I didn't wait.
I couldn't.
The words in the notebook were still burning in my head.
Next time… you won't come back.
My legs moved on their own.
Fast.
Too fast.
I didn't care.
I just needed to find her.
She was the only one who understood.
The only one who was still… like me.
Or worse.
The hallway felt longer than before.
Empty.
Quiet.
Wrong.
Every step echoed too loudly.
"Where are you…" I whispered.
My voice sounded distant.
Like it didn't belong here.
Then—
I saw her.
Near the same window.
Of course.
Always the same place.
But something was off.
She wasn't moving.
Not even a little.
My heart tightened.
I walked closer.
Slowly.
Carefully.
"Hey…"
No response.
I stopped a few steps away.
"Say something."
Nothing.
A cold feeling spread through my chest.
"No… don't do this."
I stepped closer.
Too close.
Her eyes were open.
But empty.
Frozen.
Like she wasn't fully there.
Like she was… fading.
Just like me.
"Look at me," I said, my voice breaking.
No reaction.
My hands trembled.
I reached out—
And stopped.
Right before touching her.
The memory hit instantly.
Never let them get close.
I pulled my hand back quickly.
"Please…"
Silence.
My breathing became uneven.
"This isn't funny anymore."
Still nothing.
Panic started rising.
Fast.
Loud.
Heavy.
"Wake up!"
I stepped back.
Then forward again.
"I need you!"
Nothing.
My chest felt tight.
Like I was running out of time.
Like something was closing in.
Then—
Her fingers moved.
Slightly.
Barely noticeable.
But I saw it.
"Wait—!"
I stepped closer again.
"Can you hear me?"
Her head tilted.
Slow.
Heavy.
Like it took effort.
Then—
Her eyes shifted.
And locked onto mine.
But it wasn't the same look.
Not before.
This one was… distant.
Weak.
Like she was far away.
"You…" she whispered.
Her voice was broken.
Faint.
Like it came from underwater.
Relief hit me instantly.
"You're here!"
"No…" she said slowly.
"I'm not."
My heart dropped.
"What do you mean?"
"You're late."
The words felt like a knife.
"No… I came as fast as I could."
Her gaze drifted slightly.
Struggling to stay focused.
"They're taking you faster."
My hands tightened.
"I know."
My voice shook.
"I can feel it."
She looked at me again.
And for the first time—
I saw something worse than fear.
Regret.
"You shouldn't have come back," she whispered.
"What?"
"This part…"
Her voice faded for a second.
Then came back.
"…this part is where it ends."
My chest tightened painfully.
"No, there has to be a way."
"There isn't."
"No!"
My voice echoed through the hallway.
Too loud.
Too desperate.
"I'm not ending like this!"
Her eyes softened slightly.
Sad.
"You said that too."
My body froze.
"What?"
A pause.
Then—
"I said the same thing."
Silence.
Heavy.
Crushing.
"And look at me now."
My throat went dry.
"No…"
She looked down briefly.
Then back at me.
"You don't have much time left."
My heart started racing again.
"Then tell me what to do!"
She hesitated.
For a long moment.
Then—
"There might be one way."
Hope.
Small.
Fragile.
But there.
"What is it?"
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
Focusing.
Trying.
"You have to stop them from replacing you."
My mind spun.
"How?!"
"You need to break the link."
"Which link?!"
"The one you created."
Her words came faster now.
More urgent.
"The moment you started seeing them… you connected."
"I know that already!"
"No."
She shook her head weakly.
"You accepted it."
My breath caught.
Accepted?
"I didn't accept anything!"
"You looked again."
Silence.
"You wanted answers."
Her eyes locked onto mine.
"And they gave you attention."
My chest tightened.
Everything connected again.
Every choice.
Every moment.
Every look.
"So what do I do?" I asked.
My voice barely holding.
"You have to refuse them."
"How?"
"Stop seeing them."
"I can't!"
"You have to."
Her voice broke slightly.
"If you keep looking… you'll disappear completely."
My hands shook.
"This isn't something I can just ignore!"
"You don't ignore it."
A pause.
Then—
"You reject it."
My heart pounded.
"And if I fail?"
Silence.
She didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
We both knew.
A sudden flicker passed through the hallway.
The lights trembled.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
Everything went quiet.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"They're here."
My body froze.
I felt it again.
That presence.
Closer.
Stronger.
Hungry.
"I don't have time…" I whispered.
She looked at me one last time.
Her form flickering slightly.
Fading.
"Then this is your last chance."
My chest tightened.
"What happens to you?"
A small pause.
Then—
"I already lost."
Her voice was soft.
Almost gone.
"But maybe…"
She looked at me.
"…you won't."
The pressure increased.
Heavy.
Crushing.
The air felt wrong again.
I closed my eyes.
Just for a second.
Breathing.
Thinking.
Choosing.
When I opened them—
I didn't look around.
I didn't search.
I didn't react.
I just walked.
Straight.
Forward.
Ignoring everything.
The presence.
The feeling.
The fear.
Nothing existed.
Only me.
Only the path.
Only the decision.
Behind me—
Something moved.
Closer.
Faster.
Trying.
But I didn't turn.
I didn't look.
I didn't give it anything.
And for the first time—
It hesitated.