The words carved into the tree refused to leave my mind.
DON'T LET HER LOOK BEHIND YOU.
No matter how many times I blinked, they remained there… carved deep into the bark as though someone—or something—had etched them only moments before we arrived.
A cold breeze swept through the clearing, carrying the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves.
No one spoke.
Even Jeffrey, who always seemed to have something to say, stood frozen.
"…Who's her?" he finally asked.
No one answered.
Kennedy stared at the carving before speaking hesitantly.
"Maybe… Emily?"
Parker shook her head.
"Or maybe one of the teachers."
Mr. Martin stepped forward and ran his fingers over the grooves in the bark. Fresh sap clung to his fingertips.
His expression darkened.
"It's fresh."
The words seemed to suck the air out of the clearing.
Miss Nilsson took a slow step backward.
"We're leaving."
There was no argument.
No complaints.
Not even Jeffrey protested.
Something about that message had shattered whatever courage we had left.
Mr. Martin nodded.
"Stay together. Nobody walks ahead, and nobody falls behind."
We all murmured our agreement and resumed walking.
For almost twenty minutes…
Nothing happened.
No whispers.
No laughter.
No strange shadows.
Only the crunch of leaves beneath our feet and the occasional snapping of twigs.
The silence should have been comforting.
Instead…
It felt like the forest was holding its breath.
Then, little by little, the trees began to thin.
Sunlight spilled through the branches in warm golden rays.
The suffocating mist melted away.
A cool breeze brushed against my face.
Birds sang somewhere overhead.
Kennedy let out a relieved sigh.
"I think…"
"I think we're finally getting out."
Even Mr. Martin looked hopeful.
"We're making progress."
We stepped into a wide clearing.
Wildflowers stretched across the ground like a colourful blanket.
A narrow stream wound lazily through the grass.
Butterflies drifted between patches of flowers.
It was…
Beautiful.
Too beautiful.
The knot in my stomach tightened.
After everything we'd seen…
Beauty felt more frightening than darkness.
"D…"
Conrad's voice was barely audible.
"This doesn't feel right."
I nodded.
"It feels…"
"…Fake."
Before either of us could say another word—
Jeffrey suddenly pointed toward the far end of the clearing.
"Someone's there."
Every head turned.
Beneath a towering oak tree sat a girl with her back to us.
Long red hair spilled over the shoulders of a Bailey Girls' Academy uniform.
She wasn't moving.
She simply sat there.
Watching the stream.
Jeffrey's eyes widened.
"Emily!"
He took off before anyone could stop him.
"Jeffrey!" Mr. Martin shouted.
"Come back!"
Too late.
Jeffrey was already halfway across the clearing.
The rest of us hurried after him.
As we got closer, the girl slowly turned her head.
My breath caught.
It was Emily.
The same freckles.
The same green eyes.
The same tiny scar beneath her chin.
She smiled.
"…Hi."
Jeffrey let out a shaky laugh.
"Oh my God…"
"We found you."
Emily simply smiled.
"I've been waiting."
Waiting.
Not hiding.
Not crying.
Not asking for help.
Waiting.
Miss Nilsson immediately knelt beside her.
"Emily…"
"Oh sweetheart…"
"We've all been looking for you."
"We've been so worried"
Emily nodded once.
"I know."
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
"Have you been here this whole time?"
"Where are the others?"
Emily didn't answer immediately.
Instead, her eyes wandered lazily across our little group…
Until they landed on me.
The smile on her face grew wider.
"You…"
Every hair on my body stood on end.
She knew me.
Except…
I'd never met Emily before.
She tilted her head slightly.
"You dreamed about this place…"
"…Didn't you?"
The world seemed to stop.
The sound of the stream faded.
Even the birds fell silent.
My heart hammered against my ribs.
I had never—
Never—
Told anyone about my dreams.
Not Parker.
Not Kennedy.
Not Cam.
Not Nurys.
Not even my parents.
So…
How did she know?
"…Destiny?"
Conrad's voice sounded distant.
I couldn't answer.
I couldn't even blink.
Emily continued smiling.
"He said you'd recognize it."
My throat suddenly felt dry.
"…Who?"
The question escaped my lips before I could stop it.
Emily slowly turned her head toward the forest behind her.
The smile never left her face.
"The one who watches."
A chill crawled up my spine.
Miss Nilsson frowned.
"Emily… who is 'the one who watches'?"
Emily ignored her completely.
She was still looking at me.
As though no one else existed.
Mr. Martin stepped closer.
"Emily, where are the other students?"
Emily blinked.
"They're still hiding."
Jeffrey looked around the clearing.
"Where?"
Emily lifted one finger and pointed toward the woods behind her.
"They don't know they're hiding."
Silence.
No one understood what she meant.
But somehow…
I knew she wasn't joking.
Suddenly…
The smile disappeared from Emily's face.
Her eyes shifted past us.
Toward something behind our group.
Recognition flickered across her expression.
Not fear.
Recognition.
Her lips parted.
"…You looked."
Mr. Martin instinctively turned around.
Every one of us did.
Nothing.
Just trees.
Just shadows.
Just the wind.
When we looked back…
Emily was gone.
Not running.
Not hiding.
Gone.
Only the flattened grass remained where she'd been sitting.
No footprints.
No sound.
Nothing.
My eyes drifted to the oak tree behind her.
A fresh carving had appeared beneath the first message.
Sap still trickled down the bark.
I felt my blood run cold as I read the new words.
SHE LOOKED ANYWAY.