The night began with laughter.
Real laughter.
The kind that echoed into the mountains and came back softer.
For a while—
everything felt normal.
We sat around the fire, sharing stories.
Embarrassing ones.
Funny ones.
Moments from lives that suddenly felt… far away.
It was strange.
We had only known each other for a day—
and yet, somehow—
it felt like longer.
"Okay," Xiami said suddenly, clapping her hands."Let's do something interesting."
"What?" someone asked.
"Horror stories."
A chorus of excitement followed.
"YES."
"Finally!"
"This is gonna be good."
I froze.
No.
Absolutely not.
Out of everything—
this was the one thing I couldn't handle.
Ghosts.
Darkness.
Unknown things watching from where you couldn't see.
"Nope," I muttered under my breath, quietly standing up.
"Where are you going?" Claire asked.
"Just… getting something," I replied quickly.
I walked away before anyone could stop me.
The further I went—
the quieter it became.
The firelight faded behind me.
And then—
Crunch.
My heart stopped.
A sound.
Soft.
But clear.
Leaves shifting.
Someone walking.
Or something.
My breathing grew uneven.
"Hello?" I called out.
No answer.
Another sound.
Closer this time.
That was enough.
Fear rushed through me all at once.
I turned—
and ran.
"Ahh—!"
My foot slipped.
The ground disappeared beneath me—
And just before I fell—
a hand caught me.
Strong.
Steady.
An arm wrapped around my waist—
pulling me back.
For a moment—
everything stopped.
My breathing.
My thoughts.
Everything.
"It's okay," a voice said softly.
I looked up.
But I couldn't see his face clearly.
Only shadows.
Then—
light flooded in.
The others had arrived.
Flashlights pointed toward us.
And that's when I saw him.
Adrien.
For a second—
I just stared.
Something about him felt… different.
Not the playful guy from before.
Something calmer.
Sharper.
More dangerous.
"You okay?" he asked.
I nodded quickly. "Y-yeah…"
"What happened?" Xiami asked.
"I thought someone was following me," I admitted.
They looked at each other.
Then—
laughed.
"Rose…" Claire said gently, pointing behind me.
I turned.
A small cat darted out of the bushes.
Silence.
Then—
laughter again.
"Seriously?" Adrien smirked.
My face burned.
"Okay, in my defense—" I started.
But it was useless.
Even I had to admit—
it was ridiculous.
We returned to the fire.
"Alright," Claire said, leaning forward slightly."My turn."
Her voice dropped.
Lower.
Slower.
"Alice… a seventeen-year-old girl…"
As she spoke—
the fire crackled louder.
Shadows moved with every flicker.
The story built slowly.
A haunted mansion.
A birthday gone wrong.
Doors that wouldn't open.
Footsteps that didn't belong to anyone.
I didn't like this.
Not at all.
Without realizing it—
my hand moved.
And held onto something.
Warm.
Steady.
I didn't even notice.
Not until—
"Rose."
Adrien's voice broke through my thoughts.
"Hm?"
"It's late," he said quietly. "We should head back."
"Oh… yeah."
Then—
he looked down.
"So… my hand?"
My eyes followed his gaze.
And froze.
I was holding it.
His hand.
Tightly.
I pulled back immediately.
"Shit—sorry—I didn't mean—"
He chuckled softly.
"It's fine."
But something in his eyes lingered.
Something I couldn't quite understand.
For a second—
I forgot everything.
The training.
The fear.
The rules.
Even—
the message.
That was my mistake.
Because when I looked around again—
something was wrong.
The fire was still burning.
The circle was still there.
But—
one seat was empty.
"Where's Claire?" I asked.
No one answered.
"Wasn't she just here?" Xiami said, frowning.
A cold feeling spread through my chest.
"No… she was telling the story…"
We all looked at each other.
The story.
It had stopped.
Mid-sentence.
No ending.
No conclusion.
Just—
gone.
My tablet vibrated.
Slowly—
I picked it up.
A message from Strike.
"Candidate 9: Eliminated."
My breath hitched.
No.
Not again.
Not like this.
Another message appeared.
"Fear response: Observed."
My fingers tightened.
Observed?
The final message appeared—
"Emotional attachment will result in failure."
The fire crackled louder.
The shadows stretched further.
And suddenly—
Claire's unfinished story didn't feel like a story anymore.
It felt like—
a warning.