Intensity

Izzy had become hyper-aware of her surroundings since that night with Logan and his men. Everywhere she went, she found herself glancing over her shoulder, her heart quickening at the slightest sound. It was as if her entire world had shifted, the shadows that once held no meaning now seemed to hide potential dangers. The fear had seeped into her daily life, and no matter how much she tried to shake it off, it lingered like a dark cloud.

Her friends had noticed the change. Lena, especially, had questioned her about it. "You seem...jumpy," she had said one day, her eyes narrowing with concern. "What's going on, Izzy? You've been acting strange ever since you came back to school."

Izzy had brushed it off, offering a weak smile. "I'm fine, Lena. Just stressed with school and everything, you know?"

But the excuse didn’t satisfy her friends or her parents, who had also picked up on her unease. "Isabella," her mother had said in that soft, probing tone she used when she knew something wa