Rina couldn't focus.
Not on her assignments, not on unpacking, not even on the sound of Melissa humming while she hung fairy lights above her bed.
Her thoughts kept circling back to the same place: Niklaus.
There was something about the way he looked at her — equal parts protectiveness and fear — that made her stomach twist. And the text. He's lying to you.
Whoever sent it knew something she didn't.
Her phone buzzed again.
Unknown Number: You feel it too, don't you? The hum. The air changing.
Rina's heart leapt.
Her eyes darted around the dorm room, but everything looked normal. Melissa was in the bathroom, singing off-key. The hallway outside was full of laughter.
Still, she felt it — a faint vibration deep in her bones, just like last night.
Rina: Who is this?
Unknown Number: Someone who remembers what he wants you to forget.
She froze.
Her thumb hovered over the keyboard, but before she could type another word, the lights in the room flickered.
"Melissa?" she called.
No answer.
The air grew heavy. Her phone screen dimmed, then went black.
And then—A sound.
Soft at first, like a whisper under her bed. Then louder — a growl that didn't sound human.
Rina's breath hitched. Slowly, she crouched and lifted the edge of her comforter.
Nothing.
She laughed shakily. "Okay. I'm officially losing it."
But when she stood up, there were footprints on the carpet. Wet.
Leading from the window to the door.
Her pulse thundered in her ears. She grabbed her phone, fumbling to turn it back on, and when the screen finally flickered to life, there was a new message waiting.
Unknown Number: They've found you.
A knock at the door made her scream.
"Rina?!" Melissa burst in, towel in hand, eyes wide. "What happened?"
Rina swallowed hard. "Nothing. I—thought I saw something."
Melissa frowned, then followed Rina's gaze to the footprints. Her expression shifted instantly from confusion to alarm.
"Please tell me you made those."
Rina shook her head.
Melissa dropped the towel. "We're going to campus security. Now."
But Rina's phone buzzed again.
Unknown Number: Don't tell anyone. Trust me or you'll get her hurt.
She looked at Melissa — sweet, fearless Melissa — and her stomach twisted with dread.
"Actually," Rina said weakly, pocketing her phone, "I think I just need some air."
Outside, the campus was quiet. Too quiet. The air was thick and cold, and that hum was stronger than ever. She followed it without thinking, like it was pulling her toward something.
It led her to the edge of the soccer field.
Empty bleachers. Flickering floodlights.
And standing near the goal, hands shoved into his pockets — Niklaus.
He turned before she could speak, eyes locking on hers. "You shouldn't be here."
Her chest tightened. "I got a message."
His expression darkened. "From who?"
"I don't know," she said. "But they said… they've found me."
Niklaus's jaw tensed. "Then it's already started."
"What's started?" she demanded. "Why do you keep saying things like that?"
He stepped closer, close enough that the air between them hummed like it was alive. "Because, Rina…" His voice dropped to a whisper. "You were never supposed to remember me."