"Did you want her to beg, Matthew? Is that it? Did you want her to beg you to give it back?" May's voice was loud enough to draw the attention of nearby students. Heads immediately turned towards them.
Matthew frowned but didn't respond.
Seeing this, May stepped forward and reached for his arm, but he quickly stepped back, avoiding her touch.
"You really are shameless," she said.
Before she could say more, a familiar voice broke through the tension.
"What's going on here?" Lenox asked. He walked toward them, eyes scanning the group. "I just got back from the clinic. Did something happen?"
"Of course, something happened," Elisa said. "Matthew here removed Catherine's name from the Lindberg allowance list for this quarter."
She stepped closer. "Her mother's still in the hospital, and now this? Lenox, you have to help her. You have to speak up. Give her justice."
"She's right," May added. "Catherine worked so hard. There's no way she'd be left out unless someone interfered. Can't you talk to the Principal or the Dean?"
Lenox looked directly at Matthew.
"Matthew… did you do it?"
Matthew gave a short shrug. "Why would I? Do you really think I have enough influence to tell the school who should or shouldn't get the allowance?"
Just as he expected, May and Elisa both turned their attention to Lenox.
But Lenox kept his eyes on Matthew.
What are you doing? Lenox wondered. Then he stepped forward and grabbed Matthew's wrist. "Let's talk for a second."
Matthew glanced at the hand on his arm. "Let go."
"Not until we talk—"
Matthew shook his hand once, intending to break free.
To his surprise, Lenox suddenly flew backward.
He landed on the ground with a loud thud, knocking over a chair as he fell. A sharp gasp followed from nearby students. A tray clattered against the floor.
Matthew stood frozen.
That wasn't supposed to happen.
He looked at his hand.
Just like that morning—when he shoved Lenox away and held him down without trying. Back then, Lenox had even complained, saying something about his grip being too tight, too strong.
Matthew hadn't taken it seriously.
He flexed his fingers slightly. There was no pain. No effort. And yet—
"What the hell…" he muttered to himself.
He didn't even notice Catherine approaching until she was already in front of him.
"You hurt him!" she said. Her hands balled into fists.
When Matthew didn't answer her, she stepped forward and pushed him.
Or tried to.
Sadly, Matthew stepped to the side without thinking, avoiding her hand.
The sudden movement threw her off. Catherine stumbled forward, unable to stop her momentum. She quickly lost her footing and fell to the ground. Her hands caught the edge of a table, but the momentum still knocked her off balance. She landed on the floor, her phone sliding out of her grip and skidding across the tiles.
Another round of gasps filled the cafeteria.
Matthew blinked. He hadn't meant to dodge. His body just moved on its own.
He looked at Catherine, who was still on the floor.
Then he looked at his hand again. Something wasn't right.
"Catherine!"
"Catherine, are you alright?"
May and Elisa said at the same time as both women ran toward Catherine's side and helped her up.
"I– I am–" Catherine said. She winced from the pain. Still, she quickly turned her attention toward Lenox. "Lenox!" she limped to his side. Currently, Lenox had just gotten up. "Are you alright?"
"I am," Lenox answered. His gaze, however, was already on Matthew. "Why did you do that?"
Matthew didn't move. He met Lenox's stare.
"I didn't push you," Matthew said. "If you doubt me, you can check the cameras."
That silenced Lenox. His mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. He looked away, biting the inside of his cheek. He knew it too. Matthew hadn't pushed him. It didn't feel like a shove. It felt like something else. Either Matthew had suddenly gotten stronger, or… Lenox's body had gotten too weak.
Catherine turned toward Matthew again.
"I knew you were jealous of Lenox, but I didn't think you'd actually hurt him."
Matthew stared at her. Is this woman stupid? He thought inwardly.
Catherine continued, "You're angry, aren't you? About what happened the other day. But that's no reason to act like this to other people. You're making me hate you more."
Matthew raised an eyebrow. Wow, he thought. He never thought that Catherine was actually a narcissist! How did he like someone like this? Was he stupid or something?
Inwardly, he would've applauded Catherine's dramatic flair. If she ever became an actress, he was pretty sure it'd be profitable. She didn't even flinch when she threw lines like that. Impressive.
The crowd murmured around them. A few were whispering under their breath. Someone snapped a photo as May took a step forward.
"Matthew," May said. "Apologize. Right now."
Matthew turned to Lenox. "Do you need an apology?"
Lenox hesitated. He shook his head once. "No."
Matthew looked back at May, then at Catherine. "Well, if he doesn't need one… why would I apologize?"
"You—"
"Elisa… that's enough," Lenox said. He quickly turned toward Catherine. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, I am."
"Let me accompany you to the clinic. We need to make sure that you are," Lenox said. Inwardly, this was just his way of trying to get away from that damn Matthew. He didn't know what was going on, but Matthew had clearly changed and he didn't like where this was going.
"But—" Catherine hesitantly looked at Matthew. In fact, she had been waiting for him to apologize, too.
"Come on…" Lenox said. "Matthew didn't push me. It was an accident. Let's just go to the clinic so they can check you."
This time, he didn't wait for Catherine to respond. Instead, he bent down and carried her in a princess carry.
A wave of surprised gasps spread through the cafeteria, but Lenox ignored them.
He wasn't doing this out of kindness. He had one goal—he wanted to see if Matthew still cared.
In the past, Matthew would've rushed over the moment Catherine got hurt. He would've insisted on carrying her himself. Catherine usually refused. She preferred to limp her way to the clinic, claiming she didn't want to bother anyone.
But now, Lenox carried her without asking. He wanted to see what Matthew would do. Would he react? Would he get jealous? Would the old habits kick in?
Lenox glanced over his shoulder to check.
But Matthew wasn't there anymore.
"Eh? Where did Matthew go?"
Naturally, Matthew was already outside the cafeteria. He didn't stop. He rushed through the hallway and out the back exit, ignoring the confused looks of passing students. He didn't have time to explain. He just needed to get out of there—somewhere without people, somewhere without cameras.
There was only one place that came to mind.
He made his way past the newer classrooms and towards the rear of campus. The old buildings were still standing, though barely. They had been left untouched after failing the Bureau of Education's safety inspections years ago. Since then, the area had been sealed off, waiting for demolition and reconstruction.
Matthew slipped past the broken fence and ran along the cracked pavement. Grass and weeds had already taken over the ground. He didn't stop until he reached the line of trees behind the last building.
The forest was still. No cameras. No students.
Just silence.
Matthew stepped between two trees and moved deeper until he was sure he couldn't be seen. He checked the area once more. No movement. No one followed him.
He exhaled, clenched his fists, then closed his eyes.
His heart was still beating fast. That scene from the cafeteria kept replaying in his mind. Lenox being thrown back. Catherine falling. That wasn't normal. None of that was.
He opened his eyes.
Then, without hesitation, he punched the nearest tree with all his strength.
The impact rang through his knuckles. Bark cracked. A thin layer of dust puffed into the air. He looked down and saw the bark had split. His hand stung, but it wasn't broken. No bruises. No blood.
He tightened his fist again.
"This doesn't make sense," he muttered. His voice was low. "What's going on?"
The trunk shook. Splinters flew off in small chunks. His fist remained steady.
Back then, he couldn't even beat Lenox in a proper fight. He always relied on others or on favors. But now—this wasn't normal strength. It wasn't even close.
He looked at his hand and remembered what Teddy had said before. "You're acting weird lately…"
More than weird.
There was no ghost this time, but he felt it. Like something inside him shifted. Ever since that stone disappeared in his dream, something had changed. His body wasn't the same.
He leaned back against the tree and slid down until he was sitting on the ground.
"What the hell is happening to me…" he whispered, dramatically staring into the distance like a tragic movie lead.
A loud stomach growl immediately interrupted his deep thoughts. Then he paused as if he realized something.
"I've been starving ever since I came back… then there's this weird strength… and don't even get me started on the ghosts," he muttered, scowling. He suddenly stopped, staring at his clenched fist. "Wait… did I turn into a zombie or something?"