The moment I stepped forward—
Something felt… off.
Not dramatic.
Not obvious.
Just—
Wrong.
Like I had walked into something invisible.
Something I couldn't see…
But could feel wrapping around me.
Behind me, her voice cut through the air.
"Stop!"
I didn't.
I couldn't explain it, but—
Something inside me had already decided.
If both of them were warning me not to go home…
Then the answer had to be there.
Right?
My phone buzzed in my hand.
I didn't check it.
I didn't need to
> …You chose wrong.
Those words echoed in my head anyway.
"I said stop!"
Her footsteps moved—fast this time.
Urgent.
Closing the distance between us.
And then—
Her hand grabbed my wrist.
Everything went silent.
Not just her.
Not just the thoughts.
Everything.
No voices.
No whispers.
No background noise.
Nothing.
My breath caught.
The world didn't disappear—
But it felt like it had been… muted.
"What are you doing?" she demanded.
Her voice sounded distant. Like it didn't belong here.
I stared at our hands.
At where she was touching me.
"This…" I whispered, my voice shaky, "…what is this?"
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead, her grip tightened slightly.
"You're not supposed to feel that yet," she said quietly.
A chill ran through me.
"Feel what?" I asked.
Her eyes locked onto mine.
"Silence."
My heart slammed against my chest.
Before I could respond—
The silence shattered.
Sound came rushing back.
Voices. Thoughts. Noise.
Too loud.
Too fast.
I staggered slightly, pulling my hand away
"What—what was that?" I asked, breathing hard.
She watched me carefully.
Too carefully.
"You really don't know," she murmured.
"Know what?!"
Instead of answering—
She looked past me.
Her expression changed instantly.
From calm…
To alarmed.
"Too late," she whispered.
My stomach dropped.
"What do you mean"
A scream cut through the air.
Sharp.
Loud.
Close.
Every head in the hallway snapped toward the sound.
Including mine.
My heart started racing
"That came from outside," someone thought.
"What happened?" another panicked.
Without thinking, I ran.
Down the hallway.
Through the doors.
Out into the open.
A crowd had already started forming.
Students gathering.
Voices overlapping.
Thoughts crashing into me.
Oh my God—
Is that blood?
Who is that?
Call someone!
I pushed through them.
Ignoring the noise.
Ignoring the pressure building in my head.
"Move—" I forced my way forward.
"Let me see
And then
I saw it.
My entire body froze.
A bike lay twisted on the ground.
Metal bent.
Glass shattered.
And beside it—
A figure.
Still.
Too still.
My breath caught in my throat.
No.
No, no, no—
I recognized the bag first.
Then the shoes.
Then—
"Kunle…"
My voice came out broken.
He wasn't moving.
His thoughts—
Gone.
I staggered back, my vision blurring.
"No…" I whispered
Someone grabbed my arm.
"Don't go closer!" a voice said.
But I couldn't hear them properly.
Because for the first time since I got my ability
There was something worse than noise.
There was nothing.
No thoughts.
No voice.
From him.
Behind me—
I felt it.
That presence.
Her.
"I told you," she said quietly.
My hands trembled.
"You said don't go home…" I whispered, my voice shaking.
"I didn't—I didn't even leave yet—"
"This isn't about your house," she said.
My chest tightened.
"Then what is it about?!" I snapped, turning to her.
Her gaze didn't waver.
"You," she said.
My breath hitched.
"You being here," she continued.
"At this exact time."
I stared at her.
"What are you saying?"
A pause.
Then—
"You changed it."
The words didn't make sense.
"What?"
"In the original timeline…" she said slowly,
"…you weren't here."
My mind went blank.
"You went home early," she continued.
"You never saw this."
A cold weight settled in my chest.
"No…" I whispered.
"But now?" she said.
"You stayed."
My breathing became uneven
"And because you stayed…"
She looked toward Kunle.
"…you saw."
I shook my head.
"That doesn't change anything," I said quickly.
"This still happened—he still—"
"It changes everything," she cut in sharply.
I flinched.
"Because now," she said,
"you won't be able to ignore it."
My hands clenched into fists.
"Ignore what?!"
She stepped closer.
And for the first time—
There was something dangerous in her eyes.
"Me," she said.
My heart skipped.
"What…?"
"You were never supposed to notice me this early," she continued.
A chill ran down my spine.
"But now you have."
My phone buzzed again.
My fingers shook as I pulled it out.
> Unknown:
…So this is how it starts.
My chest tightened.
> Unknown:
You saw it, didn't you?
I couldn't type.
I couldn't think.
> Unknown:
That's the first thing you lose.
My breath hitched.
First…?
> Unknown:
Keep going like this…
and next time—
The message paused.
Then—
> Unknown:
it won't be your friend.
My vision blurred.
Slowly—
I looked up.
At her.
Standing there.
Silent.
Unreadable.
The only person in the world I couldn't hear.
And somehow—
The center of everything.
"Who are you…?" I whispered.
For the first time—
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead
She looked at me like she was seeing something far ahead.
Something I couldn't see yet.
Then she spoke.
"My name…" she said quietly,
"…is the reason your future is trying to stop me."
My heart pounded.
"…Kai
Silence.
And this time
It didn't feel empty.
It felt like a warning.