Alisha POV
I couldn't focus in class.
Not even a little.
The lecturer's voice faded in and out like background noise, words blending into something meaningless.
My eyes kept drifting to the empty seat beside me.
Mandy's seat.
My chest felt tight. Heavy. Like something was sitting right on my lungs.
She came late.
Very late.
When she finally walked in, she didn't look at me immediately. She sat down quietly, pulled out her notebook, and acted like everything was normal.
Too normal.
I studied her face from the corner of my eye. No bruises. No visible injuries. But her fingers kept twitching, tapping the desk like she was counting time.
"You okay?" I whispered.
She smiled. Too fast. Too forced.
"I'm fine, Ali. You ask that a lot."
Her tone was light, but her eyes… they didn't hold mine. They slid away like she was afraid I'd see something.
I swallowed.
Something was wrong.
At lunch, she laughed. She joked. She even teased me about being quiet lately. Anyone watching us would think nothing had changed.
But I noticed the little things.
The way she flinched when a phone buzzed nearby.
The way she sat with her back against the wall.
The way she kept checking exits.
I felt sick.
As we stood up to leave the cafeteria, that feeling returned.
That slow crawl at the back of my neck.
Like eyes on my skin.
I turned sharply.
Students everywhere. Voices. Movement.
Noise.
Nothing.
Yet my chest tightened even more.
My phone vibrated in my hand.
I already knew.
Unknown number.
My fingers went cold as I opened it.
"She's lying to you."
My breath hitched.
Another message followed.
"And lies don't stay buried forever."
I dropped my phone into my bag like it burned.
"Ali?" Mandy frowned. "You good?"
"Yeah," I said quickly. Too quickly. "Just tired."
She stared at me for a second. Like she wanted to say something.
But then she turned away.
That evening, I saw Alex outside my dorm.
He stood under the dim hallway light, arms crossed, posture relaxed—but his eyes weren't. They were sharp. Alert. Like he was watching everything at once.
"You didn't answer my call," he said.
"I was in class."
"I called after."
I hesitated. "I… didn't hear it."
He studied me.
Alex always did that. Like silence spoke louder than words.
"Something's wrong," he said finally.
I shook my head. "I'm fine."
A lie.
He didn't push. That scared me more than if he had.
"Be careful tonight," he said quietly.
My heart skipped. "Why?"
"Just be."
That night, sleep refused to come.
Every little sound felt louder. Every shadow felt closer. I kept replaying Mandy's smile.
The texts. Alex's warning.
Then my phone buzzed.
My heart slammed into my ribs.
Unknown number.
I stared at the screen for a long moment before opening it.
"Midnight."
"Behind the library."
"Come alone."
My hands trembled.
I typed back.
Why?
The reply came instantly.
"Because this is where you stop pretending."
I checked the time.
11:32 p.m.
I thought of Mandy. Of Alex. Of turning my phone off and hiding under my blanket like a child.
But something inside me whispered—
If you don't go, it won't stop.
So I went.
The campus at night felt different. Quiet in a dangerous way. The streetlights flickered, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch toward me.
Every step echoed.
I reached the library.
Empty.
Too empty.
I checked my phone.
11:59 p.m.
My breath fogged in the cold air.
Then I heard it.
Footsteps.
Behind me.
I turned fast.
Nothing.
My heart pounded as I kept walking. Slower now. More cautious.
Another step.
Closer.
I froze.
A hand grabbed my shoulder.
I screamed.
Strong fingers clamped over my mouth.
"Quiet," a voice whispered.
Low. Calm. Terrifying.
I struggled, panic flooding my body.
They leaned closer.
"Curiosity really is your problem," they murmured.
I tried to turn my head.
I couldn't see their face.
Just shadow.
Just darkness.
Something cold pressed against my side.
Metal.
My vision blurred.
The last thing I heard was—
"This is where you learn."
And then—
Nothing.