Lukas's breath was still uneven as he pressed his back against the door. The weight of what had just happened sat heavy in his chest—the shifting fog, the figure in the alley, the way it had watched him.
Felix sat across the room, leaning back against the worn armchair like nothing had happened. He glanced up, his expression neutral, but his eyes held the sharpness of someone who already knew.
"Saw something, didn't you?"
Lukas swallowed, forcing his voice steady. "Yeah."
Felix let out a long breath, running a hand through his golden-brown hair. "And?"
Lukas hesitated. He didn't know how to explain it—not fully. The tattered coat, the unnatural way it tilted its head, the fact that it had been standing there, waiting.
"It wasn't a Hollow," Lukas said finally.
Felix raised an eyebrow. "No?"
Lukas shook his head. "Different. It didn't move. It just… watched."
Felix exhaled, leaning forward slightly. The dim glow of the lantern cast long shadows across his face. "And you're sure it was watching you?"
Lukas clenched his jaw. "I could feel it."
Felix studied him for a long moment before sighing and rubbing his temple. "Great. That's just fucking great."
Lukas narrowed his eyes. "What?"
Felix waved a hand lazily. "That means it knows you now. That's two of them."
A chill crawled down Lukas's spine. "Two?"
Felix tilted his head toward the notebook still sitting on the table. "The Hollow saw you first. Now something else has."
Lukas felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. Was that why he had felt different ever since the Hollow? Like something had latched onto him?
He inhaled through his nose, trying to steady his thoughts. "What does that mean for me?"
Felix was silent for a moment. Then, in a voice almost too casual, he said,
"It means you're running out of time."
---
Silence stretched between them.
Lukas stared at Felix, waiting for him to elaborate, but the man just sat there, watching him with an expression that was far too calm.
Lukas exhaled sharply. "You keep saying that. Running out of time. What the hell does that mean?"
Felix tapped his fingers against the armrest. "It means you don't have the luxury of ignoring this anymore."
Lukas gritted his teeth. "I wasn't ignoring anything."
Felix smirked. "You weren't asking the right questions either."
Lukas clenched his fists. He had been asking questions. But every answer led to more confusion, more gaps in his memory, more things that didn't fit.
His pulse pounded in his ears.
"How long?" Lukas asked.
Felix blinked. "How long what?"
"How long do I have before whatever's happening to me… finishes?"
Felix was quiet for a long moment. Then, voice softer, he said,
"I don't know."
Lukas swallowed.
Felix leaned forward slightly. "But I do know this—once something remembers you, you can't escape it."
Lukas's chest tightened. "And what happens when it catches me?"
Felix's expression darkened. He didn't answer.
But he didn't have to.
Lukas exhaled slowly, pushing a hand through his hair. His fingers were trembling slightly.
"Alright," he muttered. "What do I do?"
Felix studied him for a moment before standing. "First, we see how far it's spread."
Lukas frowned. "What?"
Felix grabbed something from the desk—a small, hand-held mirror with a silver frame. He tossed it toward Lukas, who caught it reflexively.
"Look," Felix said simply.
Lukas hesitated before turning the mirror toward himself.
At first, nothing seemed wrong. His face stared back at him—dark hair slightly disheveled, sharp features tense with stress, tired eyes staring back.
But then—
A faint flicker.
Lukas's breath hitched.
For a brief second, his reflection lagged behind.
A fraction of a second too slow, as if the image in the mirror was trying to catch up.
Lukas's fingers tightened around the handle. He stared harder, his pulse pounding in his ears.
Again—a delay.
Not much. Almost imperceptible. But it was there.
His reflection wasn't in sync with him.
Lukas's stomach turned. "What the fuck."
Felix sighed. "Yeah. That's not great."
Lukas tore his gaze away from the mirror, his breathing uneven. "What the hell is happening to me?"
Felix took the mirror back, setting it down with a soft clink. "You're becoming untethered."
Lukas's pulse staggered. "Untethered?"
Felix nodded. "You're slipping. Slowly, but it's happening. That's what happens when more than one thing remembers you."
Lukas felt his hands go cold.
He thought of the Hollow. The way its empty gaze had burned into him.
He thought of the figure in the alley. Standing there. Waiting.
Watching.
And now?
His own reflection wasn't keeping up.
Lukas clenched his jaw. "How do I stop it?"
Felix exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "You need an anchor."
Lukas narrowed his eyes. "An anchor?"
Felix nodded. "Something that keeps you here. Something strong enough to stop you from slipping further."
Lukas swallowed hard. "Like what?"
Felix gave him a long look.
Then he smiled, slow and sharp. "That's the part you have to figure out."
Lukas resisted the urge to throw something at his head.
---
The next morning, Lukas woke up feeling off.
He sat up slowly, rubbing a hand over his face. His limbs felt heavier than usual, like something was pulling him downward.
The room was dim. The fireplace had long since burned out, leaving behind the faint scent of ash.
Lukas stiffened.
Something was wrong.
The air felt too still.
Slowly, he turned his head toward the small mirror Felix had left on the desk.
His reflection was already looking at him.
Lukas froze.
His breath caught in his throat, his pulse hammering against his ribs.
He hadn't moved yet. He hadn't even turned his head all the way.
But his reflection was already watching him.
His blood turned to ice.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then—
The reflection smiled.
Lukas lunged backward, knocking the chair over in his panic. His breath came in short, sharp gasps.
The mirror sat perfectly still on the desk, the glass reflecting only dim light now. His reflection was normal again.
Like nothing had happened.
Lukas stared, his hands trembling. His chest felt tight, his mind racing.
His body felt wrong. Like it wasn't entirely his.
He stumbled to his feet, pushing down the nausea rolling through him. He needed to move. He needed answers.
Felix was still in the other room, flipping through one of his notebooks when Lukas stormed in.
Felix barely looked up. "Morning."
Lukas slammed his hands onto the table. "I don't have time for this shit."
Felix raised an eyebrow. "Ah. Something happened."
Lukas's pulse pounded. "My reflection moved before I did."
Felix blinked. Then he let out a long, low breath.
"Well. That's not ideal."
Lukas clenched his fists. "I need an anchor. Now."
Felix studied him for a long moment before nodding.
"Alright," he said, pushing his chair back. "Then let's hope you're strong enough to hold on."