The stairs to the rooftop were supposed to be locked. They always were. But when Mira pressed her hand against the old metal door, it swung open with a soft groan, like it had been waiting for her.
The boy stood near the edge, staring out across the city skyline. He didn't turn around as she stepped onto the roof, clutching the folded note in her palm like a shield.
"You came," he said quietly.
Mira swallowed hard. "Who are you?"
He didn't answer right away. Wind whipped across the roof, tugging at his hair, making his uniform shirt ripple like paper.
"I don't think I'm real," he said finally. "But I don't think you are, either."
Mira's breath caught. "You… remember Rion?"
The boy nodded. His eyes were dark, hollowed by sleepless nights. "He warned me. He said someone was erasing parts of the story. Said if we weren't careful, we'd be next."
Mira stepped closer, her heart hammering. "Why you? Why me?"
"Because we're not supposed to ask questions," he whispered. "We're just… background. Extras. But somehow, we noticed."
Mira shook her head. "I'm not background."
The boy gave her a sad smile. "Neither was Rion. That's why he disappeared."
He pulled something from his pocket—a crumpled page torn from a book. On it, in trembling handwriting, were just three words:
*"Don't trust them."*
Before Mira could speak again, the rooftop door slammed shut behind her. She spun around, but the handle wouldn't budge.
When she turned back, the boy was gone.
Just gone.
As if he'd never been there at all.