The silence in the hallway stretched out. Lina kept her body between Mira and the boy who looked like Kai.
Mira's breathing was fast and shallow. She hid her face behind Lina's shoulder. "Lina," Mira whispered, her voice barely a breath. "That is not him."
"I know," Lina whispered back. She kept her eyes locked on the boy.
The boy took another step forward. His shoes made no sound on the stone floor. "Why are you standing so far away?" he asked. His face was calm. Too calm.
Lina's mind raced. She needed to know for sure. She needed to prove what her heart was already screaming. She remembered the old warnings about things that wear human faces. They know facts. They do not know feelings.
Lina took a deep breath. She decided to use the trap. It was a simple question, but it required a real heart to answer.
"What do you fear most?" Lina asked. Her voice shook, but she held her ground.
The boy stopped walking. He tilted his head again. He did not blink. For a long moment, he just stared at her.
"I fear the dark," he said. His voice was smooth and steady. "And I fear failing my duties to the academy."
Lina's stomach twisted into a hard knot. That was a perfect answer. It was exactly what a model student would say. It was exactly what the teachers wanted to hear.
But it was wrong. The real Kai was terrified of deep water. He hated the smell of old paper. He never cared about academy duties. He only cared about keeping his friends safe.
This thing did not know him. It only knew what it was supposed to be.
"Lina," Mira whimpered. She pulled on Lina's sleeve. "Let's go. Please. Let's just go."
Lina wanted to run. Every instinct in her body told her to turn around and sprint down the hall. But she could not move. She was frozen by the glowing numbers floating above them.
Suddenly, the air grew cold. The glowing numbers flickered. The light buzzed like an angry insect.
Lina looked up. Her breath stopped in her throat.
Mira's number changed.
The six faded away. A bright, sharp five took its place.
Mira — 5.
There was no warning. There was no reason. The number just dropped.
The boy who looked like Kai smiled again. It was the same empty, wrong smile.
"We should go to the dorms," he said softly. "It is getting late."
Lina grabbed Mira's hand. She did not look back at him. She pulled her best friend into the shadows, running away from the perfect, empty boy, while the number five burned in her mind.
To be Continued
© Kishtika., 2026
All rights reserved.
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Next Chapter Summary: Lina and Mira hide in the dorms, but the False Kai follows, bringing a "gift" that proves he has been watching them. Meanwhile, Seren hears a voice that should not exist yet.