Nora understood the meaning behind that smile.If you did well, Ms. Anderson would raise her brows and nod in approval.But if you didn’t, she’d still smile—only with a subtle edge:“I expect better next time.”It sounded like encouragement, but to Nora, it was a veiled critique.

  She was never the kind of student who easily pleased her teachers.

  Ms. Anderson’s voice faded into the background, droning at a fixed frequency like static.Nora’s mind wandered. She wanted to take this chance to talk to Alex about her dream,but couldn’t find the words.Her fingers absentmindedly spun her pencil,scribbling idle lines in the margins of her book—her real canvas always existed in the white space outside class notes.

  But today, something was different.

  Her fingers moved like they weren’t her own.The pencil glided more smoothly than ever,the strokes sharp, precise…Too precise.More professional than anything she’d ever drawn.Her heart skipped a beat.

  She’d meant to sketch her favorite pop star, Galinda—but the pencil had other plans.It refused to obey.

  She tried to stop her hand—but it kept moving.

  In just seconds, a fox appeared on the page.But not just any fox.

  It was humanoid, half-beast, standing upright with a cane.The top of the cane was a snarling animal head,its fangs bared in a crooked, mocking smile.

  Nora froze.Her fingers turned cold.She stared at the image, her heartbeat thundering.She had no memory of drawing those details.In fact…she couldn’t recall moving her hand at all.It looked too real—like a memory pulled from deep within her mind.

  Her hair stood on end.

  She grabbed her eraser and tried to rub it out—but the lines wouldn’t budge.They clung to the paper like they were floating above it.The fox’s eyes flickered faintly,watching her.

  The more she erased,the clearer it seemed to get.

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  Her chest tightened.A sense of dread crept in.

  The bell rang.Students stirred.

  Alex had noticed her staring at her notebook, entranced.Just as she leaned over to peek,Lucas—perhaps guided by some misplaced courage—stepped in front of Nora’s desk.

  He subtly touched his bandage,making sure it hadn’t peeled off.Then, with a deep breath,he held out two slightly crumpled movie tickets.

  “Nora… would you like to go to the movies with me this Saturday?”

  His voice wasn’t loud,but the classroom noise faded at once,as if the world had paused to listen.

  Several students whistled softly.Others clapped and giggled.

  But Nora…Nora was somewhere else entirely.Still lost in the chilling fog of that drawing.Now faced with Lucas’s unexpected "confession",a wave of shame and confusion washed over her.

  She hated attention.Hated being the center of jokes.

  Her instincts kicked in.She sprang to her feet.

  “No! I don’t want to!”

  She shoved the tickets back at him.“Don’t talk to me again!”

  She stormed out of the room.

  Alex, who had just been enjoying the show,was startled by Nora’s reaction.Without thinking, she grabbed Nora’s book and chased after her.

  Lucas stood frozen for a second.He chuckled awkwardly and slinked back to his seat.

  In the hallway, Alex caught up.She grabbed Nora’s arm.

  “What was that?He just asked you to a movie.You didn’t have to freak out like that!”

  Nora took a deep breath,trying to calm down.“It’s not his fault… really.”

  Alex frowned, puzzled.She glanced down at the book in her hand,flipping to the page Nora had been staring at—and froze.

  “Wait…did you draw this?”Her voice was full of disbelief.“This is insane!It looks like a professional sketch!Did you secretly take art lessons?”

  Nora’s fingers tensed.She pressed her lips together.

  “No.I didn’t draw it,” she whispered.

  Alex blinked.A smile tugged at her lips,tinged with wonder.

  “Oh?Are you saying…hidden talent unlocked?Have you ever thought about becoming a famous artist?”

  But Nora didn’t smile.She gripped Alex’s hand,her voice low and urgent.

  “I’m going to tell you something,but you can’t tell anyone. Okay?”

  Alex immediately perked up, nodding seriously.“Of course.”

  Nora took a deep breath.“I had a dream last night.There was a fox tail…and a highway.And today, I’ve seen that tail multiple times…in real life.”

  Alex’s eyes sparkled.She leaned closer,excited.

  “Wait—are you saying this is magic?Have you heard of the eastern fox spirits?Some of them enter dreams to deliver messages…others let people see things they shouldn’t…”