The rooftop was empty.
By the time Sam looked up
the mysterious figure had already disappeared.
“…Sam?”
Mehjabeen’s voice pulled him back.
“You seem distracted.”
“For a moment.”
She glanced towards the rooftop.
“What were you looking at?”
“Nothing.”
She didn’t believe him
but she didn’t press on.
Instead, she offered him a blue folder.
“Our project.”
Sam took it from her hands.
On the cover, there was only one title written.
Psychology Research Initiative
Below it, simple words.
Teams of Two
“Professor Holloway assigned the partners this morning.”
“You chose me?”
“I requested you.”
“…Why?”
Mehjabeen gave him an honest answer.
“Because you see things differently.”
Sam peered at the folder.
“And if I refused?”
“I would’ve worked alone.”
“…Fair enough.”
“Oi!”
Ollie jogged towards them.
“You two already planning to become famous psychologists?”
Ethan followed him, two sandwiches in his hands.
“I think they’re planning to ignore us.”
Claire sighed.
“They’ve been talking for less than two minutes.”
“That’s enough.”
Ollie said confidently.
Everyone chuckled, including Mehjabeen.
The five of them slowly walked across the courtyard.
Students passed by in all directions.
Some rushing to their lectures, while others trying to avoid them.
Ollie glanced around.
“So…”
“Who’s actually good at psychology?”
Claire raised her hand.
“I read.”
Mehjabeen nodded.
“I compete.”
Everyone turned to Sam.
“…I attend class.”
Ollie blinked.
“That’s the most suspicious answer I’ve ever heard.”
Professor Holloway arrived at exactly one o’clock.
He didn’t waste any time
as he placed a small wooden box on his desk.
“This semester…” Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
He said calmly.
“…your project will not be about psychology.”
Gasps echoed around the room.
“It will be about people.”
The class was left speechless.
“…Each team will have one anonymous subject.”
“You may observe them.”
“You may interview them.”
“You may study them.”
“But…”
“…you may never tell them that you’re doing so.”
The lecture hall was completely silent.
Professor Holloway gave a small smile.
“The best psychologists…”
“…learn without announcing themselves.”
He started handing out sealed envelopes.
One for each team.
When he reached Sam and Mehjabeen,
he hesitated for the briefest moment
before placing theirs on the desk.
“Good luck.”
After the lecture, the five friends gathered beneath an old oak tree in the courtyard.
Ollie tore open his envelope.
“Our subject is…”
He frowned.
“…A university janitor?”
Claire peered at hers.
“We got a librarian.”
Ethan chuckled.
“I got the cafeteria manager.”
Mehjabeen turned to Sam.
“You?”
Sam slowly opened the envelope.
Inside, there was only one line.
No name.
No picture.
No file.
Only six simple words.
Observe the person observing you
Silence.
Mehjabeen read it again.
“…This isn’t funny.”
Sam turned the envelope over.
Empty.
No signature.
No mistake either.
Ollie leaned over his shoulder.
“What’d you guys get?”
Mehjabeen quickly closed the envelope.
“…Nothing important.”
Sam watched her reaction.
She wasn’t lying to protect the assignment.
She was lying to hide it.
Interesting.
The café was small, warm, and always busy.
Ollie somehow convinced them to order the largest drinks available.
Five minutes later, he silently cursed himself.
“I’ve made a terrible financial decision.”
Claire shook her head.
“You make one every day.”
“I like consistency.”
The others laughed.
For the first time since arriving in Blackthorn,
Sam wasn’t observing.
He was simply enjoying the conversation.
Outside the café, across the street,
a newspaper vendor carefully folded his paper.
He glanced towards the window.
Towards Sam.
Then went back to arranging tomorrow’s headlines.
Nothing unusual.
Except that
he never sold a single newspaper.
As the sun began to set, the group left the café together.
At the corner of the street, they went their separate ways.
“See you tomorrow!”
Ollie called.
“Don’t be late.”
Claire added.
“I won’t.”
Sam replied.
Mehjabeen walked beside him for a few paces.
After a moment, she finally spoke.
“Do you think our assignment is real?”
Sam thought about it.
“…Yes.”
“And if someone is actually observing us?”
He adjusted his glasses.
“Then…”
“…the first person to panic loses.”
Mehjabeen smiled.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
She crossed the street and disappeared into the evening crowd.
Sam continued walking alone.
Or so he thought.
High above the streets of London,
behind the glass of an office building,
someone slowly closed a pair of binoculars.
A quiet voice murmured to the empty room.
“…He’s making friends.”
Another voice answered from the darkness.
“Good.”
“The lonely ones…”
“…are always easier to predict.”
The room fell silent once more.
Outside, London carried on as if nothing had happened.
But somewhere in its endless streets,
the first move had already been made.
End of Chapter 9
TO BE CONTINUED….