Lara's POV
I didn't sleep well.
It wasn't the kind of rest that resets you.
Not the kind that makes things feel lighter in the morning.
It was the kind that drags everything with you.
When I opened my eyes, it felt like I had never really left the night behind.
For a few seconds, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling.
Listening.
Nothing.
No voices.
No strange sounds.
No presence pressing against the silence.
Just morning.
Normal.
But even that didn't feel right.
I pushed myself up slowly, running a hand over my face as I tried to steady my thoughts.
Aunt Elena's voice echoed faintly in my mind.
"You survived… but not in a way that made sense."
I swallowed.
I didn't know what that meant.
And somehow, that was worse than knowing.
Because it left space.
Space for imagination.
Space for fear.
I got out of bed, forcing myself into routine.
Shower.
Clothes.
Shoes.
Normal things.
If I kept everything normal…
Maybe everything else would follow.
Maybe.
By the time I stepped out of the house, the sun was already high enough to make everything look ordinary.
People moved like they always did.
Cars passed.
Voices blended into the background.
Life.
Uninterrupted.
I exhaled slowly.
"See?" I muttered under my breath. "You're fine."
The words sounded hollow.
But I held onto them anyway.
Campus wasn't far.
By the time I got there, the usual rhythm had already settled in.
Groups of students talking.
Someone laughing too loudly near the steps.
A couple arguing quietly by the benches.
Familiar.
Safe.
I walked through it all, letting the noise surround me.
Ground me.
For a moment it worked.
Until—
"Sorry!"
The impact was light.
Barely enough to make me stumble.
I turned instinctively.
A girl stood there, adjusting her bag, her expression apologetic.
"I wasn't looking where I was going," she said quickly.
"It's fine," I replied, offering a small nod.
She smiled briefly and moved past me.
I watched her go for a second.
Then turned back toward the path.
Normal.
I took a step forward—
And something felt… off.
I frowned slightly but kept walking.
Maybe I was just overthinking.
Probably.
I adjusted my bag and kept moving.
"Sorry!"
I froze.
The voice—
I turned.
The same girl stood in front of me.
Same position.
Same expression.
Same bag slipping off her shoulder.
"I wasn't looking where I was going," she said.
Exactly the same.
My heart skipped.
I stared at her.
She blinked, slightly confused now.
"Are you okay?"
"…yeah," I said slowly.
But I wasn't.
Not even close.
She gave me a strange look before walking past me again.
Same direction.
Same pace.
I turned, watching her go.
This time—
I didn't move.
I just stood there.
Trying to breathe.
Trying to think.
"That didn't just happen."
But it had.
I knew it had.
I shook my head quickly, forcing myself forward again.
"Okay. Fine. You're tired. That's all."
That had to be it.
Nothing else made sense.
I kept walking, faster now, like I could outrun whatever that was.
People moved around me.
Voices filled the air.
Everything kept going.
But I couldn't shake the feeling.
Like something had… slipped.
Not broken.
Just shifted.
I reached the courtyard and stopped near one of the benches, setting my bag down as I tried to steady myself.
"Get it together," I whispered.
I sat down, pulling out my phone more for distraction than anything else.
Messages.
Notifications.
Normal.
I exhaled slowly.
"See?" I muttered. "You're fine."
My screen lit up again.
A new message.
From Maya.
"Are you on campus yet?"
I blinked.
I hadn't replied yet.
I opened the message.
And my stomach dropped.
Right below it—
Was my response.
"Yeah, just got here."
I stared at it.
My fingers hovered over the screen.
"I didn't send that."
I knew I didn't.
I would remember.
Wouldn't I?
A cold feeling crept up my spine.
I quickly typed:
"Did I just reply to you?"
Three dots appeared instantly.
"Lol yes? You just said you got there."
My grip on the phone tightened.
"Okay… okay…"
This wasn't normal.
This wasn't tiredness.
Something was wrong.
I pushed myself up from the bench, suddenly unable to sit still.
"I need to go home," I whispered.
But even as I said it, something else pulled at me.
A thought.
A memory.
Adrian.
The name surfaced before I could stop it.
And just like that—
Everything shifted.
The noise around me dulled.
The air felt heavier.
Like the world had taken a step back.
I turned slowly.
Scanning the courtyard.
And then—
I saw him.
Standing near the far end.
Still.
Watching.
My breath caught.
It was him.
It had to be.
The same presence.
The same stillness.
Something in me recognized him instantly.
I took a step forward.....
"Adrian?"
The name left my lips before I could stop it.
He didn't move.
Didn't respond.
Just stood there.
And for a second everything felt suspended.
Like time had paused.
I took another step—
And someone walked between us.
Just for a second.
Just long enough to break the line of sight.
And when they passed—
He was gone.
My heart dropped.
"No..."
I moved forward quickly now, scanning the area.
Nothing.
No trace.
No movement.
Just people.
Normal.
Unaware.
"That's not possible."
I turned in a slow circle.
Looking.
Searching.
Nothing.
My breathing grew uneven.
"This doesn't make sense…"
And then—
Right behind me—
A voice.
Low.
Quiet.
Close.
"You're not supposed to still be here."
I spun around.
No one.
No one looking at me.
No one reacting.
Just the same normal world.
But it didn't feel normal anymore.
Not at all.
My chest rose and fell quickly as I tried to steady myself.
"This isn't real," I whispered.
But the ground felt solid beneath my feet.
The air still filled my lungs.
Everything felt real.
Too real.
My hands trembled slightly at my sides.
"Something is wrong with me…"
The words came out before I could stop them.
I swallowed hard.
My gaze lifted slowly.
"…or something is wrong with this world."
And for the first time—
I didn't know which one scared me more.