Chapter Three: The last Editor
1019 Words
Elena didn't touch the newspaper again that night.
It remained on the coffee table, open to the page that had somehow changed before her eyes.
The first prediction arrives in three days.
She stood several feet away, arms folded tightly across her chest, as though distance alone could protect her from it.
"This isn't happening."
She said the words aloud, hoping they would sound convincing.
They didn't.
After cleaning the broken glass from the floor, she drew every curtain in the apartment and checked the locks twice. She wasn't afraid someone would break in.
She was afraid of something she couldn't explain.
Around midnight, she finally carried the newspaper into her bedroom.
Not because she wanted it close.
Because she couldn't stop wondering about it.
She placed it on her desk, switched on the reading lamp, and carefully turned each page again.
She read every article.
Every advertisement.
Every weather report.
Everything looked painfully ordinary.
A football team had won a championship.
A new electric car was set to launch.
A famous actor had announced his retirement.
Nothing hinted that the newspaper itself was impossible.
It wasn't until she reached the final page that she saw the signature again.
—The Last Editor
Her fingers traced the words lightly.
"No publisher..."
"No address..."
"No company..."
"Who are you?"
The room remained silent.
She laughed bitterly at herself.
"Great. Now I'm talking to newspapers."
Closing it gently, she turned off the light.
Sleep eventually found her.
It wasn't peaceful.
---
The next morning began like every other Saturday.
Sunlight filtered through the curtains.
Birds chirped outside.
For a brief moment, Elena forgot everything.
Then she saw the newspaper on her desk.
Reality returned all at once.
Her phone buzzed.
Lily
"Good morning, birthday girl!"
Elena smiled despite herself.
"Morning."
"I hope you've recovered from your mysterious headache."
"I'm better."
"Good."
Lily sounded unusually excited.
"I'm kidnapping you this evening."
"You can't kidnap someone who knows you're coming."
"Details."
"We're having dinner. No excuses."
Elena hesitated.
She wanted nothing more than to stay home and figure out the impossible newspaper.
But perhaps leaving the apartment would help clear her head.
"Fine."
"That's my girl."
"And don't wear one of your boring cardigans."
"I like my cardigans."
"I know."
"That's the problem."
Elena laughed.
After hanging up, she realized it was the first genuine laugh she'd had since her birthday.
---
She spent the afternoon doing laundry and cleaning the apartment.
Ordinary chores.
Ordinary sounds.
She desperately wanted an ordinary life again.
Now and then, however, her eyes drifted toward the newspaper.
It never moved.
Never disappeared.
Simply waited.
Finally, unable to resist, she opened her laptop.
The search bar blinked expectantly.
She typed two words.
Adrian Kingsley.
Hundreds of results appeared instantly.
Business magazines.
Award ceremonies.
Interviews.
Photographs.
She clicked the first profile.
Age: 32
Founder and CEO of Kingsley Group.
Graduated top of his class.
Youngest executive to lead a Fortune-ranked corporation.
Known for his private lifestyle and charitable foundation.
No scandals.
No public relationships.
Interesting.
She expected headlines about luxury parties and celebrity girlfriends.
Instead, article after article described him as disciplined, reserved, and almost impossible to interview.
Curiosity replaced some of her fear.
What kind of man lived such a public life while revealing so little about himself?
She clicked on a recent video interview.
The screen filled with Adrian standing before dozens of reporters.
His voice was calm.
Confident.
"We're expanding because we believe innovation should improve everyday lives."
One reporter asked about his personal life.
He smiled politely.
"I'd rather let my work answer that."
The audience laughed.
Even Elena found herself smiling.
He wasn't arrogant.
Just...
Guarded.
The interview ended after fifteen minutes.
She leaned back in her chair.
"So you're real."
The words slipped out before she realized it.
Until now, Adrian had almost felt like a fictional character created by the newspaper.
Seeing him speak made everything frighteningly real.
---
A notification popped onto her screen.
Kingsley Group Charity Gala Announced.
She almost clicked it.
Instead, she closed the browser.
"No."
She wasn't getting involved.
The newspaper had already occupied too much of her thoughts.
She refused to let it take over her life.
---
Later that evening, Elena left her apartment to meet Lily.
The café they loved sat only a few streets away.
Warm lights glowed through its windows, and soft jazz drifted into the evening air.
Lily was already waiting.
"There you are!"
She stood and hugged Elena tightly.
"I was starting to think you'd changed your mind."
"I almost did."
"I knew it."
They laughed together as they sat.
For the next hour, they talked about work, books, embarrassing childhood memories, and Lily's latest attempt at learning French.
Not once did Elena mention the newspaper.
She wanted one evening where life felt normal.
Just one.
As they stepped outside after dinner, Lily stretched dramatically.
"I needed this."
"So did I."
"You look lighter."
"I feel..."
Elena searched for the right word.
"...better."
Maybe she really was overthinking everything.
Maybe tomorrow she'd wake up, laugh at herself, and throw the newspaper away again.
Lily checked the time.
"My bus is here."
She hugged Elena once more.
"Text me when you get home."
"I will."
Watching her best friend disappear into the crowd, Elena smiled softly.
Then she turned toward her own route home.
Halfway down the street, she stopped in front of an electronics store.
A dozen televisions filled the display window.
Every screen switched simultaneously to a live business broadcast.
A familiar face appeared.
Adrian Kingsley.
He stood at a podium, answering questions during a press briefing.
The news ticker scrolling beneath the screen caught Elena's attention.
Kingsley Group CEO to attend public event on August 2.
Three days.
Exactly three days.
Her smile faded.
The words from the newspaper echoed inside her mind.
The first prediction arrives in three days.
Elena stared at Adrian's calm expression on the television.
He had no idea.
No idea that somewhere in the city, a stranger was watching him...
...while holding the impossible knowledge that his life was about to change forever.
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