Hayden sat at her desk, staring blankly at her computer screen. Her mind was racing, replaying the strange events of the past few days—the super-speed reflexes, the rapid healing, the inexplicable connection to Silas. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was fundamentally *wrong*.
*“Am I turning into one of them?”* she wondered, her stomach churning with a mix of fear and curiosity. She couldn’t talk to Fara about this—her best friend’s memories had been altered, and Hayden wasn’t willing to risk dragging her into this mess. That left only one person she could turn to: Sareena.
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The next day, Hayden texted Sareena, asking her to meet at their usual Chinese restaurant. Sareena agreed without hesitation, though Hayden could sense a faint undertone of caution in her reply.
