The air outside smelled of old rain, even though it hadn't rained all day. The Aarush police station had that worn-out color of a place where stories arrive broken. Kali and Dahlia left the building together, walking silently under the overcast sky, shoulders hunched from something that wasn't the cold.

  They had given their statements.

  About the party.

  The body.

  The night.

  But not about the dream.

  That, they kept to themselves. No one wants to be looked at like they're crazy. Not in a room full of detectives who smell like burnt coffee and poorly hidden suspicion.

  Outside, Niccolo, Veronica, Jake, and Tobias were waiting.

  Jake was the first to spot them and raised his hand with a tired smile.

  "My favorite fugitives! Survive the interrogation?"

  "Yes," Kali replied, forcing a half-smile as she approached the group.

  Nicco was leaning against a lamppost, arms crossed, hair slightly tousled, leather jacket half open. When he saw her, something in his stance softened.

  "You okay?" he asked in a low voice, just for her.

  "I don't know," Kali whispered, standing close enough to smell his cologne. Then she added, "But if you hug me without breaking me, maybe."

  Nicco didn't need permission. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders, protective, not too tight. She let herself lean into him. Not from weakness, but because fear is heavy—and sometimes, you just need someone to carry it with you.

  Dahlia walked up to Tobias, who was already holding out a coffee cup.

  "Sugar?" he asked.

  "No, black's fine," she replied, wrapping her hands around the cup.

  Vero, arms crossed and gaze sharp, asked the question everyone wanted to voice.

  "Did they say anything about Viki?"

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  "Nothing new," Dahlia said. "The report's officially filed, but... there's no trace. It's like she vanished without a trace."

  Jake ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.

  "This isn't normal. Not even for Viki. She always checks in. Always sends some dumb emoji. Something."

  "You think she left with that guy?" Vero asked.

  "No," Kali said firmly. "And I don't think she left on her own either."

  The group fell into a strange silence, full of unsaid words. The kind that weighs.

  Jake snapped his fingers to break it.

  "Alright. Enough. Coffee 2.0 at my place. I've got banana bread, the corniest playlist in history, and enough blankets to start a cult. Come on. Distraction is mandatory."

  "Cult? Do you sacrifice us at the beginning or the end?" Vero raised an eyebrow.

  "Depends on how much you complain," Jake grinned.

  "I'm in," Tobias said, looking at Dahlia. She nodded, like that tiny gesture was all she needed to breathe better.

  Kali nodded too. But just as they were about to head toward Jake's car...

  Kali and Dahlia froze at the same time.

  It was like an invisible blow. A presence.

  A shiver that didn't come from the wind, but from inside.

  As if something were watching them from another plane.

  Both fell silent. Their eyes locked on a distant point, like they were seeing something that wasn't there.

  Or about to be.

  "Kali?" Nicco asked, noticing her tense up against him.

  "Dahlia?" Tobias said, touching her arm gently.

  But neither answered right away.

  That was it.

  The same energy from the dream.

  The shadow. The threads.

  The weight on their chests.

  The sensation of being watched from the inside.

  Dahlia was the first to react. She swallowed. Took a deep breath.

  Kali blinked several times, as if waking from a trance. Her hand reached for Nicco's without thinking. He took it without a word.

  "What was that?" Jake asked, picking up on the shift in the air.

  "Nothing," Dahlia lied, her voice lower than usual.

  "Just... a weird chill," Kali added, still holding Nicco's hand.

  Jake looked around and raised an eyebrow.

  "Alright, seriously. Let's get to my place. Coffee, music, and zero evil presences, okay?"

  "And if there are presences, they'd better bring wine," said Vero.

  They walked toward Jake's car, the laughter forced, the jokes a defense line. But in the middle of it all, Kali kept glancing at Nicco. Even though she was still scared, she couldn't help it. He was her makeshift shelter. Her necessary chaos.

  Tobias walked beside Dahlia, not touching her, but never straying.

  And up above, behind clouds that seemed heavier than usual, something watched them.

  Something that had already entered their dreams.

  And had no intention of leaving.

  As the group started walking toward Jake's house, Kali and Dahlia lingered a little behind. There was still tension in their bodies, like the threads from the dream hadn't been fully cut.

  And then, in just a second, they both saw it.

  A man crossed the street opposite them, walking in the other direction. He wore a long, dark coat and had a slight limp. His face was partially hidden by a scarf, but one thing was clear—a long scar ran down his left cheek to nearly his chin. He didn't look at them. But the air around him seemed to shift.

  "Did you see that...?" Dahlia murmured.

  "Yes," Kali replied, not blinking. "Who the hell was that?"

  But the man had already vanished down the street, swallowed by shadows.

  Neither said another word.

  And it hadn't been a coincidence that they saw him.