Chapter 2: Ayusha barely slept after waking from her second dream. The image of the dark corridor, the flickering lights, and the sudden scream refused to leave her mind. It stayed with her, lingering like a shadow she couldn't escape. Unlike the first dream, this one felt heavier, more intense, as if it carried something worse—something she wasn't ready to face. She sat on her bed for a long time, her thoughts racing. One dream had already come true. That meant this one could too. And if it did… someone could get hurt.
"This can't be happening," she whispered to herself, but deep down, she knew it already was.
The morning felt unusually quiet as she got ready for school. Every small sound seemed louder than usual, every movement more noticeable. She tried to act normal, tried to convince herself that everything was fine, but her mind kept returning to the same question—what if she was too late this time?
As she stepped into the school gate, a strange feeling settled in her chest. The building stood the same as always, filled with students talking and laughing, completely unaware of anything unusual. But to Ayusha, it felt different. The familiar place now carried a sense of tension she couldn't explain. Her eyes instinctively scanned the surroundings, searching for something—anything—that matched her dream.
"Why am I feeling like this?" she thought.
She walked through the corridor slowly, her footsteps echoing softly against the floor. The same corridor from her dream. Her heart skipped a beat. The walls, the lights, the long stretch ahead—it all looked exactly the same. Her breathing became uneven as she looked around.
"It's the same…" she whispered.
Her hands tightened slightly as fear began to rise within her. The dream wasn't random. It was showing her something that was going to happen. Something that might already be close.
"Ayusha!" a voice called from behind.
She turned quickly, startled. It was her friend, smiling casually as if nothing was wrong. "You're walking so slow today. What happened?" she asked.
Ayusha forced a small smile. "Nothing… just didn't sleep well," she replied.
Her friend nodded and continued talking, but Ayusha wasn't really listening. Her attention kept shifting around the corridor, her senses alert. Every shadow, every movement, every sound made her more uneasy.
"What if it happens here?" she thought.
The day went on, but Ayusha couldn't focus on anything. Even in class, her mind was somewhere else. She kept remembering the dream—the darkness, the footsteps, the scream. It didn't feel like something far away. It felt close.
Too close.
By the time lunch break arrived, her anxiety had only grown stronger. She sat quietly, barely touching her food. Her friend noticed. "You're really not okay today," she said.
"I'm fine," Ayusha replied quickly, but her voice wasn't convincing.
After lunch, she decided to walk alone for a while, hoping it would calm her thoughts. But instead, it led her back to the same corridor.
The one from her dream.
Her steps slowed as she entered it again. This time, it felt even more familiar. Too familiar.
The lights above flickered slightly.
Ayusha froze.
Her heart started pounding rapidly. "No…" she whispered.
The corridor was quieter than before. Almost empty.
Then—
She heard it.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Echoing.
Her breath caught in her throat as she turned toward the sound.
At the far end of the corridor…
Someone was standing.
A girl.
Exactly like in her dream.
Ayusha's body went cold. "It's happening…" she whispered.
The girl stood still, her face unclear from the distance. Something about her felt wrong, just like before. The same unsettling presence.
"Hey!" Ayusha called out, her voice trembling slightly. "Are you okay?"
No response.
The girl didn't move.
The air felt heavier.
And then—
Suddenly—
The lights went out.
Darkness surrounded everything.
Ayusha's heart raced as fear gripped her completely. "Hello?" she called out again, louder this time.
Silence.
Then—
A scream.
Sharp.
Terrifying.
Ayusha's eyes widened in panic. "No!" she shouted.
The lights flickered back on.
The girl was gone.
Ayusha's breathing became uneven as she looked around quickly. "Where did she go?" she said.
Then her eyes moved downward.
And she froze.
Something was on the floor.
A student.
Lying still.
Ayusha's heart dropped.
"No… no, no…" she whispered as she rushed forward. Her hands trembled as she knelt beside the girl. "Hey! Can you hear me?" she said, trying to wake her.
There was no response.
Panic filled her completely. This was exactly what she had seen. The dream had come true again.
But this time…
She hadn't stopped it.
"I was too late…" she whispered, her voice breaking.
Footsteps approached quickly as other students began to gather, their voices filled with confusion and fear. "What happened?" someone asked. "Is she okay?" another voice said.
Ayusha stepped back slowly, her mind overwhelmed. The noise around her faded as guilt settled deeply inside her.
She had seen it.
She had known it would happen.
And yet—
She couldn't stop it.
Her hands shook as she looked at them. "What's the point of seeing the future… if I can't change it?" she thought.
The question echoed in her mind, heavier than anything she had felt before.
Because now she understood something important.
Seeing the future wasn't just a gift.
It was a responsibility.
And sometimes—
It wasn't enough.
As the teachers rushed in and the situation grew more serious, Ayusha stood there silently, her thoughts lost in confusion and fear.
This was only the second vision.
And she had already failed once.
What would happen next?
Would she be able to stop it?
Or would she be forced to watch everything unfold again… without being able to change it?
The fear of that possibility stayed with her.
Because deep down—
She knew this wasn't the end.
It was only the beginning.