Jason stood in the school hallway, his usual sneer replaced by a grimace as he tugged at the bandages covering one side of his face. His friends huddled around him, whispering and casting wary glances at Elyra and Dain. Elyra caught fragments of their hushed conversation as she walked by.
"Claw marks... like a wild animal..."
"Could've been him-Dain's always looking for a fight."
"No way, man. That was something else."
Dain stiffened beside Elyra, his fiery orange eyes narrowing. "They're talking about me again," he muttered.
Elyra tugged on his sleeve. "Ignore it."
But Jason had other ideas. Spotting them in the hallway, he shoved through the crowd, his bandaged face twisting in a mockery of his usual bravado.
"Look who it is the freaks," he said, his voice dripping with venom. "Thought I'd find you skulking around. What, didn't think I'd recognize your handiwork?"noveldrama
Dain's muscles tensed, and Elyra could feel the barely restrained power coiled within him. She stepped between them, raising her hands.
"What are you talking about, Jason?" she asked, her tone calm but wary.
Jason jabbed a finger toward Dain. "Don't play dumb. Everyone knows he's a freak. You think I don't know it was him that did this?" He gestured to his face, the bandages only partially covering the jagged claw marks beneath. Dain growled low in his throat, but Elyra shot him a warning glance.
"We weren't anywhere near you, Jason," she said firmly. "Maybe you should tell us what really happened."
For a brief moment, fear flickered in Jason's eyes, but he quickly masked it with anger. "Don't try to turn this around! I saw... I mean..." He faltered, his confidence wavering.
Elyra's sharp instincts picked up on his hesitation. "You saw what?" she pressed, stepping closer.
Jason clenched his jaw, his bravado fading entirely. "I... I don't know," he admitted, his voice barely audible. "It wasn't human, okay? It came out of nowhere, and then-" He stopped, his breathing uneven.
Elyra exchanged a glance with Dain, whose expression was unreadable. Jason wasn't lying-something had attacked him.
"Maybe you should stop picking fights with people who aren't the problem," Elyra said coldly before turning on her heel and walking away, Dain close behind.
That night, Elyra sat on the edge of her bed, replaying Jason's words in her mind. Something or someone from their world had crossed into this one. Her stomach churned at the thought.
"Do you think it was...?" she began, but Dain cut her off.
"I don't know what it was," he said, pacing the small room like a caged animal. "But it wasn't me, and it wasn't you. If someone else is out there, we need to know who." Elyra nodded, a shiver running down her spine.