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I opened my eyes—not because I wanted to, but because the room was so bright that sleep had already escaped me.
For a moment, the light struck my face, and my heart—without warning—began to flutter. The promise we made yesterday appeared in my mind, clearer than ever.
That same promise we made, the three of us, at the park.
I got out of bed and headed for a shower. Quicker than usual, my body buzzing with a strange excitement that ran from my chest to the tips of my fingers.
Standing in front of my wardrobe, hair still wet and towel wrapped around me, nothing felt right.
All my clothes looked dull. Old. Repetitive.
Until I saw it—a blue shirt.
I smiled, and threw it on without a second thought.
I stood in front of the mirror.
The first thing I noticed was my hair—it had gotten longer.
I wasn't seven anymore.
I was eight.
"Sia, aren't you coming?"
Mom's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
Memories from yesterday returned.
The plan we made—me, Souh, Arian, and Kai—with Tai… to go to the beach.
Honestly, it still felt strange how Tai reacted to Souh's words. But… it was just strange. Nothing more.
I came down the stairs.
Maybe I had changed a little?
Maybe some wounds had faded?
Or maybe... a new kind of pain was on its way.
As I reached the bottom, the first thing I noticed were the eyes waiting for me.
And among all of them… was Kai's face.
Some habits never change.
Like how, in a group, I only ever saw Kai.
Or how one short glance from him could still paint my cheeks red.
But I didn't mind those habits. Not at all.
As I stepped closer, everyone stood up.
Mom and Arian were seated on the west side of the table, Souh and Kai on the east.
"Well, there you go. Sia's here. Kids, take care of yourselves. Have fun with Tai."
Mom said, and we all answered—except Souh.
There were so many things I never dared to ask Souh.
Mom… was just one of them.
"Sia, that outfit really suits you."
Kai said.
Maybe for him it was just a few words…
But for me, it was a rhythm—one my heart danced to.
"Thanks," I whispered softly.
Suddenly, there was a loud sound.
Someone had slammed their hand against the table.
I turned my head.
It was Arian.
In a calm but firm voice, he said,
"We're late… let's go."
Even though we've known each other for a while, some of his actions still confuse me.
Like now.
One by one, we all stepped out of the house.
Tai's black car was parked in front.
And beside it, Tai stood—black shirt, grey pants, and a white hoodie.
Though he's just fifteen or sixteen, Tai always looked out for us.
Ever since we lived with my dad… even now.
But the way he treated Souh…
That was different.
It was as if saying "no" to Souh wasn't an option for him.
"Sia, aren't you getting in?"
Souh's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
Everyone else was already inside.
"Coming," I replied, running toward the car.
A few minutes later, the car was moving.
Souh sat in the front.
Kai by the right window, Arian in the middle, and I sat by the left.
Outside, the trees and greenery passed us by like memories rising from some forgotten place.
One by one, thoughts I thought I had buried came back to life.
Maybe it was because of everything I'd been thinking about lately…
Or maybe it was just age.
Curiosity.
We were getting close to the beach.
The scent of saltwater, the breeze brushing my hair through the half-open window, the sound of waves we hadn't even reached yet.
The car was quiet—except for Arian tapping on his phone and showing random things to Kai.
But I wasn't inside the car.
My mind had stayed somewhere outside the window.
And then I saw her.
Across the street, behind a rusted sign that read Welcome to the Beach, stood a girl.
Alone.
She wore a plain white dress, glowing faintly in the sunlight.
Her hair was yellow—maybe orange, or maybe just mist catching light.
But the worst part… were her eyes.
She was staring.
Not at us.
Not at the car.
At Souh.
Even from a distance, I could feel it—her eyes were locked on the front seat.
On where Souh was sitting.
Souh, as always, silent.
Phone in hand.
Like he didn't sense anything.
But I… I felt it.
Something in the world shifted.
A cold shiver ran down my back.
I blinked.
And she was gone.
No girl. No white dress. No orange hair.
Only the torn flag on the rusted sign swaying in the wind.
"Sia, are you okay? You look pale,"
Kai said beside me, tilting his head slightly.
I smiled—a fake smile even I couldn't believe.
"Nothing… I just thought I saw something."
But it wasn't just "something."
It was her.
And whatever was behind her gaze hadn't left my skin.
That trip... was beginning to feel darker by the second.
Maybe that girl...
was the beginning of my downfall.
The car stopped by the shore.
Everyone got out, excited.
Arian and Kai laughed, their voices echoing against the sea breeze.
But me...
I was still haunted by the image of that girl.
That stare. That silence. That spot where she had stood.
"Sia?"
Souh's voice came from behind.
I turned and looked at him.
His lips were closed, but his eyes… something about them felt different.
As if he sensed something too.
As if the world had gone quiet just between us.
I walked toward the sand.
It was warm, alive beneath my feet.
The wind tugged at my hair.
The waves didn't sound gentle anymore—they were crashing, harder than before.
The others were building sandcastles.
Tai was talking on the phone.
But I…
I drifted away from the group.
Toward the rocks—where the waves reached high and sometimes birds came to rest.
That's when I heard it.
"Sia..."
Soft. Like the breeze.
But it said my name.
I turned.
No one was there.
Only waves, distant palm trees, and a sky turning gray like it wanted to rain.
Then I heard it again.
Louder this time. Sharper.
"Sia…"
And I walked.
I don't know why.
Maybe because I was still a kid.
Maybe because I thought someone needed help.
I went behind the rocks.
And there… I saw her.
Not too close. Not too far.
Just enough to see.
Not clearly.
A shadow.
That same girl.
Same white dress.
Same light hair.
But this time…
She was crouched down, writing something in the sand with her fingernails.
I stepped closer.
The sand beneath her feet was darker—wet, maybe. Or maybe stained with something red.
She was writing a name.
Sia.
My hand froze.
I didn't breathe.
At that moment, she looked up.
Right at me.
Her eyes—empty, lifeless.
Like she wasn't human.
And then… she smiled.
Not a kind smile.
A quiet, terrifying one.
The kind someone wears when they know what's about to happen—and they're waiting for it.
I wanted to run.
But my legs wouldn't move.
Something—maybe a hand, maybe just fear—held me still.
Then I heard someone scream.
"SIAAAAA!"
It was Souh.
He was running toward me.
The girl stood up.
She walked slowly toward me.
Her smile… softened.
More human now.
Almost kind.
She got close—looked straight into my eyes.
And then pushed me—hard—into the sea.
I fell.
Into the water.
Cold. Dark. Breathless.
All the sounds vanished.
Just waves. Just cold. Just that name echoing in my mind—
Sia.
I couldn't breathe.
My vision blurred.
I thought I was going to die.
Until someone pulled me out.
Hands.
Voices.
Tai shouting.
Kai's face.
Souh's soaked arms.
But worse than all of them—
Was her stare.
From far away.
Behind the trees.
Still watching me.
As if she had won.
As if she had planted that moment deep inside me.
And I realized,
That trip…
was the last day of my childhood.
After that,
nothing was ever the same.
---
A strange bell woke me from a light sleep.
I wasn't fully present yet, but I knew… we were leaving the beach.
Faster than usual.
"Sia, what happened? Why did you fall in the water?"
Kai asked, and all eyes turned toward me.
My mind wouldn't let me speak the truth.
My tongue faltered.
"I was playing… and slipped," I said quietly.
But even I couldn't believe the lie.
I don't know why, but after that, I started seeing a dark mask on everyone's face.
Maybe it was just my mind.
Or maybe… it showed me the faces hiding behind their own masks.
But Kai was different.
His face held no darkness—only his worried eyes, fixed on me.
We got close to home.
In the rearview mirror, I saw Tai's face.
His calm expression… was gone.
He looked tense. A little afraid.
And he didn't take his foot off the gas.
Then he hit the brakes—hard.
"Go get yourselves some ice cream," Tai said, his voice tight with something between anger and urgency.
But I felt something dark from him.
I knew…
this wasn't about ice cream.
And whatever was happening...
...had just begun.
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