CHAPTER 2
Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket, the familiar cold, mechanical tone of the Game filling the silence. My heart skipped a beat. Maya and Brook froze as they saw the notification light up on the screen.
"Attention. Players, the Game is not over. Your remaining lives are now 1. If you fail to play, you will vanish. You have 10 minutes to prepare. New challenge: The Game of Shadows. Play wisely. Choose your moves carefully."
I stared at the screen in horror, the words sinking into my chest like a stone.
"One life left…" I whispered, my voice shaky. "If we don't play, we're—"
"We're dead," Brook finished for me, his voice low and grim. He grabbed his phone, his fingers trembling as he read the message again.
Maya looked at me, then at Brook. The room was quiet, the weight of the words hanging heavily in the air. "We don't have a choice," she said, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. "We play, or we vanish."
The realization hit us all at once. The Game hadn't finished with us. It had only paused, waiting, like a predator circling its prey. And now, we had no option but to follow its twisted rules.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the rising panic. The Game of Shadows. The name alone sent a chill through me. What kind of challenge was that? How could we even prepare for something we didn't understand?
Brook stood up, pacing the small room. "We've gotten this far. We've survived this long. But I don't know how much longer we can keep going."
"We have to keep going," I said, my voice growing more determined despite my fear. "We don't have any other choice. We play. We survive. We find a way out of this."
Maya nodded, her expression hardening with resolve. "Alright, then. Let's get ready. We'll need to stick together, no matter what. One wrong move… and we vanish."
The timer on our phones began counting down—10 minutes left.
I glanced at the others, a grim sense of unity settling over us. We may have only had one life left, but we were in this together. Whatever the Game threw at us, we had to face it head-on.
We had no choice but to play.
The countdown reached zero.
And then the screen flashed.
"The Game of Shadows has begun."
The room around us dissolved, the walls and ceiling disappearing into a swirling darkness. We stood together in an open, mist-covered landscape. Shadows danced at the edge of our vision, their forms constantly shifting.
"Stay close," Maya whispered, her voice barely audible over the ominous silence. "We need to be careful. This place... it's not what it seems."
The shadows shifted again, moving faster now, circling us.
And then, a voice echoed through the darkness: "Choose wisely, or you will fade into the void."
Our final lives were hanging by a thread.
And the Game of Shadows had truly begun. The baby in my arms was asleep, completely unaware of the looming danger that surrounded us. His tiny breaths were steady, his little hands curled in peaceful slumber. I didn't know why, but something about his calmness made me feel as though he was the key to all of this. No matter how terrifying this game was, I knew I had to protect him.
The rest of us stood in a tight circle, our phones still glowing with the haunting announcement. There were six other players around me—Lia, Jaesung, Felix, Jack, Rosa, and Jay. Each of them had a tense expression, eyes darting from one another, clearly as uncertain as I was. But then, my gaze fell on a girl standing slightly apart from the group.
She was dressed in a bright pink dress, the only one in such a vibrant color, and her hair was unlike anything I'd ever seen. It was long, wild, and unnaturally red, almost like it was burning. Her eyes glowed in the dim light, and despite the fear in her stance, there was something about her that seemed… different. Unique. And a little unsettling.
Before I could ask anything, her voice cut through the silence.
"Ten players," she said, her voice oddly calm, as if she had seen this all before. "The game will be Mafia and Citizen. You must find the Mafia before time runs out. Only one team wins."
Her words made my head spin. Mafia? Citizen? What did that mean? But before I could voice my confusion, My phone buzzed again, the mechanical voice ringing in my ears. I felt a shiver run down my spine as the screen lit up with a new notification. My heart raced as I quickly checked it.
An envelope icon flashed on the screen. I tapped it and opened it, the words inside glowing coldly under the dim light:
"You are a Citizen."
I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breath. So, I wasn't part of the Mafia. But being a Citizen didn't feel like much of a relief. It just meant I had to trust the others, and trust was a luxury I couldn't afford.
"Players, the roles have been assigned. There will be 3 Mafia, 5 Citizens, 1 Doctor, and 1 Police Officer. The game ends in 60 minutes. Find the Mafia or lose everything."
I felt a cold dread settle over me as I looked at the others. We were part of some twisted version of a game where our lives were on the line, and the stakes were higher than I could comprehend. How could we trust anyone? How could we even play when there was so little we understood?
The girl in the pink dress gave us all a long, unsettling look before she spoke again.
"You will not know who is who. You must figure it out based on your actions. And if you're wrong, one of you will vanish. Do not waste time."
I could feel the weight of her words settle over the group. The other players—Lia, Jaesung, Felix, Jack, Rosa, Jay—shifted uneasily, glancing at each other, the tension mounting. How could we choose who to trust when one of us could be hiding their true identity as a Mafia member? The thought was enough to make my head swim.
The girl in the pink dress didn't wait for any questions. Her voice turned cold, final.
"Begin."
A second later, the shadows around us began to shift, the mists swirling faster, as though reacting to her words. The ground beneath our feet began to tremble, and we were plunged into a thick fog. The outline of the others was barely visible, their figures barely more than silhouettes in the fog. There was no telling who stood where.
I glanced down at the baby in my arms, my pulse racing. He was still asleep, oblivious to the madness we were about to face. I could feel his tiny heartbeat against my chest, steady, calming. I couldn't help but wonder if he was the only thing in this game that was truly innocent.
As the seconds ticked by, the game was already pushing us to act. Our phones lit up with another message.
"The first vote begins soon. Trust no one. The Mafia will try to sway you. Vote wisely."
I didn't know how we were supposed to know who the Mafia was. We barely knew each other, let alone what kind of person could be a murderer hiding behind a façade of friendship.
I looked around, meeting the eyes of the others. Each of them seemed to be trying to read me, as if they, too, were wondering who to trust.
And then, the girl in the pink dress stepped forward, her strange red hair glowing in the mist. "I'll be watching," she said. "You all better hope your votes are right."
I clenched my jaw, determined not to let fear take over. We had no choice but to play, to survive. And somehow, we had to figure out how to trust each other long enough to make it through the game alive.
We could either find the Mafia… or vanish.
And with the baby still asleep in my arms, I couldn't let anyone take him. I looked over at Maya and Brook, their eyes filled with uneasy reassurance as they nodded, silently assuring me that they were not Mafia, that they were Citizens just like me. But even as they gave me their silent promises, doubt gnawed at me. How could I trust them? How could I trust anyone in a game like this, where lies and betrayal were the rules?
I turned my gaze to the baby in my arms, still peacefully asleep, oblivious to the twisted reality we were all trapped in. His tiny chest rose and fell with each breath, so innocent. So calm. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Why didn't he have to play the game? Why was he immune to all of this?
It didn't make sense. If we were all trapped here, forced to play these deadly games, why was the baby untouched? Was he really just a child? Or was he somehow part of the game? A tool, or worse, a symbol of something much darker?
The questions kept swirling in my mind, but I didn't have answers. I had no answers for the game, for the others, or for myself. The only thing I knew for sure was that I had to protect the baby. He was the only thing in this nightmare that still felt real. And whatever secrets he held, whatever he represented, I had to figure them out.
Before it was too late.
My phone dinged differently this time—8 of Hearts it announced. We all stood frozen, staring at the message. I glanced around. We were in some kind of school.
"So this place is kinda like my world, huh?" I whispered to myself.
I wandered through the school alone, the baby still cradled in my arms. As I turned a corner, I spotted a sign: Kouba High School. The name barely registered when a sudden pain shot through my stomach, making me double over.
The baby stirred, woke up, and looked at me with wide eyes. His tiny hand reached up and touched my forehead, his little fingers cool against my skin. Then, he closed his eyes and fell back into a peaceful slumber. My vision blurred, and I felt myself slipping—then everything went black.
I woke up in a different place, surrounded by unfamiliar faces named Anna, Gavin, and Noah were all there, playing and laughing. We were young again—carefree, without a care in the world. But then, we saw her.
A girl. She was running away, crying, but there was something wrong. She had no face. I could hear her sobbing, yet it was as if she didn't exist in the way we did. My friends and I just stood there, laughing—laughing for no reason at all.
I didn't understand why we were laughing. It felt wrong, but it was all I could do.
Suddenly, I woke up again.
This time, the baby and the little boy from before were staring down at me. The boy spoke in a language I didn't understand, his voice soft and unfamiliar. He looked up at the baby, who nodded in response, then turned to me and smiled.
A strange sense of calm washed over me, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong. Like I have been here before. A notification buzzed on my phone, and my stomach dropped as I read the message aloud:
Maya has been eliminated by the Mafia. Remember, Mafia, if you do not eliminate a Citizen by the time your turn is up, you will be eliminated.
8 players remaining. Citizens, vote for the Mafia you suspect in 20 minutes. Meet in the center to cast your votes.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at the screen. "Maya... she's gone," I whispered, barely able to breathe. The shock hit me hard. It was so fast—so sudden. We didn't even have a chance to think, to make a plan. She was just... gone.
I glanced at the baby in my arms, his wide eyes watching me carefully, and then I saw the little boy standing beside me, the one who had spoken to the baby before. He was staring at me, his expression serious.
"You want to win, right?" he asked in a calm, almost distant voice. "Use your powers to kill the others if you want to survive."
I looked at him, my mind racing. "I... I don't even know who you are," I stammered, shocked that he could speak English.
The boy's gaze didn't waver. "They all have powers," he said. "You need to be careful, especially of the girl in the pink dress. Her name is Tia. She's powerful."
His words sent a shiver down my spine. This boy—this strange, mysterious boy—knew so much, and yet he was helping me, guiding me in this twisted game. I couldn't understand it.
"Wait, do you know why I'm here?" I asked, the questions tumbling out. "How do I win this game? Is there an end to it?"
The boy gave me a small, almost sad smile. Then, just as suddenly as he had appeared, he vanished into the air. But not before leaving me with one final, cryptic warning:
"You'll find out soon. But remember, don't get caught by Mr. Blackman. Don't talk about him too much. He's always listening."
And just like that, he was gone.
I stood there, staring at the spot where he had been, my mind reeling. Who was Mr. Blackman? And what did he want from us? The mystery deepened with every moment.
The timer on my phone buzzed, reminding me that the voting was about to begin. I had to make a choice, but who could I trust? Who was the Mafia? Who could I rely on to make it through this nightmare?
I looked at the others. The tension in the air was palpable. I could feel the weight of the game pressing down on me, but the questions and warnings from the boy circled in my mind.
Don't get caught by Mr. Blackman.
Who was Mr. Blackman? What did he have to do with all of this?
I didn't know the answers, but I had no choice. I had to play the game. And I had to survive. But the rules were changing, and I wasn't sure what the end of this nightmare would look like.
The countdown began.
I couldn't hold it in any longer. Tears streamed down my face as I turned to Brook, my voice breaking. "Brook, who... who killed Maya?" I gasped, my hands trembling as I clutched the baby tighter. The weight of what had just happened—the shock of her elimination—was too much to bear. She'd been here with us, fighting with us, and now... now she was gone.
Brook's face was pale, his eyes wide with disbelief. He looked down at the ground, as if searching for an answer, but there was nothing. He shook his head, his voice thick with emotion. "I don't know, Crystal," he said softly. "But whoever did it... they're still here. They're still playing."
I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, trying to steady myself. The room was eerily silent, the weight of Maya's loss hanging over us like a suffocating fog. We couldn't let ourselves crumble. We couldn't let her death be in vain.
As I tried to regain my composure, Jay suddenly spoke, his voice sharp and commanding, breaking the silence. "Alright, enough. Let's get to the point." He stood up and looked around at all of us, his gaze calculating. "Are you the Police? The Doctor? Or the Mafia? Come on, speak up. Who are you?"
His words hung in the air, heavy and dangerous. It was like a test—a challenge, almost. He was trying to force someone to reveal their role. The tension in the room thickened, and everyone's eyes darted from one person to the next.
But no one spoke. The silence grew louder, more oppressive. Each of us was trapped in this twisted game, unsure who we could trust. I looked around the circle, my heart racing in my chest. Could it be one of us? One of the players standing right here? Or was there someone else hiding in plain sight?
I couldn't get a read on anyone. Their expressions were guarded, unreadable. It was as if we were all holding our breaths, waiting for someone to crack. But no one did.
Jay's eyes narrowed. "No one's talking, huh? Fine. We'll do this the hard way." His voice was low, almost a growl. "But you better choose carefully. The Mafia's out there, and they're playing to win. And if you don't figure it out soon, more of us will be eliminated."
I felt my chest tighten as the reality of the situation hit me again. Maya was the first to go but wouldn't be the last. We had to figure out who the Mafia was—before they picked us off one by one.
"Listen," Brook said suddenly, his voice steady despite the tension. "We need to focus. We can't trust anyone blindly. We all have to vote. We have to choose who we think is the Mafia. But we also have to be careful. If we're wrong, one of us will vanish."
The minutes dragged on, each second more unbearable than the last. Everyone stayed quiet, their eyes locked onto one another, sizing each other up. The question lingered in the air: Who could you trust?
I glanced at the baby in my arms, his soft breathing steadying my racing heart. Was he somehow part of the game? A clue? Or was he simply an innocent caught in the middle of this nightmare?
The countdown on my phone flashed again. There was no time to waste. We had to make a decision.
But who? Who could we trust?
CHAPTER 3
The screen blinked: "Vote now." One by one, names appeared—Lia, Jaesung, Felix, Jack, Rosa, Jay, Tia, Brook, and me—Crystal.
I felt my chest tighten as the reality of the situation hit me again.
Maya was the first to go, but wouldn't be the last.
We had to figure out who the Mafia was—before they picked us off one by one.
"Listen," Brook said suddenly, his voice steady despite the tension. "We need to focus. We can't trust anyone blindly. We all have to vote. We have to choose who we think is the Mafia. But we also have to be careful. If we're wrong, one of us will vanish."
The minutes dragged on, each second more unbearable than the last. Everyone stayed quiet, their eyes locked onto one another, sizing each other up. The question lingered in the air: Who could you trust?
I glanced at the baby in my arms, his soft breathing steadying my racing heart. Was he somehow part of the game? A clue? Or was he simply an innocent caught in the middle of this nightmare?
The countdown on my phone flashed again. There was no time to waste. We had to make a decision.
But who? Who could we trust?
Finally, I reached out and tapped my screen—voting for Felix.
A shudder ran through me as I pressed "confirm."
Around the room, others followed suit, silent as ghosts, their fingers trembling as they made their choices.
And then the screen went black.
We waited.
A soft chime echoed.
A name flashed.
"Jaesung has been eliminated."
Gasps filled the room. Jaesung stood, eyes wide in disbelief. "It's not me. You've made a mistake."
Then, before any of us could speak, the lights flickered—and he was gone.
Just… gone.
The baby whimpered. My arms tightened around him.
One down.
And still, no closer to the truth.
"Jaesung has been eliminated."
Gasps filled the room. Jaesung stood slowly, eyes wide, face pale.
"Wait—what? Why me?" he stammered, voice cracking. "I'm not the Mafia. Why would you vote for me?"
He looked around, desperate, searching for a friendly face. His gaze locked on mine.
"Crystal… why?" he whispered.
My throat went dry. I didn't have an answer.
"No—no, I'm not going to die," he said, stepping back. "I haven't done anything! I'm not the Mafia!"
But then the screen blinked again.
"Jaesung was a Citizen."
The words hit harder than any scream.
A gut-punch. A mistake.
He wasn't the enemy.
He was one of us.
"No!" Tia gasped, covering her mouth. "We just killed one of our own."
Jaesung's body began to flicker, like static in a broken transmission. His eyes were wide, pleading, filled with betrayal and fear.
"I'm not ready—please—I'm not—"
Then he vanished.
Gone.
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Brook clenched his jaw. "We're running out of time. One mistake, and it's over."
I held the baby tighter, my heart aching with guilt.
One wrong vote. One innocent gone.
And the Mafia still among us.
Watching.
Waiting.
Smiling.
"Jaesung was a Citizen."
The words still hung in the air when Jay dropped to his knees.
"No—NO!" he cried out, tears streaming down his face. "Jaesung… you were my best friend. You—" his voice cracked, raw with grief, "you weren't supposed to go…"
No one knew what to say. No one could.
One by one, everyone turned and walked away, silence stretching between them like a thick fog.
Even me.
I hesitated for a moment, then followed Brook as he slipped quietly down the hall.
We stepped into an empty classroom, the door clicking softly shut behind us.
It was quiet, dust hanging in the shafts of fading sunlight. The air smelled like old paper and forgotten memories.
I sank into a chair, the baby still cradled against me. "Something's not right," I whispered.
Brook raised an eyebrow. "Other than the obvious?"
"No—I mean… this place. This school. It feels familiar." I looked around, eyes scanning the peeling posters, the cracked whiteboard. "Like I've been here before."
Brook didn't respond right away. He just watched me carefully.
"I don't remember it clearly," I went on. "It's like pieces. Flashes. I see a locker... a classroom. I hear crying. I feel scared. Like something happened here, a long time ago."
Brook leaned against the teacher's desk, his fingers drumming against the wood. "Maybe it's not your memory," he said, voice low. "Maybe it belongs to someone else."
I blinked. "What do you mean?"
He shrugged, but there was something in his eyes—something distant and strange. "You ever think memories can stick to places? Like echoes? What if this game isn't just happening here—what if it's always been happening?"
A chill crept up my spine.
"What are you saying?" I asked.
Brook looked out the window, his voice barely a whisper.
"I think we're not the first. And we won't be the last."
I stared at Brook, his words echoing through the silence of the classroom.
"I think we're not the first. And we won't be the last."
I clutched the baby tighter, his small warmth grounding me in the middle of the storm inside my head.
Brook finally sat across from me, his eyes darker now, not just from the shadows—but from something deeper.
"Did you… ever lose anyone?" I asked softly.
He didn't answer right away. Then he nodded, eyes fixed on the floor.
"My little brother," he said. "His name was Eli. He was five."
I held my breath.
"He… drank the water at our place. No one knew it was poisoned. Something in the pipes. My parents were too busy fighting to notice he'd been getting sick." Brook's voice trembled slightly. "By the time they realized, it was too late."
"I'm so sorry," I whispered.
Brook shook his head, jaw clenched. "After that, it was just me. The 'only child,' they called me. But I never felt like one. Not really. It was like… the house was still full. Full of his absence."
The silence that followed felt like a shared weight pressing us both down.
Then he looked at me. "What about you?"
I swallowed hard. "I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… I don't remember anything. I don't remember my parents. Siblings. A house. Nothing." I looked down at the baby in my arms. "For as long as I can recall, it's just… been me. And this feeling, like I'm always looking for someone I've already lost."
Brook's brow furrowed. "No memories at all?"
"Not even faces," I said. "It's like my life just started here. In this nightmare."
He leaned forward, eyes scanning mine like he was trying to read something deeper. "Crystal… what if we're not remembering because something doesn't want us to?"
A chill prickled down my neck.
"And what if," he added, "we already knew each other before this started?"
I stared at him. Something in my chest tightened.
I didn't know him. Not really.
But something about the way he said that…
It didn't feel like a guess.
It felt like a memory trying to break through.
Brook shifted in his seat, his eyes still on me. "You know," he said quietly, "maybe my power is invisibility."
I raised an eyebrow.
He gave a faint, hollow smile. "Not like disappearing. Just… being overlooked. Passed by. Like I'm there, but no one ever really sees me. It's always been that way."
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "But you? Crystal… what's your power?"
I looked away. My lips parted, but no words came.
"I… I don't know," I said finally, the truth bitter on my tongue. "Nothing feels… right. It's like it's there, but buried. Locked away."
Brook tilted his head, studying me. "Then why is that baby always in your hands?" he asked softly.
I blinked, caught off guard.
"What?"
"I've been watching," he continued. "No matter where we are, no matter what happens—you always have him. You never set him down. It's like he's… part of you. Is he?"
I looked down at the baby in my arms. His breathing was steady, peaceful. But something in his eyes—whenever they opened—felt ancient. Knowing.
"I… I don't think so," I said slowly. "But I don't know why I feel like I have to protect him. Like… if I don't, something bad will happen."
Brook opened his mouth to speak again—
And then it hit me.
That feeling.
Sharp. Cold. Pressing in like a vice.
The hairs on my arms stood up. My heartbeat slammed in my ears.
Not just a sense of danger.
A presence.
It wasn't far. It wasn't somewhere down the hall.
It was right here.
Right. Next. To. Me.
I didn't dare move.
Didn't dare breathe.
But I could feel it.
Like someone—something—was leaning in, whispering against the edge of my mind.
Watching.
Waiting.
And it wanted the baby.
I couldn't move.
Every instinct screamed at me to run, to do something—but my body wouldn't respond.
It was like I was paralyzed. Petrified. Pinned in place by something I couldn't see.
Brook's eyes suddenly shifted—not at me, but past me.
He was staring at something.
And then—he moved.
Just slightly.
Enough to lean closer, eyes locked on whatever was next to me.
Then he whispered, almost too softly to hear:
"…It's reaching out."
My heart lurched.
No.
No, no—
His eyes flicked to the baby.
And that's when I saw it.
An invisible hand—shimmering, barely visible in the dusty light—stretching toward the baby's chest.
So close.
Almost touching—
And then the baby's eyes snapped open.
Bright. Fierce. Aware.
Time seemed to ripple. The air pulsed.
The baby lifted a tiny hand—
—and placed it gently against the nothingness in front of him.
A shock ran through my body. Like lightning through water.
And just like that, I could move again.
I gasped and staggered backward, cradling the baby protectively.
Brook stood now, watching me.
But something was off.
He wasn't afraid.
He was smiling.
Not wide. Not wicked. Just… knowing.
And that scared me more than anything.
"What…" I choked out, my voice trembling. "What the hell was that? What was that thing?"
Brook stepped closer. "You saw it."
"Of course I saw it! It was trying to touch him! It was going to take him—"
"Then you're further along than I thought."
"What does that mean?" I demanded, backing away. "And why did the baby only wake up then? What is he? Why does he only move when it's near?"
Brook's smile faded into something quieter. Sadder.
"I think you already know," he said. "You just haven't let yourself remember yet."
My chest tightened.
"And you," I whispered. "You just stood there. You watched. What's your real power, Brook?"
He looked at me for a long moment, the air heavy between us.
Then he said:
"I see what's hidden. And sometimes… that means I see things I wish I couldn't."
My blood ran cold.
Because in that moment, I realized—
Brook hadn't been scared of what reached for the baby.
He had recognized it.
And he let it come anyway.
Brook's words hung in the air like smoke.
"I see what's hidden. And sometimes… that means I see things I wish I couldn't."
My stomach twisted.
"You knew," I said, my voice low, shaking. "You knew it was going to reach for him. And you didn't stop it."
Brook's expression shifted—just for a second. Guilt. Pain. Fear.
"I thought…" he whispered, eyes unfocused. "I thought it would pass through. Like always."
"Like always?" I echoed. "How many times has this happened?"
He opened his mouth to answer, but no words came.
His knees buckled.
"Brook?"
He staggered backward, one hand clutching the desk beside him for support.
"Brook!" I stepped forward, the baby still tight in my arms.
His eyes rolled back. His lips trembled.
And then, without warning—
He collapsed.
Hard.
Crashing to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.
"Brook!" I knelt beside him, heart racing, panic surging through me. "Brook, hey—look at me!"
But his body didn't respond.
His chest was rising—barely.
His fingers twitching.
And his mouth moved like he was still trying to say something.
Only one word came out, barely a whisper:
"Run."
"Run."
The word slipped from his lips like a dying breath—so faint I almost thought I imagined it.
Then his eyes fluttered shut.
Silence.
Heavy. Crushing.
The baby stirred in my arms again, a soft whimper escaping his mouth like he felt it too—that something was wrong. That something was coming.
I froze, heart pounding in my ears, torn between trying to wake Brook and listening to the one word he used what might've been his last strength to say.
A sudden crack echoed through the hallway.
The lights overhead flickered, humming violently before half of them blinked out, plunging the room into a sickly half-shadow.
No. No, no—this wasn't over.
Something else was here.
The same pressure I'd felt before—cold and invisible—slammed back into the room like a wave crashing through a broken door.
Only now, it wasn't lingering.
It wasn't reaching.
It was hunting.
I backed up toward the door, clutching the baby against my chest as tightly as I could, every breath shaking.
"Brook," I whispered one more time. "Please."
But he didn't move.
Didn't open his eyes.
Didn't even flinch.
The cold was wrapping around the edges of the room now, creeping along the floor like fog, curling toward us.
I didn't have a choice.
I ran.
I turned, yanked the classroom door open, and bolted into the hallway—boots slapping against the tile, baby crying now, the sound too loud in the unnatural silence.
Behind me, I could feel it following.
Not with footsteps. Not with sound.
Just that presence. That unnatural gravity pulling everything down.
And somehow, I knew—deep down—Brook hadn't just seen something.
He'd let it in.