Chapter Twenty Seven
553 Words
Mila’s POV
The words kept echoing long after the screen went black.
> “You said she’d never remember.”
“If she comes back, we’ll have to start again.”
My name wasn’t mentioned.
But somehow… it was.
The air in the library felt heavier now, like the walls were closing in. I could still hear the faint hum of the computer cooling down, but it sounded distant — like it was underwater.
I blinked. Once. Twice.
And then it hit me — a flash.
A memory that wasn’t supposed to exist.
*****
I was standing in this same room.
Younger. Maybe thirteen.
A light was flickering. Someone’s voice — calm, coaxing — saying, “Don’t be afraid, Mila. We’re just testing the sequence.”
I turned, but the face blurred.
Only one image stayed clear: a symbol drawn on the desk in red marker. The same Ω that flashed on the screen just minutes ago.
And then another voice.
Lennox’s.
Laughing softly.
“She’s perfect for it.”
*****
I gasped and stumbled back, hitting the chair.
Xavier grabbed my arm instantly. “Hey, hey — breathe.”
“I—” I swallowed hard. “I’ve been here before.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Not this week. Not this semester.” My pulse was racing. “Years ago.”
His hand tightened slightly around mine. “You sure?”
I nodded, breath shaky. “That symbol — I drew it. I remember the smell of the marker. I remember the sound of Lennox’s voice. But I don’t remember why.”
*****
Xavier paced, running his hand through his hair.
“Okay, so let’s say that’s true. What was ‘the sequence’? What could he have meant by that?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know.”
But even as I said it, another flash came.
A classroom.
A light humming in the ceiling.
Students lined up, one by one, placing their hands on a glowing screen while Lennox took notes.
And then… darkness.
Like someone had wiped the rest clean.
*****
“Mila,” Xavier said quietly, breaking through the fog. “We need to tell someone.”
I met his eyes — that sharp, steady look of his.
“Who?” I asked bitterly. “The principal who trusts Lennox? The teachers who look the other way? Everyone here acts like he’s untouchable.”
He didn’t answer. Because we both knew I was right.
“This isn’t just about us anymore,” I whispered. “It’s something bigger. Someone erased a whole part of my
memory — maybe others too.”
*****
Just then, a faint sound came from the computer.
A soft beep.
The screen lit up again.
But this time, there was no video — just one new message:
“SHE’S STARTING TO REMEMBER.”
My blood ran cold.
Xavier stepped forward, trying to shut it down, but the message began duplicating — line after line — until the entire screen was filled with it.
Then, abruptly, the lights in the library flickered and died.
We stood there in the dark, breathing hard, the glow from the computer casting a red tint across our faces.
And in that moment, I realized something terrifying.
Whoever was behind this…
was watching us.
- Writer
