The notebook sat heavy in Lukas's hands.
Its pages were filled with frantic notes, maps, and symbols—all written in Felix's sharp, deliberate script. The ink in some places had smudged, as if it had been rewritten too many times, as if Felix had forced himself to remember something he almost forgot.
But the sketch of the faceless man was what drew Lukas's eyes the most.
"If it sees you, it remembers you."
He exhaled slowly, his pulse steady but his mind racing.
Felix had taken a seat across from him, one leg crossed over the other, watching him with an unreadable expression. He looked too relaxed for someone who had just faced down a Hollow.
Lukas finally spoke. "You act like this is normal."
Felix smirked. "It is."
Lukas stared at him. "That thing wasn't normal."
Felix shrugged. "Neither is this town."
Lukas dragged a hand down his face, trying to push away the growing tension in his chest. His fingers were shaking slightly—he hated that.
"What happens now?" he asked.
Felix's smirk faded. "That depends."
Lukas frowned. "On what?"
Felix's gaze sharpened, and for the first time, his voice carried something heavier than amusement.
"On how long you last."
A cold weight settled in Lukas's stomach.
He clenched his jaw. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
Felix leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. His blue eyes pinned Lukas in place.
"You were seen, Lukas. That changes things."
Lukas swallowed. He already knew that. He felt that.
"…How much time do I have?" he asked.
Felix tilted his head slightly. "I don't know."
Lukas let out a bitter chuckle. "Of course you don't."
Felix smirked. "I could lie to you, if that'd make you feel better."
Lukas resisted the urge to throw the notebook at his head.
Instead, he took a steady breath and flipped through the pages.
The notes were detailed but incomplete—like Felix had spent years gathering pieces of something that never fully fit together. Some pages were crossed out violently, entire sections of text scratched over in thick ink.
Lukas turned another page.
And then, he froze.
His own name was written there.
Lukas Hartmann.
His breath caught in his throat. His chest tightened.
It wasn't just written once.
It was written multiple times.
Some entries had dates next to them. Others were crossed out. Some were rewritten underneath each other, as if Felix had been forcing himself to remember.
Lukas's fingers curled around the paper.
"What is this?"
Felix glanced at the page, then exhaled through his nose. "Oh."
Lukas slammed the notebook onto the table. "What does this mean?"
Felix rubbed his temple. "Relax."
"Relax?" Lukas's voice rose slightly, a sharp edge slicing through his words. "You've been writing my name down like some kind of record-keeper, and I'm supposed to relax?"
Felix sighed. "I told you—I have to remember people."
Lukas's skin crawled.
"How long have I been on that list?"
Felix hesitated.
Lukas's pulse pounded. "Felix."
The man exhaled. "…A while."
Lukas's blood ran cold.
His fingers twitched. "Be specific."
Felix looked at him, something unreadable flickering in his eyes.
"…Longer than you'd like."
Lukas's breath hitched.
He felt like he had just been punched in the gut.
Longer than I'd like?
He had lived here his whole life.
Hadn't he?
The thought came unbidden, sharp and unforgiving. His mind recoiled from it—a reflex, an instinct to not think too hard about the things that didn't add up.
But now?
Now he couldn't ignore it.
He couldn't remember when he got here.
And Felix had been writing his name for years.
Lukas pushed away from the table, his breath uneven. He needed air. He needed space.
Felix watched him carefully but didn't stop him.
Lukas turned, gripping the door handle too tightly as he stepped outside.
---
The cold air hit his skin immediately.
The street outside was still, the fog creeping low along the cobblestones, weaving through the narrow alleys like fingers searching for something lost.
Lukas leaned against the wall, pressing a hand against his chest. His heart pounded against his ribs, his thoughts spiraling.
His own name was in Felix's records.
Felix had been remembering him for longer than he could recall.
Had he been on the verge of disappearing? Had he already been erased once?
Had Felix… pulled him back?
Lukas swallowed hard.
The whisper from earlier still lingered in the back of his mind.
If it sees you, it remembers you.
Was he still being watched?
His pulse quickened.
Something felt wrong.
The fog ahead shifted.
Lukas tensed immediately, his breath catching. The mist moved too deliberately, curling unnaturally toward him.
His instincts screamed at him to move, but his feet refused to obey.
The whisper scraped against his mind.
Lukas whirled around.
A shape was standing in the alley behind him.
Not a Hollow. Not Felix.
Something else.
A figure in a tattered coat, head slightly bowed, its face obscured by the mist.
Lukas's throat closed.
The figure tilted its head slightly, as if considering him.
Lukas's body moved before his mind did.
He lunged for the door, throwing it open, slamming it shut behind him.
His breath was ragged, his heartbeat loud in his ears.
Felix barely looked up. "Saw something, didn't you?"
Lukas pressed his back against the door, his fingers digging into the wood.
"Shit."
Felix sighed. "Yeah, that sounds about right."