The bell rang, marking the end of another long day at Bridgerton, but Sophie didn't join her friends in leaving. Instead, she grabbed her bag and headed for the sick bay, where Aniya had been resting, ready to take her home.
She entered the sick bay, the faint scent of antiseptic lingering in the air. "Good day," Sophie said with a friendly smile, her tone light as she approached the nurse's desk.
The nurse looked up from her paperwork, raising an eyebrow. "School's over, so I assume you're here to pick Aniya up?" "Yes, I am," Sophie replied, nodding as she glanced toward the back room where Aniya was resting.
"You'll need to sign her out in this book before picking her up," the nurse said, motioning to the logbook on the counter. Sophie took the pen, signed her name quickly, and set the book back down. With a final glance at the nurse, she made her way toward the back room, her footsteps soft against the tile.
When she pushed the door open, the faint sound of soft breathing filled the quiet room. Aniya was lying on one of the beds, her face pale but peaceful. Sophie stepped inside and walked over to her, her heart easing a little at the sight of her friend resting, even if she still looked a bit out of it.
"Aniya?" Sophie called gently, not wanting to startle her. Aniya stirred but didn't wake immediately. Sophie smiled softly and sat down beside her, brushing a lock of hair from Aniya's face. "It's time to go home," she said, her voice teasing. "Let's go before the guys try to take our car again—I'm not riding in theirs."
Aniya let out a soft groan, her voice muffled against the pillow. "Tell them if they touch our car, they're dead."Sophie helped Aniya sit up, steadying her as she rubbed her eyes sleepily."Come on, let's get moving before those guys think they can beat us to the car again," Sophie said, offering her hand.
Aniya groaned but took her hand, standing with a little wobble. "They seriously think they can just take it?"Sophie laughed, leading the way to the door. "As if they'd care about that. You know they'd probably just try to take our car anyway.""Then I'll just hide their keys," Aniya replied with a smirk. "Let's see how fast they can take it then."Sophie shook her head, amused. "You've got way too many ideas for revenge.""I've got to keep them in check somehow," Aniya said with a half-smile, the exhaustion fading a little as she started to feel more like herself.
As they reached the car, Aniya looked up at the sky, taking in the fading light. But then something caught her eye—a flash, bright and unexpected, streaking across the sky. She blinked, trying to make sense of it, her gaze fixed as the light twisted into a strange, glowing swirl. Was that… a portal?
Sophie glanced over, sensing the shift in Aniya's energy. She narrowed her eyes, her concern rising. There's something different about her today, Sophie thought. "What's wrong?" she asked, brows pinched with concern.
Aniya tore her eyes from the sky and forced a smile. "Oh, nothing," she said in a tone too flat to be reassuring. "I just… love how the sky looks today."
Sophie didn't look convinced, but she didn't push. Aniya quickly turned away, unlocking the car door with slightly shaky hands. Whatever that thing in the sky was, she wasn't ready to talk about it—not yet.
Just as Aniya reached for the car door, a voice called out behind her.
"Hey!"
She turned to see Han approaching, the rest of the guys trailing behind him. His brows were slightly furrowed with concern, though he tried to keep his tone light.
"How are you feeling now?" he asked.
Sophie glanced over her shoulder. "The nurse said she should go see an ear specialist," she added before Aniya could respond. "She thinks it might be something more serious."
Aniya shook her head quickly, brushing it off. "I'm fine. It's nothing. I don't need to go anywhere."
Han raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You kind of spaced out the entire morning."
"I'm just tired," Aniya said firmly, opening the car door. "Can we not make it a big deal?"
Sophie exchanged a look with Han but didn't say anything more. They could tell something was off—but Aniya wasn't ready to talk about it.
"I think we should be heading home now—I've got a lot waiting for me," Kai said, cutting into the conversation as Aniya opened the car door.
"Wait, where are Charlotte, Karina, Kim, and Hannah?" Luke asked, looking around with a slight frown. "Haven't seen them all day."
"They're probably still somewhere in school," Sophie said as she climbed into the car. "We'll go look for them before we leave."
Luke leaned on the open door with a smug grin. "Looks like we're getting home first, then. Which means... punishment's on you."
"Relax," Sophie shot back, smirking. "You'll be the one learning choreography by the time we're done."
"This time you're singing in wigs, with props," Luke added. "No backing out."
Before anyone could respond, the sound of footsteps turned their heads.
"I don't think so," Karina said, walking up with Charlotte, Kim, and Hannah close behind her. Her voice was cool, but the confidence in her tone hit like a warning.
They walked up like a unit—Hannah tossing her curls over her shoulder, Kim casually sipping from a juice pouch, and Charlotte adjusting her sunglasses like she walked off a runway.
The boys froze for a second.
"What took y'all so long?" Kai asked.
"We had to make an entrance," Kim said, sliding into the back seat.
"And remind you who really wins around here," Hannah added, winking as the car doors slammed shut.
"Bye bye," Aniya said with a smirk, her voice light but loaded with challenge.
The boys didn't waste a second—they bolted toward their car, shouting over one another as they scrambled for seats.
But the girls?They were already in motion.
Their driver had gotten the signal the moment the boys turned around. Tires rolled smoothly against the pavement as the girls' car pulled off—silent victory in the air.
"There's no way they're winning," Kim said with a giggle, peeking out the back window as the boys struggled to get moving.
"Told you," Sophie said, leaning back with a smug smile. "Professionals at work."
The car sped down the road, picking up speed but not quite racing. The girls' driver was maintaining a careful pace, just fast enough to stay ahead of the boys but not so much that it felt reckless.
The car was quiet for a moment, the sound of the engine hum filling the space. Charlotte, who typically kept to herself, broke the silence.
"Aniya, how are you? I heard you weren't feeling well," she said, her voice soft but sincere. "I wanted to come check on you, but I was busy."
"Same here," Kim added, her tone carrying a hint of guilt.
"I kinda feel bad for not checking up on you," Karina said, her voice full of concern.
"No, you were all busy," Aniya replied with a reassuring smile. "And I wasn't alone. Sophie took me to the sick bay."
For a moment, no one said anything. The car continued on in comfortable quiet.
Then Kim broke the silence with a small laugh. "Well, at least we're definitely beating the boys."
Laughter filled the car, light and easy, carrying them the rest of the way home.
The car rolled to a stop just inside the gate, the girls exchanging quick, victorious glances as they stepped out.
Sophie let out a quiet breath and smiled, pleased. "Perfect timing."
As they grabbed their bags, the familiar sound of tires crunching gravel made them turn.
The boys' car pulled in behind them—just seconds too late.
"Aha!" Kim grinned, spinning around to face them. "We beat you!"
Kai stepped out of the car, hands raised in surrender. "Okay, okay—you win this one."
"Barely," Luke muttered, pretending not to be out of breath.
"But a win is a win," Aniya said with a smug smile, walking past them like a queen claiming her throne.
"I guess we're the ones getting the challenge this time," Damien said, shaking his head in defeat.
"Please take it easy on us!" Jason called out dramatically, throwing his hands in the air.
"We'll try," Kim replied with a mischievous grin, her voice teasing as the girls giggled and made their way into the mansion.
The mansion was massive, yet calming—its wide halls and soft lighting welcoming them in like a warm hug. Without wasting a second, the girls rushed to their rooms, laughter echoing through the corridors. Some shared, some didn't, but they all did the same thing: kicked off their shoes and flopped onto their beds with dramatic sighs of relief.
As Aniya entered her room—one she was lucky enough to have all to herself—the weight of the day hit her like a wave. The door clicked shut behind her, sealing away the noise, the laughter, the distractions. Silence wrapped around her, soft and heavy.
Without overthinking it, she freshened up quickly, tossing her uniform aside and changing into something comfortable. Then she jumped onto her bed, sighing into the softness as she reached over and pulled her phone from her bag.
As Aniya lay back against her pillows, phone in hand, she hesitated for a second. Then, opening her browser, she typed:
"Is it possible to go crazy overnight and start seeing things?"
She paused, staring at the blinking cursor. Then she added:
"…or maybe seeing things that no one else can?"
Dozens of results popped up—mental health forums, medical articles, and conspiracy blogs. But none of it felt like what she saw. Not really.
So she opened a new tab and searched again:
"Flashing light in sky followed by people appearing… looks like a portal?"
Nothing made sense. Not yet. But deep down, she knew—whatever she saw, it was real.
She scrolled aimlessly for a moment, but her mind drifted back—replaying the exact moment she saw the sky flash open like it was tearing. The strange light, the silhouettes, the sense of… wrongness.
Then it clicked.
Someone else had been there.
Not Sophie. Not any of the girls.
But just before she looked away—she'd caught eyes with someone across the parking lot. A guy. Not part of their group. Not moving. Just staring up at the sky too, frozen, wide-eyed—like he saw it too.
Her heart skipped.
She hadn't thought much of it then. But now…
Now it didn't feel like a coincidence.
Her mind raced, her fingers pausing on the phone screen. The realization hit her like a punch to the gut. It wasn't just anyone.
It was... Chef Lee.
"Yes, Chef Lee," she muttered aloud, the words slipping from her lips almost without thought. His face flashed in her mind—those dark eyes, always calm, now filled with something else. He wasn't just looking at the sky. He was staring at it, frozen, like he knew something was about to happen.
Aniya's heart thudded harder in her chest. She remembered their brief encounter—when their eyes had met for a split second, and he hadn't looked away. As if he, too, had seen it. The portal.
Why was Chef Lee there? Why hadn't he said anything? He'd been so… normal. But now everything felt off. Her mind kept returning to his quiet, unsettling presence.
And as she sat there, her phone buzzing in her hands, she realized: whatever was happening, whatever she was seeing, it wasn't just in her head.
To be continued...