I thought coming back to school would make things feel normal again.It didn't.
Every time I saw her… I froze. Ava. She walked the hallways like nothing had happened, like she hadn't been bleeding in that alley two weeks ago. People laughed with her, teachers called her name, and she smiled the same way she always did in class. Strong. Charismatic. Unshaken.
But I knew the truth. I'd seen her scream. I'd seen her helpless.And I'd seen what I became that night.
So, I avoided her.I ducked into empty classrooms, hid behind doors, and even skipped lunch. But no matter how hard I tried, Ava always seemed to appear—like a shadow I couldn't outrun.
Today, she caught me.
"Kai."
I froze at the sound of her voice. She stood at the end of the corridor, blocking my only way out. Her eyes locked onto mine. Calm, sharp, searching.
I turned, pretending I hadn't heard her. But before I could move, she was already in front of me, faster than I thought possible.
"You've been avoiding me," she said.
Her tone wasn't angry—it was steady, almost commanding. I swallowed. "N-no… just busy."
She narrowed her eyes. "Stop lying. I know it was you. That night. In the alley."
My chest tightened. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't play dumb with me, Kai." She stepped closer, her voice dropping. "Three thugs are dead. The police are calling it 'an unsolved massacre.' I saw you… I heard you. Your voice changed. Your eyes weren't the same. Tell me—" she leaned in—"what are you hiding?"
I clenched my fists at my sides. For a second, I thought about telling her everything, about the darkness that awakened in me that night, about the voice that whispered in my head. But instead, I forced the lie out of my mouth.
"You must've been hallucinating. Maybe from blood loss. I didn't do anything."
Her expression hardened. "Don't lie to me, Kai. You owe me the truth. If you keep ignoring me… I'll make sure you regret it."
Her words cut deep. For a moment, I almost flinched. But instead of answering, I brushed past her, leaving her standing in the hallway.
At home, I locked myself in my room and stared at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes looked normal. My body looked normal. But I knew better.
"Can I trust her?" I whispered.
And then the voice stirred—the same one from that night, deep and sinister, crawling into my thoughts like venom.
No one can be trusted… unless you are ready to face the consequences.
My heart skipped a beat. "What consequences?"
Silence.A silence heavier than words.A silence that made the air in the room suffocating.
I gripped the edge of the sink, staring into my own reflection as if the answer was hiding there. But the only thing staring back… was me.Or something pretending to be me.