Alexander

I strode through the administrative building, my mind preoccupied with the demands of the upcoming semester. Truth be told, I was irritated at the thought of dealing with official formalities. Yet, beneath that irritation lay a deeper motivation. I needed my father's trust for a plan I was carefully orchestrating.

As I moved through the crowded hallway, I accidentally bumped into someone. I turned to see a young woman, clearly flustered by the accident. Her hazel eyes widened momentarily, framed by a cascade of rich brunette hair that caught the light in soft waves. Her skin was smooth, with a touch of natural blush on her cheeks. Her features were delicate yet strong, with high cheekbones and a slender nose. A small freckled patch on her left cheek added a charming detail to her otherwise flawless complexion.

As she stammered an apology, I hesitated, struck by a sense of familiarity. Her voice, her name, resonated with me.

"Kristen," I repeated, more to myself than to her, my voice steady but my thoughts racing. In that moment, I realized she was the girl from last night, the one who had intrigued me, whose voice had lingered in my mind. The pieces clicked into place, connecting the dots of our brief encounter.

With a smirk on my lips, I realized that behind her bold and outspoken demeanor lay layers of complexity. As she took her seat, I introduced myself, studying her closely. Her eyes widened in surprise moments later when she glanced back at me upon hearing my name, and a subtle smile graced my lips as I continued to observe her. The more I gazed at her, the more she squirmed in her seat, revealing a strange sense of enjoyment within me. Reluctantly tearing my gaze away, I composed myself to begin the class.

With a cynical curve to my lips, I regarded the students filling the lecture hall. It was the start of a new term, but for these students, I was an established fixture in their academic landscape, a formidable presence they had heard about but now faced firsthand.

"This semester will be demanding, but rewarding. I expect nothing but your best." A few nervous chuckles rippled through the room, and I narrowed my eyes slightly, my gaze sweeping over the rows of attentive faces. "Let's establish one thing from the outset," I continued, pacing deliberately in front of the whiteboard. "This is not a social hour. You're here to learn mathematics, not exchange pleasantries."

As I fired off questions at random students, testing their retention from previous years, I couldn't help but notice Kristen's unease. Each time my gaze lingered on her, she flinched imperceptibly, her attempts to blend into the background failing miserably.

"And what about you, Kristen?" I asked, my tone laced with subtle sarcasm. "Care to enlighten us with your insights on the fundamental theorem of calculus?" Her body tensed visibly, and she stumbled over her words before managing a hesitant response. "Um, well, it's about... uh, finding the... derivative of the... integral?"

I raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Close, but not quite," I remarked dryly. "The fundamental theorem of calculus actually relates the concept of differentiation and integration, demonstrating their inverse relationship. Perhaps a topic for further review, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes," she replied, giving me a curious look. She is strange, a good kind of strange. Her initial submissive demeanor quickly morphed into a challenging stare. I couldn't help but meet her gaze with equal intensity. As the class dragged on with more pointless questions from the students, I found myself savoring the silent duel with her. Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of the class, and the students hurriedly packed up and rushed out. She was the first to bolt for the door.

"Kristen, a moment please," I called out, my voice cutting through the chatter. She paused mid-stride, hesitated, and then, with measured steps, approached me and stopped right in front of my desk.

"Well, you didn't address me as 'jerk,' this time"

"I...uh," she stammered, nervously fidgeting with her fingers.

"Maybe we have less in common than you thought," I remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I thought you were a student," she said, finally meeting my gaze.

"Quite a bold assumption, don't you think?" I smirked.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, sir," she replied.

I inched closer, still keeping a respectful distance. "Careful next time," I said with a smirk. "Actions have consequences."

Her brows furrowed, and the look of shock and nervousness quickly morphed into confidence. "If there were consequences, I'd be facing them."

"You're not... yet," I emphasized with a grin. "You're free to go."

She met my gaze, her deep Hazel eyes drawing me in for a moment. Then she gathered herself and quickly bolted out. I couldn't help but chuckle.

*******

Kristen

I bolted upright, finally taking a relieving breath. No one intimidates me except my dad, but somehow, Professor Alex managed to make me feel that same intimidation, compelling me in a way I couldn't quite understand. As I stepped into the corridor, I saw Ava waiting for me, her eyes lighting up as she approached.

"What's going on with you and Professor Alex?" she asked, her gaze piercing and curious.

"What are you talking about?" I replied, feigning ignorance.

"Come on, I saw the way you two were looking at each other, and then he called you over. There's got to be something."

"Alright, fine," I said, giving in. I proceeded to tell her about my encounter with Professor Alex the previous night. As I finished, Ava burst into laughter.

"Girl, that's the funniest thing I've ever heard," she said, trying to control her laughter.

"Come on, it's clearly not. It's just proof of my stupidity," I sighed.

"Relax, it's not like he's going to eat you for it," she giggled. "And honestly, I wouldn't complain if he did. By the way, do you have English next?"

"Yeah, I do," I replied, and we started walking towards our next class. As we entered the classroom, I noticed Emily. She glanced over and quickly made her way towards me.

"Hey, roomie! I'm so glad we have the same class. We'll get to spend more time together," she said, giving me a side hug.
Just then, Emily spotted Ava, who was walking alongside me. They exchanged surprised glances before breaking into wide smiles.

"Ava! I didn't know you were in this class too," Emily exclaimed, hugging her.

"Emily! It's so good to see you," Ava replied. "We had a few classes together last year." She said looking at me and I nodded in return.

Before we could catch up further, the classroom door opened, and a lady walked in with a bright smile.

"Good morning, everyone!" she greeted, her voice lively and enthusiastic. "I'm Miss Emma, and I'm thrilled to start this year with something exciting. To give our year a fantastic kickstart, we're going to do something different."

She paused, letting the suspense build. "I want you to pair up into groups of four. We're heading to the forest today. Your task is to find something that inspires you and write something beautiful about it. This will be a great way to test both your teamwork and creativity. " The room buzzed with excitement as everyone began forming groups.

Me, Ava, Emily, and one of Emily's friends, Jane, decided to form a group together.

"Pine tree, Seriously? We should aim for something more captivating," Emily declared with a dramatic sigh as we ventured deeper into the forest. Around us, the voices of other students echoed through the trees, their laughter and chatter blending harmoniously with the natural symphony of the forest.

The forest was breathtaking. Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy above, casting dappled patterns on the forest floor. The air was rich with the earthy scent of moss and fallen leaves, and the occasional burst of birdsong added a musical backdrop to our journey. Ferns and wildflowers lined the narrow paths, creating a vibrant, green tapestry that seemed to stretch endlessly.

"Yeah, but sometimes it's the simple things that hold the most magic," Jane remarked, attempting to persuade Kristen.

Suddenly, Ava interjected, her voice cutting through the tranquil ambiance. "Wait, it's starting to rain!" she exclaimed, looking up at the clear sky with confusion etched on her face.

"Are you serious? It's clearly sunny," I responded, turning to look at her. My heart skipped a beat as I noticed drops of blood on her cheek, and a startled scream escaped my lips.

My scream rang out through the quiet forest, followed by gasps from the others and Ava's terrified scream when she saw blood on her hand after touching her face. I looked up and froze in fear.

Above us, hanging from a thick branch, was a dark figure. Blood dripped from its hand, staining the leaves below. Long, tangled black hair covered its face, hiding its features in shadows.

Fear gripped us all as we stood there, unable to move. The forest that had seemed peaceful moments ago now felt scary and threatening.

Without a word, we turned and fled back along the path, the urgency of escape overpowering any rational thought. Branches whipped past us, and our footsteps pounded on the forest floor as we raced towards the safety of civilization.

As we burst out of the forest and into the clearing where we had started, we skidded to a halt, breathless and trembling. Miss Emma, alerted by our commotion, rushed over with concern etched on her face.

"What happened?" she asked urgently, scanning each of our pale faces for answers.

Ava, still shaken, managed to speak first. "There was... someone in the trees. It had blood on its hands," she said, her voice trembling.

Miss Emma's face darkened briefly with concern. "Let's get you all back to the campus," she said firmly, guiding us towards safety. And as we left the eerie forest behind, the memory of that chilling encounter lingered, casting a long shadow over what was supposed to be a simple class assignment.

Gosh, thinking of an idea and then actually putting it into words is so challenging. If you mess up the flow, it messes everything up.

But anyway, I can't believe I'm done with the fourth chapter.

Please do vote and comment to let me know what you think of the story so far!