As the day passed by, the numbers on Selene's wrist continued to fall.
08:00:13
08:00:12
08:00:11
She pulled her sleeve down quickly, to hide the countdown from herself. But even without looking, she could feel the pressure it gives beneath her skin, ticking away with every second.
"Eight hours".
Today was the last day.
Selene swallowed hard, forcing herself to look up at the classroom board. The teacher's voice echoed faintly in the background, explaining something she couldn't follow. The words blurred together, slipping past her.
Her pen hovered above her notebook, unmoving.
"Selene?"
She blinked.
Mira was looking at her again, concern written all over her face. "You've been staring at that page for five minutes."
"I'm just thinking," Selene said quickly.
Ethan leaned forward slightly from his seat. "About what?"
Selene hesitated. "About, how I might die in eight hours.
Instead, she shook her head. "Nothing important."
Charles frowned. "You sure? You've been acting weird all day".
"I'm fine".
Noah exchanged a glance with Oliver. "Well you don't look fine at all".
Selene forced a small laugh, though it sounded hollow even to her own ears. "It's just a little bit under the weather, so it's nothing serious".
"Really?..."
Mira didn't seem convinced, but she nodded anyway. "Alright… just don't push yourself too much."
Selene nodded back, but her focus didn't return.The ticking in her mind only grew louder.
The rest of the school day passed in fragments.
Students voices in the background, movement, chairs scraping on the floor.
And the countdown in her ears.
07:12:45
06:38:02
Each time she caught a glimpse of it, her chest tightened, afraid of the unknown.
"What happens when it reaches zero?"
The question ecoed in her mind.
"Death?"
"Something worse?"
She didn't know, and not knowing made it unbearable.
By the time she got home, the sky had already begun to soften into late afternoon.
Selene stepped inside quietly, closing the door behind her.
The familiar scent of cooking greeted her almost immediately warm, comforting, familiar smell.
For a brief moment, it came to her.
"Mom?", she called softly.
"In the kitchen!", her mother's voice replied.
Selene walked in, her steps slower than usual.Her mother stood by the stove, stirring a pot gently. Steam rose into the air, carrying a scent Selene knew by heart.
Fish soup, her favorite
"What are you cooking?" Selene asked, though she already knew.
Her mother glanced back at her with a small smile. "Your favorite. You've seemed a little down lately, so I thought I'd make something you like."
Selene paused.
Something in her chest tightened not from fear, but from something softer. Something painful in a different way.
"Oh…" she said quietly.
Then she smiled.
"Thank you, Mom", Her voice sounded cheerful.
Her lips curved into a bright smile, but her eyes didn't smile. They remained distant trying to hide something.
Her mother noticed but only a little. She thought that Selene is tired from all her School work.
"Alright, alright," she said lightly, turning back to the stove. "Go on now, stop dawdling. Go to your room, clean yourself up, and go rest a little."
Selene nodded. "Okay."
"I'll call you when it's time to eat," her mother continued. "Your father will be home soon, we'll all eat together".
"Alright Mom" , Selene said again, still smiling.
She turned and walked out of the kitchen.
The moment she was out of sight, her smile faded completely from her face, replaced by a tired one.
Her hand moved slowly to her sleeve, pulling it back just enough to see.
05:47:19
Selene stared at the numbers. Her breathing became uneven again.
"Five hours left"
Her room felt colder when she stepped inside.
She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, her body suddenly feeling heavier than before.
"What happens when the timer reach zero…" she whispered.
No one answered.
Only silence.
Selene slowly walked to her bed and sat down, her gaze fixed on her wrist.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
The numbers kept falling.
And with each passing second, the feeling of dread crept closer and closer to her.