el's

. His jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed a little. He didn't say anything immediately, but the way he looked at me, sharp and deliberate, suggested to me that this was not finished. Luka replied, low and kind but with clear menace in his voice, "I know you're hiding something from me, Ymir." I mean to discover what it is. Walking away from Luka, I attempted to dismiss the anxiety in my chest, but it remained to bother me. Every step I took appeared to reverberate in the vacant corridors, and the sound of my own heartbeat served as a reminder of how really alone I actually was in this world. It was then I spotted Mika. I hadn't anticipated him to be here, but there he was, standing just outside the classroom where I had been. His black eyes turned to me, and I instantly sensed the air grow denser, as though the space between us was loaded with an unvoiced struggle. Mika continued, his voice soft and mocking, "You look like you've seen a ghost," but there was more to it. He was watching me far too carefully. "I'm okay," I responded fast, attempting to recover my composure. Even as the words left my mouth, though, I could feel the pulse of tension between us. Mika stepped closer, his wide shoulders in my way, and I couldn't help but see how frightening he appeared, even in the gentle light. He was too tall, too strong, too much for me to overlook, like a shadow. "You're lying," he whispered quietly, his voice low and menacing. Ymir, you are not alright. You don't deceive me. Swallowing hard, I tried to brush past him; he remained still. His presence was a wall, immovable and solid. Dark and unreadable, his gaze fixed on me. "Stay away from Luka," he warned, nearly growling. You have no idea what you're getting into. Stay away from him, or we shall both be ripped apart. Every time I saw them, Luka or Mika, the draw became greater despite my efforts to remain away and control my feelings. It was something deeper now, something I couldn't describe rather than physical attraction. Their gaze and the way they made me feel were like an unstoppable force I couldn't resist, regardless of my desire to do so. Though the cool wind was touching my skin, I stood in the university courtyard and it did little to relieve the burning rising in my chest. Though all I could think about was them, the campus was alive with students completing their classes late afternoon. Luka had been avoiding me lately, at least in public, but I could sense him every time I rounded a corner. He was constantly there, watching me from afar. Mika, on the other hand, seems to be wherever I went, almost as if he were purposely pushing himself into my life. Though they were worlds apart, the two siblings both left me in a maelstrom of uncertainty. Walking towards the library