I didn't turn around.
I didn't need to.
I could feel it.
That same presence.
Closer than before.
Watching me.
Waiting.
My hands were still shaking as I held the notebook.
Now you belong.
The words burned into my mind.
"No…" I whispered.
"I don't belong anywhere near this."
No response.
For the first time…
The notebook stayed silent.
That scared me more than anything else.
I slowly lifted my head.
She was still there.
Across the hallway.
But something was wrong.
Very wrong.
She wasn't looking at me.
She was staring behind me.
Her eyes wide.
Tense.
Focused.
Like she was watching something dangerous.
Something I already knew was there.
"Don't move."
Her voice came out low.
Controlled.
Different.
Not the same calm tone as before.
This time… there was urgency.
Real urgency.
"I'm not turning around," I said quietly.
"Good."
A pause.
Then she started walking toward me.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like one wrong step could break something.
"Listen to me," she said.
Her voice dropped even lower.
"You went there… didn't you?"
My throat tightened.
I didn't answer.
I didn't have to.
She saw it in my eyes.
Her face changed instantly.
Fear.
Not small fear.
The kind that comes too late.
"You shouldn't be back," she whispered.
"What do you mean?"
"You crossed the line."
"I know that already," I snapped.
"Then you know what that means."
"No, I don't!"
My voice came out louder than I wanted.
A few students turned slightly…
Then looked away.
Like nothing happened.
Like always.
I stepped closer to her.
"I need answers."
Her jaw tightened.
"You don't need answers."
"I do."
"You need to survive."
That word again.
Survive.
I was getting tired of it.
"I'm not running anymore," I said.
Her eyes locked onto mine.
"And I'm not letting you decide what I should know."
Silence.
Heavy.
Then—
She exhaled slowly.
Like she had just given up on something.
"You shouldn't have seen me."
The words hit differently this time.
"What?"
"I wasn't supposed to be part of this."
My heart skipped.
"What are you talking about?"
She looked away for a second.
Then back at me.
And this time—
There was no hiding it.
"I died."
Everything inside me stopped.
"What…?"
"I died," she repeated.
Calm.
Too calm.
"That's not funny."
"I'm not joking."
My mind refused to process it.
"No… no, you're standing right here."
"Yes."
"That doesn't make any sense."
"I know."
My breathing became uneven.
"When?" I asked slowly.
She hesitated.
"Not long after I started seeing them."
A cold wave passed through me.
"Just like you."
My stomach twisted.
"No…"
"I broke the rules."
Her eyes darkened slightly.
"I kept looking."
"I kept trying to understand."
Every word felt heavier.
"And then…"
She paused.
For the first time—
Her voice almost broke.
"They got close."
The hallway felt colder.
Quieter.
Like the world itself was listening.
"And after that?" I asked.
Even though I didn't want to know.
"I stopped existing."
Silence.
Pure silence.
"No one remembered me."
My chest tightened painfully.
"My family."
"My friends."
"My school."
She looked around slowly.
"This place."
"They all continued like I was never here."
The words echoed in my head.
No record.
No name.
No existence.
Just like the list.
My legs felt weak.
"So… you're like them?"
She shook her head quickly.
"No."
"Then what are you?"
A pause.
"I don't fully know."
That answer didn't help.
"I exist… but not completely."
Her voice dropped.
"I'm stuck between."
Between.
The word hit hard.
Between what?
Life and death?
Reality and… whatever that place was?
"Then why can I see you?" I asked.
Her eyes met mine again.
And this time—
The answer came without hesitation.
"Because you're starting to become like me."
My heart stopped.
"No."
"Yes."
"I'm not dead."
"Not yet."
The words felt like a knife.
I stepped back.
"This isn't happening."
"It is."
I shook my head.
"No, there has to be a way out."
Silence.
Then—
"There was."
Was.
Past tense.
My chest tightened again.
"What do you mean 'was'?"
She didn't answer.
Instead—
She looked behind me again.
Her face went pale instantly.
"They're closer now," she whispered.
I didn't turn.
I couldn't.
"What do I do?" I asked.
For the first time—
Real fear entered my voice.
She stepped closer.
Right in front of me now.
"You stop looking."
Too late.
"You stop asking."
Impossible.
"You pretend you don't see anything."
I almost laughed.
"How?"
Her eyes softened slightly.
"You don't."
Silence.
Then she added quietly:
"You just hope it's not too late."
A sudden cold pressure formed behind me.
Closer.
Much closer.
My breath caught.
"They're here," she whispered.
I closed my eyes.
For a second.
Just one second.
And in that moment—
I felt it again.
That same touch.
Light.
Cold.
Right at the back of my neck.
My eyes snapped open.
Her expression changed instantly.
"No…"
Too late.
Way too late.
The world around us—
Started to crack.
Again.