The Introvert

Lena's world had cracked open.

The rules she had lived by—stay unnoticed, avoid attention, blend in—no longer mattered.

Because now she knew the truth.

She wasn't alone.

She wasn't normal.

And someone out there was watching her.

---

The Next Day

Lena woke up exhausted.

After yesterday's training session with Ethan, her body felt sore in ways that didn't make sense. It wasn't like she had run a marathon, but her muscles ached, and her head throbbed like she had spent the entire night solving impossible math problems.

She dragged herself through her morning routine, barely touching her breakfast as her parents talked about mundane things—her father grumbling about traffic, her mother reminding her about an upcoming parent-teacher meeting.

Lena nodded along, barely listening.

She had bigger things to worry about.

She could disappear.

There was a group called The Vanished who could erase people from existence.

And someone—someone she didn't know—was keeping an eye on her.

By the time she got to school, the weight of it all made her head spin.

But things got worse.

Because the moment she stepped onto campus, she felt it.

The eyes.

Watching.

Tracking.

Waiting.

Lena's pulse quickened. She glanced around casually, trying to spot anything unusual. The students rushing past her looked normal enough—laughing, gossiping, stuffing books into their bags as they made their way to class.

But then she saw him.

A man.

Not a student. Not a teacher. Just standing near the school gates, wearing a crisp white shirt and dark sunglasses, as if he belonged.

Except he didn't.

He wasn't looking at her, not directly. But Lena could feel his focus, even through the tinted lenses of his sunglasses.

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to keep walking.

Was she imagining things?

Or was this the person Ethan had warned her about?

---

An Unwanted Meeting

Lena barely made it through her first three classes.

Her mind kept drifting back to the man near the school gates. When she had checked again during the break, he was gone.

That should have reassured her.

It didn't.

By the time lunch rolled around, she decided she needed answers. And unfortunately, she only knew one person who had them.

She found Ethan sitting on the steps behind the school, flipping through his phone like he had all the time in the world.

She didn't even wait for a greeting. "There was someone watching me today."

Ethan didn't even look up. "Describe them."

"Tall. Sunglasses. Looked way too old to be here."

At that, he finally lifted his gaze. "Sunglasses?"

Lena nodded.

Ethan's expression darkened. "Shit."

She felt her stomach drop. "Who was he?"

Ethan leaned back against the steps, exhaling. "If I had to guess? The Watchers."

Lena's skin prickled. "The what?"

"They're another faction," Ethan said. "They keep tabs on people like us. Unlike The Vanished, they don't believe in using our abilities freely. They think we're dangerous."

Lena's hands clenched into fists. "And what do they do?"

Ethan hesitated. "Depends."

She narrowed her eyes. "On what?"

He met her gaze. "On whether they decide you're a threat."

A cold wave of fear washed over her.

She had spent years trying to avoid attention. And now, not only had The Vanished taken an interest in her—so had another group that might see her as dangerous?

This was spiraling out of control.

"So what do I do?" she asked.

Ethan gave her a pointed look. "You train."

Lena swallowed.

She had hoped for another option—something less terrifying, something easier. But she knew better.

She wasn't invisible anymore.

And if she wanted to survive this, she couldn't afford to be weak.

---

That Evening: A Warning

Lena left school with her heart pounding.

She had planned to go straight home, but as she stepped onto the main road, she sensed it again.

Someone was watching.

She forced herself to walk normally, to not look over her shoulder. But every nerve in her body screamed at her to run.

Then, a voice spoke behind her.

"You need to be careful, Lena Carter."

Her blood turned to ice.

Slowly, she turned around.

The man in sunglasses stood a few feet away, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. Up close, he looked even more out of place—sharp, neat, and calm in a way that made her skin crawl.

Lena forced herself to keep her voice steady. "Who are you?"

The man smiled faintly. "I go by many names. But for now, just think of me as someone who wants to help."

Her heart pounded. "Help?"

"Yes." He tilted his head slightly, studying her. "You've just awakened, haven't you?"

Lena didn't answer.

The man didn't seem to need confirmation. "You don't understand what's happening yet. You don't know the risks. People like you always think you have more time than you actually do."

A cold chill ran through her. "What do you want?"

The man's expression didn't change. "To warn you."

Lena took a step back. "About what?"

"The Vanished."

Lena froze.

"They'll come for you," he continued. "You may think you have control now, but you don't. You're unstable. And The Vanished? They thrive on instability."

She clenched her fists. "Why are you telling me this?"

The man finally removed his sunglasses. His eyes were dark—too dark, like they absorbed the light around them.

"Because, Lena Carter," he said softly, "if you don't choose a side soon… you might disappear for good."

And then—

Just like that—

He was gone.

Lena stood frozen on the sidewalk, her breath coming in short, panicked bursts.

This was real.

This was very real.

And she was running out of time.

---