Sierra felt the weight of last night's confrontation lingering in the air long after the school bell rang. Conversations drifted vaguely down the hallway, but none of them registered. All she could think about was the look on Jenna's face—the mix of shock, disappointment, and something dangerously close to betrayal.
They had promised each other honesty.But honesty had its limits… especially when the truth involved someone who could ruin all of them.
Sierra opened her locker, its cold metal echoing as it swung. Inside was a folded note—neat handwriting, careful, almost too graceful.
We need to talk. Rooftop. Noon.— Vivian
Her breath froze.
Vivian Shen didn't ask to talk. She summoned people.
And last night's heated exchange still played in Sierra's mind—Vivian accusing her of being reckless, Sierra firing back that keeping silent made them all accomplices.
Sierra swallowed hard.She pocketed the note.
Noon — School Rooftop
The wind was crisp, carrying the faint scent of rain. Vivian stood near the chain-link fence, her silhouette sharp against the gray sky. She wasn't alone.
Leon was with her.
Sierra's stomach tightened.
Leon turned the moment she stepped out. His expression was unreadable—tension in the jaw, eyes guarded.
Vivian crossed her arms."Good. You came."
Sierra kept her tone neutral. "You asked for me."
Vivian exhaled slowly, controlled. "We're running out of time. The rumors are spreading too fast. Someone is deliberately fueling it."
Leon stepped forward. "And whoever it is… they're starting to use your name, Sierra."
Her pulse spiked."Mine?"
Vivian nodded. "A new anonymous account is posting timelines and screenshots—old incidents, twisted narratives. You're becoming their centerpiece."
Sierra's fingers curled tightly. Of course this would happen. In the original story, this was exactly when the web around the villainess began tightening.
But this time, she wasn't willing to wait for the noose to drop.
"What's the plan?" she asked.
Vivian blinked—surprised. "You're not—scared?"
Sierra met her gaze. "I am. But hiding won't save us."
Leon's eyes softened for the first time that day.
Vivian looked between them, then gave a sharp nod. "Fine. Then we move."
The First Fracture
They spent the whole lunch period laying out clues—timestamps, message IDs, chat logs they secretly collected. The picture that formed wasn't clean, but one thing was clear:
Someone close to them was involved.
Jenna?She dismissed the thought. No—Jenna was hurt, but not vindictive.
Sierra stared at the patterns on the screen. "This person knows too much. They're planting things only someone in our circle would know."
Vivian's voice dropped."And someone who knows your past."
Sierra froze.
Leon tensed. "Vivian—"
"No," Vivian said, gaze unwavering. "She needs to understand the scope."
Sierra forced the words out. "What do you mean my past?"
Vivian slid her phone across the rooftop floor.A screenshot filled the screen.
A sealed record. A name redacted. A timestamp from years ago.
Her breath broke.
She had worked so hard to bury this part of the original Sierra's life—a moment of desperation, a mistake twisted by circumstance, a secret that only one person should have known.
Leon knelt beside her. "Sierra. Look at me."
But her vision blurred at the edges.
Someone had cracked into a place they shouldn't have.
And if they could find this…
What else were they capable of?
Vivian's voice softened, uncharacteristically gentle."We're not accusing you. We're warning you. Someone wants your downfall—badly."
Sierra inhaled shakily.She finally whispered:
"…Then we find them first."
Vivian straightened, a fierce glint in her eye."Good. Because I already have a suspect."
Sierra and Leon looked up simultaneously.
Vivian lifted her gaze toward the stairwell door.
Footsteps.Light, fast, retreating.
Someone had been eavesdropping.
Leon stood instantly. "I'll go—"
"Wait!" Sierra grabbed his arm. "Don't chase. Not yet. If they know we're onto them, they'll erase everything."
Vivian nodded. "She's right."
The footsteps faded completely.
Sierra exhaled, her heart pounding in painful beats.
The alliance wasn't broken—not yet.
But it had fractured.And fractures, if left unattended, could destroy everything.
After School
Sierra walked home alone, the sky dimming with clouds. Her reflection in a passing classroom window looked more like a stranger than herself—haunted, wary, determined.
As she reached the school gate, her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number:I know what you're hiding.
Her blood ran cold.
Another message appeared immediately.
And I'm not done.
Sierra tightened her grip on the phone.
"Fine," she whispered to herself.
"If you want a war… you'll get one."