Minh woke up with every muscle stiff, as if the night had crushed him instead of healing him.
His body wasn't broken.
Just bruised.
Just tired.
But his mind felt worse.
The courtyard scene replayed again and again:
Tùng screaming.
Lâm stepping in front of him.
Giám thị dragging Tùng away.
Dozens of phones recording.
Whispers hitting him like rain.
Minh pressed his hands over his eyes.
"…I don't want any of this."
Phú materialized near the window.
"Nhưng cậu còn sống."
("But you're still alive.")
"Barely."
"Thế là đủ."
("That is enough.")
Minh stared at him. "You knew something was going to happen, didn't you?"
Phú didn't answer.
"You knew about that watcher guy."
Still silence.
"Và ông không nói vì sao?"
("And you won't tell me why?")
Phú finally turned his head slightly.
"Vì cậu chưa sẵn sàng."
("Because you are not ready.")
Minh felt something twist in his chest.
He grabbed his backpack and left without another word.
---
The street felt different.
Quieter.
Heavy.
Like the world knew what happened yesterday.
He walked slowly, looking at the ground.
Would people stare?
Would teachers question him?
Would Tùng show up?
Would his parents get dragged into this?
Would the watcher be waiting?
His stomach tightened.
"Minh!"
He jerked up.
Lâm jogged across the street toward him, hair messy, still wearing basketball warm-up pants.
"You overslept?"
("Mày ngủ quên hả?")
"…Kinda."
("…Ừ. Chắc vậy.")
"Why didn't you text me?"
("Sao không nhắn cho tao?")
Minh looked away. "I didn't want to bother you."
"Minh."
Lâm's voice nagged.
"I'm your friend, bitch, what the hell are you saying?"
Minh swallowed.
Lâm stepped beside him, nudging his shoulder lightly.
"Tao đi chung với mày."
("We're walking together.")
Minh didn't argue.
He didn't have the strength.
---
At the school gate
Students were already whispering.
Minh felt his chest tighten.
"Nhìn kìa, Minh tới rồi…"
("Look, Minh's here…")
"Không biết bữa nay Tùng có bị đình chỉ không…"
("I wonder if Tùng gets suspended today…")
"Lâm theo sát luôn kìa…"
("Lâm is glued to him again…")
"Hôm qua drama hết sức …"
("Yesterday was a drama fiesta…")
Minh lowered his head.
Lâm stepped closer, speaking quietly.
"Không sao đâu."
("It's okay.")
"Yes it is."
"Không. Không phải lỗi mày."
("No. It's not your fault.")
Minh clenched his jaw. "Feels like it."
Before Lâm could answer—
Phú's voice echoed softly.
"Cẩn thận."
("Be careful.")
Minh stiffened. "What now…?"
"The watcher is here."
Minh's eyes darted toward the far side of the courtyard.
And—
There he was.
The tall man in the leather jacket.
Leaning against the stair rail.
Watching him openly.
Expression unreadable.
Lâm followed Minh's gaze.
"…Lại nữa?"
("…Him again?")
Minh whispered, "Lâm… don't—"
"I'm not letting anyone weird stalk you."
Before Minh could stop him, Lâm took a step forward—
The watcher lifted one hand.
Not threatening.
Not aggressive.
A simple gesture:
Wait.
And somehow
Lâm stopped.
Minh's blood ran cold.
The watcher gave a small nod—
As if acknowledging Minh personally—
Then walked away.
Minh couldn't breathe.
Lâm looked shaken for the first time.
"Minh… ai vậy?"
("Minh… who is that?")
Minh whispered:
"I don't know."
But the truth scared him more than anything:
He was starting to understand
that the man wasn't here for Tùng.
He was here for him.
The bell rang.
Students poured into the hallway like a flooding river.
But Minh didn't move.
He stared at the space where the watcher stood moments earlier.
His chest tightened.
"Minh… mày ổn không?"
("Minh… are you okay?")
"Yeah… just thinking."
"Đừng nghĩ nữa. Đi vô lớp."
("Stop thinking. Let's go to class.")
They stepped into the hallway—
and Phú appeared.
"ĐỨNG LẠI."
("STOP.")
Minh froze.
"What now?!"
Phú's voice sharpened.
"Đằng sau."
("Behind you.")
Minh turned—
The watcher stood in the doorway.
Calm.
Too calm.
"Chào, Minh."
("Hello, Minh.")
Lâm stepped in front of Minh.
"Chú là ai?"
("Who are you?")
"Bạn của Minh."
("A friend of Minh.")
"No, you're not."
"Chưa phải."
("Not yet.")
Lâm glared.
"Đứng xa ra."
("Stay back.")
"Không cần."
("No need.")
The watcher focused on Minh.
Silence thickened.
"Minh," he said softly. "Tối nay tôi cần nói chuyện với cậu."
("Tonight, I need to speak with you.")
"Về cái gì…?"
("About what…?")
"Về thứ đang ở trong người cậu."
("About the thing living inside you.")
Minh's stomach twisted.
Lâm grabbed Minh's wrist.
"Đi thôi, đừng nói chuyện với ổng."
("Let's go. Don't talk to him.")
The watcher didn't step closer.
Instead he said:
"8 giờ tối. Phòng tập gym Dạ Nam. Lầu trên cùng."
("8 p.m. Dạ Nam Gym. Top floor.")
A precise location.
Too precise.
Minh felt cold.
"That's… near my street…"
("…gần nhà tôi luôn…")
The watcher smiled slightly.
"Chọn chỗ quen thì cậu đỡ sợ hơn."
("If I choose a familiar place, you'll be less afraid.")
Then—
he moved.
A blur.
Gone behind the building.
Minh gasped.
Lâm grabbed his shoulders.
"MINH! Nhìn tao!"
("MINH! Look at me!")
Minh forced himself to breathe.
"He knows my name…"
("Hắn biết tên tao…")
"He knows what's inside me…"
("Hắn biết cái thứ trong người tao…")
"And he wants to meet at the gym…"
("Và hắn muốn gặp ở phòng gym…")
Lâm shook his head violently.
"ĐỪNG. ĐI."
("Do. Not. Go.")
But Minh already knew—
he didn't have a choice.
Phú whispered:
"Đi."
("Go.")
Minh realized he was walking into something he couldn't escape.
Minh's hands shook the entire morning.
He couldn't concentrate.
Teachers' voices blurred.
His thoughts tangled until they hurt.
Lâm kept staring at him during class—worried, confused, frustrated.
During break, Lâm grabbed Minh's wrist and pulled him behind the stairwell.
"Minh, nói đi. Hồi nãy mày nhìn ổng kiểu gì vậy?"
("Minh, talk to me. What was that look you gave that guy?")
Minh swallowed.
"I… I think I have to meet him."
"GẶP?!"
("MEET him?!")
Lâm looked horrified.
"Minh, mày bị gì vậy?! Hắn là NGƯỜI LẠ đó!"
("Minh, what's wrong with you?! He's a STRANGER!")
Minh looked away.
"He knows… something. About me."
Lâm blinked.
"What something? Mày đang nói cái gì vậy?"
("What something? What are you even talking about?")
Minh hesitated.
"I don't know. But he knows something I don't. Something inside me—"
"BÊN TRONG MÀY CÁI GÌ?!"
("Inside you WHAT?!")
Lâm stared at him— not scared of monsters, scared Minh was not thinking straight.
"You're stressed, Minh. Quá tải rồi đó."
("You're stressed, Minh. Completely overloaded.")
Minh shook his head.
"It's real. I feel it. Something in me is—moving."
Lâm grabbed his shoulders.
"Minh, đừng nói mấy cái nhảm đó làm tao lo thêm."
("Minh, don't say stuff like that—you're making me worry more.")
He took a breath, voice lower:
"Cái ổng rủ mày đi… nghe là nghi rồi."
("The place he told you to go… that already sounds suspicious.")
Minh looked up.
"He said Dạ Nam Gym. 8 PM."
Lâm froze.
"Minh. Có nghe mấy vụ bắt cóc chưa?
Người lạ hẹn đi gym, đi hồ bơi, đi chỗ kín… rồi ép vô xe?"
("Minh. Haven't you heard about the kidnapping cases?
Strangers luring people to gyms or secluded places… then forcing them into vans?")
Minh's breath caught.
"This is different."
"No. KHÔNG có gì khác hết."
("No. There's NOTHING different.")
Lâm stepped closer.
"Mày không bình thường từ hôm qua rồi. Tao thấy rõ."
("You haven't been normal since yesterday. I can see it.")
"Lâm—"
"Minh, nghe tao."
("Minh, listen to me.")
"Đừng đi. Nó nguy hiểm."
("Don't go. It's dangerous.")
Minh trembled.
"I… have to go. I need answers."
"Answers cái gì?!"
("Answers about WHAT?!")
Minh's voice cracked.
"I don't know! I just… feel like if I don't go… things will get worse."
Lâm stared at him with a mixture of fear and anger.
He thought Minh was breaking down psychologically.
He thought the stranger was predatory.
He thought Minh was walking into a trap.
But when he spoke, his voice was steady—even if his hands weren't.
"Được."
("Fine.")
Minh blinked.
"What?"
"If mày nhất quyết phải đi…"
("If you're dead set on going…")
"…tao đi chung."
("…I'm going with you.")
Minh shook his head.
"No—it's dangerous—"
"Chính vì nguy hiểm nên tao càng phải đi."
("The fact that it's dangerous is EXACTLY why I have to go.")
He jabbed a finger at Minh's chest.
"Mày mà đi một mình là mày tiêu thiệt đó. Người ta mất tích đầy ra."
("If you go alone, you'll actually get hurt. People disappear all the time.")
Minh's stomach tightened.
He didn't want Lâm involved.
But he also didn't want to face the watcher alone.
And Lâm was right—
the city had real predators too.
Not just supernatural ones.
Minh exhaled slowly.
"…Okay."
("…Ừ. Đi chung.")
Lâm nodded, jaw tight.
"Chốt vậy. Tao sẽ không để thằng lạ mặt nào chạm vô mày."
("Good. I'm not letting some stranger lay a finger on you.")
Minh felt a strange mix of fear and relief.
Across the hallway, unseen,
Phú watched silently.
"…Thằng nhóc này cứng đầu thiệt."
("…This kid is REALLY stubborn.")
Then he added, almost amused:
"Tốt. Hai đứa đi chung thì bớt ngu."
("Good. You two going together is less stupid.")
Minh didn't know whether to feel insulted or grateful.
But one thing was certain:
Tonight.
8 PM.
Dạ Nam Gym.
He wasn't going alone.
The sky had turned deep orange by the time Minh stepped outside.
Motorbikes buzzed across the narrow Dạ Nam street.
Vendors were shouting dinner prices.
The air smelled like smoke, sweat, and fried garlic.
Normally comforting.
Tonight, overwhelming.
Footsteps approached.
Minh turned.
Lâm stood there in a black hoodie, gym shorts, sandals, and a serious expression.
"Ổn chưa?"
("You ready?")
"…Yeah."
"Mặt mày tái như sắp xỉu."
("You look like you're about to faint.")
"I'll be fine."
"Không đâu. Nhưng thôi, đi."
("No you won't. But fine, let's go.")
---
They walked together toward Dạ Nam Gym.
Lâm stayed close, scanning every alley suspiciously—
exactly how a Saigon teen behaves after hearing too many kidnapping rumors.
Minh's fingers twitched nervously.
Phú appeared at his side.
"Thở đều."
("Keep your breathing steady.")
Minh muttered under his breath:
"I'm trying…"
("Đang cố nè…")
Lâm glanced over.
"Hả?"
("What?")
"Không có gì."
("Nothing.")
---
When they reached Dạ Nam Gym, it was PACKED.
Music blasted from cheap speakers—heavy bass shaking the floor.
Benches were full.
Guys were spotting each other with loud grunts.
Jump ropes slapped the rubber mats.
A group filmed TikTok poses near the mirrors.
Someone yelled at the receptionist about a membership card.
Sweat, chalk dust, and cologne mixed into one thick smell.
Lâm exhaled in relief.
"Đông vậy còn đỡ lo."
("It's crowded. That's less sketchy.")
Minh nodded weakly.
For a moment, he believed it too.
---
But then they approached the staircase.
It was darker than the rest of the gym.
The LED light above it flickered weakly.
A sign hung on the railing:
"KHU VỰC TẬP LỰC — KHÔNG PHẬN SỰ CẤM VÀO"
("STRENGTH ZONE — UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS KEEP OUT")
Yet no one was going up.
At all.
Lâm frowned.
"Sao không ai tập trên lầu vậy?"
("Why is nobody training upstairs?")
Minh swallowed.
"Chắc… sửa chữa?"
("Maybe… under maintenance?")
"Ai sửa gym mà không tắt nhạc dưới đất vậy?"
("Who repairs a gym without shutting off the music downstairs?")
Minh had no answer.
Phú whispered:
"Vì chỉ có tụi bây được 'mời' lên đó."
("Because only you two were 'invited' up there.")
Minh's blood went cold.
---
They climbed the stairs.
Each step creaked softly.
The music became muffled—
then disappeared completely
as they reached the top.
Minh stepped onto the second floor.
Empty.
Completely empty.
Lights dim.
Dust on the mats.
Old punching bags swinging lightly even though the air was still.
A broken fan dangling from the ceiling.
A faint metallic smell.
Lâm's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Chỗ này… không ổn chút nào."
("This place… feels wrong.")
Minh nodded, throat tight.
He could hear his own heartbeat.
The difference was disturbing:
Downstairs: human noise, sweat, normal chaos.
Upstairs: silent, cold, abandoned.
A boundary between worlds.
Minh stepped forward.
Lâm grabbed his arm.
"Minh… nếu thấy gì lạ là chạy liền. Không cần tao nói hai lần."
("Minh… if anything weird happens, we run. Don't wait for me to repeat it.")
"Ừ."
("Yeah.")
They walked deeper into the empty space.
The watcher was here somewhere.
Waiting.
Minh felt it in the air— a pull like gravity.
Phú murmured:
"Cẩn thận."
("Be careful.")
Minh exhaled shakily.
Then—
A soft voice echoed from the far corner.
"Đến rồi à?"
("You've arrived?")
Both boys froze.