Ariel’s POV
The three of us decided to spend the night inside the institute.
None of us wanted to risk being separated.
Not after everything that had happened.
We still didn’t understand the rules of this new world.
If another Echo appeared…
If more Phantoms came..
.
At least we’d face them together.
Hours passed.
The silence inside the damaged institute was almost unsettling.
I closed my eyes.
Then opened them again.
Sleep refused to come.
Across the room, James shifted in his sleeping bag for what felt like the tenth time.
He wasn’t asleep either.
He probably thought everyone else was.
If only he knew…
Thanks to my ability, the darkness wasn’t really dark anymore.
Everything around me was surprisingly clear.
The broken walls.
The shattered glass.
The faint moonlight pouring through the cracked windows.
Even…
Luther.
Unlike the rest of us…
He was completely asleep.
“…How does he even manage that?”
A small smile escaped my lips.
After everything we’d been through today…
He was somehow sleeping peacefully.
His light brown hair had fallen across his forehead, covering part of his face.
For a moment…
I found myself staring.
Maybe James was right earlier.
Luther really did have a habit of staring at me.
But…
I wasn’t much different.
“…He’s kind of cute.”
The words slipped out before I realized it.
Heat rushed to my cheeks.
“What am I thinking…”
I quickly looked away.
Outside…
The night remained eerily quiet.
No monsters.
No alarms.
Only the sound of distant wind. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Then…
Rustle.
James suddenly sat upright.
His eyes widened.
He stared into the darkness as if a missing puzzle piece had finally fallen into place.
“…No way.”
He whispered.
I frowned.
“What did he figure out?”
Whatever it was…
He didn’t wake us.
Instead…
He slowly lay back down.
“…Morning.”
He muttered to himself.
“I’ll tell them in the morning.”
A few minutes later…
His breathing became steady.
He had finally fallen asleep.
I let out a quiet sigh.
“…Tomorrow.”
“I hope we finally get some answers.”
As I closed my eyes…
I couldn’t shake the feeling that tomorrow would change everything.