for Vi; it had been unexpected. She must have discovered something. Or maybe he was going for Caitlyn. But something told me this was unexpected, even for him.

Somebody's gonna catch him out.

"Jinx, what the hell are you doing here?"

I saw Miss Sevika arrive, angry, looking at me in the middle of the parking lot. It wasn't deserted; there were some people packing things into their cars, others looking for a spot, some leaving, and others arriving. And there I was, in the middle, looking around trying to figure out what had happened.

"You know very well, Sevika."

"Are you...?"

"Yes," I interrupted. "It's for Vi."

Miss Sevika scoffed, coming to my side. She had some groceries, fast food, and her car keys.

"Too reckless," she grunted. "Did you find anything exposing yourself like this, or can you come with me to my house to help me with the groceries?"

"It wasn't here; it wasn't outdoors," I replied. "You didn't buy much."

"Helping your favorite teacher isn't too much to ask."

"I need to..."

"C'mon," she handed me the fast food package; I didn't even see the name of the place. "It's still warm; I want to get home early."

I sighed.

And I followed her. We got into her car without protesting. In less than ten minutes, we were at her house, and I cursed; the parking lot was close to everything. It was... No, it wasn't a clue. Sevika left me in her living room while I replied to some messages from my mom telling her where I was. She had really been worried. However, Ekko had been as close as he was distant.

"Where are you?"

It was a message from him. I summoned him. I entered the chat.

"Sevika's house. You?"

"Fine. Let me know if you need me to pick you up."

Ekko had been paranoid too. I let it pass. While I put my phone in my bag along with my charger, I looked around Miss Sevika's living room, filled with trophies, news articles, newspaper clippings about the most notable events in figure skating. They had postponed the presentation since her two competitors weren't mentally well enough for it. I noticed a newspaper clipping with the news of the big surprises of that edition of the Winter Olympics; Sevika, along with another dark-haired woman, whom I assumed was the famous Ambessa.

"She was so stupid; you remind me of her," Sevika began behind me. "They think they really thought about what they were going to do, but they just act. And they do it well. Like throwing a dart without aiming, and out of nowhere, they hit the target."

"Vi always wanted to know why you didn't go see her when the Berlin Wall fell," I started, disheartened. "We theorized so much about it."

Sevika left the food on the table; I didn't bother to look at her. In the photo, they were both young, with the world at their feet. I had never seen such a bright smile from Sevika.

"I did it."

"What?"

"I went for her," Sevika insisted, coming to my side, looking at the photo. "Ironic. She was the one who fell in love with me first; I don't blame her. But when the wall fell, I bought a ticket and went for her."

"I didn't know that."

"I never told anyone."

"And what happened?"

Sevika sighed, taking the photo as she placed it back where it was.

"She wasn't there."

"What?" I repeated. "But she was in the Soviet Union."

"I know, but she had escaped," Sevika explained. "Well, I couldn't find out much without speaking the language, with barely two hundred dollars, the confusion caused by the wall falling, but she hadn't been there. For years. Some told me she escaped, others that she died of an illness the government didn't allow medicine for, others said they knew her but it didn't sound like her."

"I thought you never went for her."

"Why?"

"I don't know," I whispered. "I was giving me hope that they would reunite at the Winter Olympics again when we were older. Like in a book. Like in a cliché story.

"Ambessa hated those stories," she scoffed. "But she was like one."

"Did you search for her online?"

"Yes," she sighed heavily. "I was so sure she was behind that wall; maybe she escaped before and didn't find me, maybe she changed her name, maybe she's dead. I'll never know, but... I loved her; that's enough. Even though it makes me hate myself a little," she explained, laughing. "I hated her before, when I didn't know her; if I had approached her sooner despite that bad reputation, I would have had more time with her. Oh, Jinx, one always wishes for more time."

"I thought Ekko was the Sun Stalker."

Miss Sevika looked at me, laughing loudly.

"No shit, I knew it."

"What?" I asked. " How could I think something like that about him? I was so focused on everything pointing to him; now Vi was with the real one, and I was just wasting time.

"Ekko is a weird kid; you have that in your favor. I won't lie; I thought it for a while."

"Really?"

"Yes," she assured. "That kid has a gaze bewitched by an alarming darkness for his age; when he came, I was sure he could be him. And then he got close to you."

"But you told us to team up."

"You knew you'd say no, even though I was surprised by their chemistry," she continued. "I watched him many times at the Center; I stayed late. And then a girl disappeared while I was watching him; I thought I was crazy. But something was still there; they started with the duo, which frankly I thought they wouldn't finish, but there they were, especially him. I was wrong about him."

"So was I."

"Who do you think it is?"

"Him?" I asked. " I thought of Mylo, Claggor even, Ekko's father, Ekko."

"Jinx," Sevika insisted. "Who do you really think it is?"

I thought about it for a moment.

Everyone had something. Everyone at some point that summer had seemed suspicious. Ekko's father was strange, like his son, his blue-haired photos. Claggor had acted strange since Gwen disappeared. Mylo had always been weird. But no matter how much I racked my brain trying to point to one as the sole suspect, I couldn't; at least at one point, I knew it hadn't been them because they were present.

Unexpected.

"I don't know."

Sevika nodded, as if she also couldn't point to someone.

"Reck is in mourning; he won't open for Vi," she commented. "He donated to the police to search for Vi. Poor man, it must remind him of when his daughter died."

"He lost his daughter?"

"Yes," Sevika assured. "Young. A pity. That's why he has so many discounts for you guys; even Vi knew her. Lovely girl."

"I didn't know that either."

"They don't talk much about her; it was an accident."

"This town is cursed."

"Maybe," Sevika conceded. "Take care of yourself, Jinx. I love you like a daughter, and probably the only one who will tell you this, but... the next one will be Caitlyn or you."

Chapter Text

THE BELL ABOVE THE DOOR OF VI'S FAVORITE RESTAURANT CHIMED WITH A HOLLOW CLANG AS I PUSHED IT OPEN.

The scent of stale grease and fresh fish hung heavy in the air, a familiar aroma that usually brought a sense of comfort, of home. But today, it felt like a suffocating reminder of what was missing. I hate sushi, but now I just wanted to eat it, as if that would bring me closer to Vi.

The place was empty. Usually, even mid-afternoon, there would be a couple of regulars nursing a cold drink, or maybe a couple of people having sushi or fresh things for lunch. Today, just Reck himself stood behind the counter, polishing it with a rag that had seen better days. His face was etched with grief, the lines around his eyes deepened, his usually jovial demeanor completely absent. The neon sign above the counter flickered erratically, casting long, distorted shadows across the vinyl booths.

“Jinx,” Mr. Reck said, his voice barely a whisper. He didn’t smile, didn’t even look directly at me. He just kept polishing the already gleaming counter, his movements slow and deliberate.

“Hey, Mr. Reck,” I mumbled, pulling myself onto a stool. The vinyl squeaked beneath me, the sound amplified in the silence.

"Something to drink?"

I didn’t answer, didn’t have the heart to ask for the usual milkshake; the diner seemed wrong, empty, dead; without Vi and her craving. I watched him pour a cup without asking, the dark liquid steaming in the chipped mug. He slid it across the counter to me, along with a small plate of sugar packets.

“On the house,” he said, finally meeting my gaze. His eyes were red-rimmed, filled with a weariness that seemed to reach to his very bones. “For Vi.”

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat making it difficult to breathe.

"Thanks, Mr. Reck."

We sat in silence for a long moment, the only sound the hum of the refrigerator and the occasional clatter from the kitchen. I swirled the coffee, not wanting to drink it, not wanting to break the silence, yet also desperate for some kind of connection, some kind of solace.

"She was a good kid, Vi," Mr. Reck finally said, his voice thick with emotion. “Always kind, always ready to lend a hand. She reminded me of…” He trailed off, his gaze drifting to a faded photograph tucked behind the cash register. I knew it was his daughter.

“Sevika told me about your daughter,” I said softly, not knowing what else to say. “That you lost her young, sorry.”

Reck’s face crumpled, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. He reached out and touched the photograph, his fingers tracing the outline of the smiling girl in the picture.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “Yeah, a long time ago. But the pain… it never really goes away.”

I understood that more than I wanted to.

"I'm so sorry, Reck."

He nodded, his gaze still fixed on the photograph.

“She used to come in here all the time,” he said, his voice barely audible. “Loved sushi, loved chirashi, just like Vi. It feels like…” He shook his head, unable to finish the sentence.

"Like a part of you is missing?"

He nodded, finally looking at me:

"The worst is that all summer has been like this, but now... now I can't even see her again."

“She’s not gone, Mr. Reck,” I insisted, my voice shaking. “We’re going to find her. I’m going to find her.”

He managed a weak smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“I hope so, Jinx. I really do. But…" He sighed, looking back at the countertop. "Thanks to her, you guys come a lot here. Thank her for what little I have left."

I took a sip of the coffee, the bitterness stinging my tongue. I wanted to ask him if he had seen anything, if he knew anything, if he had any idea who could have taken Vi. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. He was already hurting so much, I didn’t want to add to his pain.

“Mr. Reck,” I said, breaking the silence, “do you think Vi ever felt… trapped here? Like this town was… cursed as Sevika said? Did your daughter?”

He was quiet for a long moment, staring out the window, lost in thought.

"I don't know, Jinx," he finally answered, his voice low. "I don't know what my daughter felt, not really. And I don't know what Vi feels. But I will tell you this, this town is as good as the people who live in here, but there are always monsters who want to ruin what we have."

I closed my eyes, the weight of his words pressing down on me.

The diner was suffocating me. I downed the rest of my coffee, the bitter taste lingering in my mouth.

"I should go, Mr. Reck."

He didn't try to stop me.

"Take care, Jinx. And let me know if there's anything I can do to help. Anything at all and be careful with your father."

"I will," I said, sliding off the stool. "What did you mean about him?"

"The men don’t change," he replied, looking at me a little. "They transform into monsters. Take care, really."

"Thank you, Mr. Reck."

As I walked out of the diner, the bell chiming once more, I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me. The weight of Vi's disappearance, the grief etched on Mr. Reck's face, the oppressive silence of the diner – it was all too much.

I walked aimlessly down the street, my mind racing, trying to piece together the fragments of information I had, trying to find some kind of pattern, some kind of clue. But it was all just chaos, a jumbled mess of thoughts and emotions.

I needed to talk to someone.

I pulled out my phone, scrolling through my contacts. Jace was still a wreck. Vander was inconsolable. Viktor was with Jace. Sevika was... well, Sevika was Sevika.

Then I saw his name.

Ekko.

He had texted earlier, asking where I was, offering to pick me up. I hadn't replied, too lost in my own thoughts to reach out.

But now, I needed him.

I tapped his name, hesitating for a moment before pressing the call button.

He answered on the second ring.

"Jinx? Are you okay?" His voice was filled with concern.

"Yeah," I lied. "I'm fine. Can you... can you meet me?"

"Of course," he said without hesitation. "Where are you?"

I told him I was near the old clock tower on Piltover. "Okay," he said. "I'll be there in five minutes."

I leaned against the cold stone of the clock tower, watching the cars pass by, my mind still racing. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing something, that there was something right in front of me that I just couldn't see.

Then, I saw him.

Ekko arrived in record time with his white, thick hair styled in an afro-like ponytail, his eyes scanning the street until he saw me. He looked worried. At least that’s what I perceived. Without hesitation, I got in as the passenger in his car while we drove away to a quiet area to talk.

"Jinx," he said, his voice filled with relief. "What's wrong? You sounded so upset on the phone."

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to explain what I was feeling.

"It's Vi," I finally said, my voice barely a whisper. "I can't... I can't find her."

He reached out and took my hand, his touch warm and reassuring.

"We'll find her, Jinx," he said, his voice firm. "I promise. We'll find her together."

I looked into his eyes, searching for any sign of deception, any hint of guilt. But all I saw was concern and compassion. It almost felt too genuine, too perfect, and that made my stomach twist with a new kind of unease.

“I went to Vi's favorite restaurant,” I said, my voice trembling. "You know. I hate the damn sushi, but... she loves it."

Ekko's expression softened.

"It's okay," he said gently. "The sushi place must be completely wrong."

I nodded, unable to speak. The tears I had been holding back finally started to flow, streaming down my face. The grief, the fear, the uncertainty, it was all too much.

Ekko pulled me into a hug, his arms wrapping around me tightly. I buried my face in his shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably. The warmth of his embrace was comforting, but it couldn't completely dispel the darkness that had taken root inside me. It was like being lost in the woods, with every direction looking the same, while something bad was happening but I had to get there.

I was in the woods. I was exhausted. I just wanted Vi back.

"It's okay, Jinx," he whispered, stroking my hair. "It's okay to be scared. It's okay to be sad. Just let it out."

I clung to him, letting the tears flow freely. After a few minutes, the sobs subsided, leaving me feeling drained and exhausted. But also, strangely, a little lighter.

"I'm so scared, Ekko," I said, my voice muffled against his shoulder. "What if we don't find her? What if she's hurt? What if…" I couldn't bring myself to say the worst possible outcome.

He pulled back slightly, cupping my face in his hands.

"We will find her, Jinx," he said, his voice firm. "I promise you that. And we won't let anything happen to you."

He wiped away the tears from my cheeks with his thumbs, his touch gentle and reassuring. I looked into his eyes, searching for any sign of doubt, but there was none. He seemed so confident, so determined.

"It's only been three days, Jinx," he continued, his voice softer now. "Three days is nothing. We'll find her. We just have to keep looking."

"But what if she's suffering?" I asked, my voice breaking. "What if she's trapped somewhere, hurt and alone?"

I started crying again, the tears welling up in my eyes. I couldn't bear the thought of Vi suffering, of being helpless and alone. Vi was so strong, so capable. She always protected me, always made sure I was safe. And now, she was the one who needed help, and I didn't know how to reach her.

Ekko held me close again, letting me cry. He didn't say anything, just held me tight, letting me know that I wasn't alone. After a while, the tears subsided once more.

"I feel so useless," I said, pulling away from him slightly. "I don't know what to do. I don't know where to start. I don't know who he is."

"You're not useless," Ekko said, his voice firm. "You're the smartest person I know. You're the one who's going to figure this out. You just need to trust yourself."

I looked at him skeptically.

"Trust myself? I can't even trust my own thoughts anymore. I'm so paranoid, I suspect everyone."

"You should," he said, squeezing my hand. "It's okay to be paranoid. Just don't let it consume you. Don't let it stop you from looking for Vi."

I nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Okay," I said. "Okay, I can do this. I can find her."

I took the time to note his face; his expression changed. As I was close to him, I found a little scar on his cheek, and on his arms too.

"What are these?" I asked, taking his arms.

"Oh... nothing," he said, trying to hide his arms. "Just old injuries, don't worry."

"Old?"

"Yeah... as a child."

I squinted my eyes to see if it was true, and with a sigh, I let it pass. His innocent gaze made me feel a little bit wrong, but I couldn't help it. My instincts told me to stay safe.

I trust Ekko.

Damn, I really trusted him at this point. And I knew it as I realized I had crumbled in his arms; Little Red Riding Hood had fallen in love with the fierce wolf.

We stood there for a moment longer, holding hands, the silence broken only by the sound of the wind rustling through the trees. It was a comforting silence, a silence filled with trust and understanding. Or so I hoped.

"So, where do we start?" Ekko asked, breaking the silence. "We're going to search for Vi, but where could we even start?"

"Remember when I said he wants me?"

He nodded, frowning.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything? Do you believe that he just confused Vi with you?"

"No, just... Vi found him," I responded. "Besides, there's something else. Sevika told me that Vi's kidnapper would be close to me, or even her. So... do you remember Mylo?"

Ekko visibly tensed at the mention of Mylo's name.

"Yeah," he said, his voice tight. "What about him?"

"He's always been creepy," I said, "and nobody knows his last name. He lives near the forest, doesn't he?"

"But he was present the day of the competition, and a girl disappeared."

Shit.

True.

Ekko took a deep breath.

"Do you think it's possible?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "Do you think Mylo could be the one?"

"I don't know, Jinx," he said, shaking his head. "I just don't know. But we'll find out. We'll find out the truth."

"I don't even know his last name," I confessed. "I don't even know where he lives. All I know is that he's a jerk, and he's creepy."

"There are a lot of creepy, horrible people here."

I sighed.

"Like..."

My voice faded trying to remember everything that happened the day Vi disappeared; Ekko hadn't been there, Mr. Reck wasn't even on the list since he personally attended to the place, he was always there, I hadn't seen Ekko's parents, nor Mylo, but I did see...

"Claggor."

"Him?"

"I saw him," I confessed, looking at him while everything started to fall into place. "Mylo and Claggor used to be friends. Maybe that's why he managed to take them, because...

"The Sun Stalker is two people."

I watched him directly in the eyes while they returned a look difficult to read; it wasn't surprise, it was something more, it was strange. It was like he didn't want me to come to that conclusion but he already had it. But it was Ekko. He would never hurt me, or Vi.

Would he?

I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, that there was something he wasn't telling me. But I couldn't put my finger on it. Maybe it was just my paranoia talking. Maybe I was just seeing things that weren't there.

But I couldn't ignore the feeling. I had to be careful. I had to protect myself. And I had to find Vi.

I nodded, determination hardening my resolve.

I would find Vi.

And I would make sure that whoever took her paid the price. 

Chapter Text

"IS IT A TRAP?"

My mother and the detective looked at me as if I had finally lost my mind in the interrogation room. I didn’t waver. The room was sterile, lit by harsh fluorescent lights that buzzed with an unsettling hum. I was sitting at a steel table, my legs bouncing nervously as I tried to project composure. The air was thick with unspoken tension.

"Are you insane?" My mother’s voice almost broke with disbelief. "Jinx, honey, are you sure you’re thinking clearly? We’re talking about Vi’s life!"

Detective Scar leaned forward, his expression grave, weariness mixed with a hint of intrigue. Even I didn’t fully believe the words tumbling out of my mouth.

"Jinx, we appreciate your input, but you’re asking us to use you or Miss Kiramman as bait. That’s incredibly risky. We have no concrete evidence to support this theory."

I slammed my hand on the table, the sound echoing in the small room.

"Evidence? Evidence? He’s had Vi for four days! You haven’t found a damn thing! No leads, no witnesses, nothing! We’re running out of time!"

"We're doing everything we can, Jinx," Scar replied, his voice calm but firm. "But we can’t rush into a dangerous situation based on a hunch."

"It’s not a hunch!" I retorted, raising my voice. "It’s the only thing that makes sense! Think about it! The competition was canceled, but we could push it forward, right? Vi must have figured out who he was; but he’s surely looking for Caitlyn or me. But she didn’t have blue hair, so he has to fix it."

"Fix it?" my mother whispered, paling.

"He took her!" I screamed, wanting to crack open my skull and show them the logic swirling inside. "He realized she knew too much or maybe she discovered who the hell he was! Don’t you see? This isn’t random. It’s targeted. And we need to search for her."

My mother covered her face with her hands, a sob escaping her lips.

"Oh, Jinx, honey, please. This is too much. It’s too dangerous."

Scar sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Jinx, with all due respect, your theory relies on a lot of assumptions. We need proof, something tangible, before we can consider such a drastic measure."

"Tangible? Vi is missing! Isn’t that tangible enough?" I shot back, my frustration boiling over. "Look, I know it sounds crazy, but what other options do we have? We can sit here and wait for him to...to..." I couldn’t bring myself to say the words, the thought of what he might be doing to Vi too horrifying to contemplate. "Or, we can take the fight to him. We can lure him out into the open."

Caitlyn, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

"Jinx, I understand your desperation, but this plan...it’s reckless. We could be putting ourselves, and others, in even more danger."

"We are already in danger! We should do something for Vi!"

"I can’t agree with this," my mother responded, her voice filled with sadness and anger. "You are not bait for a murderer, dear. Enough for today."

"No, I won’t, and I’ll do it by myself if no one wants to come with me."

"It’s too insane," Caitlyn responded after my mother.

"And then what do you propose, huh?" I asked, angry, letting my frustration out. "Fine, we don’t do this because 'it’s dangerous,' but guess what? If we do it, we can limit waiting for an attack from him at the center; otherwise, it’s still the whole damn city, and he has already taken six girls in broad daylight, and you haven’t found a single tangible piece of evidence of who he is or even if it’s one person or several! We could have microphones, trackers, something. But we would be doing more than just waiting."

Detective Scar watched us, his expression unreadable. He knew we were desperate, teetering on the edge of reason. But he also knew that time was running out. He needed to make a decision, and fast. He observed me, contemplating my words; I had vented, I was angry, too much.

I had to find Vi.

"It’s dangerous, I know," I insisted. "But it’s already dangerous to go out every day with him out there. Is your solution to dye my hair or lock me in my house? If he’s going to kill someone, at least I want to be prepared, to have a chance."

"Alright," he finally said after the silence that settled in response to my voice, his voice low but firm. "Let’s say, hypothetically, we were to consider this plan. How would we make it work?"

A surge of adrenaline coursed through me. He was listening. He was actually considering it.

"We reinstate the competition," I said quickly, my mind racing. "We make it bigger, more public. We use social media, local news—anything to get the word out. He’ll see it. He’ll know that the perfect opportunity is there."

"And then what? We just wait for him to show up?" Caitlyn asked, her voice laced with skepticism.

"No," I replied, shaking my head. "We set a trap. We choose a location, somewhere isolated, somewhere we can control. We fill it with officers, both in uniform and undercover. We make it look like it’s just a normal competition, but we’re ready for anything."

"But what if he doesn’t take the bait?" my mother asked, her voice trembling. "What if he sees through the trap? What if he hurts you?"

"We have to take that risk," I said, meeting her gaze. "Vi would do the same for me. She always has. And I’m going to find her."

"Oh, honey..." my mother whispered, tears streaming down her face. She knew she couldn’t talk me out of this. She knew that Vi meant everything to me, and that I would stop at nothing to bring her home.

Caitlyn was staring at me, her expression a mixture of disbelief and grudging admiration. She saw the fire in my eyes, the unwavering determination that burned within me. She knew that I was serious, that I was willing to risk everything to save Vi. Because before being her girlfriend, Vi had been my best friend, my almost sister. She had been the girl I played dolls with every afternoon at my house, every day eating ice cream, we had consoled each other in our first heartbreaks, we had talked about everything and nothing; she was my friend. She was my Vi.

And maybe the Sun Stalker underestimated how much I could risk to bring her justice.

"Jinx," she said softly, "this is crazy. It’s reckless. It’s probably going to get us killed."

"Probably," I said, grinning slightly. "But we could also die going out of here, or tomorrow shopping at the supermarket, or at home."

Caitlyn took a deep breath, her shoulders squaring.

"Alright," she said, her voice firm. "Let’s do it."

Scar looked at us.

"I need to go talk with my partners and superiors; I really need permission for a crazy plan," Scar commented with a sigh. "And you, ladies, need to wait here, okay?"

"Sure," I responded.

I looked at Caitlyn; she did too. Our parents left the room following the detective. I looked pleadingly at my mother, with a single glance I begged her to give me this chance. And she looked away.

I just needed one opportunity.

"Did you think this would actually work?" Caitlyn commented as we watched Scar leave the room.

"Not really, I just wanted to say it and see if it could be real."

"It’s really crazy."

"Yeah," I responded. "But you know, Vi was... Distracted."

Caitlyn closed her eyes.

"No, she was focused," Caitlyn responded. "I read all our conversations, reviewed everything she said, and you’re right about something; she suspected someone."

"Who?"

"I don’t know, she told me you were paranoid about someone," Caitlyn added, finally looking at me. "She said you had several theories; she barely mentioned it, but for the past few weeks something in her gaze changed. And she told me that maybe you weren’t so paranoid, but she didn’t tell me why."

I felt my throat dry up.

"Vi never told me that."

"No, she wouldn’t," Caitlyn assured, sadly. "But whoever it was that you told her about, it could be. She was sure, she said that..."

"What?"

"She said that if she was right, it would be a betrayal," she finished. "She said it would be a stab in the back."

The words echoed in the room. After a while, Scar came back with a tired expression; he had bags under his eyes and looked like someone who really goes to school. Or skating. Like when I can’t pull off a move on which the entire choreography depends, and I’ve fallen so many times that my butt has a mark like a tattoo.

Scar had a little daughter; he understood the pain of the parents of the five found girls. I hoped he understood my pain, the cruelty of having taken Vi because I didn’t know if I still had time or if it was too late.

"Well, I have news, but not the best news..." Scar said with a heavy sigh. "My superiors said no. So if you do this, I can’t help you."

"So, we can’t do this?" my mother asked, her face almost smiling after hearing that.

"No. We can. It’s our decision," I replied.

Both parents and Scar were looking at me expectantly, as if they couldn’t decide how stupid or intelligent I was. I would describe myself as stupid, but I knew I was doing everything possible to go for Powder, because it wasn’t her turn to go down that path that day; it was my turn to find her.

Maybe I didn’t succeed with Powder, but I could with Vi.

"She has the last word. And I do too."

"So... are we going to do this?" my mom asked.

"I’m sorry, but I have to do it."

My mother looked at me defeated; I was her only daughter. Her baby. But I had to do it; my mother trembled, holding back tears with her eyes reddening from the pain, nodding without being able to stop me since I was already eighteen years old under the law.

"Alright, I understand. She is like a daughter to you. It’s... admirable; I can’t judge," Scar responded to my mother before turning back to us. "Then, let’s go. I need you to explain everything because if you two do something I’m not seeing, I won’t save you."

We all left the room, with a plan.

Hours later, after they left us, Caitlyn shot me a hard glare. The room was now dimly lit, the fluorescent lights replaced by a single desk lamp casting long shadows across our faces. The tension was palpable, hanging heavy in the air like a storm cloud.

"You realize how insane that plan is, right?" Caitlyn asked, her voice low and laced with disbelief.

I shrugged, avoiding her gaze.

"Yeah, well, desperate times, desperate measures."

"Desperate measures that could get us killed! We’re talking about going up against a potential serial killer, Jinx! We don’t know what he’s capable of!"

"I know, I know," I said, sighing. "But what else are we supposed to do? Sit here and wait for Vi to...?" I trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Caitlyn ran a hand through her hair, her frustration evident. "There has to be another way. We could work with the police, follow their lead, gather more evidence..."

"They haven’t found anything in four days, Caitlyn! How much longer are we supposed to wait? While Vi is out there, suffering? I can’t just sit back and do nothing."

"But this isn’t nothing, Jinx! This is suicide! We’re walking right into his trap!"

"Maybe," I said, meeting her gaze. "But maybe, just maybe, we can turn the tables on him. Maybe we can use his trap to catch him."

Caitlyn stared at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and determination. She knew that I was serious, that I was willing to risk everything to save Vi. And deep down, she knew that she couldn’t let me do this alone. And she also knew that Caitlyn wasn’t stupid; she had contributed a lot to the plan.

Maybe I wasn’t the only one who had been scared as hell of him, but now I definitely wouldn’t be the only one waiting for him knowing he was coming for me.

"You’re insane," she said finally, shaking her head.

I grinned.

"Yeah, well, you knew that when you signed up to be my partner."

Caitlyn sighed, and a small smile played on her lips.

"I’ll see you on Sunday then," she said, with her dark, tense eyes. "Break a leg and don’t tell anyone."

"Same for you."

"Not Jace, even Viktor, no one. " Caitlyn insisted. "Vi was sure you knew who he was, or at least you would have some idea. Careful, Jinx."

And with that, Mom gave me a hug as we headed home, thinking that the only person I had talked to Vi about was the same person waiting for me when I got home with a warm smile; Ekko.

Chapter Text

THE ICE FELT COLDER THAT WEEK.

Maybe it was my mind, or maybe it was the fear that had settled in my chest like a shadow impossible to move. Every time the edge of my skates brushed the rink floor, a metallic echo reminded me that time was running out. And that Vi still wasn’t there.

Ekko didn’t say anything at first. He watched me in silence from the stands, arms crossed, frown deep, like he was waiting for the exact moment when he could explode without shattering me at the same time. And I knew it. I could feel his eyes like needles in my back as I spun, as I pretended everything was still normal.

But nothing was normal. Not since we had returned to competition.

He crash out far too easily.

The afternoon sun slipped in through the tall windows of the training center, painting the floor with golden stripes of light. The air smelled of hot metal, sweat, and burnt rubber. I crouched to tighten the laces of my skates, being the first to arrive—not because they needed to be tighter, but because it was easier to focus on that than on what was coming.

I could feel his steps before I heard them. Ekko. Always the same: that steady walk loaded with restrained energy that could explode at any moment.

"And?" His voice was a shot, sharp, without preambles.

I forced myself to lift my eyes. He was there, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, brows furrowed. That look of his that always seemed to pierce through me.

"And what?" I asked with the lightest tone I could fake.

He took a step toward me. Too close.

"Don’t bullshit me, Jinx. You know what I mean."

I bit the inside of my cheek. I wasn’t going to give him anything. Not today, not tomorrow. Because if he knew, he’d try to stop me. And I couldn’t let anyone stop me.

"If you’re going to start with the same old sermon, save it," I said, playing like I didn’t care.

"Sermon?" he repeated, as if he couldn’t believe I’d just said that. "It’s not a sermon when the person I care about is walking into the wolf’s mouth."

The word “care” stuck in my chest, but I didn’t let it show. I tightened the skate buckle harder than necessary and focused on not looking at him.

"I’m training. Nothing more."

"You’re not that good an actress," he replied, lower this time, as if he feared someone else might hear us. "I know you too well, Jinx. There’s something more. It’s not just about Vi."

Vi’s name cut through me like a knife. It hurt. And it gave me strength.

"Of course it’s about Vi," I snapped, raising my eyes. "What do you want me to do, Ekko? Sit at home, crying, waiting for something to change by magic? I can’t. I’m not built for that."

He stepped closer again. Now we were so near I could feel the heat of his body, smell the mix of sweat and metal, hear the roughness of his breathing.

"I don’t want you to shut yourself away," he said, voice loaded with something that wasn’t just anger but fear. "I want you to take care of yourself. There’s someone out there, do you understand? Someone who isn’t playing. And you…"—his voice broke just a little—"you walk like you don’t care if he catches you."

For a second, my heart slammed so hard I thought he could hear it. Part of me wanted to tell him the truth. To tell him the plan, to say I wasn’t walking blind into danger, that every step was calculated. But I couldn’t. Not with him. Because if he knew, he’d try to stop me. And I couldn’t waste time arguing.

So I breathed deep, forced a small smile, and lied:

"I’m not going to do anything stupid. I just… need this. I need to train, keep my mind busy, feel like I’m doing something."

He held my gaze for endless seconds.

"This isn’t just training," he said, and though he tried, he couldn’t hide the sadness. "And you know it."

I shrugged, feigning indifference.

"It’s all I’ve got for now," I insisted. "Come on, Ekko, this isn’t an action movie. What could I do against him? I’m not doing anything, really."

The silence weighed like lead between us. Until he turned, fists clenched, like he needed to get away before saying something he couldn’t take back.

"I won’t identify your body, Jinx," he whispered without looking at me. "Not again."

"You won’t."

"He wants you," he whispered, looking at me. "You’re the victim he wants most, and you know it. He’ll come for you."

I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. Because if I did, the tremor in my voice would betray everything. Instead, I tightened my skates again and launched myself onto the rink.

The sound of the wheels scraping the floor helped me silence the storm in my head, at least for a few minutes. Ekko stayed there, in the corner, watching me train. He didn’t know I had already made my decision. That even if it cost me everything, even my life, I wasn’t going to stop.

The following days were a routine of ice, silence, and theories that never quite fit.

Each morning I trained until the pain in my legs reminded me I was human. Then I sat at the edge of the rink, going over Vi’s old messages again and again, searching for something I might have missed. Some pattern. Some name. Something.

Sometimes I caught myself watching Ekko from afar. Not because I distrusted him. But because I needed to remind myself that he was still here. That I still had something to hold onto if everything else failed. And he, in his own way, seemed to understand. Because even though he said nothing, he was always there. Always.

The clues Vi had left were an impossible puzzle. Some clear, like the repeated mention of someone who “wasn’t who they said they were.” Others ambiguous, almost cryptic. And others… confusing. So confusing they made me doubt my own memory. Names I didn’t recognize, places that seemed invented. And, at the center of it all, that feeling of betrayal Vi had dropped like a whisper.

"If I’m right, it’ll be like a stab in the back."

I repeated it over and over in my head, while skating, while pretending everything was fine at home, while Ekko gave me worried looks that didn’t need words. I tried to decipher what she meant, but every time I thought I was close to an answer, another question appeared.

By Friday night, the tension was so dense it could be cut with a knife. Ekko walked me to my door and stayed there, like he didn’t want to let go, like every second together was a shield against what might happen next.

"Promise me you’ll be careful," he said at last, voice low and eyes fixed on mine.

"I promise."

I didn’t tell him I wasn’t sure I could keep it.

And even less that, according to a small theory breathing down my neck as I ignored it, he was the one who might put me in danger.

That day, the night swallowed me whole without warning.

I don’t know when exhaustion beat the noise in my head, but the next thing I remember was the cold. A dry cold sinking into my bones. When I opened my eyes, I was barefoot, standing on damp earth, with a forest stretching in every direction. The trees were tall and dark, their branches like claws scratching the sky.

The air smelled of wet earth and something else. Something metallic.

"Powder?" My voice came out shaky, as if I already knew she was there.

And she was.

A few meters away, I saw her. That girl with short blue hair, skinny legs, and eyes too big, standing in the middle of the path like time had never passed. Her white dress was dirty, as if she had fallen a thousand times into the mud. Her skin was waxy, dim. Like all the light had been drained out of her.

"Powder," I repeated, louder this time, and took a step toward her.

She didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Just looked at me with those empty eyes that weren’t mine but were at the same time. And then, without warning, she turned and began to walk into the forest.

"Wait!" I shouted, running after her.

Each step was harder than the last. Like the ground was sticking to my feet, like the forest didn’t want to let me through. Branches scratched my arms, leaving red marks that burned, but I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t lose her again.

I followed. Always a little ahead, always out of reach.

"Powder!" My throat burned, but I didn’t care. "Stop, please!"

She didn’t. And then I heard it.

"Jinx."

Vi’s voice.

Soft at first, almost like a whisper the wind carried from somewhere. But then clearer. More insistent.

"Jinx. Jinx, where are you?"

I stopped. The forest closed in around me, as if the trees had grown taller all at once. I couldn’t see Powder anymore. Only darkness.

"Vi…" I whispered, turning around. "I’m here…"

The ground cracked behind me.

It wasn’t Vi.

A low growl, wet, like it came from something too big to be that close. My breath cut short, frozen. The branches shifted. Something slid between them.

The wolf.

I couldn’t see it, but I could feel it. The weight of its presence, the hunger it carried. Each beat of my heart was a drum, and each drum was an invitation.

I ran.

I ran until my legs hurt, until the air scraped my throat, with the wolf behind me, until the growl mixed with the echo of my name in Vi’s voice—but closer, hungrier, fiercer.

And then, the forest swallowed me.

And the wolf caught me from behind.

I opened my eyes with a strangled cry, drenched in sweat, sheets stuck to my skin as if I’d been submerged in water. The room was dark, but the digital clock on my nightstand read 3:14 a.m.

I stayed there, heart pounding so hard it felt like it would break my ribs, trying to convince myself there was no wolf, that the forest had been only a dream.

But the cold stayed. And the smell of wet earth wouldn’t leave.

I sat up, pulling my knees to my chest, and counted to ten. One. Two. Three. Breathing slow. Like Ekko had taught me once—I couldn’t remember why he knew that, but it had worked. When I could finally move, I got up and walked to the window. The night air hit my face, cool, a little damp.

That’s when I saw him.

Ekko.

In his room, right across from mine. The dim light of his lamp drew his silhouette as he pinned something to the wall. Photos. Clippings. Maps. Like he was building a board of clues.

I frowned, pressing my forehead against the glass.

He hadn’t said anything. Not a word about what he was doing. But there he was, focused, moving his hands quickly, talking to himself.

Then I saw him stand, leave the room, and cross the hall. The shadows followed him to his father’s office door. I saw the glow of a silent argument, the sharp gestures, the raised hands. I couldn’t hear anything, but I didn’t need to. I could feel the tension from here.

Something inside me lit up.

All the pieces I’d been trying to fit together in my head suddenly clicked with a dull snap. Like when a lock gives way.

Vi’s notes. The ambiguous clues. The disappearances that seemed like accidents but weren’t.

It wasn’t just the wolf out there.

It was someone closer. Much closer than I’d wanted to admit.

I stood frozen, heart pounding like a drum, watching Ekko return to his room, watching him turn off the light, as if nothing had happened.

And I knew.

The obvious thing I’d been ignoring all this time.

The problem wasn’t only in the forest. It was also at home.

I didn’t sleep the rest of the night.

I showered before the sun came up, trying to wash away the cold that had seeped into my skin. But the hot water didn’t help. It only seemed to wind up my overactive brain, replaying the dream again and again. Powder had slipped away from me—I hadn’t been able to help her that day, or any day after. Not that day in the bathroom, not when she left, not once had I tried to reach out, just so she’d know I was there.

And now Vi was gone.

I was repeating the same story. Only this time, it felt like I finally knew it.

"Jinx! Breakfast is ready!"

"I’ll be right there!"

Instead, I grabbed my phone, opened the messages screen, and typed two lines, my fingers trembling more than I wanted to admit:

I know who it is.
I know it's you.

I hit send and left, closing the door behind me with my heart hammering in my chest.