The First Time Kiel Stepped In
Before the ghosts.
Before the abandone building that placed in Halina Town Road
Before Ita learned that the dark could look back at him
There was just school.
And survival.
It happened on a wednesday in march.
The kind of day that felt ordinary enough to be safe.
Ita was at his locker when lucas slammed it shut on his hand.
Not hard enough to break anything.
Just hard enough to hurt.
"opps," Lucas said, not sounding sorry at all.
Snickers came from behind him,two boys who always hovered close, laughing a second too late at every joke.
Ita pulled his hand back and flexed his fingers. It stung. He kept his eyes down.
"didn't see you there" lucas continued. "you're so quiet, it's creepy"
Ita said nothing.
That was his rule.
If he didn't react, it ended faster.
If he didn't argue, teachers didn't notice.
If teachers didn't notice, no one called home.
And if no one called home
Maybe tonight would be quiet.
Lucas shoved him against the lockers.
Metal clanged.
"say something" lucas demanded.
Ita swallowed. "it's fine."
"'its fine bla bla bla'" lucas mocked in a high voice. "man, do u ever fight back?"
No.
Because fighting back meant detention.
Detention meant reports.
Reports meant the principal calling his mother.
And when his mother hung up those calls, she never asked what happened.
She asked why he caused trouble.
Her hands were quick when she was angry.
His stepfather's were slower.
More deliberate.
"hey."
The voice cut through the hallway noise.
Lucas glanced over his shoulder.
Kiel stood a few feet away, backpack hanging off one arm. He wasn't smiling.
"Leave him alone," Kiel said.
Lucas rolled his eyes. "why?he's your boyfriend or something?"
A few students laughed.
Kiel didn't.
"he didnt do anything to you," Kiel replied evenly.
"thats the problem," lucas said. "he act like hes better than everyone"
Ita stared at the floor.
He didn't act better.
He just tried not to exist.
Lucas gave him another shove. "right?"
Ita shook his head quickly. "no."
Kiel stepped forward.
It wasn't dramatic. He didn't puff out his chest. He just moved between them.
" Thats enough," kiel said.
There was something steady about the way he stood. Not loud. Not flashy.
Just firm.
Lucas hesitated.
Teachers were nearby. Students were watching.
Lucas scoffed and stepped back. "whatever, hes not worth it"
He brushed past kiel hard on purpose and walked off with his friends.
The hallway noise slowly returned to normal.
Kiel turned to Ita. "you okay?"
Ita nodded automatically. "Yeah."
"You dont have to let him do that"
Ita forced a small shrug. "its fine"
Kiel studied him for a second.
It wasn't fine.
That much was obvious.
Later that week, it happened again.
This time in the cafeteria.
Lucas bumped ita's tray just as he sat down. Milk spilled across the table and onto Ita shirt.
Laughter erupted.
Ita froze.
Don't react.
Don't yell.
Don't make it worse.
" Clumsy hehe" Lucas said.
Kiel stood up so fast his chair screeched across the floor.
"are u serious?" kiel snapped.
Lucas smirked. "Stay out of it"
Kiel didn't move. "Pick it up."
The cafeteria shifted into that dangerous quiet where everyone pretends not to stare.
Lucas stepped closer to Kiel "you wanna fight??"
Ita's heart started racing.
If they fought,
Teachers would come.
The principal would call home.
His mom would cry first.
Then she'd get angry.
Then his stepfather would close the bedroom door.
Ita grabbed Kiel's sleeve.
"Don't" he whispered urgently.
kiel glanced down at him. " he cant just-"
"please"
There was something in Ita's voice that made kiel stop.
Not fear of Lucas.
Fear of something else.
Lucas looked between them and snorted. "pathetic."
He walked away, shoving someone else's shoulder for fun.
The cafeteria noise returned.
Kiel looked at Ita, confused. "why didnt youwant me to fight him?"
Ita kept his eyes on the milk dripping from the table edge.
"If the principalcall my parents" he said quietly, "it'll be worse."
"Worse how?"
Ita hesitated.
He could lie.
He should lie.
But Kiel was still standing there, waiting.
"my mom gets mad" Ita said carefully. "And....my stepdad too..."
kiel frowned "Because you got bullied??"
"they say i must done something wrong"
kiel didn't know what to say to that.
He just grabbed napkins and started helping clean up.
From then on, he made a quiet decision.
He started walking near Ita in the halls.
Sitting beside him in class.
Not making a big deal about it.
Just enough that Lucas thought twice.
And when Lucas did shove Ita again a week later.
Kiel shoved back.
Harder.
Not enough to start a fight.
But enough to make a point.
Ita didn't understand why kiel bothered.
Kiel didn't fully understand either.
He just knew one thing:
Ita never defended himself.
And sometimes, the quietest people were the ones getting hurt the most.
Neither of them knew yet that this was the beginning.
Not of a friendship.
But of something that would drag them both into a darkness neither of them were ready to face.