THE FOURTH ONE

CHAPTER TWO : THE MARK

Nobody believed Maya.

That was the first problem.

The second problem was that Maya wasn't sure she believed herself.

"Everyone calm down," the teacher said.

The classroom slowly became quiet.

Maya sat at her desk, staring at the silver line on her palm.

It was gone.

Completely gone.

She rubbed her hand.

Nothing.

Maybe she'd imagined it.

Maybe she'd imagined the figure outside the window too.

Then Jun dropped into the seat beside her.

"You didn't imagine it."

Maya turned.

"Stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Appearing beside me like a ghost."

Jun shrugged.

"You're the one seeing ghosts."

Maya stared at him.

He didn't smile.

"Who was that thing?"

"I don't know."

"Then how do you know I saw it?"

"Because everyone who sees one gets the mark."

Maya looked atThe her palm again.

"The mark disappeared."

"That's not good."

"Why?"

Jun leaned closer.

"Because it means it chose you."

Maya frowned.

"Who?"

Jun glanced toward the teacher.

"Not here."

Before Maya could respond, the classroom door opened.

The same three boys from earlier walked in.

The taller one stopped when he saw Maya.

His eyes narrowed.

"You."

Maya sighed.

"Seriously?"

The boy walked toward her.

Jun stood up.

"Leave her alone."

The boy laughed.

"Since when do you care?"

"I don't."

"Then sit down."

Jun didn't move.

The boy shoved him.

Hard.

Jun stumbled backward.

Maya caught his arm.

"Enough."

The boy turned toward her.

"You're brave."

"No."

Maya looked him directly in the eyes.

"I'm just tired."

He swung his fist.

Maya ducked.

The punch missed.

She stepped back.

The boy attacked again.

This time, something strange happened.

The silver mark appeared on Maya's palm.

A flash of light ran through her fingers.

The boy's movement suddenly became slow.

Not actually slow.

Maya could simply see what he was going to do before he did it.

She moved aside.

His fist passed harmlessly beside her.

He froze.

Maya froze too.

Neither of them understood what had happened.

Then the boy grabbed a chair.

Jun shouted.

"Maya!"

She turned.

The chair came toward her.

She raised her hand.

The silver light flashed.

The chair stopped.

Not because she caught it.

It simply stopped in midair.

For one impossible second, nobody moved.

Then the chair crashed to the floor.

Silence.

The boy stared at Maya.

Everyone stared at Maya.

Maya stared at her own hand.

Jun whispered,

"You're one of them."

Maya looked at him.

"One of who?"

The classroom door slammed open.

A girl stood outside.

She had short black hair and a bandage wrapped around one hand.

Her eyes went immediately to Maya.

Then to the silver mark.

Her expression changed.

"Where did you get that?"

Maya stood.

"I don't know."

The girl walked into the classroom.

"What's your name?"

"Maya."

The girl nodded.

"I'm Sora."

She looked at Jun.

"You found another one."

Jun shook his head.

"No."

Sora frowned.

"What?"

"I didn't find her."

Jun looked at Maya.

"She found us."

The lights flickered again.

This time, nobody laughed.

Sora immediately grabbed Maya's wrist.

"We need to leave."

Maya pulled away.

"Why?"

Sora looked toward the ceiling.

"Because it's awake."

A deep sound echoed through the building.

BOOM.

The windows rattled.

Students screamed.

Another sound followed.

BOOM.

Something was moving beneath them.

Sora grabbed Maya again.

"Now."

They ran.

Jun followed.

They raced through the hallway as students poured from classrooms.

Teachers shouted for everyone to stay calm.

Nobody listened.

Maya glanced behind her.

At the end of the corridor stood the three boys.

They weren't running.

They were staring at the floor.

The silver cracks had appeared on their arms.

Maya stopped.

"Jun."

He turned.

"What?"

She pointed.

"They have the marks too."

Jun's expression changed.

"That's impossible."

The floor beneath the boys cracked.

Darkness spread through the tiles.

The hallway lights exploded one after another.

Sora grabbed Maya's hand.

"Don't look back."

They ran.

But Maya did look back.

And she saw something crawling out of the darkness.

Something that had been waiting underneath Haneul High.

Something that knew her name.

Maya.

She stopped breathing.

Because it wasn't speaking aloud.

It was speaking inside her head.

And this time...

It didn't tell her to run.

It said:

Stay.