The mirror was quiet now. Too quiet.
But the whisper still echoed in Nara's head like it had followed her out into the hallway.
The hallway felt too quiet when Nara stepped out.
She caught sight of Lily standing right outside the door, leaning on the wall like she was ready to wait for as long as possible. Her arms were crossed giving off an angry bestie expression, but her face was soft, her eyes filled with concern.
"You okay?" Lily asked. "Did you fall or something? You were in there for a while."
"I'm fine," Nara said.
Lily's brow furrowed slightly, hereyes searching her face. "Are you sure? You look pale. Are you hurt anywhere?"
"I'm fine," Nara said again, her tune sharper this time. She walked past Lily and headed towards the classroom.
Lily didn't stop her, instead she followed. Her voice trailing behind "You just looked… scared."
Nara didn't answer, as she walked straight into the classroom.
The second she walked into the classroom she could feel the eyes of her classmates on her, it was almost like they could burn through her skin, their whispering and murmuring didn't go on noticed.
Their voices were low, not loud enough to catch the words, but clear enough to know they were about her. As they murmured within themselves unknown to them that she could hear every word.
One girl turned around, then looked away fast. A boy from the back row leaned in close to another and laughed but when Nara looked, he went silent.
Her hands clenched in her lap, but she knew she had to keep it quiet.
She didn't hear a single thing the teacher said as she couldn't stop herself from thinking about the ball, her claws, the voice, the fear of anyone not knowing if anyone one saw her weighed heavily on her.
As soon as the bell rang, she left. She didn't wait, she didn't tell Lily. She didn't even go to her locker.
The wooden door creaked as she walked in.
The house smelled like soup and old wood, as always. The scent that always reminded her that she was home and safe but lately she wasn't so sure. At least she didn't have teachers pretending to care about her and classmates whispering within themselves or staring at her.
She didn't even get two steps in before she heard grandpa's grumpy voice from the kitchen.
"You're home early."
Doc Morrow didn't come out, he just spoke from the kitchen, loud enough for her to hear over the sound of something sizzling. His tone was the same as always, cold, tired, and dismissive like he never expected good news anyway.
"School was boring," Nara lied, pulling off her shoes.
He paused. "Hmph. I get it. School's always been… bleh."
Nara stood there for a second. Still holding her bag. Kinda waiting, hoping maybe he'd say more. But he didn't.
The only sound was the spatula hitting the pan. That soft clink. Over and over again.
"Are you eating anything?" he asked, finally.
"I'm not hungry," she said, already halfway up the stairs.
"Alright then."
He didn't stop her. Didn't ask why. Didn't really seem to care.
She didn't stop either. Just kept going. Her legs felt heavy, her chest even heavier.
By the time she got to her room, she shut the door slowly, turned the lock without thinking and dropped her bag on the floor like it didn't matter.
She sat on the edge of her bed. Staring at nothing.
Her thoughts wouldn't quit, bouncing around, overlapping, twisting together till her head hurt.
She didn't cry. She didn't move. Just breathed. Shaky, unsure, slow.
The light through the window looked orange, almost soft. The only warm thing in the room. Her fingers moved without thinking, tracing little shapes in the shadows on the wall.
Trying not to think.
Trying not to fall apart.
Then Akira spoke. "You're quiet."
Her voice was low. Calm. Like she knew something wasn't right.
"I'm tired Akira," Nara mumbled, laying back on the bed, her eyes still open.
"I know. But that's not all, what bothers you?"
Nara didn't answer right away."I heard something," she whispered after a while. "Back at school… in the mirror."
Akira stayed silent.
"Was it your voice?" Nara asked, unsure if she wanted the answer.
"No," Akira said simply.
Nara closed her eyes. She had wished for a yes, now she had another task added to the ones she already had. How would she find the remaining piece of the stone? Who were the others? Where would she find them? What was that vision about Lily? What was grandpa up to? Why was she trapped in that illusion? Who is she?
"Are you alright?" Akira said softly, sensing the struggle in her emotion.
"It said… I was being watched."
Akira didn't say anything right away. The quiet felt heavy. Like even she didn't know what to say.
Then, finally "We'll figure it out," she said, her voice soft. "Whatever it is… we'll face it. Together."
Nara didn't say anything. She just rolled to her side, pulled the blanket up over her chin.
Her eyes stayed open for a while. Just staring.
The claws. The ball. The mirror.
None of it mattered right now.
The only thing stuck in her head was one small thought she couldn't shake.
"What is Akira not telling me?"
The front door clicked shut softly behind Erin as she entered the house.
She didn't say anything when she came in.
Just walked upstairs. Slow. Quiet. Her bag was still hanging off one shoulder.
In her room, she locked the door.
Closed the blinds. Pulled the curtains shut.
Then lit a candle.
And waited.
Nothing happened right away. Then, the shadow on her wall began to stretch longer, the shadow was not Erin's but that of the candle. The shadow pulled itself loose, rising like smoke before curling into a tall, shifting shape.
It didn't have a face. But Erin looked at it like she knew exactly where its eyes were.
"I wasn't followed," Erin said quietly. "She went straight home. She's still shaken from the incident. And didn't mention it to anyone."
The shadowy figure stayed silent.
Erin continued, her voice calm but practiced, like someone that was giving a report and she seemed unhinged like it was something she had done before. "The old man's behavior is still steady. He's not suspicious yet. He's keeping the dose simple. I just don't know if we can trust him completely."
The figure moved as if it was nodding as a reply to her. It shifted closer to Erin.
Erin didn't move.
"She hasn't made the connection yet. But she's getting stronger. And our agent is doing its job properly.
The air was colder now, everywhere was silent.
"Well done" the figure said, the voice was feminine, calm, low, and soft, it sounded almost human.
Erin bowed her head.
The shadow faded. No sound. No light. Just gone.
She didn't move for a second. Then she walked to her bed, sat down, and pulled out her phone.
She started scrolling like nothing weird had just happened.
Upstairs, Nara stayed asleep.
She was curled up under the covers, barely moving. Breathing slowly. Quiet.
The room was calm.
But one shadow on her wall shifted—just a little.
Too small to notice.
But it moved.
The slow and faint movement of something pulling away.
Like someone had been standing there and just decided to leave.