Kayla stared at the message on her phone for the last time before locking the screen.
She had already read it enough times.
There was no point reading it again.
At least, that was what she told herself.
The mysterious message from the previous night remained somewhere in the back of her mind, sitting quietly like an unanswered question.
She had considered telling her father about it.
Several times, actually.
But every time she imagined explaining it, something inside her stopped her.
She didn't know who had sent it.
She didn't know what they wanted.
And most importantly, she didn't know whether telling Mr. Wayne would make things better or worse.
So, for now, she decided to keep it between herself and the stranger on the other end of the phone.
Whatever happened next would happen.
Kayla slipped the phone into her pocket and leaned back against the chair.
Her weekend had been peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Which was probably why Mira and Alex had decided to ruin it.
"Please, Kayla."Mira's voice came through her phone."Just one day."
Kayla stared at the message.
Another one appeared.
Mira: You can't study alone forever.
Then Alex joined.
Alex: She's right.
Kayla sighed.
Kayla: I never said I study alone.
Alex: You literally do.
Mira: Exactly.
Kayla stared at the screen.
She could already imagine Mira's dramatic expression.
Mira: The city library is beautiful. And it's quiet. And we can study together.
Alex: And there's food nearby.
Kayla paused..
That last argument was surprisingly effective.
She had never really explored Veyra City.
For most of her life, her movements had been carefully controlled.
School.
Estate.
Neighborhood.
Home.
That was basically it.
She had been prohibited from wandering around the city alone because of her... unusual circumstances.
Kayla understood why.
Still, curiosity had always been a quiet companion.
She wondered what the rest of Veyra looked like.
The busy streets.
The shops.
The parks.
The people.
The places she had only ever seen through car windows.
She finally typed:
Kayla: Fine.
Three dots immediately appeared.
Mira: WAIT. REALLY?!
Alex: She said yes?
Mira: SHE SAID YES!
Kayla frowned.
Kayla: It's just studying.
Mira: I KNOW! I'M STILL HAPPY.
Alex sent a laughing emoji.
They arranged to meet Saturday morning at the city library.
Mira and Alex offered to pick her up.
Kayla declined.
Instead, she told them to send the location and schedule to her phone.
They agreed.
And just like that, her quiet weekend was no longer quiet.---
Saturday morning arrived with unusually clear skies.
Kayla stood in front of her mirror, examining herself with the same expression she used when looking at an unfinished assignment.She wasn't trying to impress anyone.
She never did.
She wore an oversized black T-shirt tucked slightly into loose grey cargo trousers.
A dark jacket hung loosely over her shoulders, while black sneakers completed the outfit.
Her shoulder-length dark hair was brushed back casually, with part of it tied behind her head.
Comfortable.
Simple.
Exactly how she liked it.
She grabbed her phone, keys, and bag.
Downstairs, the house was already awake.
Staff moved quietly through the palour while the morning sunlight poured through the windows.
Kayla walked past them without saying much.
Outside, her car waited.
She got in.
The engine started.
And for once, instead of heading toward school or somewhere inside the familiar boundaries of her usual routine, Kayla drove toward Veyra City.---Mira had chosen a completely different approach to Saturday's outfit.
She looked like she had spent at least an hour deciding what to wear.
Her orange hair fell neatly around her shoulders, framing her glasses.
She wore a soft cream-colored blouse tucked into a pleated dark skirt, with a light cardigan over it.
White sneakers and a small shoulder bag completed the look.
She looked feminine without trying too hard.
Beside her stood Alex.
And Alex looked like he had walked out of a fashion advertisement.
He wore a fitted black jacket over a plain white shirt, dark trousers, and clean white sneakers.
His blond hair was carefully styled, though he would probably insist it wasn't.
He carried a backpack over one shoulder.
Mira looked at him.
"You know we're going to study, right?"
Alex adjusted his jacket.
"I know."
"Then why do you look like you're attending a photoshoot?"
He smiled.
"Maybe the library has photographers."
Mira rolled her eyes."You are impossible."
."Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I choose to take it as one."
They both laughed.
The city bus pulled up near the library.
They stepped off with their bags and looked toward the enormous building ahead.
The Veyra City Library was nothing like the small school library Kayla was used to.
It was enormous.
The building stood several stories high, constructed from pale stone and enormous glass panels that reflected the morning sky.
Tall trees surrounded the entrance, their branches moving gently in the wind.
A wide staircase led to the main doors.
Above them, silver letters spelled:VEYRA CENTRAL LIBRARY.
Inside, the atmosphere changed immediately.
The noise of the city seemed to disappear.
The entrance opened into a huge central hall filled with bookshelves that stretched almost to the ceiling.
Hanging lights gave the room a warm golden glow.
Glass elevators moved silently between floors, and narrow bridges connected the upper sections.
There were study desks everywhere.
Some were arranged individually.
Others were grouped around large circular tables.
Near the far wall was a massive digital catalog displaying thousands of books.
Mira's eyes widened."Okay."She looked around.
"This place is amazing."
Alex nodded.
"I told you."
"You've been here before?"
"Once."
"When?"
"Last year."
Mira looked suspiciously at him."You came here alone?"
"Yes."
"To study?"
Alex hesitated."Mostly."
Mira narrowed her eyes."Mostly?"
"I found a café nearby."
She laughed."Of course you did."
Then a familiar car pulled into the parking area outside.
Kayla stepped out.
Mira waved enthusiastically.
"Kayla!"
Kayla raised one hand in response.
"You actually came"
Alex said.
Kayla looked at him."You sound surprised."
"I am."
She gave him a flat look.
"Why?"
"Because I thought we'd have to drag you here."
"You tried."
"And failed."
"Exactly."Mira laughed."Come on. Let's go inside before you two start arguing."
---They found a quiet table on the second floor.
For the next two hours, everything was surprisingly normal.
They studied.
They complained about the upcoming midterm tests.
They helped each other with difficult questions.
Mira struggled with one topic and nearly gave up."This makes no sense."
Kayla looked at her notes."It does."
"No, it doesn't."
"You skipped the first step."
Mira blinked.
"Oh."
Kayla pointed to the page."Start here."
Mira followed her explanation.
A few minutes later, her face brightened.
"Oh!"Alex leaned over.
"She understands."Mira smiled proudly.
"I understand."
Kayla returned to her book.
"Good."
Alex looked between them.
"You two are surprisingly good together."
Mira smiled.
"She's the only reason I'm passing."
Kayla shook her head.
"You're exaggerating"
"I'm not."Their small conversation continued.
Then Kayla stopped turning the page.
Something had changed.
She felt it before she saw it.
A strange pressure.
A sensation crawling along the back of her neck.
Her eyes slowly lifted from the book.
Across the library, a man sat alone at a table.
At first, nothing seemed unusual.
He looked like an ordinary man.
Pale skin.
Dark clothes.
A tired expression.
Then Kayla noticed the thing attached to him.
Her eyes narrowed.
Something black and twisted was wrapped around the man's upper body.It wasn't clothing.It wasn't human.
It looked like a living creature.
Thin, vein-like structures stretched across the man's neck and disappeared beneath his collar.
Something resembling long fingers curled around his shoulders.
The creature's body moved.
Slowly.
Almost like it was breathing.
Kayla remained perfectly still.
Her expression didn't change.
But something inside her went cold.
The man's face twisted with pain.
His hand gripped the edge of the table.
His mouth opened slightly.
No sound came out.
Nobody reacted.
People walked past him.
A woman nearby continued reading.
A student laughed quietly at another table.
The librarian didn't even look in his direction.
Kayla stared.
She knew immediately.
They couldn't see it.
The creature wasn't there.
Not physically.
At least, not in the way they could perceive it.
A deep voice suddenly echoed inside her mind.
It's an illusion
Kayla's fingers tightened around her pen.
No one else can see it.
The voice was calm.
Almost emotionless.
But you can.
Kayla didn't answer.
Her eyes remained fixed on the creature.
The parasite slowly lifted its head.
Kayla froze.
It had no normal face.
No clear eyes.
No recognizable features.
Yet she knew it was looking directly at her.
Assessing her.
Studying her.
The creature leaned forward.
For a moment, Kayla had the strange sensation that it could see something beneath her skin.
Something hidden.
Something familiar.
The creature's body shifted.
Its attention moved away from the man.
And toward her.
Kayla's heartbeat remained steady.
But her instincts screamed.
The voice returned.
It recognize you.
Her jaw tightened.
The creature stared at her as though it had found something it had been searching for.
A vessel.
A possibility.
Something worth tasting.
Kayla slowly lowered her pen.
The man's painful expression became clearer.
His eyes squeezed shut.
His breathing became heavier.
Yet no one noticed.
The creature was already bonded to him.
Whatever had happened between them had already happened.
There was no undoing it.
But somehow, the creature still looked interested in Kayla.
As though it was wondering whether she would make a better host.
Kayla stared back.
Neither moved.
Then—"Kayla?"
Nothing.
"Kayla"
Still nothing.
A hand touched her shoulder.
Kayla suddenly blinked.
The library returned.
The books.The desks.The quiet whispers.
Mira.
Kayla turned toward her.
Mira was staring at her with obvious concern."Are you okay?"
Kayla looked at her.
"Yes."
Mira frowned.
"No, you're not."
"I'm fine."
"You've been staring at the same page for almost five minutes."
Alex looked up from his book."Five minutes?"
Mira nodded.
"She didn't even blink."
Alex studied Kayla.
"Are you feeling sick?"
"No."Kayla glanced toward the other table.
The man was still there.
But there was nothing on him.
Just an ordinary man sitting quietly with a book.
Kayla's eyes narrowed.
Mira followed her gaze."Do you know him?"
"No."
"Then what were you looking at?"
Kayla paused.
She could tell them.
She could say there was something attached to him.
Something horrible.
Something alive.
But what would they think?
That she was imagining things?
That she was losing her mind?Or worse—What if the thing was
somehow connected to her?Kayla slowly looked back at Mira.
"Nothing."
Mira clearly didn't believe her.
Alex didn't either.
But neither pushed further.
Kayla picked up her pen again.
Her eyes returned to the page.
She tried to focus.
But the words blurred together.
Because somewhere deep inside her mind, that unfamiliar voice whispered one final sentence.
You should have stayed home.
Kayla's fingers stopped.
For the first time that morning—she wondered if it had been a mistake coming to the library.
Not because of the creature.
But because the creature had seen her.
And now she had a terrible feeling that something else might see her too.
Something that had been watching long before she ever noticed.
Something that might already know exactly what she was.
Kayla slowly looked toward the library windows.
Outside, Veyra City continued moving as though nothing had happened.
Cars passed.
People walked along the sidewalks.
The sun shone brightly.
Everything looked normal.
But Kayla knew better.
Sometimes the most dangerous things were the ones hiding beneath ordinary appearances.
And for the first time since arriving at the library, Kayla wasn't curious about Veyra City anymore.
She was wondering what else was hiding inside it.