Chapter 12: The Prediction
Ginny's eyes stayed fixed on the photo collage, tracing the delicate, curling lines of ink that wound around each hand, forming that hauntingly familiar octopus shape. The image pulled at her, clawing at something deep in her memory, like a half-remembered dream or a word just out of reach.
The tattoos, the reverent way each person clutched their blank phone, the eerie stillness of their faces—it gnawed at her, an itch buried under her skin.
She'd seen something like this before.
Or had she? She couldn't be sure. Maybe it was just her nerves, twisting her thoughts, making her see connections where there were none.
"Lucy…" Her voice was barely a whisper, thick with questions she didn't know how to ask. "What does it mean? The octopus, I mean. Why that?"
Lucy's eyes lit up, though there was something almost bitter about the twist of her mouth as she looked down at the photos, her fingers brushing over the edges as if willing them to reveal their secrets.
"That's exactly what's driving me crazy," she murmured, her voice threaded with frustration. "I've searched every source I can think of—old cults, secret societies, folklore, even obscure mythology. Nothing. You find goats, lambs, even owls, but an octopus?"
She shook her head slowly, fingers tapping out an anxious rhythm against her notebook. "It doesn't make sense."
A shiver ran through Ginny as she watched Lucy's intense gaze flicker over the images. But then, Lucy's face shifted, the brief vulnerability tucked away under her usual playful bravado.
"Of course," Lucy continued, "It could also mean nothing at all. Some kind of private in-joke, maybe a club that only lets certain people in. But I'm not sure. It's the blank screens that get me, you know?"
Ginny opened her mouth to say something, anything to dispel the chill settling over her, but her phone buzzed sharply in her pocket, slicing through the silence like a knife. She jumped, a jolt of panic shooting through her as she fumbled for it. Her hand was shaking as she reached into her pocket, her heart thudding like a drumbeat in her ears.
Lucy noticed her reaction immediately, her gaze sharpening. She leaned closer, peering at Ginny with sudden seriousness.
"Ginny, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice gentler than usual. "Were you expecting… a bad call or something?"
Ginny shook her head, trying to brush it off, but she could feel her fingers trembling as she pulled her phone from her pocket.
She half-expected to see that nameless number again, the one that had sent her message after message last night. A part of her braced for it, ready to feel the weight of those words again, the ones that somehow felt like they could reach right through the screen.
But when she looked down, her heart slowed, relief crashing over her.
Just Cass.
The message was simple: Where are you?
She exhaled, the tension easing from her shoulders. Quickly, she tapped out a reply, telling him she was just working on something with Lucy. But even as she tucked her phone back into her pocket, the heaviness lingered, an unshakable weight tied to the mystery unfolding in front of her.
Lucy studied her, her gaze unreadable, as if she could see right through the thin smile Ginny managed.
"Who was it?" Lucy's voice was soft, almost too gentle. "Everything alright?"
Ginny nodded, giving a tight, unconvincing smile.
"Yeah. Just Cass checking in, making sure I'm… alright."
Suddenly, Ginny's phone buzzed in her hand, the screen lighting up with Cass's name. She glanced at Luce, who was busy scrolling through her tablet, and answered, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Hello?"
"Ginny, where are you?" Cass's tone held that steady, familiar concern. "I checked your classroom. You weren't there."
"Oh, I'm… uh, with Luce," she replied, glancing over at Lucy, who seemed oblivious, now muttering to herself about lens angles and lighting. "What's going on?"
Cass sighed, faintly exasperated. "Lyle forgot his lunch at home again. So, I'll be grabbing something for him from the cafeteria. Do you want to meet me there?"
"Sure," Ginny replied, rising to her feet, brushing bits of grass from her skirt. "I'll head over now."
Before she could finish, Lucy perked up, her gaze snapping toward Ginny with an alarmingly eager smile.
"You're going to the cafeteria?" Lucy asked, practically bouncing to her feet. "Perfect. I've been meaning to get a better look at campus dynamics during lunch hour. Let me come along!"
Ginny's mouth opened, then closed as she struggled to find an excuse.
"Uh, Luce, I—"
"It's decided, then!" Lucy interrupted, ignoring her completely. "Lead the way!"
Ginny sighed, trying to fight back the reluctance tugging at her as they made their way to the cafeteria, Lucy chatting endlessly beside her about crowd psychology and lunch hour patterns. By the time they reached the bustling cafeteria, Ginny's patience had nearly thinned to a thread.
As they spotted Cass by the serving area, Lucy's babbling stopped, her gaze suddenly fixed on him with wide-eyed fascination. She elbowed Ginny, her voice a loud whisper.
"Oh my god. Is that Cassian Thorne? The Cassian Thorne?"
Ginny stifled a groan, nodding. "Yeah, that's him…"
Cass looked up, noticing them, and raised an eyebrow as he walked over. His gaze slid to Lucy, and he tilted his head, a hint of confusion in his eyes, even as he smiled.
"Ginny, who… exactly is this?"
Ginny froze, words slipping from her grasp as Lucy took a quick step forward, thrusting her hand out toward Cass.
"I'm Luce Bellinger—soon to be your best friend and confidante!"
Cass paused, his eyebrow lifting, a glint of surprise in his eyes. "Is that right?"
"Oh, absolutely!" Lucy continued, undeterred. She grinned, leaning in conspiratorially as though they were already sharing secrets. "See, Ginny's great, don't get me wrong, but she's too modest to tell you that she desperately needs me by her side. And you, Cass…"
Lucy tapped her temple, her gaze sharp and playful.
"I can already tell we're going to be inseparable."