The air outside felt… lighter.
Too light.
Andi stood there for a long time, just breathing.
In.
Out.
In—
Nothing chased him.
Nothing watched him.
No dragging sounds.
No whispers slipping into his thoughts.
Just wind.
Soft, ordinary wind brushing past his skin.
It should have felt like relief.
Instead—
It felt empty.
He looked down at his hands.
They were still shaking.
Not violently anymore.
But enough.
Like his body hadn't realized it was safe.
Or worse—
Like it didn't believe it.
"…I made it out," he whispered again.
The words sounded hollow.
Unconvincing.
Behind him, the school stood quietly.
SMA Terang Bulan.
Just a building.
Clean walls.
Closed windows.
No cracks.
No darkness.
No sign of what had been inside.
Andi stared at it.
His chest tightened.
"…that's not real," he muttered.
It couldn't be.
There was no way something like that could just… disappear.
He took a slow step back.
Then another.
Keeping his eyes on the building.
Waiting—
For something to move.
For something to change.
For something to prove he wasn't imagining it.
Nothing happened.
A distant sound broke the silence.
Laughter.
Andi froze.
He turned.
Students.
A group of them walked past the front gate, chatting casually, bags slung over their shoulders like any normal afternoon.
One of them glanced at Andi briefly.
"Hey, you okay?" the boy asked.
Andi blinked.
"…what?"
"You look like you just saw a ghost," another one joked.
They laughed.
Light.
Carefree.
Normal.
Andi stared at them.
"…you guys didn't hear it?" he asked.
"Hear what?"
"The bell."
They exchanged glances.
Then shrugged.
"It rang like usual, I guess?"
"Yeah, why?"
Andi opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
What was he supposed to say?
That the school turned into something alive?
That things hunted them?
That someone—
His chest tightened.
Rina.
"…nothing," he said quietly.
"Yeah, you look tired, bro. Go home," one of them said casually.
And then they left.
Still talking.
Still laughing.
Andi stood there alone again.
"…they don't remember," he murmured.
Or maybe—
They were never part of it.
A cold thought crept in.
Or maybe you weren't either.
He shook his head quickly.
"No."
That didn't make sense.
It had happened.
He knew it had.
He could still feel it—
The cold.
The fear.
The hand on his shoulder.
And Rina.
He turned back toward the school.
His gaze locked onto the gate.
Closed.
Silent.
"…Rina," he whispered.
Nothing.
Of course.
He let out a slow breath.
"…she told me not to come back."
And yet—
His feet didn't move.
Minutes passed.
Maybe more.
Time felt strange again.
Not like before.
But still… off.
Eventually, Andi forced himself to turn away.
"…just go home," he muttered.
"Just go."
He took a step.
Then another.
Leaving the school behind.
Each step felt heavier than it should have.
Like something invisible was pulling him back.
Not physically.
But mentally.
Like part of him was still standing at that gate.
Waiting.
He didn't look back.
Not yet.
The road home was quiet.
Too quiet.
The usual sounds of the afternoon were there—
Distant traffic.
People talking.
A dog barking somewhere far away.
But something about it felt…
Muted.
Like he was hearing everything through a thin layer of glass.
Andi walked faster.
At the corner of the street—
He stopped.
There was a reflection in the window of a closed shop.
Him.
Standing there.
Pale.
Tired.
Shaken.
Normal.
But—
When he blinked—
The reflection didn't.
Andi froze.
"…no," he whispered.
He stared at it.
Unmoving.
Unbreathing.
The reflection tilted its head.
Just slightly.
Andi's heart dropped.
That—
That wasn't him.
He stepped back.
The reflection didn't follow immediately.
A fraction of a second late—
It moved.
Then it smiled.
Not like him.
Too slow.
Too wide.
Andi stumbled away from the window, nearly losing his balance.
"What the hell—?!" he gasped.
When he looked back—
The reflection was normal again.
Perfectly in sync.
"…I'm losing it," he muttered.
But his voice shook.
Because he knew—
He wasn't.
He turned and walked faster.
Almost running now.
"Just get home," he whispered to himself. "Just get home."
The sun dipped lower.
The light shifted.
Shadows stretched longer across the road.
Andi didn't notice when the sounds started to fade.
One by one.
The traffic.
Gone.
The voices.
Gone.
Even the wind—
Gone.
He slowed.
"…why is it so quiet?" he whispered.
No answer.
He turned slightly.
Looking behind him.
The street was empty.
Too empty.
"…that's not right," he said under his breath.
Then—
KRRRIIINNG…
The bell rang.
Soft.
Distant.
But unmistakable.
Andi's blood ran cold.
"…no," he whispered.
He turned.
Slowly.
Carefully.
The school—
Was behind him again.
Closer than before.
Impossible.
"I walked away," he said. "I walked away—"
The gate stood open now.
Darkness inside.
Waiting.
"…no," Andi stepped back. "No, no, no—"
A figure stood just beyond the gate.
Still.
Silent.
Andi's breath caught.
"…Rina?"
The figure didn't respond.
But it moved.
Slowly.
Stepping forward into the fading light.
It was her.
Same uniform.
Same face.
Same eyes.
But—
Something was wrong.
She didn't blink.
Didn't breathe.
Didn't… feel alive.
"…you made it out," Andi said, his voice barely steady.
Rina tilted her head.
The movement—
Slightly delayed.
"You shouldn't have come back," she said.
Her voice—
Was flat.
Not the same.
"I didn't—" Andi shook his head. "I left. I left—"
Rina took another step forward.
"You didn't," she said quietly.
Andi froze.
"…what?"
Her eyes locked onto his.
And for a moment—
Something flickered there.
Something familiar.
Something human.
Then it disappeared.
"You never left," she said.
The bell rang again.
Louder this time.
KRRRIIINNGGG—
The world around them flickered.
The street—
Gone.
The sky—
Darkening.
The school—
Changing.
Andi staggered back.
"…no," he whispered.
But it was already happening again.