Despite Torren's seemingly trustworthy nature, Aurex wasn't ready to put everything on the line, not yet. He met Torren's gaze, his voice low. "We need to start moving tonight."
Torren's brow furrowed. "No, it's too risky. We still don't know what's out there after dark. We haven't tested anything."
Aurex clenched his jaw. "If we wait too long, we might end up just like them. What if tomorrow one of us just… snaps back? We wouldn't even notice. We'd just smile, nod, and forget everything."
Torren fell silent, then sighed. "Okay, but not tonight. Tomorrow,after school. In daylight. Controlled. We explore slowly. We don't have to be reckless."
Aurex hesitated, then gave a reluctant nod. "Fine. Tomorrow. Deal." He turned away. "I need to go."
The rest of the day unfolded in its usual, painfully familiar rhythm: smiling faces, recycled words, lifeless routines. Yet, beneath it all, Aurex's thoughts remained sharp, focused. Every tick of the clock brought him closer to something real.
By the time he was back in his room, night had fallen.
6:00 p.m.
Then 7:00.
8:00.
He paced in quiet circles, careful not to make the floorboards creak. How would he leave tomorrow? Any noise, and his family might notice. And if they noticed…
No. He couldn't afford to guess.
He ran through ideas: loosening the window frame, sneaking down the stairs, hiding in the closet until they left. But every plan had its flaws. Every thought led back to the same truth: he needed to talk to Torren first.
So, he did nothing,at least for tonight.
Instead, he returned to the sealed window and peered through the crack. His family moved as they always did: silent, smooth, and smiling. But their smiles never quite reached their eyes. Their movements weren't tired or lazy; they were practiced. Robotic.
He watched for an hour. Then another. The same paths, the same steps. He didn't know what was worse: seeing them like this or not seeing them at all.
By 10:00 p.m., he was in bed.
Eyes wide open.
Smiling.
But afraid.
He wasn't sure he wanted to sleep anymore.
Because when he did, it came.
And just like that,it reappeared.
An eye. Massive. Red. No eyelid, just the glistening wetness of its exposed iris. It hovered inches from his face. Silent. Heavy. Crushing.
Aurex couldn't move. He couldn't breathe.
But he remembered Torren's warning:
Keep your eyes open. Don't speak.
So he stared. And stared.
His vision blurred. His eyes burned. His whole body screamed for relief.
But he didn't blink.
He held on. Until, finally....
The eye closed.
And the pressure vanished like air rushing back into his lungs.
Still, he didn't dare sleep. Not right away.
He kept staring at the ceiling, half-expecting it to appear again.
But it didn't.
Eventually, exhaustion pulled him under.
The bells rang.
6:00 a.m.
Aurex's eyes snapped open. He was lying on his bed, fully clothed. His heart was calm, but his thoughts raced.
"What is that thing?" he whispered to himself.
"It just appears… like it's watching me. Testing me."
He sat up, rubbed his burning eyes, and smiled.
Fake.
Like always.
But this smile hid something new.
Determination.
Because today, for the first time, he would try to escape.