I left him behind and kept walking
I did not look back
not because I was brave
but because my body chose that for me
my steps were steadier than I felt inside
the university returned to its usual noise
laughter
phones
passing conversations
but everything felt distant
as if I were hearing it from behind a layer of glass
I did not think about Arian immediately
and that worried me
because he should have been the first thing on my mind
I walked until I left the campus
stopped near the road
took out my phone
and stared at the screen without typing anything
what I saw was not a complete vision
just fragments
and yet
the hall would not leave my mind
the table
the unclear faces
and the silence that did not resemble ordinary meetings
I got on the bus
and sat near the window
letting the city pass slowly
I was not trying to activate my ability
and I was not trying to stop it
I was leaving it as it was
present
but silent
and only then did I understand something simple
Arian did not appear in the vision
not his voice
not his shadow
as if what I saw
was happening far from him
or completely without him
that did not reassure me
it did the opposite
I got off before my stop
walked for a while
then changed direction
I did not go home
I took out my phone
and typed a short message to Riko
"we need to talk now"
I did not wait for a reply
because I knew he would understand
when I arrived
the place was just as I left it
the screens
the lights
that feeling that something is always moving in the background
Miyuko was there
she looked at me
and from her expression
I knew the day was not over
I sat down
placed my phone on the table
and finally spoke
"I saw it"
I did not speak for long
and I did not explain
that was not important
Riko asked calmly
"what"
"the meeting"
I said
"but it is not what we think"
a brief silence filled the room
then they began displaying the news
the articles
the repeated statements
and only then
did the picture begin to complete itself
not because the vision explained it
but because it confirmed something that already existed
that the meeting was not a first step
nor an experiment
nor a discussion
but a quiet declaration
about a decision already made
and that Arian approaching me on the same day
was not a coincidence in timing
but synchronization
and that was more dangerous than any clear vision
before Riko closed one of the windows
one of the devices emitted a faint alert sound
Miyuko turned immediately
"something arrived"
she approached the screen
a small window
one message only
without a clear title
Riko looked quickly
stopped
then said with unusual calm
"do not worry the file is safe"
she did not ask how he knew
she pressed the message
only one image appeared
an isolated location
few buildings
nearly empty roads
no signs
no names
and beneath the image
one line only
"the location is dangerous for the meeting of the organization's highest ranks please do not interfere"
none of us spoke
Riko was staring at the details of the image
then opened a side window
rapid analysis
codes
signatures
his expression slowly changed
"same sender"
Miyuko shouted anxiously
"who"
he answered without lifting his eyes from the screen
"the third party the digital signature is completely identical"
the room fell into a heavy silence
it was not a threat
nor a request for help
it was a warning
and that was worse