Chapter Twenty Four: The Devil in Uniform
615 Words
Writer’s POV
Morning light drifted lazily through the tall windows of the hallway, but it did nothing to warm the air.
The school felt heavier today.
Everyone moved normally — laughing, chatting, running to class — but for Mila and Xavier, the world had shifted.
Because “L. Gray” was real.
And now he was everywhere.
*****
Mila’s POV
I saw him before Xavier did — standing by the lockers, talking to Mr. Lewis like they were old friends.
The same perfect uniform. The same unreadable calm.
And when he turned, his eyes locked on mine instantly.
He smiled. Small. Sharp. Deliberate.
It wasn’t friendly. It was a message.
I froze. Xavier stepped up beside me.
“You good?” he muttered under his breath.
“Yeah,” I lied.
Lennox started walking toward us. His steps were slow, confident. Each one made my heartbeat pick up like a countdown.
“Morning,” he said casually. “You two always look this serious before class?”
Xavier didn’t answer. His jaw tightened.
I forced a weak smile. “Just tired.”
“Right,” Lennox said, tilting his head. “You know, you remind me of someone.”
“Who?” I asked.
He looked directly at me. “Someone who used to ask too many questions.”
The silence between us stretched. He let it linger — long enough for it to feel like a trap — before turning away.
*****
Xavier’s POV
The moment he left, I exhaled.
Mila was still staring after him, like she couldn’t move.
“Okay,” I muttered, “that wasn’t normal.”
“He knows something,” she said softly. “About me. About the footage.”
I nodded. “And he wants us to know he knows.”
“Why?”
“That’s the part that scares me.”
*****
Writer’s POV
By lunch, Lennox had already become a ghost story in motion — showing up in random places, sitting near Mila in the cafeteria, standing in doorways he had no reason to be near.
And every time Mila turned, he was already watching her — not with cruelty, not with threat — but with interest.
Like he was studying her.
*****
Mila’s POV
At the end of the day, I couldn’t take it anymore.
I found him in the empty art room, just as the final bell rang.
He was sketching something — calm, patient.
I forced the words out. “Why are you here?”
He looked up, smiling slightly. “To learn.”
“Cut the act.”
He set his pencil down. “You think I’m lying?”
“I think you’re dangerous.”
He leaned back, eyes narrowing just enough to break his calm. “Danger’s relative, Mila. Depends on what you’re hiding.”
My throat tightened. “You don’t know me.”
“Don’t I?” he asked softly.
Then he reached into his bag and dropped something onto the desk.
A photo.
Of me.
Taken from inside the library, the night of the glitch.
*****
Writer’s POV
For a heartbeat, the room was silent.
Then Lennox’s voice dropped, calm but cold.
“Next time you want to look into Project Eden,” he said, “maybe ask before you trespass into things that don’t want to be found.”
Mila’s hand trembled as she picked up the photo — but there, in the corner of the print, was a timestamp.
2:13 a.m.
Taken from the security feed.
But the glitch had happened at 2:10.
Which meant —
whoever took this picture came after the system crashed.
Someone had rebooted it.
Someone in control.
And Lennox Gray had proof.
- Writer
