The hallway was empty now.
Too empty.
Like nothing had ever happened.
No students.
No noise.
Just silence.
Heavy… unnatural silence.
"…Where did everyone go?" I asked.
"They didn't go anywhere," Luna replied.
"Then why does it feel like we're the only ones here?"
"Because for a moment," Kiara said, stretching her arms slightly, "we kinda were."
"That doesn't make sense."
"It doesn't have to."
I stared at both of them.
"Can one of you, for once, give a normal answer?"
"No," they said together.
Great.
I sighed.
My chest still felt… strange.
Not pain anymore.
But something else.
A faint warmth.
Like something was still there.
"Show me again," Luna said.
I hesitated.
"…It's still there?"
"Just do it."
I pulled my collar aside again.
This time—
I looked down myself.
And froze.
There it was.
A mark.
Dark.
Sharp.
Etched into my skin like it belonged there.
Not fresh.
Not like a wound.
More like…
A symbol.
"What the hell is that?" I whispered.
It wasn't random.
It had a shape.
Curved lines.
Intersecting patterns.
Almost like—
Something designed.
Kiara leaned in closer.
"Damn…" she muttered. "That's not just any mark."
"Wow, really? Couldn't tell."
"Relax," she smirked faintly. "At least it looks cool."
"This is not the time to rate my chest tattoo!"
"It's a mark, not a tattoo," Luna corrected.
"Yeah, that doesn't make it better!"
Luna ignored me.
Her eyes were focused.
Carefully observing the symbol.
Like she was trying to remember something.
"…I've seen this before," she murmured.
I stiffened.
"You have?"
Kiara looked at her.
Now serious again.
"Where?"
A pause.
Luna frowned slightly.
"Not exactly seen… more like—read about it."
"That's worse," I said.
"Much worse," Kiara added.
"Can you both stop agreeing on that part?!"
Luna straightened up.
Her expression turned firm.
"This isn't random."
"No shit."
"This symbol…" she continued, "represents a connection."
"To what?"
She looked at me.
A little longer this time.
"…To them."
My stomach dropped again.
"Those things?"
"Yes."
I stepped back instinctively.
"Remove it."
"I can't."
"Try!"
"I said I can't."
Her tone—
Final.
Cold.
Certain.
That hit harder than anything else.
"So I'm just stuck with this?" I said.
"For now."
"For now?!" I snapped. "What does that even mean?!"
"It means," Kiara cut in, "you're officially on their radar."
"Wasn't I already?!"
"This makes it worse."
Of course it does.
Why wouldn't it?
I ran a hand through my hair.
Trying to think.
Trying to breathe.
"Okay… okay… think," I muttered.
"What do they want from me?"
Neither of them answered.
Again.
I laughed nervously.
"You both know, don't you?"
Silence.
"Great."
Luna turned away slightly.
"We shouldn't stay here."
"Yeah, no kidding."
Kiara glanced around.
"Agreed. That thing might come back."
"Don't say that so casually!"
"What? You prefer surprises?"
"…No."
"Then let's move."
We started walking.
Faster this time.
The hallway still felt off.
Like the world hadn't fully… come back yet.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Somewhere safer," Luna replied.
"Define safer."
"No entities."
"That's a low bar."
Kiara chuckled.
"Welcome to your new life."
"I don't like my new life."
"Too late."
We turned another corner.
And suddenly—
The noise returned.
Voices.
Footsteps.
Students.
Everything.
Normal again.
I blinked.
"…What?"
It was like flipping a switch.
One second—empty.
Next second—crowded.
"Phase shift ended," Kiara said casually.
"Phase what?!"
"Later," Luna said.
"NO, NOT LATER—"
"Ayaan."
Her voice stopped me.
Firm.
Steady.
"Not here."
I clenched my jaw.
Fine.
But this wasn't over.
Not even close.
We walked in silence for a while.
At least—
They did.
My mind was anything but silent.
Marked.
Watched.
Chosen.
None of these words sounded good.
At all.
"…Hey," I said finally.
"What now?" Kiara replied.
"That thing said something."
"Yeah, we heard."
"No… I mean before it disappeared."
They both looked at me.
"It said… 'You are marked.'"
Luna's expression darkened.
Kiara didn't smile.
"…Of course it did," she muttered.
"What does that mean exactly?"
"It means," Luna said slowly, "this wasn't random."
"I figured that much."
"You didn't just become visible…"
A pause.
"You were noticed for a reason."
My chest tightened again.
"Stop saying things like that so calmly."
"I'm not calm."
That made me look at her.
And yeah—
She wasn't.
Not completely.
"And what reason could that possibly be?" I asked.
Silence.
Again.
I let out a dry laugh.
"You really love not answering, huh?"
Kiara looked at me this time.
Not playful.
Not teasing.
Just… serious.
"Because the answer," she said quietly,
"isn't something you're gonna like."
"I already don't like any of this."
"Trust me," she said, "this is different."
I stopped walking.
They stopped too.
"…Say it."
A pause.
Kiara glanced at Luna.
Luna didn't stop her.
That was enough.
Kiara looked back at me.
And spoke.
"Marks like that…" she said,
"don't appear on just anyone."
My heartbeat slowed.
Heavy.
Uneasy.
"They appear on people who can be used."
Used.
That word hit different.
"…Used for what?"
Kiara held my gaze.
"For opening things."
A chill ran down my spine.
"What kind of things?"
She smiled faintly.
But there was no humor in it.
"The kind that shouldn't be opened."
Silence.
Pure.
Heavy silence.
And in that moment—
I realized something.
This wasn't just about being watched anymore.
Or chased.
Or scared.
This was bigger.
Way bigger.
"…I want out," I said quietly.
Neither of them replied.
Because we all knew the truth.
There was no out.
Not anymore.