Evan did not move.
The reflection stared back at him from the dark window, city lights trembling behind the glass. His own face looked normal. The same eyes. The same sharp lines. No distortion. No shadow.
Yet the feeling refused to leave.
"I didn't mean to," Evan repeated, quieter this time.
The reflection remained still.
After a few seconds, Evan exhaled and stepped back. He turned away from the window, rubbed his face with both hands, and forced himself to breathe slowly.
This was exhaustion. That was the explanation. A nightmare, no sleep, adrenaline from the accident. Anyone would imagine things after that.
He changed into fresh clothes and sat on the edge of his bed. His phone lay beside him, dark and silent. He resisted the urge to check it again.
When he finally lay down, sleep came in fragments. Short, shallow stretches broken by sudden awareness. Every sound pulled him back to the surface.
The fan above him turned steadily.
Normal.
Morning arrived without ceremony.
Sunlight spilt through the curtains, warm and ordinary. Evan lay still for a moment, waiting for the panic to return.
It did not.
He sat up slowly.
Nothing moved.
The chair stayed where it was. The desk remained untouched. The air felt light again, uncharged.
A laugh escaped him. Quiet. Nervous.
"See," he muttered. "Nothing."
He dressed quickly and left his room.
The corridor buzzed with life. Someone argued about a missing charger. Someone else blasted music from behind a closed door. Evan walked through it, nodding automatically when greeted.
Luke caught up with him near the stairs.
"You vanished yesterday," Luke said. "We were going to grab dinner."
"I wasn't hungry," Evan said.
"That is the second most suspicious thing you can say. The first is 'trust me.'" Luke said.
Evan gave a tired smile. "Next time."
They stepped outside.
The campus looked the same as it always had. Trees swayed gently. Students crossed paths, laughing, complaining, living. Evan tried to let the normality sink in.
Halfway across the courtyard, a bicycle sped past too close.
Evan stepped aside before his mind caught up.
The bicycle missed him by inches.
The rider shouted an apology and kept going.
Luke blinked. "Nice reflex."
Evan stared at the space where the bike had been. His heart thudded once, hard.
"I just saw it coming," he said.
Luke shrugged. "Lucky."
They continued walking.
At the canteen, Marcus and Noah were already seated. Emily joined them shortly after, dropping her bag onto the chair with a soft sigh.
She looked at Evan. Her brow furrowed slightly.
"You didn't sleep," she said.
"I did," Evan replied.
Emily tilted her head. "You are lying badly today."
Luke snorted. "Finally, someone said it."
Evan opened his mouth to respond, then stopped.
A tray slipped from someone's hands nearby.
The metal rattled as it fell.
Evan's fingers twitched.
The tray hit the floor.
A fraction of a second later than it should have.
No one else seemed to notice.
Emily watched him closely. "Evan?"
"I'm fine," he said too quickly.
Marcus leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "You sure?"
"Yes," Evan replied.
Noah said nothing. He simply observed.
Classes followed.
Evan sat through lectures, copied notes, and answered questions. On the surface, nothing had changed. Underneath, he felt like he was walking along a thin sheet of ice.
During a physics lecture, the professor dropped a piece of chalk.
It paused.
Not visibly. Not enough for anyone else to react.
But Evan felt it. The hesitation. The way the air tightened, then released.
The chalk hit the floor.
The professor continued speaking.
Evan's pen snapped in his grip.
He stared at his broken pen, pulse racing.
This was getting worse.
During the break, Noah approached him.
"You are not wrong," Noah said quietly.
"About what?" Evan asked.
"About thinking something is happening," Noah replied.
Evan glanced around. Students crowded the hallway, voices overlapping.
"This is not the place," Evan said.
Noah nodded once. "Tonight. The plot."
Evan hesitated. "I don't know."
"You do," Noah replied. "And so do I."
Noah walked away.
The rest of the day dragged.
By evening, Evan felt wrung out. His head throbbed. His thoughts refused to settle.
He skipped dinner and went straight to the plot.
The unfinished structure stood in shadow, concrete walls cooling in the night air. Evan stepped inside and leaned against the wall, arms crossed tightly.
He was alone.
For now.
He stared at the empty space in front of him. At the rough floor. At the faint cracks running along the walls.
This place had always felt safe. Separate from campus. Separate from rules.
He closed his eyes.
The hum returned.
Low. Distant. Familiar.
Evan opened his eyes.
Nothing had changed.
He let out a breath he did not realise he was holding.
Footsteps approached.
Luke arrived first, carrying two bottles of water. "You look like hell," he said, tossing one to Evan.
"Thanks," Evan said.
Emily and Marcus followed. Noah came last.
They settled into their usual spots.
"So," Luke said, breaking the silence. "What is this mysterious emergency meeting."
Noah looked at Evan. "He should start."
Evan felt every eye on him.
"I don't know how to explain it," he said slowly. "Things have been… off."
Luke raised an eyebrow. "Off how."
Evan hesitated. He had rehearsed this in his head. It sounded ridiculous every time.
"I think I'm reacting to things before they happen," he said.
Silence.
Marcus frowned. "Meaning."
Evan took a breath. "I move before something happens. Like I know it will."
Luke opened his mouth, then closed it.
Emily's expression tightened. "Is this about yesterday."
Evan nodded.
"I felt something push back," he said. "Like the world didn't want me to act."
Luke let out a short laugh. "Okay. That is officially above my pay grade."
Noah leaned forward. "It matches the data."
Evan looked at him sharply. "What data."
"Patterns," Noah said. "Micro delays. Reaction time discrepancies. You have been anticipating events."
Emily's voice was soft. "Evan, are you saying you can see the future."
"No," Evan said quickly. "I don't see anything. I just… feel it."
Marcus studied him. "And the dream."
Evan stiffened. "What dream."
"The one you mentioned before," Marcus said. "The one where you hesitate."
Emily turned to Evan. "What dream."
Evan closed his eyes.
He told them.
Not everything. Not yet.
He described the city. The frozen people. The collapse. The moment of hesitation.
He did not describe the reflection smiling.
When he finished, silence settled heavily.
Luke rubbed his arms. "I hate this already."
Emily looked pale. "You've been having this dream more than once."
"Yes." Evan said.
"How often?" Emily asked.
"Every night now." Evan replied.
Noah nodded slowly. "Repetition indicates significance."
Luke shot him a look. "Can you not say it like that."
Marcus stood. "Show us."
Evan froze. "Show you what."
"What you did in your room," Marcus said. "The chair."
Evan shook his head. "I can't control it."
"Try." Marcus said.
Evan hesitated, then nodded.
He stepped away from the wall and focused on a loose piece of concrete near the floor. A small chunk, barely noticeable.
He stared at it.
Nothing happened.
His pulse quickened.
He clenched his jaw and reached out with his hand, not touching, just pointing.
The pressure returned.
His ears rang.
The concrete piece trembled.
Emily gasped softly.
It slid.
Just an inch.
Luke swore under his breath.
Evan staggered back, breathing hard. The pressure vanished instantly.
"I didn't push it," Evan said. "I didn't do anything."
Noah's eyes were alight. "You did."
"No," Evan said. "It felt like it moved because it wanted to."
Marcus stepped closer to the concrete piece, studying it. "This is not a strength. There is no force transfer."
Luke stared at Evan. "Since when can you do this?"
"I don't know," Evan replied.
Emily took a step toward Evan. As she did, Evan's vision swam.
The pressure spiked violently.
He cried out and dropped to one knee.
"Evan," Emily said, rushing forward.
"No," he shouted. "Stop."
She froze.
The pressure eased slightly.
Evan sucked in air, his hands shaking.
Emily stared at him, fear in her eyes. "What happened?"
Evan did not answer.
He looked at Noah.
Noah's face was pale. "Your instability increased when she approached."
Emily swallowed. "What does that mean?"
Evan stood slowly. "It means something is wrong."
Marcus's voice was grim. "This is not random."
Luke forced a grin. "Good. Because random would have been harder to explain."
No one laughed.
A sound echoed faintly through the structure.
Footsteps.
Slow. Measured.
Everyone turned toward the entrance.
The footsteps stopped just outside.
Evan felt the pressure surge.
Stronger than before.
His vision darkened at the edges.
"Is someone there?" Marcus called.
No response.
The pressure thickened.
The air grew cold.
Luke whispered, "This is new."
A shadow stretched across the floor.
Too long.
Too sharp.
It did not match the angle of the light.
Evan stared at it, heart pounding.
Something had followed him.
And it had found them.