As we headed back to the dinning room, the four of us sat around the table, eating together. Ghram and Charlie chatted about their days at school and training, though I had no idea what kind of training they were referring to. Luke, as usual, remained silent, listening but not joining in.

  After lunch, we took a 30-minute break. I noticed Ghram asking Charlie for old newspapers and watched as she placed three small stones inside before crumpling the papers into one baseball-sized ball and securing it with tape. Tossing it up and down to test its weight, she grinned mischievously. “Oh, I can’t wait to throw this at you guys,” she said, her excitement visible.

  Once our break was over, we headed toward the seaside, as planned. The walk was quiet, so to lighten the mood, I turned to Charlie and asked, “Hey, Charlie, is Ghram your girlfriend? She's pretty.”

  Charlie nearly choked on air, his eyes widening as his face turned bright red. Before he could respond, Ghram burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. Luke simply observed, unfazed.

  “Hahaha! Oh, Aria, you’re hilarious!” Ghram wiped tears from her eyes, still laughing. “You’re so gullible. Am I prettier than you, baby chick?” She smirked.

  Charlie, still blushing, cleared his throat and tried to explain. “Aria, I think there’s been a misunderstanding.” He hesitated before adding, “I could never be with Ghram… because Ghram is a guy.”

  The realization hit me like a truck. My mind instantly replayed every moment—Ghram casually walking into the washroom with Luke, the way he spoke to Charlie and me, his gestures, the way he carried himself. And worst of all, the memory of him grabbing my chest earlier. My face burned with a mix of embarrassment, frustration, and disbelief. How did I not piece this together sooner?

  “You—!” I grabbed a handful of sand and threw it at him, but he dodged effortlessly, laughing.

  “Aw, poor baby chick, did my looks deceive you?” Ghram teased, grinning wickedly. I never thought Ghram is a he. He look feminine.

  “I’m gonna get you for that!” I declared, frustration bubbling over.

  Ghram smirked and took off running toward the seashore. “Then prove it in dodgeball!” he called back, winking before sprinting ahead.

  Urgh! He’s so dead. I’m going to give it my all in dodgeball.

  At least, that’s what I thought—until the game actually started. I felt confident at first, but that disappeared fast. Ghram and Luke volunteered as the throwers, while Charlie and I had to dodge. The game had barely begun, and I was already out of breath—and this was just the first round!

  Playing dodgeball with them was nothing like I expected. The ball was smaller than a regular dodgeball, making it harder to predict and dodge. And the way Ghram and Luke threw it? I could feel the sheer speed and force behind every throw. The only thing keeping me motivated was the absolute certainty that getting hit would hurt. Meanwhile, Charlie? He wasn’t even breaking a sweat.

  I noticed Ghram smirking, his expression almost cocky. My brows furrowed in irritation, and he immediately picked up on it. "Cute, baby chick," he teased before launching the ball straight at me.

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  I barely had time to react before realizing it was heading straight for my face. Instinctively, I turned my head to the side and shut my eyes, bracing for impact.

  A firm thwack sounded, but I felt nothing. Opening my eyes, I saw Charlie standing in front of me, holding the ball effortlessly in one hand.

  "Hey, Ghram, watch it," Charlie scolded, his tone firm.

  "What? It’s just a game," Ghram replied, feigning innocence.

  "Not the face, man. Be a gentleman—Aria is a fine lady," Charlie said before turning to me and offering his hand. My face heated up as I hesitated for a moment, my heart skipping a beat before I took it, only then realizing that I was already on my knees in the sand.

  Ghram let out a chuckle. "Sorry, baby chick, but are you sure you’re up for this? You can still back out," he said, though his smirk suggested he was hoping I wouldn't.

  Back out? Did he really think I was that weak? No way. If anything, this only fueled my determination. I clenched my fists.

  "Back out, my butt. Game on, she-boy," I shot back, narrowing my eyes at him. A part of me worried he might take offense at my words and fire back with something worse, but to my surprise, he just grinned before tossing the ball high, passing it to Luke.

  I had to admit, Ghram was striking—his feminine features had me fooled, and his confident demeanor was undeniable—but I'm not a fan of his antics.

  Meanwhile, Luke was adapting surprisingly well to Ghram’s aggressive style of play despite his smaller frame. He was no joke. His throws were aimed at Charlie, who dodged them with ridiculous ease. The game intensified as Ghram and Luke continued passing the ball back and forth, neither taking a shot yet. Were they just wearing us down? My pulse quickened.

  Then, without warning, Luke switched tactics. Instead of passing, he hurled the ball straight at me.

  Thump.

  I felt the impact on my shoulder before I fully registered what had happened. The force was solid but not painful—more shocking than anything.

  "Huh?" was all I managed to say.

  Ghram snickered. "Baby chick, you’re out."

  I blinked at Luke, who simply gave a small nod, confirming what had just happened. These guys were insane.

  With a sigh, I stepped off to the side, ready to watch the rest of their match.

  Luke and Ghram continued passing the ball back and forth, waiting for the perfect moment to strike Charlie.

  Luke sent a high pass to Ghram, and the second it landed in his hands, he went for a quick shot at Charlie’s legs. But Charlie was fast—he jumped, narrowly avoiding the hit. The ball rolled across the sand, and Luke swiftly grabbed it, aiming this time for Charlie’s chest. Just as it seemed like Luke had him, Charlie dropped low, dodging the attack with barely a second to spare.

  Before Charlie could recover, Ghram seized the opportunity and fired another shot. I was sure that one would finally get him—but what happened next left me speechless. Instead of getting hit, Charlie twisted his body in a way I’d only ever seen in breakdancing. His movements were so fluid, so effortless, that it was almost unreal. As he spun, I caught sight of the earring dangling from his left ear, the feathers and three light blue beads swaying with the motion.

  Then a thought struck me.

  Charlie had told me before—lighter gemstones indicated a higher rank or level of skill among R.I.s. But what if those weren’t just beads? What if they were polished gemstones?

  Thinking back, Charlie had been surprisingly detailed when explaining R.I.s to me. And at lunch earlier, he and Ghram had been discussing training. Was Charlie an R.I.? It would explain his insane agility, his reflexes, and how easily he dodged every attack.

  I was still deep in thought when Ghram’s voice snapped me back to reality.

  “Hey, baby chick! Get in—we missed three shots.”

  “Yeah, come on, Aria,” Charlie added. “Our rule is that if the throwers miss three times, the surviving dodger’s teammate gets to come back in. Then, the throwers have to take out both dodgers again before roles switch.”

  “Oh,” I muttered, shaking off my thoughts and trying to focus.

  I stood up and walked to the center of the court. Ghram had the ball, but before he made his move, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a lollipop—strawberry-flavored, judging by the wrapper. He unwrapped it, and just before shoving it into his mouth, I caught a glimpse of something on his tongue—a silver earring with a dark blue stone.

  My mind raced again.

  What if Ghram was also an R.I.? That would explain how meticulous he was when asking Charlie and me questions at the library.

  What if… all three of them were?

  Thwack.

  “Out,” Ghram’s voice rang out.

  “What?” I blinked, confused.

  “Baby chick, you’re out. You just got hit,” Ghram said, grinning.

  “Where?” I asked, still trying to process what happened.

  “Oh, come on, baby chick. You’re no challenge at all—you’re spoiling the fun,” Ghram groaned like a kid about to throw a tantrum.

  “You okay, Aria?” Charlie asked, his voice laced with concern. “You seem distracted.”

  I shook my head quickly. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I reassured him.

  Then, to my surprise, I heard Charlie say, “I’ll give her my extra life.”

  My eyes widened.

  “If a dodger catches a ball, they get an extra life,” Charlie explained with a smile. “I caught one earlier, remember?”

  My heart did something weird in my chest.

  I met his gaze, smiled, and nodded. “Thanks.”