Pov josiane...
The call ended.
Josie stared at her phone.
For several seconds, she couldn't move.
Her mother's last words kept repeating inside her head.
"It's... a selection."
And then—
"I'm sorry."
That was all.
No explanation.
No warning.
Just silence.
Josie slowly lowered her phone onto the bed.
"Mom..."
She stared at the dark screen, almost expecting it to light up again.
It didn't.
Her roommate was asleep on the other bed, completely unaware of the conversation that had just changed everything.
Josie looked toward her.
She considered waking her.
But what would she even say?
Hey, my mother just told me that E.V.E. isn't a system but a selection, and then she mysteriously ended the call.
That sounded completely insane.
So she stayed quiet.
Josie pulled her knees toward her chest and stared at the window.
The university grounds were almost completely dark.
Only a few lights remained on.
She couldn't stop thinking about the word.
Selection.
"Selection of what?" she whispered.
The question disappeared into the quiet room.
She rubbed her eyes.
Maybe she was overthinking again.
Maybe her mother had meant something completely different.
But deep down, Josie knew that wasn't true.
Her mother had sounded afraid.
Not confused.
Afraid.
And that frightened Josie more than anything.
She slowly looked toward the small table beside her bed.
The two coins were still there.
One from the balcony.
One from her mother's cupboard.
She got up carefully, making sure not to wake her roommate.
The floor creaked softly beneath her feet.
Josie froze.
Her roommate moved slightly.
Then silence returned.
Josie continued toward the table.
She picked up one of the coins.
The metal felt strangely cold against her fingers.
She turned it over.
The familiar symbol stared back at her.
She frowned.
"Was that always there?"
There was a tiny mark around the edge that she hadn't noticed before.
She brought the coin closer to the light.
Before she could understand what it meant—
Tap.
Josie froze.
Another sound came from the corridor.
Tap... tap...
Footsteps.
Her eyes immediately moved toward the door.
Someone was walking outside.
She didn't breathe.
The footsteps slowed.
Then stopped.
Right outside their room.
Josie's fingers tightened around the coin.
Her roommate shifted in her sleep but didn't wake up.
Josie stared at the door.
Nothing happened.
No knock.
No voice.
After a few seconds, the footsteps started again.
Slowly moving away.
Josie waited until she could no longer hear them.
Only then did she breathe.
She looked at the coin again.
"What is happening to me?"
She placed it back beside the other one.
For the next few minutes, she simply stood there.
Then she finally returned to her bed.
She glanced at her roommate.
Still sleeping.
Josie pulled the blanket over herself.
"Definitely not sleeping tonight."
She was wrong.
Exhaustion eventually took over.
And sometime after midnight—
Josie finally fell asleep.
The Next Morning
Sunlight slipped through the hostel curtains.
Josie opened her eyes slowly.
For a moment, she forgot everything.
Then the memory returned.
Her mother.
The call.
The selection.
Her eyes immediately moved toward the table.
The coins were still there.
She sat up.
Her roommate was already awake, fixing her hair in front of the mirror.
"You finally woke up," she said.
Josie rubbed her eyes.
"What time is it?"
"Late enough that you should probably start moving."
Josie groaned.
"Great."
Her roommate laughed.
"You look like you fought a war in your sleep."
Josie forced a smile.
"Something like that."
She quickly got ready.
But the entire time, her mind remained somewhere else.
She couldn't shake the feeling that last night's footsteps hadn't been random.
By the time Josie reached the main building, the university was already alive.
Students moved through the corridors.
Teachers hurried toward classrooms.
People talked and laughed as if nothing unusual had ever happened.
Josie hated how normal everything looked.
She walked toward her classroom when someone called her name.
"Josie!"
She turned.
Kaela was walking toward her, carrying a notebook.
Kaela stopped in front of her and studied her face.
"You look exhausted."
Josie sighed.
"Good morning to you too."
"I'm serious."
"I barely slept."
Kaela's expression softened.
"Nightmare?"
Josie hesitated.
"Something like that."
Kaela looked like she wanted to ask more, but instead she handed Josie a small packet.
"Here."
Josie looked down.
"What is this?"
"Breakfast."
"You brought me food?"
"Don't make it dramatic."
Josie smiled faintly.
"You're surprisingly nice."
"Don't tell anyone."
"Too late."
A voice came from behind them.
"She's pretending."
Kaela immediately turned.
Cain stood there.
She narrowed her eyes.
"You were listening?"
Cain shrugged.
"You weren't exactly whispering."
"Still."
Cain smiled.
"Good morning."
Kaela crossed her arms.
"You're annoying."
"And yet you're still talking to me."
Josie looked between them.
A tiny smile appeared on her face.
"Oh."
Kaela immediately noticed.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Josie."
"Absolutely nothing."
Cain laughed quietly.
Kaela turned toward him.
"Don't encourage her."
"I didn't say anything."
"You laughed."
"That's not a crime."
"It might be with you."
Josie couldn't help laughing.
For a few seconds, everything felt normal.
Just three students joking before class.
But Cain's expression suddenly changed.
His eyes moved toward the far end of the corridor.
The Head Prefect Office.
Josie noticed.
"What?"
Cain looked away.
"Nothing."
Kaela watched him carefully.
"Cain."
"I'm fine."
"You always say that."
"And I'm usually right."
Kaela didn't look convinced.
The bell rang.
Josie adjusted her books.
"Come on. We're going to be late."
Kaela nodded.
She started walking.
Cain followed.
But before leaving, he glanced once more toward the Head Prefect Office.
Something felt wrong.
He couldn't explain it.
Then he noticed something near the wall.
A tiny silver reflection.
Cain stopped.
He bent down.
A coin.
His expression immediately hardened.
He picked it up.
The symbol on it was unmistakable.
The same symbol.
But on the back was a single word.
SELECTED.
Cain's fingers tightened around it.
Kaela noticed him standing behind.
"Cain?"
He quickly closed his hand around the coin.
"Coming."
She waited for him.
He caught up.
Kaela looked at him suspiciously.
"You saw something, didn't you?"
Cain gave her a small smile.
"Nothing important."
She didn't believe him.
"You're a terrible liar."
"And you're terrible at letting things go."
"Maybe."
She walked beside him.
After a moment, her hand quietly found his.
Cain looked down.
Then at her.
Kaela didn't say anything.
She simply kept walking.
His expression softened.
He gently held her hand.
For those few seconds, neither of them talked.
Then Kaela whispered,
"Whatever you're hiding..."
Cain looked at her.
"...don't face it alone."
He gave a small smile.
"I won't."
But neither of them knew—
Someone had been watching them.
From the upper floor of the old university building, a figure stood behind the glass.
Watching.
Waiting.
And holding a file.
Three names were written across its cover.
JOSIANE.
CAIN.
KAELA.
Below them was one final line:
OBSERVATION CONTINUES.
And underneath—
NEXT REVIEW: TOMORROW.
The figure slowly closed the file.
The game had already begun.
And Josie had no idea how close she was to the truth.
To be continued...