No one moved.
No one spoke.
The video had ended…
But the image stayed.
That hand.
Moving.
Alive.
And we…
We left.
"This… this can't be real," Emily whispered.
But no one agreed.
Because we all saw it.
Every second.
Every detail.
"He was alive…" Noah said, his voice barely there.
I couldn't stop staring at Ryan's phone.
"You knew," I said.
He didn't answer.
"You knew he was alive," I repeated.
"I wasn't sure," he said quietly.
"That's not good enough!" I snapped.
"You saw the video!"
"I saw it later!" he shot back.
Silence.
That changed things.
"When?" Sarah asked.
Ryan hesitated.
"A few days after."
Emily shook her head.
"And you didn't tell us?"
"I needed to understand what we were dealing with."
"No," I said.
"You needed control."
His jaw tightened.
"Same thing."
No.
Not the same thing.
"Where did you get the video?" I asked.
Ryan looked at me.
"I didn't have it before," he said.
My chest tightened.
"What?"
"It was sent to me."
Silence.
Cold.
Heavy.
"Sent… by who?" Noah asked.
Ryan didn't answer.
He didn't have to.
Because we all knew.
Him.
The one we left.
Alive.
"He's been watching us this whole time…" Emily whispered.
A chill ran through me.
"No," Sarah said.
We all looked at her.
"This isn't just watching," she said slowly.
"This is something else."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
She stepped closer.
"He waited," she said.
"For years."
Silence.
Because that was true.
Too true.
"He didn't go to the police," Noah added.
"He didn't expose us," Emily said.
"He didn't come after us…" I finished.
And then—
"He's doing it now," Ryan said.
That was it.
That was the shift.
Because suddenly…
This wasn't the past anymore.
This was happening now.
A sudden sound broke the moment.
A notification.
Not one.
All of them.
Phones.
Simultaneously.
We all froze.
Slowly…
I pulled mine out.
New message.
Unknown number.
My heart started racing.
"Don't open it," Emily said quickly.
Too late.
I already did.
A photo.
Dark.
Blurry.
At first…
I didn't understand it.
Then—
My blood ran cold.
It was us.
Standing there.
Right now.
At that exact moment.
Taken from the trees.
Close.
Too close.
"He's here…" Noah whispered.
Emily stepped back instantly.
"No—no, no—"
Sarah turned toward the forest.
"Where?" she muttered.
Ryan clenched his jaw.
"Show yourself!" he shouted.
Silence.
Nothing.
Just the wind.
And then—
Another notification.
This time…
A message.
I opened it slowly.
You finally remember.
My chest tightened.
Another message.
Now it's your turn.
"What does that mean?" Emily asked.
I didn't answer.
Because I didn't know.
Or maybe…
I didn't want to.
Another message.
Go back to where you left me. Alone.
Silence.
Heavy.
"No," Emily said immediately.
"You're not going."
I looked at her.
"I have to."
"No, you don't!" she insisted.
"That's exactly what he wants!"
"She's right," Noah said.
"This is a trap."
"Of course it's a trap," I replied.
"Then why would you go?" Sarah asked.
Because there was only one answer.
"Because I started this."
Silence.
"No," Emily said, shaking her head.
"We all did."
"Maybe," I said.
"But he's not asking for all of us."
I looked down at the phone again.
Alone.
He made that clear.
"If you go…" Emily's voice broke
"…you might not come back."
I met her eyes.
"And if I don't…"
Silence.
"…this never ends."
No one had an answer for that.
Because there wasn't one.
Ryan stepped forward.
"You're not going alone."
I looked at him.
"He said alone."
"I don't care what he said."
"That's the problem," I replied.
"You never do."
That hit.
Hard.
Silence fell again.
And for the first time…
Ryan didn't argue.
"I'm going," I said.
Emily grabbed my arm.
"Lucas… please."
I looked at her.
And for a moment…
Everything slowed.
"You said it yourself," I whispered.
"I need to remember."
Tears rolled down her face.
"And what if remembering destroys you?"
I gave a small, tired smile.
"It already is."
I pulled away gently.
Turned.
And started walking.
Toward the place.
Toward the past.
Toward him.
And behind me…
Silence.
No one followed.
Because deep down…
They knew.
This wasn't their moment anymore.
This was mine.
And whatever waited for me there…
It wasn't just the truth.
It was something worse.
🖤 Poem — Lucas
I walk toward the shadow
I tried to forget
chasing a truth
I might regret
and if I don't return…
at least I won't hide