THE FOURTH ONE

The first thing Maya noticed about Haneul High was the silence. Not the normal kind. A school should have been loud at seven-thirty in the morning. Students should have been shouting across hallways, laughing, complaining about homework, arguing over seats. Instead, everyone was whispering. Maya stopped at the entrance and looked around. A boy hurried past her without making eye contact. Two girls standing near the lockers immediately lowered their voices when she walked by. Then she noticed the poster. RULE #1: DON'T GET INVOLVED. Maya stared at it. "Friendly place." "You're new." She turned. A boy was sitting on the windowsill behind her. His uniform was untucked, and a book rested open on his knees. He hadn't looked up. Maya raised an eyebrow. "Is that a question?" "No." "Then why say it?" "Because new students usually leave after a week." Now he looked at her. His name tag read JUN. Maya glanced at the poster again. "Why?" Jun closed his book. "Because they learn the rules." Before Maya could respond, the bell rang. Students immediately scattered. Jun jumped down from the windowsill. "You're in Class 2-B." "How do you know?" He pointed at the paper in her hand. Maya looked down. Her class assignment. "Oh." Jun walked away. Maya followed the hallway signs. She had barely taken five steps when someone slammed into her shoulder. Her books fell. "Watch where you're going." Maya looked up. Three boys stood in front of her. The one in the middle was taller than the others. He looked at her books. Then at her. "Pick them up." Maya crouched and collected her things. The boy smiled. "Good." Maya stood. "Move." The smile disappeared. The hallway became quiet again. One of the boys laughed. "You don't know who you're talking to." Maya looked at him. "I don't care." The taller boy stepped closer. "What's your name?" "Maya." "Last name?" "Why?" He leaned toward her. "Because I like knowing the names of people who make mistakes." Maya didn't move. Then she noticed something. A thin black mark was spreading across the boy's wrist. It looked almost like a c***k. Maya stared. The mark pulsed. Once. Twice. And for half a second, she heard something that nobody else seemed to notice. Run. Her expression changed. The boy grabbed her shoulder. Maya reacted without thinking. She twisted away, caught his wrist, and shoved his hand aside. The boy stumbled. The hallway went completely silent. Maya stared at her own hand. She hadn't pushed that hard. Yet the boy had nearly fallen. His eyes narrowed. "You..." A teacher suddenly appeared at the end of the hallway. "What is happening here?" The three boys immediately walked away. Maya picked up her bag. The teacher looked suspiciously at her. "New student?" "Yes." "Class 2-B?" "Yes." "Go." Maya walked away. She didn't look back. But she could feel someone watching her. When she reached her classroom, she stopped outside the door. There was something wrong. A strange pressure filled the room. Like the air itself was heavier. Maya slowly opened the door. Every student turned toward her. Then the room went silent. At the back of the classroom sat Jun. He looked at her. For the first time that morning, he looked genuinely surprised. His eyes dropped to her hand. Then to the hallway behind her. He whispered something. Maya couldn't hear him. "What?" Jun stood. "Where did you get that?" Maya looked at her palm. There was a faint silver line across it. She had never seen it before. "I don't know." Jun's face went pale. The classroom lights flickered. Once. Twice. Then every light went out. A cold wind swept through the room. Someone screamed. Maya looked toward the window. For a moment, she saw a figure standing outside. On the third floor. Impossible. The figure slowly raised its head. And looked directly at her. Maya froze. The lights came back on. The window was empty. Everyone started talking at once. But Jun wasn't looking at the window. He was looking at Maya. "You saw it." It wasn't a question. Maya swallowed. "Saw what?" Jun walked toward her. "The thing outside." Maya said nothing. Jun stopped in front of her. "Then you're already involved." Maya looked at the silver mark on her palm. "What am I involved in?" Jun's expression hardened. "The reason students disappear." The bell rang. And somewhere beneath the school... Something answered.