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Stay alive, stay alert... and don't trust the shadows.
---
The smoke hadn't even cleared before the questions started.
"What the hell just happened?!"
"You saw that, right?! That actually happened?!"
"We were supposed to be on that plane!"
Carter Horton was the loudest of the group, pacing like a caged animal. His girlfriend, Terry, was trying to calm him down, but it wasn't working. He kept looking back at the shattered terminal window like the fireball might reach through and drag him in.
Behind them, Billy Hitchcock sat slumped on a bench, face pale, hands shaking. He looked like he wanted to vomit.
Tod Waggner stood frozen, staring at the flames. His lips moved like he was praying or counting or reciting something. Next to him, Alex Browning sat on the floor with his head between his knees, breathing fast and shallow. A teacher was arguing with airport staff behind us, trying to get answers. There were none.
And Clear... she was watching me.
Not Alex. Me.
I could feel her gaze, sharp and questioning.
Because she'd seen what I did with the luggage bin.
She didn't believe in coincidence. Not anymore.
---
"Alright, everyone, we need to move," one of the airport staff said, his voice clipped, professional. "We're taking you to a secure room for statements and debriefing. Please stay calm."
They led us away from the terminal as emergency lights flashed and sirens howled outside. The air smelled like smoke and melted plastic. I kept my head down, but inside, my mind was spinning.
I'd already changed fate once. That luggage thread. The overhead bin. Clear should've been knocked outâor killedâbefore she even left the plane.
And yet... she was still here.
The system's voice echoed faintly in my head again:
> [Death Chain Disrupted. New Pattern Forming...]
Whatever was supposed to happen, wasn't going to follow the script anymore.
---
The room they shoved us into looked like an airport lounge turned holding cell. Security guards stood outside. Inside, it was quietâtoo quiet.
Tod paced in tight circles. Carter had slumped into a chair, arms folded, muttering curses. Billy looked like he was seconds away from a breakdown.
And Alex⊠Alex kept whispering to himself, shaking his head like he was trying to rewrite reality.
"This wasn't supposed to happen," he said. "This was just a dream. Just a vision. It wasn't real."
Clear sat beside me, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"You knew," she said softly. "Didn't you?"
I looked at her. "What do you mean?"
"That bin. You moved the bag before it fell. And you knew it would. That's not something you do unless you've seen it happen before."
I hesitated. "I'm... just cautious."
She didn't look convinced. "And the look on your face when the plane exploded? You weren't surprised. You were waiting for it."
I didn't reply. Not yet.
> [Hidden Stat Unlocked: "Suspicion" â Clear Rivers: 41%]
Great.
The system was keeping track of how close they were to figuring me out.
I focused instead on the threads.
Even in this lounge, I could still see themâthin red lines connecting objects to people. A frayed cable above Billy's seat. An exposed power outlet where Tod kept brushing his foot. A hot coffee pot too close to the edge of a table.
Everywhere I looked, death waited.
---
Two hours passed. The adults argued. Phones rang. People shouted behind closed doors.
Eventually, we were released with nothing more than a half-hearted apology and instructions to "stay in touch with school officials."
No one had answers. No one had explanations.
So we left.
---
Outside the terminal, I paused.
The air was heavy, charged.
> [New Mission: Chain Prevention â Target 1 Identified]
Name: Tod Waggner
Threat Level: HIGH
Status: Marked by Death
Objective: Prevent Tod's Death Within 24 Hours
Reward: +100 Fate Points
Bonus: Reveal of Secondary System Feature
A chill ran down my back.
I remembered this part from the movie.
Tod was the first to dieâan accident in the bathroom. He slipped, the cord of the shower wrapped around his neck. They thought it was suicide. But it was Death. Calculated. Clean.
Unless I stopped it, it would happen againâtonight.
I had less than 24 hours.
---
Everyone scattered quickly after that. The teachers were staying to handle the press. Parents were being contacted. Carter stormed off with Terry. Billy left in a daze. Alex went home, dragging his parents behind him, muttering something about "looking for signs."
Only Clear stayed behind.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
She shrugged. "Home, I guess. I live out by the river."
I offered a small smile. "Need a ride?"
She glanced at me. "You have a car?"
I didn't. But apparently, Kai Morgan's parents did.
I borrowed it. Another weird blessing from the system.
---
We drove in silence for a while.
Clear stared out the window, fingers drumming against the door.
"You don't talk much," I said.
"I don't trust easily," she replied.
"Fair."
A pause.
She turned to me, her eyes piercing. "Do you think we cheated death?"
I didn't answer right away.
"No," I said finally. "I think we just pissed it off."
---
After I dropped her off, I checked the system again.
> [Active Thread â TOD WAGGNER: Status: Critical]
[Event Trigger in: 3 Hours 41 Minutes]
I didn't waste time.
I looked up his addressâKai's memories provided itâand made my way across town.
It was late when I arrived. His house was dimly lit. A single window glowed upstairs.
I crept to the side of the house, trying not to freak anyone out, and peeked inside through the bathroom window.
There he was.
Tod, brushing his teeth, music playing faintly.
My heart pounded.
> [Death Thread Detected â Source: Shower cord, Wet Tile, Loose Valve, Electrical Flicker]
[Likelihood of Fatal Outcome: 92%]
[Intervention: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED]
He stepped into the tub to check the drain, slipping slightly.
Here it comes.
I rushed around the side of the house, heart racing, and knocked hard on the front door.
No answer.
"Tod!" I shouted.
Footsteps upstairs.
The bathroom light flickered.
And thenâCRASH!
I didn't wait.
I kicked the door open.
---
The house was quiet, but I could hear the creak of pipes and the sputter of water.
I bolted up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
When I got to the bathroom, the door was cracked open. I pushed it the rest of the way.
And saw Tod.
On the floor, choking, the shower cord wrapped tight around his neck. His face was turning red, feet kicking, slipping on the tiles.
I didn't think. I just moved.
I grabbed the cord, yanking it loose, slipping on the wet porcelain as we both fell into the tub.
He gasped, sucking in air, coughing violently.
I lay there beside him, soaked, heart pounding.
Tod turned his head slowly.
"âŠWhat the hell, man?!"
---
> [Thread Severed: Tod Waggner SAVED]
[+100 Fate Points]
[Bonus Achieved: Secondary System Feature Unlocked]
[Skill Unlocked: Deathsense Lv.1 â Passive alerts when marked individuals
are in immediate fatal proximity]
> [Warning: Death has accelerated its Design.]
---
To be continued...
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