Lidia's Dorm
Lidia held her phone to her ear, pacing as the air vent's hum filled the room.
"You're saying he fused with the book?" a voice came through, laced with disbelief.
"Yes, Magnus. I can't believe it either." She said running a hand through her hair, exhaling sharply,"I didn't see it happen, but I saw the mark on his back and then—an earthquake almost erupted."
There was a long pause on the other end.
"That's… impossible," Magnus finally said.
"And yet, here we are." Lidia bit her lip. "I don't know what to do. He has no idea what's happening to him, and if anyone else finds out—"
"You need to bring him to me." Magnus's tone turned firm, no longer questioning but certain.
Lidia hesitated, gripping her phone tighter. Magnus never insisted on face-to-face meetings unless it was serious. If he wanted to meet, that meant this was bigger than she realized.
"Magnus… are you sure?"
"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't critical. Something is happening, something we don't fully yet understand.
Get him here—immediately. Before we lose control of the situation."
Lidia swallowed.
"Understood."
*******************************************
Worcester Police Department
"Detective Hayes!" A voice rang out from one of the counters.
Detective James Hayes turned, his sharp blue eyes locking onto the young officer approaching him. "What is it?"
"A suspicious vehicle was spotted a few blocks from Seliski's Bar this morning, sir." Officer Rachel Lane handed him a printed report.
Hayes skimmed the details. "A car? Why does this matter?"
"Because it wasn't there yesterday, and the surveillance logs show it appeared overnight. No plates, tinted windows. An officer on patrol approached it, told the driver he couldn't park there."
"And?" Hayes asked, his frown deepening.
"The guy responded and was oddly compliant, but left without protest after a warning." Security footage was checked, but it was wiped clean before and after the incident. Whoever was it was didn't want to be tracked."
Hayes exhaled, rubbing his chin. "So they're careful. Could be nothing… or it could be something."
"Alright. I'll report it to O'Connor."
Chief's Office.
Chief Gary sat at his desk, flipping through pages of the latest autopsy report. Crime scene photos were spread before him, his coffee long since gone cold. His brow furrowed as he studied the strange wounds on the victims' bodies.
None of this makes sense…
Knock knock.
A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Come in," he called.
Detective Hayes stepped inside. "Sir, we received a report about a strange vehicle parking a few blocks from the surveillance area."
The Chief leaned back in his chair, considering. "A suspicious car parked that close to the last known disturbance?" He shook his head. "That's not a coincidence."
"Exactly my thoughts," Hayes agreed. "I think whoever it was might come back."
The Chief drummed his fingers against his desk. "Alright. Increase patrols in that area, if someone shows up, I want them tailed. We can't afford to let anything slip."
Hayes nodded. "Understood."
As the detective turned to leave, the chief gaze drifted back to the crime scene photos. His eyes lingered on a deep, jagged marking along one of the victim's spines.
Something isn't right.
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Campus - Evening
The sky had darkened, and the campus lights cast long shadows along the pathways. Students moved in clusters, heading back to their dorms or lingering for a last-minute conversation.
"Mike, I'm going to meet Lidia. I'll be back soon—don't wait up."
Mike turned from his locker with a knowing smirk. "Come on, bro. When were you going to tell me you and Lidia started dating?"
I blinked, caught completely off guard. "What?"
"You heard me," Mike chuckled. "You've been sneaking off with her a lot. You're not exactly subtle."
I hesitated. Should I tell him the truth? That a book fused with my body, and I was only relying on Lidia to figure out what the hell was happening to me? That I had no idea how to remove it?
Yeah, that would go over well.
"It's not like that," I muttered instead.
"Sure, sure." Mike waved me off, clearly not buying it.
Before I could argue further, my phone buzzed.
A message from Lidia:
'Meet me at the football field. Now.'
I exhaled. "I gotta go."
Mike rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Tell your 'not-so-girlfriend' I said hi."
I ignored him and headed out, my stomach twisting with anticipation. Whatever Lidia had to say— I somehow felt my life was about to change.