A cool September breeze rolled through the open courtyard of Glendale Academy, Los Angeles. The sound of sneakers squeaking on the pavement and the chatter of students filled the air. Freshmen darted nervously from class to class, while upperclassmen moved with ease, already used to the chaos.
For Amina, Mia, and Diego, the first day of school wasn’t just the beginning of a new year—it was the first time they would meet in person.
Amina stood by the entrance to the library, checking her phone for the hundredth time. Her long dark braids hung down her back, and her piercing green eyes scanned the crowd. She adjusted her black jacket and combat boots, taking a deep breath. After months of talking online, she couldn’t believe they were actually about to meet face-to-face. She rocked herself back and forth on her feet, boots causing slight squeaky noises as she tried to calm herself. This was the moment of truth—to see if these were really fellow cryptids like her, or just really mental role-players who dove too deep into myths.
Amina smiled wryly to herself. Oh, how she wished she was a myth sometimes. Maybe then she wouldn’t have the problem of falling through her bedroom floor at night. Problems of being half-djinn, she supposed. Her Mamma had already scolded her for breaking the living room table twice now.
She spotted a girl with asymmetrical purple hair swept to the side, piercings lining her ears, and a kimono that was probably too short mixed with ripped leggings. An art kid, maybe? Amina thought before glancing back at her phone. The description Mia had given her matched this girl perfectly. Realization passed across Amina’s face, her eyes widening as she pushed through the crowded hallway to where Mia was standing, looking around cautiously before going back to her phone. Amina squeezed past a couple of students before finally reaching Mia, sighing in relief.
She adjusted her headscarf, smoothing out the fabric and tucking her curly black hair back inside. “Mia?” she asked cautiously, and the spunky girl looked up, squinting before her eyes widened. A grin quickly replaced her suspicious look.
“’Mina!” Mia exclaimed, quickly pulling Amina into a hug, surprising her.
“Oh. My. God. How cool is this? Finally, I get to meet you! Y’know, I thought you ghosted me for a minute, or were some crazy online freak.”
“I don’t blame you.” Amina chuckled, hugging her back. “I never did ask online ’cause I was scared—what grade are you in?”
“Huh? Oh, I’m 15! A sophomore!” Mia beamed. “Don’t look down at me though. You know I could kick your ass, Ms. Djinn.”
Amina smirked, crossing her arms. “Oh please, your yokai abilities have nothing on a tough 11th grader like me.”
Before Mia could retort, a voice interrupted. “Did I hear something about cryptids?”
The two girls spun around, narrowing their eyes before their faces lit up. “Diego!”
Diego grinned, running a hand through his messy black hair, muscles rippling beneath his jacket. His Meso-American tattoos, barely visible, seemed to flow along with his movements.
“Whoa,” Amina began to say, but Mia beat her to it. “Dude! You didn’t mention you were tall as hell. Why’d I have to be the shortest?”
Amina smiled. “You’re tall,” she echoed, and Diego blushed.
“My Mama says it’s the genes,” Diego said quickly, embarrassed.
“Calm down, little jaguar,” Mia teased, eyes sparkling. “Your spots are showing.”
Diego glanced at his arms, noticing the faint glow of jaguar markings beginning to appear on his tanned skin. “Shit,” he muttered before taking a deep breath, forcing the spots to disappear.
“Whoa,” Amina breathed, impressed. She wished she could control her abilities that well, but for now, she was content to simply avoid using her Djinn powers.
Mia glanced around before lowering her voice. “Okay, real talk. Are we going to try to, you know, blend in here? Or do we just embrace the whole ‘cryptid clique’ vibe from the start?”
Diego grinned, baring his teeth slightly. “We’re definitely embracing it.”
Amina crossed her arms, already playing the voice of reason. “Or, we could be subtle about it. At least for a few weeks. See who else might be like us.”
Diego and Mia groaned in unison. “I hate that I love how responsible you are, ’Mina,” Diego said, giving her a sly smile.
Amina fluttered her lashes dramatically. “You love me.”
Mia rolled her eyes. “Anyway, the bell’s about to ring, so...” She trailed off, eyes narrowing slightly as if deep in thought.
Diego’s cat-like eyes gleamed suddenly. “Don’t look now, but we’ve got a stalker.”
Amina tensed but didn’t turn around. “Where?” Mia’s head spun so fast, Amina swore she heard her neck crack.
“Mia!” Amina hissed, bumping her shoulder.
“What? I wanted to see!” Mia pouted.
“And Diego just said not to. Honestly, think sometimes.” Amina scolded her lightly.
“Whoever it was, you scared them off, Mia. Good job,” Diego said, his grin returning. But as the bell rang, his playful mood dimmed slightly.
Diego split off toward the senior hallway, his muscles taut as he sensed the gaze again. His shoulders hunched a little, a prickle of unease running down his spine. Whoever that stalker was, they weren’t done with him yet. He could feel their eyes burning into the back of his head, and his jaguar instincts kicked in, every nerve on high alert.
He walked into his first class of the day—College Algebra—finding the room sparsely filled with students, and worse yet, paired seating. Some random guy sat in the seat next to him.
“Great, bonding activities...” Diego muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes at the teacher’s attempt to force friendships.
As he sat down, Diego turned to the guy next to him, a friendly smile on his face. “I’m Diego Rodriguez.”
The boy beside him turned slowly, and Diego’s breath caught in his throat. He was tall—taller than Diego, with spiky black hair and unnaturally vivid red eyes. They were the kind of eyes that weren’t human, but somehow, they didn’t seem hostile either.
The new boy smirked slightly. “Rafael.”
Diego’s pulse quickened. Those eyes... there was no mistaking it. Another cryptid.
And judging by the intensity behind Rafael’s gaze, this wasn’t going to be the last time they crossed paths. Diego fumbled with his notebook, his fingers trembling as he felt the weight of Rafael's crimson gaze still lingering on him. He tried to collect himself, running a hand through his messy black hair, but it only made him feel more exposed. His skin tingled with awareness—he could sense it deep down, his jaguar instincts stirring uneasily under his skin.
“Rafael,” Diego repeated, as though trying to ground himself in the moment. His voice came out shakier than intended, and he cursed silently, forcing a casual grin onto his face. “Cool name.”
Rafael’s smirk widened, a sharp glint in his eyes. “Thanks.” His voice was smooth, like the breeze before a storm. There was an air of mystery in the way he spoke, in the way he moved. Calm, collected—like he was always one step ahead.
Diego’s heart thudded uncomfortably in his chest, his mind racing. Focus. Play it cool. He shifted in his seat, trying not to look directly at Rafael, but it was impossible to ignore the cryptic aura the other boy exuded.
“So, uh…” Diego trailed off, his gaze flicking nervously to Rafael’s arm. He caught sight of something—small, faint markings that ran along his wrist, almost like ancient symbols burned into his skin. It took everything in him not to ask about it right away. “First day here?”
Rafael chuckled, low and rich, leaning back in his chair with an almost predatory ease. “You could say that.” He looked at Diego through those intense red eyes, his expression unreadable. “I’ve been… watching.”
Diego blinked, his face heating up in an instant. Watching? “Uh—what?”
Rafael tilted his head, his smile deepening in that unnerving, yet fascinating way. “This school. The people here. Let’s just say I like to know who’s worth my time.”
There it was. That cryptic vibe again. Diego felt a shiver run down his spine, and despite himself, he found it… thrilling. But his instincts—his jaguar instincts—remained on edge, as if warning him that this wasn’t just some random new guy. Rafael was playing a deeper game. A dangerous one.
“Okay…” Diego tried to muster confidence, leaning on his desk and meeting Rafael’s eyes. “Am I on that list? Y’know, of people worth your time?”
For a moment, Rafael just stared, his eyes narrowing slightly as if assessing something. Diego's pulse raced under the weight of that look, his heart practically pounding out of his chest. Then, Rafael’s lips curved into that same teasing smirk.
“Oh, you might be,” Rafael said softly, his voice sending a strange, electric current through Diego. “Depends on how much you’re willing to show me, jaguar.”
Diego’s breath hitched, his skin warming. Jaguar—Rafael knew. Of course, he did. Cryptids could always sense their own, but hearing it said aloud like that, in such a casual yet intimate tone, sent Diego into a mental spiral. How much did Rafael know about him? And more importantly—how much did Rafael want to know?
He forced a nervous chuckle, trying not to seem too rattled. “You—uh, you caught that, huh?”
Rafael leaned in slightly, just enough to close some of the distance between them, his eyes gleaming with something Diego couldn’t quite place. “Oh, I catch a lot of things.”
The way Rafael said it made Diego’s stomach flip. The tension between them was thick, the unspoken understanding of what they both were hanging in the air. But there was more to it—a flirtation just beneath the surface, like a game they were both beginning to play without fully realizing it.
Diego felt himself lean in too, almost on instinct. “Yeah? Well…” He bit his lip, trying to keep the banter going, though his heart was racing wildly. “Maybe you’ll have to catch me sometime.”
Rafael’s smirk deepened, his red eyes gleaming mischievously. “I think I’d like that.”
There was a beat of silence, the moment hanging in the air between them, filled with tension that Diego couldn’t quite decipher. His jaguar side wanted to be cautious, but everything else in him was drawn to the mystery that was Rafael. There was something intoxicating about the danger, about the unknown that Rafael represented.
The classroom door creaked open, breaking the moment. Diego snapped back to reality, his cheeks flushing with heat. Rafael, however, remained calm, leaning back again with that infuriatingly cool expression as the teacher walked in.
But before the teacher started talking, Rafael glanced at Diego from the corner of his eye, that smirk still playing on his lips.
“This isn’t the last time we’ll talk,” Rafael whispered, his voice low enough for only Diego to hear. “I’m looking forward to seeing what else you’ve got, jaguar.”
Diego swallowed, his throat suddenly dry, and nodded a bit too quickly. “Yeah… me too.”
As the lesson started, Diego could barely focus. His mind was still spinning with everything that had just happened—Rafael, the flirting, the cryptid connection. One thing was for sure: this was going to be a hell of a school year.
And something told him that Rafael wasn’t just dangerous—he was trouble. The kind Diego couldn’t seem to stay away from, the kind that he always seemed to find.
Points: 187
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