As the sun sets, the girls gather again in Kaida's room, nervous but pretending they're fine.
The air feels heavier than last night.
Kaida opens the app.
The screen glows immediately:
"ROUND TWO: DARE."
The girls lean in.
A second message appears, cold and sharp:
"Dare One: Two players must swap phones for 60 seconds."
"The game will choose."
Summer clutches her pillow. "Please don't pick me. Please don't pick me…"
The screen flickers.
Two names appear:
SAPHIRA
SUMMER
Saphira's jaw DROPS.
Summer's eyes go wide.
Lyrelle whispers, "Oh this game is wicked."
Jason and Summer have been joking a lot lately.
Saphira knows it.
She pretends she doesn't care.
She DOES.
Summer freezes too …she knows her crush on Jason is quiet but real.
And Jason has been texting her about some "funny thing" earlier.
Kaida swallows. "You guys… you have to do it. Or the game…"
"No need," Saphira says quickly. "I'm not scared."
But her voice betrays the tiniest shake.
She hands over her phone.
Summer hands over hers.
They switch.
The timer appears:
60… 59… 58…
Both girls unlock each other's phones.
The room goes SILENT.
Summer sees Saphira and Jason's old messages ….sweet, cute childhood stuff.
She feels guilty.
But Saphira?
The first thing she sees on Summer's phone
is a notification from Jason:
"You coming to school early tomorrow? I wanna tell you something."
Her breath stops.
Summer's eyes lift slowly.
Saphira is staring at her phone like it just betrayed her.
Lyrelle whispers, "Oh no…"
Kaida covers her mouth.
Kyra presses her hands together like she's praying the timer moves faster.
27… 26… 25…
Summer panics.
"Saphira, it's not what you think…."
Saphira's voice is flat.
"You and my boyfriend text privately now?"
"It's not….Jason texted me first! It was about class, I swear…."
15… 14… 13…
The tension is suffocating.
Lyrelle backs up like she needs air.
Kaida whispers, "Just wait for the timer…"
Saphira's jaw tightens.
Her eyes don't leave the message.
5… 4… 3…
She whispers:
"So this is what he meant when he said he was 'helping' you."
Summer shakes her head fast.
"Saphira PLEASE…"
2… 1…
The phones vibrate.
"Dare complete."
They switch back.
But nothing is the same.
Saphira is quiet.
Too quiet.
Her eyes dark.
And the app glows again, ready for the next dare.
The app pulses again, brighter this time.
Kaida hesitates before tapping it.
A new message appears, larger than before:
"Dare Two: One player must kiss someone they secretly have feelings for… for 30 seconds. And mean it."
The girls freeze.
Summer bites her lip nervously, glancing at Lyrelle.
Lyrelle's face goes red instantly, eyes wide.
"Hell no," she blurts out, stepping back.
Summer crosses her arms, frowning.
"Ouch… really, Lyrelle? That's your first reaction?"
Kyra and Kaida exchange nervous glances, and Saphira snickers a little, trying not to laugh.
The app flickers again, like it's impatient.
Lyrelle feels her stomach twist.
She knows the app isn't joking.
She hesitates, then slowly steps closer to Summer.
The room goes silent.
The moment their lips touch, it's… longer than expected.
Lyrelle's heart races.
Summer's eyes widen, but she doesn't pull away.
The timer on the app counts down:
30… 29… 28…
By the halfway mark, everyone's breathing is tense.
Kyra presses her hands to her mouth.
Saphira shakes her head, whispering, "Oh this is going to be messy."
Lyrelle finishes the dare, stepping back, hands on her cheeks, heart pounding.
Everything feels… weird.
And then Prince walks in.
His eyes lock on them immediately.
"What…just happened?" His voice is sharp, hurt, confused.
Lyrelle's stomach drops.
Summer frowns.
The room feels impossibly small.
Kyra whispers, almost too quietly, "Uh oh."
The app glows again.
Waiting.
Hungry for more.
And now, the Shadow Game isn't just about dares.
It's about secrets… and consequences that everyone can see.