(Selene's POV)
The warmth of my bed clung to me like a second skin, refusing to let me go even when the soft golden light of morning seeped into the room. I barely remembered when I had gotten home last night, only that my body felt like a thousand bricks stacked upon itself. I hadn't even muttered a word to my parents about the day's events. Maybe it was exhaustion. Maybe it was fear. Or maybe… just maybe, I wanted to savor the tiny victory alone before reality came rushing back in.
The faint sound of tiny footsteps reached my ears before I heard the loud thump at my bedroom door.
"Selene! Selene, wake up!" Joe's eager voice broke through the haze of my dreams.
I groaned into my pillow, trying to cling to the last vestiges of sleep, but Joe had always been persistent, just like our grandfather.
"Come on, Sissy! Let's play Kings and Queens like Grandpa used to!"
At the mention of Grandpa, my heart squeezed painfully inside my chest.
Kings and Queens... that old, battered game console we used to laugh over for hours. A world where there were no sad goodbyes or lingering grief, only laughter and friendly rivalry.
How could I say no?
"Alright, alright," I mumbled, pushing myself up reluctantly. "Go get the pad, buddy. I'll set it up."
Joe's squeal of excitement was enough to melt any remaining grumpiness from my body as he scampered off to find the console. Smiling softly to myself, I swung my legs over the side of the bed, the coolness of the wooden floor grounding me.
As I was fumbling with my tangled mess of hair, another knock sounded, this time softer, heavier. Dad's knock.
"Selene, honey... can I come in?"
I rubbed my face before answering, "Yeah, Dad. Come in."
The door creaked open, and there he stood—Mr. Walter Javis—looking every bit the man who carried silent burdens on his shoulders since the day Grandpa died. His gray eyes, so much like mine, softened when they met mine.
"How did it go yesterday?" he asked, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him.
I bit my bottom lip, glancing quickly at the hallway where Joe was still busy hunting down the game controller.
"I got the job," I said simply.
Dad's brows lifted in surprise, and then, unmistakably, his eyes watered a little. He stepped closer, his hands twitching like he wanted to hug me but wasn't sure if he should.
"That's... that's wonderful news, Selene."
"Yeah," I whispered, voice thick with emotion I didn't know how to voice. "But there's more."
I pulled my knees up to my chest, curling into a ball atop the bed.
"They want me to move out… into the company's designated apartment. I have about a week to pack up, say my goodbyes."
Silence stretched between us for a heartbeat too long. Dad finally sat on the edge of the bed, his broad shoulders drooping under invisible weight.
"I guess it's time," he said, voice gravelly. "You've been searching for yourself ever since... ever since he left us. I'm proud of you, Selene. So proud."
He ruffled my hair gently like he used to when I was little, and I let him.
"Maybe it will give you a chance to brighten up for a while."He added.
Joe burst into the room then, holding up the dusty Kings and Queens pad like it was a treasure map.
"Found it!" he announced proudly. His bright face faltered a bit when he noticed Dad sitting there, and then his blue eyes—so innocent, so trusting—shifted to me. "You're leaving?"
I swallowed the lump forming in my throat.
"I'll still be around, buddy," I assured him, forcing a bright smile. "You can visit whenever you're on break. And I'll call. Every single day."
Joe's lip quivered, but then he nodded bravely, thrusting the controller toward me.
"Then you have to beat me one last time before you go!"
Dad chuckled softly, standing up and ruffling Joe's hair affectionately. "I'll leave you two to it," he said, backing out of the room.
Joe and I dove into the old game like old times, laughter echoing through the room, momentarily chasing away the heavy memories that lurked in every shadow.
Somehow deep within me I felt a surge like it wasnt Joe but someone else.I struggled to catch a glimpse of the exact memory but couldn't.
But even as I fought to focus on the game, the weight of change loomed ahead like a darkening storm.
Later that night, after everyone had gone to bed, I sat cross-legged on my bed, laptop balanced on my knees, mindlessly scrolling through apartment designs and work outfits, planning for a future that still felt distant and unreal.
That's when the screen flickered.
At first, I thought it was just a glitch,you know old laptop, old problems but then a small encrypted message blinked into existence. A black background, white letters.
"Be careful."
I froze. Heart hammering, mouth suddenly dry.
No sender. No subject line. Just two chilling words.
I stared at the screen, pulse thundering in my ears. I even pinched myself, half expecting to wake up and realize it was just a dream.
But no. The message remained, stubborn and taunting.
A million thoughts raced through my mind.
Was it spam? A prank?
Or something else?
A trickle of unease slid down my spine.
My first instinct was to close the laptop, pretend I hadn't seen it. But another part of me,the part that still dreamed of truth, that still burned with the fire my grandfather had nurtured in me—leaned closer to the screen, studying every pixel of the message.
Was it connected to my new job?
Or... was it connected to something older?
Something darker?
I couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't random.
That somehow, someone knew.
Knew about me. About my grandfather. About the questions still rotting in my heart.
I clutched the locket Grandpa had given me years ago:a tiny, silver device engraved with the words: "Trust yourself, Selene."
I closed my eyes, feeling the cool metal against my palm.
No matter what storms awaited me at Skype, no matter what secrets slithered beneath its gleaming walls, I would stand my ground.
For Grandpa.
For the truth.
For myself.
I opened my eyes, squared my shoulders, and typed three words back into the reply box, though I wasn't even sure it would send.
"I'm ready now."