"They all disappeared."
Her words didn't feel real.
They echoed in my head.
Over.
And over.
"…All of them?" I asked slowly.
My voice felt distant.
Like it didn't belong to me.
She nodded.
A small movement.
But it hit harder than anything.
My chest tightened.
"So I'm just…"
I swallowed hard.
"Another one?"
Her eyes softened for a moment.
Not pity.
Something else.
Something heavier.
"No."
The answer came quickly.
Firm.
Certain.
"You're different."
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"Different how?"
She looked around again.
Nervous.
Careful.
Like even speaking about this was dangerous.
"Because you're still here."
Silence fell between us.
"That doesn't sound special," I said quietly.
"It is," she replied instantly.
"They disappear faster."
A cold feeling crept into my chest.
"How fast?"
Her gaze dropped to the table.
Her fingers tightening slightly.
"…Sometimes minutes."
My heart skipped.
"Sometimes hours."
Silence.
"And the longest one…"
She hesitated.
"…a day."
My breathing slowed.
Heavy.
Controlled.
"And me?" I asked.
She looked back at me.
Straight into my eyes.
"You've lasted longer."
That wasn't comforting.
That was terrifying.
"Then why am I still here?" I whispered.
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
She studied me.
Carefully.
Like she was trying to understand something.
"…Because you're resisting."
My chest tightened.
"Most of them didn't."
A pause.
"They got scared."
Another pause.
"They looked."
I clenched my fists.
"They reacted."
The words hit too close.
"And once they did…"
She shook her head slowly.
"It was over."
Silence.
Heavy.
Final.
I leaned back slightly.
Trying to process everything.
"So this isn't random."
"No."
"There are rules."
"Yes."
"And they're changing."
She froze.
Just for a second.
But I saw it.
"…What do you mean?" she asked quietly.
"They told me."
My voice dropped slightly.
"They don't need my eyes anymore."
Her expression changed instantly.
Fear.
Real fear.
"That's not supposed to happen."
"It is happening."
Silence.
Tension filled the air.
"That means…" she whispered.
I waited.
"They're evolving."
The word felt wrong.
Too big.
Too dangerous.
"That's not possible," she added quickly.
Like she was trying to convince herself.
"But it is."
I leaned forward.
"They talk to me."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"They send messages."
Her breathing changed.
Faster.
"And…" I hesitated.
"There's someone else."
Silence.
"My copy."
The café suddenly felt colder.
"He replaced me."
Her hands tightened.
"…I've never seen that before."
My chest tightened.
"That's because it's new."
Silence again.
But this time—
Heavier.
More dangerous.
"We don't have much time," she said suddenly.
My heart skipped.
"What do you mean?"
"If they're evolving…"
She leaned closer.
Voice lower.
"Then the pattern is breaking."
"And that's bad?"
"It's worse than before."
My breathing slowed.
"Before, you had a chance."
"And now?"
She looked at me.
Long.
Carefully.
"…I don't know."
That answer hit harder than any truth.
Silence stretched between us.
Then—
She reached into her bag.
Slowly.
Carefully.
And placed something on the table.
A notebook.
Old.
Worn.
My eyes narrowed slightly.
"What is this?"
Her fingers rested on it for a moment.
"Proof."
My heart skipped.
"Of what?"
She looked at me.
"Of the ones before you."
The air felt heavier.
"…You kept this?"
She nodded.
"I tried to remember them."
A pause.
"But it keeps fading."
My chest tightened.
"Everything fades," she whispered.
"Except this."
I reached for the notebook slowly.
My fingers touched it.
And the moment I did—
A wave hit me.
Voices.
Fragments.
Memories.
Faces I didn't recognize.
Fear.
Confusion.
Desperation.
"They were real…" I whispered.
"Yes."
"And now…"
"They're gone."
Silence.
Then—
Her voice dropped even lower
You might be next.
He's not the first… and now he has proof.
But will knowing the truth save him… or destroy him? 👀
Follow the story and share your theory below 🔥