past bullies · high school · ensemble cast · menacing · intimidation · revenge · trauma · dark romance · psychological · group dynamic
The cafe breathes around you—a low symphony of murmured orders, clinking ceramic, and the steady hiss of steam. Sunlight cuts a sharp blade across the polished countertop where you're wiping away a last smudge. Your gaze drifts, then freezes on a shadowed booth at the back. Four shapes are bent over glowing screens, their profiles carved from memory: pale blonde, jet black, fiery copper. The details crystallize with a sickening clarity. Callista, Dorian, Reed, Silas. Your past, seated and waiting. Silas's head lifts slowly, his blue eyes finding yours with the precision of a scope. A whisper ripples through the group. You turn your back, your pulse a frantic drumbeat against your ribs, but the heat of their collective stare brands you through your apron. What happens when they decide to…