(PH:1)
The college reopened the next day.
The bell rang,The gates open,Classes began.Everything looked normal,But that "normal" felt artificial.
[Morning – Campus Gate]
"She disappeared inside the campus, right?"
"That sounds exaggerated."
"No… my senior said the police questioned a professor."
Elior walked through the gate,The campus noise had returned.
Laughter,Conversations,Phone notifications.
But the laughter ended too quickly.No one could keep their eyes fixed on one place for long.
CCTV cameras,Drones,The sky.
he looked up.
"Today…
something will happen here".
"Good morning, class."(classroom)
The professor entered,Notes filled the board.
"Attendance."....
"Alan"... Silence
"Ryne"...A pause.
"Transferred," a student answered.
That was the problem, Okay.
Something twisted inside Elior's chest.
"Don't start again," a boy said.
"This drama right before exams…"
"The police will handle it."
he listened in silence,In his vision
Lights lagged slightly,Sounds drifted away too fast.He closed his eyes,
No!!!
Not here!!!
The corridors felt longer.Students walked close to the walls,Lyra joined him.
"You didn't sleep, did you?"
"I still see her face," he said.
"I can still feel her hand in mine."
Lyra stayed quiet for a moment,
"Don't take the guilt," she said.
"It will destroy you."
"But…"Elior lowered his voice,
"She was right in front of me."
Lyra glanced around.
"Here," she said,
"we're never alone."
[After some hours in the Canteen]
Clattering plates,Steam from tea,But conversations stayed low.
"There are more drones today, right?"
"Did you hear sirens last night?"
"The media hasn't said anything."
he sat down,
On his screen,the news feed scrolled.
No official statement,That was the scariest part.
But in the teachers room :,
"Students are panicking,"one lecturer said.
"Management wants silence,"
another replied.
"Reputation issue."
"Reputation?"
a woman's voice cut in.
"When students are disappearing?"
Silence fell.....,
The sun set in dull colors,the sky turned gray.Elior stood near the ground.
Students playing football,Laughed.
Life went on,But inside his head,
Tick...!!!
The delay again Stronger this time.
In his vision a student.
Third year,Walking alone.Something around him felt wrong,Elior took a step forward,Then stopped.
"No!!!"
"Not now!!" His chest tightened.
Night,
Hostel room,Elior lay on his bed,Eyes closed.but images kept flashing.His phone screen lit up suddenly.No notification sound.
Just one line...!
[Observation Continued.]
The phone slipped from his hand,
"If you're watching me," Elior whispered,
"I won't hide anymore."
Outside, the sound of a drone.
Very close.....