Chapter Two: The Unknown Number
863 Words
Olivia barely slept.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the notes.
Stay away from the scholarship competition.
This is your final warning.
And then there was Ethan.
The way his expression had changed when he saw the paper.
The way he'd told her not to open any messages from unknown numbers.
As if he already knew what was happening.
As if this wasn't the first time.
By morning, Olivia had more questions than answers.
The first thing she did was check her phone.
No missed calls.
No messages.
Nothing.
She almost laughed at herself.
Maybe Ethan had been overreacting.
Maybe she had been overreacting.
Then her phone vibrated.
A text message appeared.
Unknown Number.
Her heart stopped.
For several seconds, she simply stared at the screen.
Then she remembered Ethan's warning.
Don't open any messages from unknown numbers tonight.
But it wasn't night anymore.
And curiosity was stronger than caution.
Slowly, she opened it.
A single sentence appeared.
You're already involved.
Olivia's blood ran cold.
Another message arrived immediately.
Stop asking questions.
Her fingers trembled.
Who was this?
How did they get her number?
And what exactly was she involved in?
Before she could reply, the messages disappeared.
Completely.
As if they had never existed.
Olivia blinked.
She checked again.
Nothing.
No conversation.
No trace.
The messages were gone.
A chill crawled down her spine.
This wasn't a prank.
Not anymore.
The university felt different that morning.
The same buildings.
The same students.
The same campus.
Yet everything felt wrong.
Every stranger suddenly seemed suspicious.
Every glance felt meaningful.
Olivia hated it.
She hated feeling afraid.
As she entered campus, she immediately spotted Maya near the fountain.
"Good morning!"
Maya waved enthusiastically.
Olivia forced a smile.
"Morning."
Maya studied her face.
"You look terrible."
"Thanks."
"I mean exhausted."
"I barely slept."
Maya frowned.
"Why?"
For a moment, Olivia considered telling her everything.
The notes.
The messages.
The strange figure.
But something stopped her.
A feeling deep in her gut.
The fewer people involved, the safer they would be.
"I'm fine," Olivia lied.
Maya clearly didn't believe her.
Before she could push further, a commotion erupted nearby.
Students gathered around the campus noticeboard.
Whispers spread rapidly.
Something had happened.
Olivia and Maya exchanged looks before moving closer.
The crowd parted just enough for Olivia to see.
A photograph.
Someone had pinned a photograph to the board.
The image showed the university library.
Taken at night.
Taken yesterday.
Olivia's stomach dropped.
Because she was in the photograph.
Standing alone between the bookshelves.
Someone had been watching her.
Someone had taken the picture.
And beneath it were four words.
We can see you.
Gasps spread through the crowd.
Students looked around nervously.
Professors quickly removed the photograph.
But the damage was done.
Everyone had seen it.
Including Ethan.
He stood near the edge of the crowd.
His expression hardened the moment he noticed Olivia.
Without warning, he grabbed her wrist.
"Come with me."
Olivia's eyes widened.
"What are you doing?"
"Move."
His voice was sharp.
Urgent.
Different from usual.
He led her away from the crowd and toward an empty section of campus.
The moment they were alone, Olivia pulled away.
"Explain."
Ethan ran a hand through his hair.
For the first time, he looked frustrated.
"No matter what happens, you need to stay away from this."
"Stay away from what?"
Silence.
"Ethan."
His jaw tightened.
"Someone is targeting scholarship finalists."
Olivia froze.
"What?"
"You aren't the first."
The words hit like a punch.
A cold knot formed in her stomach.
"What do you mean I'm not the first?"
Ethan looked away.
As if debating how much to reveal.
Then he spoke quietly.
"Last year, one of the finalists disappeared."
Olivia stared.
The world seemed to tilt.
"That's impossible."
"It was covered up."
"No."
"Yes."
His voice was deadly serious.
Olivia searched his face for signs of a joke.
There were none.
"Who was it?"
Ethan hesitated.
Then answered.
"My sister."
Everything stopped.
The sounds of campus faded away.
Olivia could only stare at him.
"You have a sister?"
"Had."
The correction felt heavy.
Painful.
For the first time, Olivia saw something crack beneath Ethan's cold exterior.
A wound.
One that had never healed.
"She was a finalist," he continued quietly.
"Three days before the scholarship interview, she vanished."
Olivia's throat tightened.
"What happened to her?"
"No one knows."
The silence between them became unbearable.
Suddenly everything made sense.
His distance.
His coldness.
The shadows behind his eyes.
Ethan wasn't hiding arrogance.
He was hiding grief.
Before Olivia could respond, a loud crash echoed across campus.
Both of them turned.
Students were screaming.
A bicycle had fallen near the administration building.
People were gathering around something.
Or someone.
Ethan's expression changed instantly.
Danger.
Fear.
Recognition.
Then his phone rang.
He checked the screen.
His face went pale.
"What is it?" Olivia asked.
Ethan didn't answer.
Instead, he showed her the message.
Unknown Number.
Three simple words.
She's next.
Olivia felt her heart stop.
Slowly, she looked up.
Across the crowded courtyard stood the same dark figure she had seen the previous night.
Watching.
Waiting.
And this time...
The stranger didn't disappear.
Instead, they smiled.
- Writer
