A few hours later, Jill was in the lecture hall, seated in the far corner with her book on her lap, reading and thinking at once. The room was silent now. Students strolled in loose bunches, their voices low and faces etched with anxiety. Some leaned over desks, whispering theories, while others paced around, too nervous to sit, as rumours of Curt and Dave's disappearance spread like wildfire over campus.
Jill stayed apart.
Her fingertips rested on the pages of a dog-eared book she had read twice before. It wasn't the story that held her there; it was the silence, the act of pretending she could concentrate. Outside, the light was gentle and unusual. The breeze whispered through the open window on her left, brushing against her cheek like a ghost's breath.
Then came a quick, discomforting wind.
The pages flipped violently, scattering her belongings all around. The cover flew and slammed shut before she could grab it. She looked out the window, surprised, and her pulse quickened a little.
But as she returned to steady the book, her breath caught in her throat.
He was present.
Adex Wilfred.
Sitting across from her at the adjacent desk.
Sitting silently.
Unblinking.
Jill's eyes widened, and her fingers tightened around the book. She hadn't heard him enter—no creak of the door, no sound of footsteps.
"What—" she began, her voice quiet as air.
He neither smiled nor blinked. With that disconcerting calm etched deeply into his face, he stared at her as if he had been waiting a long time for her reaction.
He eventually spoke. "Why do you always sit alone, Jill?"
The words felt overly precise. His voice was low, almost kind, yet carried a harsh edge, as if he already knew the answer and wasn't asking.
Jill's shoulders stiffened. "What kind of question is that?"
"You are constantly sitting apart, even when people surround you. Why?"
She looked away. "I like reading."
"No, you like hiding," he said.
The pause that followed was prolonged.
Jill met his gaze again, her jaw tightening. "What do you want?"
Adex leaned forward slightly. "I did not come to confess any feeling to you, if that's what you think."
"I came to warn you," he said, his voice low and urgent
Jill blinked. "Warn me?" Her voice was hardly audible. "About what?"
"Something's coming," he remarked. "And it has its eyes on you."
Jill's laughter was rapid and dry. "Is this another one of your studies?"
Adex tilted his head. "No. This one isn't in my notes."
Something was wrong with the way he stated it. A pitch-black gloom hung over his words, making her grip her book even tighter.
He did not stop. "Have you experienced anything funny lately? Things do not look the same. You hear things when you are alone. See faces in mirrors. And you aren't sleeping much anymore."
She inhaled deeply.
"Why are you asking me all these questions?" Jill asked.
Adex gave a slight shrug. "I see things too. You're not the only one."
She was quiet for a moment. Then: "This is creepy."
She shook her head in disbelief, strands of hair reflecting the dim light like threads of uncertainty.
"No... no, that doesn't make any sense." Her voice cracked slightly as the room closed in around her.
"What are you talking about?"
He did not respond right away. "I am not trying to scare you, Jill. I'm trying to prepare you. Curt and Dave's sudden disappearances are not random. And they're not over."
Jill's throat was dry. She tried to speak, but the words would not come.
"Are you saying I'm going to disappear too?" Jill asked.
"No," Adex replied, shifting in his seat and locking eyes with her.
"You're broken, Jill, you're broken and you need to be fixed.
The words struck her like a blow, leaving her looking as if she'd just been hit.
Adex continued, voice slower now, thoughtful. "Tell me, Jill, when was the last time you saw either of them?"
Jill remained frozen; the shock was still etched across her face.
"Have you asked yourself why you're seeing them when no one else could?" Adex enquired, his brow furrowed, a shade of doubt cast across his face.
He continued. "Think about it, Jill. You're not supposed to be in this situation—unless you're part of the Binding." Adex remarked quietly, his eyes narrowing with disturbing conviction.
She stayed silent.
A voice from the doorway cut through the tension.
"Adex!" Alice's voice.
Jill turned just as Alice appeared, her expression concerned. She had noticed Jill's expression from across the hall and quickened her steps.
"What are you doing?" Alice called out, hastening her steps as she moved toward Adex and Jill.
Adex stood slowly and didn't look at Alice right away. His gaze stayed on Jill's face for one more second, calm and unreadable.
"Think about what I said, ask yourself if I'm wrong."
Adex did not flinch. "Then tell me something, Jill—have you seen your menstrual cycle this month?"
Jill's eyes sprang wide open, and her jaw dropped in disbelief. "What?"
"You heard me," he remarked quietly.
She stared at him. Totally discarded. "That's not your business—"
"Just think about it," he said kindly.
"Stop it," she yelled, standing halfway from her seat. "Get away from me."
But Adex remained calm, his gaze fixed on hers.
He said, "Jill, something is after you—you need to stay alert and pay close attention to every sign you see around you."
"Think about what I said," he urged her. "All of it."
He took a step towards the door and met Alice on the way.
"Hi Alice"
"What do you want with my friend?" Alice yelled, her voice tinged with rage, as she looked at Jill, who stood there, deep in contemplation.
Adex was mute, gave a slight smile, and walked away.
Jill stayed engrossed in her seat, her breathing shallow and her muscles tense with uncertainty.
Alice rushed to her side. "Jill? What happened?"
Jill did not respond. Her lips were slightly open, and her attention was focused on the spot Adex had occupied. Her thoughts raced, but nothing settled. His words would never leave her. They repeatedly played in her mind.
'Have you seen your menstrual cycle this month?'
She touched her stomach without thinking. Something seemed wrong, deep inside her bones.
Alice touched her shoulder. "Jill. Hey. "Look at me."
"Don't believe everything he told you. He's always been weird. What did he tell you?"
Jill blinked, eventually directing her sight to Alice.
"Are you alright?" Alice asked.
Jill shook her head slowly.
Alice studied her. "Was he threatening you?"
"No," Jill whispered.
The lecture hall was quiet now. A bird flew past the open window, its wings a brief flash of silver. A locker was smashed somewhere along the corridor. But here, between Jill and Alice, time seemed to stretch.
Jill breathed and stood up, her legs shaky.
"Where are you going?" Alice enquired.
Jill didn't respond. She walked to the window and glanced outside, staring at the same position where she had seen Curt and Dave.
She mumbled to herself, scarcely audible, "I didn't imagine them."
She turned back to Alice, her face depressed. "If I disappear… don't believe the stories they tell."
And with that, she walked away, leaving Alice stunned and a shiver going down her spine.
Outside, the sky had become a little too grey.
And somewhere along the lonely corridor, Jill's footsteps were accompanied by a whisper that only she could hear.