It had been a week since Tavion left, and Elowin still missed him deeply. Serelina stayed with her most of the time, trying to keep her company.
But something felt strange Zeyric had suddenly started acting too kind, too friendly.
There was something about his behaviour that Serelina didn't trust.she could feel something was off.
I don't like how close he's getting
Serelina warned.
Elowin smiled softly. "Zeyric is like a brother to me. He's just being kind."
But Zeyric overheard their conversation. He became frausted and angry .
"I'll break this friendship," he muttered under his breath.
The Next Day
A new girl Nozaria in their class started sticking close to Serelina. She would sit beside her before Elowin had the chance. It was odd but Serelina quickly sensed something was wrong.
In truth, the girl had been hired by Zeyric to create misunderstandings between the two friends.
But what they didn't realise was that their bond wasn't so easy to break.
The girl began following them during lunch.
Serelina finally snapped.
"Hey girl, are you following us? Can't you sit in one place?" she said
Elowin, always soft-hearted, interrupted and let the girl join them. Slowly, she started sitting beside them more often, trying to wedge herself in and disrupt their conversations. It annoyed Serelina, but she kept quiet.
One day,
while Elowin and Serelina were chatting, Elowin asked, "Hey, you never told me why don't you ever take off this locket?"
Serelina paused. "It was given by someone I hope to meet again. It's very precious to me."
Nozaria overheard and an idea sparked in her twisted mind.
She invited both of them to her house, calling it a friendly treat. Serelina didn't want to go, but Elowin insisted.
"She's our friend now," Elowin said with a smile.
But they didn't know what evil plan awaited them.
At the Nozaria house,
she manipulated the situation to make it look like Elowin had broken the locket. As Serelina saw her locket being broken , tears welled in her eyes. Elowin had never seen her like this.
Before she could speak, Serelina picked up the broken pieces and ran.
Elowin stood frozen, her eyes filled with guilt.
She searched everywhere for Serelina but couldn't find her Hours passed. Elowin returned to the dorm, hoping Serelina would come back.
Serelina's Side
Serelina sat alone in a quiet park, staring at her broken locket. Tears rolled down her cheeks. It wasn't just a locket,it was a memory, a connection she couldn't afford to lose.
After hours in the rain, she finally went home. But she didn't return to the dorm.
The Next Morning
Elowin's heart was heavy. She went to university and saw Serelina in class but to her shock, Serelina ignored her and sat beside that girl.
After class, Elowin tried to speak to her, but Serelina left for lunch without a word.
Someone was watching and smiling.
Zeyric.
He believed they had succeeded in breaking their friendship.
That evening, Elowin returned to the dorm, still crying. Suddenly, the door opened.
She looked up Serelina was there.
But she didn't speak. She simply packed her things.
"Where are you going?" Elowin asked, panicking.
Serelina stayed silent and walked out.
Elowin cried harder, unable to understand what had gone so wrong.
Serelina wasn't abandoning Elowin.
She had found out the truth that Zeyric and Nozaria were plotting all along. She knew they were watching her every move. She had to keep her distance to protect Elowin and expose the plan.
So, she moved into the room next door, without letting Elowin know.
She acted cold, just as they wanted. Meanwhile, Zeyric tried to comfort Elowin and get close to her again but Serelina blocked him at every turn.
Four days passed.
The silence between the two friends grew heavier. Elowin was devastated. Serelina ached to comfort her but stayed strong.
But one night,
Elowin couldn't take it anymore. She got drunk and called Serelina.
"I don't want to lose you," she sobbed on the phone.
Serelina panicked. "Are you drunk? Where the hell are you?"
She found Elowin and carried her back to the dorm.
Elowin apologised over and over again before passing out.
Serelina stayed with her all night.
The Next Morning
Elowin woke up with a headache but seeing Serelina by her side made her feel happy . Still, she could sense something was bothering her.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Serelina finally told her everything.
Elowin couldn't believe it.
The betrayal, the whole plan Zeyric and Nozaria had tried to destroy their friendship.
Serelina hadn't left her. She had protected her.
Elowin hugged her tightly.
Serelina didn't wait another moment.
When they got to university, she walked straight up to the girl.
And slapped her.
Three times.
Elowin tried to stop her, but Serelina didn't care.
"You thought you could break us? Try again," she warned coldly.
That Evening
But the storm wasn't over.
As Serelina took a call from her father, Elowin saw a small dog near the university gate.
She walked toward it.
Suddenly,
A hand covered her mouth. A cloth soaked with something made her feel dizzy.
She struggled, but everything went dark.
Zeyric smirked as he held her unconscious.
I'll make you mine… no matter what