Kyra's breathing gets shaky. She clutches her phone like it's something dangerous.
"No. Nope. I don't care if it's a joke or a glitch…..delete that game. Delete it now."
Kaida nods quickly. She's trying to stay calm, but her hands are shaking too.
"Okay, okay…..I'm deleting it."
She presses the screen.
Holds the app.
Taps Delete App.
The others crowd around her, watching.
The icon disappears.
For about three seconds.
Then it pops right back onto the home screen.
Same colors.
Same glowing symbol.
Kaida's voice cracks.
"It came back."
Lyrelle backs up, hugging her pillow.
"Kaida, stop. That's not funny."
"I'm not doing anything!" Kaida snaps, panic in her voice. "It just….reappeared."
Summer stands up, hands raised like she's breaking up an argument.
"Okay, everybody just calm down. It's late, we're tired, we're acting dramatic. Let's just sleep and figure it out in the morning."
All the girls turn toward her slowly.
Sleep?
Now?
Saphira squints at her.
"Summer… sleep? After that?"
Lyrelle shakes her head.
"You're weird for that."
Summer throws her hands up.
"What do you want me to say? It's not like we can fight the app at 3 a.m."
They mumble their complaints, but deep down…..they know she's right.
Nothing good ever happens when you're half asleep and scared.
So they turn off the lights (except the lamp, because no one is brave enough for full darkness), curl up in Kaida's massive fluffy blankets, and try.
Try to breathe normally.
Try not to think about the game.
Try not to think about the message that called Kyra a liar.
Eventually, one by one, they drift off.
The next morning hits fast.
Phones buzzing.
Uniforms scattered everywhere.
Hair straighteners heating up.
Someone complaining about missing socks.
The usual chaos of five girls getting ready for school.
But even with laughter and makeup brushes and loud music…
there's one thing no one says out loud:
The app is still on Kaida's phone.
And all of them feel like today…
something is waiting.
By the time they're halfway to school, the girls are walking together like always….shoulder to shoulder, bags swinging, talking about homework and hair and nonsense to distract themselves.
Kaida suddenly stops and turns around to face them.
Her voice drops low.
"Guys… don't say anything about the game. To anyone. Not the boys, not teachers, nobody."
They all exchange looks.
Saphira crosses her arms.
"Why though?"
Kaida glances around like someone might be listening.
"Because we don't even understand what happened. If we tell someone, they'll think we're crazy. And if the game is… aware or whatever, we don't know how it reacts."
Summer bites her lip.
"Fair enough."
Lyrelle plays with her sleeve nervously.
"Hmm. I guess…"
Kyra just nods quickly.
She woke up with goosebumps on her arm, the exact place where the cold touched her. She's not trying to tell ANYBODY anything.
As they enter the school compound, the usual loud morning chaos hits them…students laughing, lockers slamming, teachers shouting at latecomers.
That's when the boys appear.
Thorian and Jason are by the front steps, arguing about something stupid.
Ryan is leaning against a pillar, scrolling on his phone.
Jake and Zyren are joking loudly, smacking each other like playful idiots.
Prince is adjusting his backpack straps, looking too fine for 8:00 a.m.
The girls slow down automatically.
Not because they're dramatic.
But because each of them has their boy in that group…
except the ones who are just crushing quietly.
Jason spots Saphira first.
His whole face brightens.
"Hey, morning."
She forces a smile back, trying to look normal even though she literally played a supernatural truth game last night.
"Morning."
Ryan waves at Summer.
Jake gives Kyra a nod that makes her heart jump.
Prince grins at Lyrelle for no reason….he's always like that.
And Thorian?
He walks straight to Kaida.
He's her weakness, and he knows it in that annoying, confident way.
"You look tired," he says gently. "Rough night?"
All four girls snap their eyes to her…
DON'T SAY ANYTHING.
Kaida gives the most fake smile in history.
"Just… girl stuff."
Kyra coughs.
Summer nods too fast.
Lyrelle looks at the ground.
Saphira bites her lip trying not to laugh.
Thorian raises a brow, suspicious but not pushing it.
"Hmm. Okay, if you say so."
The bells ring.
Students start moving toward class.
As the girls walk in, Kaida glances down at her phone to check the time.
Her stomach drops.
The app is open.
By itself.
And on the screen is a new message:
"Round Two begins at sunset."
As the girls walk into the hallway, Kaida slips her phone into her hand to check the time.
She barely even looks at the screen….
Until she sees it.
Her steps stop instantly.
The app is open.
Wide open.
Fully glowing.
She didn't touch anything.
Her stomach tightens, a slow cold drop sinking down her spine.
And then the message appears… typing itself out letter by letter:
"Round Two begins at sunset."
Kaida's breath catches.
"Guys…" she whispers.
Lyrelle turns. "What?"
Kaida just flips her phone around so they can all see.
Summer's face falls.
"Oh no no no… why sunset?? Why not… never??"
Saphira steps closer, reading it twice like she's hoping it's a joke.
"That thing is actually following us."
Kyra hugs her books to her chest.
"It knows what time it is… that's so creepy."
Lyrelle looks around the hallway, suddenly alert, like someone might be watching them.
"Okay. Deep breaths. Act normal. School first. Panic later."
Summer nods fast.
"Yeah. Totally normal. Nothing weird. We're just… being haunted by an app."
Kaida closes her phone but her hands are shaking.
Sunset.
That was only hours away.
And one thing all five girls understood now was this:
The game isn't finished with them.