The next morning, the school was full of yawns, sleepy faces, and untied laces.
No one had slept properly.
Even the brightest students looked like they'd walked straight out of a zombie movie. Maybe it was the weird weather… or maybe it was last evening. The strange aura surrounding Minha, the shadow that wasn't there, and Noor ul Huda's silence—it had left a heavy mark.
In Class 9, students were half-awake, bags thrown on desks, eyelids half-closed. But then came the loud, sharp voice of their Maths teacher:
"Good morning, sleepy aliens!"
It was Miss Ifra, strict yet sarcastic, with a knack for roasting students without mercy.
"Good morning, ma'am," the class echoed weakly, more like a funeral choir.
Miss Ifra looked around. "Are you guys sleepwalking or math-learning today?"
Manahil Khan raised her hand, barely lifting her head. "Ma'am, I think my brain is still in bed. Can I join it?"
The class chuckled.
Fatima Noor Malik added, "Same here, ma'am. My brain refused to come to school. I had to drag it."
Miss Ifra rolled her eyes. "I swear, if I hear one more brain joke, I'll turn into a calculator and calculate all your GPAs to zero!"
Minha, sitting quietly, smirked—but said nothing.
Suddenly, Aleena Batool whispered to Zanib Aman, "Did you see Minha? She didn't laugh. She always laughs when Ifra ma'am roasts us."
Zanib replied, "She's been weird lately. Like… colder."
Meanwhile, Miss Ifra began writing equations on the board.
"X equals minus B plus minus square root of B square minus 4AC... you know the drill. And if you don't—God help you. Because I won't!"
Ayes e Gul raised her hand innocently. "Ma'am, what if X doesn't want to be found?"
Miss Ifra paused, turned around dramatically, and said,
Then X should stop hiding in every single question since class 6.
Everyone laughed.
Even Minha chuckled. But her eyes… stayed dark and distant.
As the period dragged on, students fought sleep like soldiers in a losing war.
Gull-e-Amna whispered to her sister, "Do you think Minha's okay?"
Ayesa replied, "I don't know. But ever since yesterday… I feel something around her. Something that gives me chills."
When the bell rang, Miss Ifra clapped her hands.
"Alright, math zombies, stand up. Make a line. It's time for your sports period. Also…"
She smirked, "Today's a double period. Sports and… powers training."
The class went silent.
Some students cheered.
Some blinked nervously.
Some—like Noor ul Huda—looked up with worry.
They made lines. Girls whispered among themselves.
From behind the crowd, Minha stood… like a shadow herself.
Her voice was soft, almost a whisper,
"Some powers should never be trained… they should be sealed."
No one heard her.
Except for one girl.
Noor ul Huda.
She turned to look at Minha, but she was already walking toward the ground…
smiling a little too peacefully.